The Curse

[ozark trout fisher]

Missouri plays Auburn tomorrow for the SEC championship, as I'm sure everyone and their brother already knows. It's been a storybook season by all accounts, 11-1, winning a string of games that looked like near certain losses in the preseason. A 5-7 team became a divisional champion. A coach on the hot seat in September is in the national coach of the year conversation in December.

I have, of course, enjoyed every second of it. From that double pass from Sasser to Washington at Georgia to shutting down Manziel in Columbia, it has been awesome. But this is still Mizzou. We've had moments like this before, where we are on the edge of doing something great. And then it is Oklahoma 2007 or Norfolk State 2012. Something always ends the run right at the moment when hopes are highest.

We are not going to win tomorrow. I want to think otherwise, but deep down, that's a feeling I can't escape. It's not a prediction, based on the evidence of Auburn or Missouri's season this year. This is just the type of game Missouri has never won. I have felt the way I do now about this team a whole bunch of times over the past few years. After all, Missouri has put out a lot of good teams lately in both major sports. There has been a lot to get excited about. But they can never get over the hump.

At a certain point, expecting them to do otherwise becomes nothing but a good way to get your heart broken. Tomorrow, I am going in with absolutely zero expectations, knowing that regardless of the outcome this season will have been one of the greatest in school history. Because while many people around the country are picking Mizzou to win (and there are many logical reasons to do so), does any single Missouri fan honestly believe in their heart that it's going to happen?

I guess we've seen to many Fifth Downs and missed field goals in the North End Zone.

I hope this post makes me look really dumb in about 24 hours.

[Smalliebigs]

hahahahahaha.....now you sound like my negative pessimistic butt OTF.....like you I have witnessed all of the bad in the past that has broken many dreams and hearts. Tomorrow I'm just gonna sit there and enjoy it good or bad because MIZZOU has played there hearts out this year and if it weren't for their coaches going into a prevent defense in the second half of the SC game they would be undefeated right now but, would still have to win this game.

I gave you all kinds of trouble about MIZZOU earlier on this forum because of the past.......and I was wrong.....DEAD wrong. One successful year has turned the worm in St.Louis with recruiting, kids all over the place are wanting to play in the SEC for MIZZOU. Auburn should have lost two games that they won....the Georgia game was a joke.

The MIZZOU kids and Gary have done well this year either way and the win win of it all is they will be getting more cash than they ever have by quite a bit no matter what bowl they end up in. The SEC splits the money up with everyone in the conference in a much more even manner which is why the move to the SEC was just great. Arkansas or LSU would kill to be where we are now. Let's just enjoy it....I know I will but, freaking out. I have a lot of friends that are Alabama fans and some of the stuff they say about Auburn is priceless.

I think Missouri is the second most balance team in the SEC behind Alabama.....we will do good.....stop the run and force their non throwing quarterback to throw deep

[Wayne SW/MO]

Well I have to point out that every team is different and every game plan is also different. Pinkel is very good coach, maybe outstanding, but some coaches have problems with games like this. It's funny you mention Oklahoma 2007 because since 2000 stoops has had trouble getting his team ready.

My feeling is that Mizzou will prevail. I'm generally opposed to predictions, doesn't seem to be my skill. My reasoning is in the fact that the teams are almost a perfect match with the big difference being Auburn leans to rushing while Mizzou is more passing.This bring me to lean toward Mizzou without prejudiced because Mizzou is a very good rushing defense, better than Auburn is a passing defense.

I also think Pinkel has a better team then he did in '07 while that OK team wasn't outstanding, I don't think Pinkel was ready for the pressure then.

The spread I saw was +2 Mizzou which is virtually nothing and probably a nod too Auburn's proximity to Atlanta. So Mizzou wins the SEC, gains a big, big prize for the trophy case and the recruiting war, gets an inconsequential bowl game while the "Big" 3 wait for the big game.

[Al Agnew]

I know what you mean, having been a Mizzou fan for a long time, too. And I'm going to enjoy this game with no expectations, other than expecting them to play as hard as they've done all year and let the chips fall where they may.

There are three ways that we can get that big disappointment that we're so used to getting.

1. Mizzou wins, but Ohio State also wins, so Mizzou loses out on the national championship game. I really wouldn't have much of a problem with this scenario, except to wish the coaches hadn't choked in the last quarter of the SC game.

2. Mizzou loses, Ohio State loses, so Mizzou would have come that close to the national championship game. I really wouldn't have much of a problem with that scenario, either.

3. Mizzou wins, Ohio State loses, but somehow the powers that be select Bama for the national championship game. I would REALLY have a problem with that scenario.

[ozark trout fisher]

3. Mizzou wins, Ohio State loses, but somehow the powers that be select Bama for the national championship game. I would REALLY have a problem with that scenario.

Can't you just see it happening though.

I know I come off pessimistic, but that wasn't really the intent. Just saying I don't feel good about the game tomorrow, and even if we lose it's still one heck of a year. It wasn't intended to be an indictment on Pinkel either, who I really have only good things to say about. It's just really, really hard to win the "big one" because it's always against a great team. For whatever reason, in a lot of tries, in two seperate sports, Mizzou has somehow never broken through and gotten to either a BCS bowl or a final four. Being a Mizzou fan is mostly fun, because our teams are usually good-but never great. IT is what it is.

But if we do win......well, Northern Illinois just lost. That means we don't have to worry about playing UCF in the Sugar Bowl. It would probably be either Oregon or Baylor, either of which would be beyond awesome to watch.

[Quillback]

I hope Mizzou doesn't lose due to a bad call by the refs. Or biased officiating. I was living in Seattle when the Seahawks got screwed by the refs in the Super Bowl vs. the Steelers. Still ticks me off to think about it.