The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Missouri Tigers have played against each other for years in basketball and it’s always been a fast and furious “Border War”. In football, however, it always hasn’t been even consistent in terms of playing each other and even when they did, the programs weren’t always as hyped as the basketball teams seemed to be year in and year out. Well, with the way things have been going as of late for both schools on the gridiron, we could very well be seeing one of the best nonconference matchups in the country quickly taking form as the years will go by.

Last year, no one would have been able to guess that the season opener would end up being having 2 teams that would be BCS contenders. In what was a game where the score seemed a lot closer than the game really was for the majority, Missouri pulled off a win in St. Louis behind star-in-the-making Chase Daniel. Even though last year a major comeback was lead by Eddie McGee, who replaced Juice Williams deep into the game, Williams really established himself over last season as one of the Big Ten’s premier quarterbacks.

This year’s contest pits the same two hyped QBs against each other in what should be an awesome game overall. Mizzou comes in ranked in the top 10, while Illinois is ranked anywhere from 17-21 in polls across the country. With the star power and the upswing of these feel-good teams, expect this to be one of the most talked about games in college football for the entire week.

So, who wins? Well, as much as you all know I obviously support the Big Ten, I look at a lot of variables in this game and I just can’t fathom why Missouri drops this game. For one, Daniel is in a class of his own, and may very well be the best quarterback in all the land–I know that’s a big statement, but his leadership and uncanny ability to really get his team to win at all costs is absolutely huge in my book. Illinois’ defense, while solid, just won’t be able to keep up with the looks and the speed that the Tigers present. The Tigers’ o-line is young and not as experienced as Illinois’ defensive front, but even if the Illini are in the backfield a lot, Daniel’s slipperiness is one of the most dangerous things about him, and Illinois’ secondary, while it has a wonderful player in Vontae Davis, doesn’t have the chops to keep up with the scrambling QB and the talented Missouri receivers.

Likewise, the glaring hole at running back for the Illini put them in a rather precarious situation in such a critical start. If this game were to be played a month from now, Illinois may have had the upper hand after playing a few games and getting the chemistry right–I’m not saying anyone at this point is a worthy replacement for Rashard Mendenhall, but it’s still better than having to play a team like Missouri and not really knowing what to expect to start things off. Juice can do a lot of things, but it’s probably a bit too much to ask of him in a situation like this.

Special teams could make a bit of a difference either way, with new faces in some of the key positions–punter, kicker, and return men. While Missouri has a brand new punter, I don’t think he’ll be seeing a whole heckuvalot of action (kind of like being the New England or Indianapolis punter–what a sweet job!!).

With so many question marks still abound for Illinois despite being a good team, the interesting thing is that this game could be really anything–Illinois could win big, it could be a nailbiter again, or Missouri could blow Illinois out–there’s that much of a gray area. But–with some of the known things that Mizzou brings to the table–this is where I’ll make my prediction: Missouri 41, Illinois 31. Sorry, Illini fans…if they win, that’s a good problem for me to be wrong about!!!