Jay Kersting's Blog

Mizzou fans, you have gotten the ultimate match up with your hated rival.  I know that many, if not most, of you didn't want this.  At least not LIKE this.  Meaning against a Kansas team with a PERFECT record.

From the conversations that I have had with Mizzou fans, most would have wanted Kansas to stumble rather than come into this weekend's game at 11 and 0.  And this surprises me, but I think I understand it.

I am still not sure about this MU/KU rivalry.  I heard a lot this season about how much Nebraska is hated.  But KU is hated more?  Or is that normally just basketball?  I know this MU/KU rivalry from being around Kansas City, where KU fans outnumber MU fans, and from my time in Warrensburg, where MU fans outnumbered KU fans.  Probably because most of the students would have rather gone to MU.  So, now my perceptions are clouded by being here in Mid-Missouri.   

My older brother Topher is a University of Southern California alum...and a hardcore fan of the Trojans.  He explained rivalries to me years ago, and his explanation makes a lot of sense.  Topher said that USC has two main rivals, Notre Dame and ucla.  With Notre Dame, there is a lot of respect and because of that, a true USC fan wants Notre Dame to win every game each year, except when they play the Trojans.  With ucla, lose every game and have a bus crash on their way to the Coliseum.  Nothing but HATE in that rivalry.

Now, here I am in Mid-Missouri, and as a Tennessee alum, I really don't have any ties to Mizzou.  AND my younger brother Dan is a Kansas alum.  So, I feel a loyalty to Dan and therefore a little bit to KU.  Dan is a hardcore Jayhawks fan, but that has always, at least until this year, manifested itself through basketball.  So, I have, because until Bruce Pearl arrived in Knoxville UT didn't have men's basketball, always been a Jayhawks basketball fan.  As for football, I really didn't care.

I have been part of our college football show, "On a Football Saturday" this season.  As I have expressed in an earlier posting, it has been a great experience and my role on the show, as the National Guy, is a good fit.  I bring the perspective that, this year at least, Mizzou fans need to embrace the good Kansas team until the meeting in Arrowhead Stadium.

Well, here we are.  10-1 Mizzou meets 11-0 Kansas on Saturday.  The winner goes to the Big 12 Championship game in San Antonio, Texas, for a chance to beat up on Oklahoma.  For Kansas, that would get them MORE respect, for Mizzou, a chance to avenge their only loss of the season.  I have already predicted that the Big 12 North team will beat the Sooners.  IF the Sooners make it there.  The Oklahoma State Cowboys could keep them out of the game.  (Kind of like how the Jefferson City Jays kept the Hickman Kewpies out.)

So Mizzou fans, enjoy this week.  Cheer for your team and hope for the best.  As for me, I'll leave you guessing where I stand.  I can tell you this.  I will be pulling for my Volunteers to beat the Kentucky Wildcats so the Big Orange can make their conference championship game.   

Personally, my biggest hope for the Big 12 is this.  I want to see TWO Big 12 NORTH teams make it to BCS bowl games.  That is a tall order, but it is possible.

So for this upcoming weekend, here is who I am pulling for.  First, Tennessee.  Second, USC.  Then, in no particular order, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, UConn, and Oregon. 

Again, as for the game in Kansas City, who do you think I am pulling for?  Post in comments if you want. (Also post if you want to be added to the notifications list)