Kansas-Missouri: More Than Just Rivals

The Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers will renew their rivalry once more tonight on national television, as they face off in the first of two regular season meetings. The game will be on ESPN.

Kansas has owned the series of late, winning five straight, but Missouri coach Mike Anderson has his Tigers playing very well.

Whatever the situation, you can be sure of one thing, the young Jayhawks' nerves will be tested tonight, with what is sure to be a sold out crowd, full of "Antlers"—a club of opposing male fans who consistently shout obscenities at Kansas players.

Sure, this Jayhawks team has gone to Tucson, AZ, and East Lansing, MI, and returned home with crushing defeats. But while those crowds may have been hostile, nothing will compare to what these freshmen will see tonight.

If you are new to this rivalry, let me give you a quick background.

It started in 1863, when Missourian and Confederate Guerilla leader William Quantrill closed in on the town of Lawrence, Kansas. After spending the night atop Mount Oread, the hill that the University of Kansas now sits on, he stormed the town of Lawrence, his men murdering the men and boys and raping the women.

All told, nearly 200 men and boys lost their lives, and it still ranks as one of the bloodiest days in Kansas history. With Missourians driving around with license plates and bumper stickers that remind those Kansans in nearby Kansas City, which straddles both states, of the disaster, this is a rivalry that goes deep.

Duke-North Carolina? A great rivalry. Army-Navy? Sure.

The difference lies in one simple factor: At the end of those games and in the run up to them, there is an air of mutual respect between the two sides and especially their fans.

In the Border War, you have Kansas fans wearing long red socks to the game to honor the Red Leggers, Jayhawkers who wore red leggings when fighting the rebels during the Civil War. In turn, you have Mizzou fans who carry around effigies of redlegs by noose.

If that doesn't help you get the sense of how deep this rivalry runs, maybe this will.

In 2007 the Border War's football installment was moved to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Fans from both sides came to the game to cheer on their Jayhawks and Tigers to what was ultimately the deciding game in the Big 12 North division.

Before the game, the parking lots were intermixed with KU and Missouri fans. Instead of talking about the ensuing assaults, battery, and verbal abuse before the game in 2007, all I need to say is that in 2008, Kansas fans were made to park on the North side of the stadium and Missouri fans on the south side of the stadium, completely isolated from each other.

I don't know if the North-South parking situation was done on purpose or just merely to symbolize the hatred between the two sides. Either way, batteries and assaults were kept to after the game, which Kansas won on the final play.

Tonight, Kansas travels to Missouri to play the Tigers. Now, I am writing this before the new rankings come out. However, I can assure you that both teams will be nationally ranked, which will only add fuel to the fire.

Missouri currently sits two games behind Oklahoma and one-and-a-half games behind th Jayhawks in the Big 12. It's a must-win for the Tigers. And while Kansas currently sits at 8-0 in conference play, and can afford to lose the game, they won't be thinking that way.

Keys to the Game

A huge key to the game will be who can win the defensive battle. If Kansas can continue its impressive run of holding opponents to dismal shooting percentages, they will win this game easily. If Missouri can shoot a decent percentage they will have a better chance.

Rebounding will also be a huge key to the game. Cole Aldrich is coming off an 18 rebound performance against Oklahoma State, and if he gets close to that number again, the game will not be close. KU has single-handedly gotten to 8-0 in conference by out-rebounding its opposition.

Rebounding has to be key in Mike Anderson's preparation, as both teams average the same amount of rebounds per game.

If Missouri can execute their game plan of running and gunning, they should get the victory. The Tigers average just under 85 points a game and over 90 at home, Kansas averages just under 78 points. If you do simple math, you can see who should win this game, and why the current line is Missouri at -4.5.

The biggest factor though is going to be whether or not this Jayhawks team—full of underclassmen—can deal with the most raucous crowd they've ever seen.

Sherron Collins and Brady Morningstar as resident elder statesmen, despite only being juniors, will have to calm their teammates down. If they can minimize mistakes and build up a lead early on, they will take the crowd out of it. If the crowd factor is erased, Missouri doesn't have the talent to compete.

Despite the Tigers being favorites, and this being a total homer pick, I like the Jayhawks to continue their run in the Big 12. Remember, it was me who picked these Jayhawks to go 8-0 coming into this game, and I have been telling my skeptical KU friends that they will win this game all year. I can't afford to back out of my pick now.

Kansas 89, Missouri 81