Missouri

Well, here we go in Columbia tonight. I really have a bad feeling about this one and have had all week. I think this is our toughest game all season, more than Texas even strictly because it's on the road. Also, even  though Cincy might as well have been a road game, technically that was a neutral site making this our first true road game. If you caught Gameday this morning the crowd looks to be for real (that was the biggest gameday turnout I can remember) and a day of pouring fuel (in this case: beer) on the fire will only make it that much rowdier. I think that Lonnie will struggle, and I think we will make some mistakes in the hurry up that you can credit the crowd for. I hope we can survive, because I absolutely can't envision handing them a beat down like we have in recent years.

All of that said, everyone has been talking all week about Mizzou's defense being number 2 and the matchup of that and our offense. No one seems to be mentioning our defense versus their offense. I think our defense is rounding in to form, and I think that is what will allow us win this game. Gabbert has been good but streaky, if we can force a couple of turnovers our offense will build on that momentum and that's the way we will get our points and keep them off of the field. I think we win today, because I always do, but I think we will struggle tremendously to pull this out. On to the picks...

Offense

I think today, as I've said roughly 1000 times, Lonnie will struggle. I see him turning the ball over at least once and for that reason I can't go with him (with that in mind, if he proves me wrong and takes over, then we win this one hands down). I think DeMarco has been talked about a lot this week, and I think he is the key to victory. I think the mix up of Mossis "my dog" Madu and Roy Finch takes a little pressure off DeMarco and as a result I think he adds to his TD record and carries us. I like DeMarco to break 100 on the ground and to make a few big catches out of the backfield. In doing so I think he emerges in the national spotlight some.

Defense

This is a huge road game, the sort of game that makes new stars (see: Tony Jefferson) and cements a players legacy. In that vein, I think it takes a veteran out there to really take over, block out all of the crowd and emotion, and dominate. I'm going with Travis "Old Steady" Lewis to have a big night. I think he quietly makes a dozen tackles, and not so quietly forces at least one turnover. He's ready, he's our most consistent defender, and he will step up.

I can't quit thinking back to the last time we went up to Mizzou, a game I attended with Mitchy, and how lucky we were to get out of there with a win. That team had Brad Smith who essentially owned us. They don't have a singular weapon like that now, but they are balanced, and for the first time in my memory they have a defense that seems half interested in stopping people. Those factors compounded with what I predict will be an absolutely insane crowd make this game a huge trap for us. There has been little of Mizzou's typical moronic smack talking, so I'm not sure we have the fire under us that we should (really hope I'm wrong there). However, as I said before, I think our defense carries us in this one and we win a low scoring affair late 17-14. I'm shitting bricks, but I have faith in our guys to step up in this one and shut rotten fuckfaces like Stewart Mandel and Desmond Howard (Corso kiss of death not withstanding) up. Let's destroy these shit fucks.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.