There's No Place Like First

First of all let me appologize to faithful My Life with Dogs readers who I left hanging all week. Those who apparently had no access to ESPN.com or their newspaper to find out that Mizzou pulled out a fantastic victory over KU last weekend in the Border Battle. I can't explain how excited I was on Sunday to find out that my Tigers finally reached the top spot on the BCS standings as a result.

Well, here we go again! The biggest game of the season is upon us......bigger than the highly anticipated Border Battle and sure to be a remarkable game of football. And just as a disclaimer for those of you asking, "How many games can she call the biggest game of the seson?" If things go our way, you'll hear me say that just ONE more time--on the eve of the BCS Championship Game!

Tonight, my #1 ranked MU Tigers with a record of 11-1 will take on the #9 ranked University of Oklahoma Sooners with a record of 10-2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The winner takes the Big 12 title outright. Mizzou is rumored to be the underdog (by most estimates by a mere fieldgoal) and they are battling a demon, as Oklahoma is the "1" in their beautiful 11-1 season.

I know that I'm in good company when I say that I am certainly not a fan of the BCS and how the eventual College Footbal Champion is determined. This year though I've been paying a bit more attention (don't hate the playas hate the game right?). I guess if we're stuck with the BCS, we may as well know how it's shaking out. Many of the big BCS games depend on the outcome of the MU game tonight (watch it on ABC at 7:00)--and of course the West Virginia game (which takes place at 7:45). West Virginia, ranked #2, is not expected to have any difficulty beating Pittsburgh and will then clinch their place in the Championship Game. Who their opponent will be is much less easy to predict...a Missouri victory should send the Tigers to the title game, a loss may send Ohio Sate (which many Illini fans would cheer as it would likely then see Illinois sent to the Rose Bowl). Others predict that if Mizzou loses LSU might be able to wiggle their way back in to the championship bid...Should Oklahoma win, they will go to the Orange Bowl as the Big 12 champion and who knows where that'll put my Tigers post-season. I'm confident they can pull it out tonight though. I don't think there is anything that Chase Daniel can't do. Predictions, point spreads, the what-if's...in the end they don't really mean anything--the final score does. As Swanny says, "Polls don't matter. That's why they play the game."

GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!