And so am I.
I made a promise to myself when I was about 10 years old. I was engulfed in full-fledged Mizzou fandom and, honestly, that meant a lot of heartbreak. Hoping for the football team to make a bowl game and only lose by less than 30 to Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado (yes, Colorado used to be really good) I told myself that if this program ever started getting good, if we ever started to compete for conference titles and January bowl games or even, gasp, a national title, I would be there in person.
And if I failed to keep this promise, somehow 10-year old me would time travel to 20-something me and kick me in the balls repeatedly while screaming, "what the fuck is the matter with you!? We waited so long, so motherfucking long! I don't care what bills you have and how low your income is, fuck I don't even know what income is, just get your ass to that game."
So, hundreds of dollars later I find myself a few days from a weekend I don't think I'll soon forget. The Missouri Tigers are one game away from completely the most improbable and special season in the programs's history. They'll face Auburn, who is also having a ridiculous season, in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta with an outside shot at a berth in the national title game on the line.
I didn't see this coming. Mizzou entered the SEC puffing its chest and talking about how we would do just fine in our new home away from the Big 12. I was one of those people. I understood how the southern schools perceived our program. A gimmicky, soft, slow, middling midwestern program that tried to disguise all that with some fancy uniforms. Hell, a lot of the southern Big 12 fans felt that way. But I knew, the program was much more than that. I had watched it grow from my latter years in high school to my early years in college that saw quarterbacks Brad Smith and Chase Daniel and receivers Jeremy Maclin and Danario Alexander and NFL defenders Ziggy Hood, Sean Weatherspoon, William Moore. Eight straight seasons of eight or more wins. Improved recruiting. NFL talent all over. This was a different Mizzou program. It was deep, talented and was going to take the unsuspecting and egotyiscal SEC by storm.
Then injuries happened. Georgia at home happened. Gary Pinkel/James Franklin beef happened. Some insanely athletic and spectacular plays by Sheldon Richardson were sprinkled in. And boom, 5-7 happened. Mizzou missed a bowl game for the first time in nine years. And it had to come in our first year in the big bad SEC.
The entire fall and next eight months served as comedy hour for the rest of the conference and most of the national media talk. It sucked and it sucked mostly because I knew it wasn't true. Most fans and everyone inside the Mizzou football program knew it wasn't true. Fortunately, the latter took it far, far more personally than the rest of us.
After the 5-0 start, which included a thrashing of Vanderbilt on the road to open SEC play, Mizzou headed to Athens, Georgia to take on the Bulldogs and had looked mighty impressive. I had booked tickets before the season because I thought it would be a nice opportunity to visit a new college football venue and see my cousin who lives in nearby Atlanta. Plus, alcohol, college game day and stuff. I had no real belief I would be attending a game with my team undefeated and having a real shot to pull the shocker on the road.
And before the game, a fan I chatted with had a friend who was well-connected inside the Mizzou program in some capacity. And although you take these "inside stories" with a grain of salt, I found it interesting to here an hour before kickoff that the Mizzou players weren't talking about trying to spring an upset on the road, but rather, they were talking about trying to win a national championship. I, admittedly, laughed at that notion. I mean look, going 5-0 was nice and all and they had looked good doing it, but a national championship run? No shot.
Then, Mizzou went in and handled Georgia in the first half in a way I didn't think I would ever see the Tigers do. They led 28-10 at halftime, and it felt like it could have been by more. Of course, Georgia came back, but Mizzou won going away, 41-26. Suddenly, the "inside info" before the game had a little more substance to it.
Maybe this team was for real? Five wins and one heartbreaking slip up that we won't talk about later, Mizzou is 11-1 and has a great shot to win the SEC. And although they need help — an Ohio State or Florida State loss — they are very much in the national title discussion at No. 5 in the BCS Standings.
I was at the Texas A&M game. When Henry Josey — a guy who suffered one of the worst knee injuries you will ever see — broke lose past the Aggies defensive front into the open field on his way to a 58-yard game-winning touchdown run with the capacity crowd at Memorial Stadium exploding in celebration I couldn't help but basque in the moment. Every fucking second that occurred in those final three minutes I thoroughly enjoyed and took in with pure elation next to my older brother. There have been some great moments in the past six or seven years in my Mizzou fandom, but that one took the cake. It felt like the icing on said cake. It was vindicating to watch my school, my team steal the spotlight from the traditional powers of the SEC East if only for just that night, in a profound sort of way. Announcing our presence with authority.
When I was 10 years old I couldn't imagine anything topping that moment last Saturday. Now, at the age of 24, with Mizzou playing for and SEC Title. I fully expect that moment to be topped exactly one week later. And if it doesn't. If Mizzou is defeated by Auburn and shutout out of a BCS game or a chance at a national title, you bet your ass I will be upset. Inconsolable? Probably. But that's a credit to Gary Pinkel and his staff and what they've built at the University of Missouri in the last 13 years — beginning exactly one year after I wished of better times at the age of 10.
The bar has been set high. And right now, right this minute, Mizzou is among the country's elite programs. And I could not be more proud.
