Some decent footage of SPOOOOOOONNNN after the win yesterday:

It’s 1 a.m. and I want to go to sleep. But the adrenaline is still fresh in my veins and I want to do my best to capture the emotion of tonight.

I echo what Big Head said about needing a new heart. I made the comment to my buddy I was watching the game with that I think these games take four years off of my life each season. Was this the most dramatic Border War game I’ve seen? I don’t know. I’m not going to try to rank them because God knows there have been some wild ones over the years.

But I will say this, no opponent takes me on the metaphorical roller coaster ride like the kansas Jayhawks. They bring out the best and the worst in me. They remind me why I love sports. They cause me to wonder if I care about these things a little too much. They do what a rival should do to a true sports fan.

-I don’t know if Danario Alexander will get the Belitnikoff. It doesn’t look like he will. So be it. We can argue about how good of an NFL prospect he is and where he should be drafted. The NFL scouting process is a complex beast. But bottom line, there was one guy who was hands down the best wide receiver in college football this season. His name was Danario Alexander. It’s not up for debate.

-Super ‘Nario was our most explosive player and best playmaker tonight. But Derrick Washington was the team’s most consistent offensive weapon. He was effective from start to finish. Say what you want about the other guys who contributed tonight but I don’t think there’s any way the Tigers win without the efforts of D-Wash. He hasn’t had the season we were expecting from him but tonight he showed us why we had those expectations in the first place. And don’t look now but he’s had four solid performances in the last five games.

-The Tigers’ defense didn’t have too many bright spots. There was little to no pass rush for most of the game and the secondary’s struggles have already been well documented. (This was also probably Sean Weatherspoon’s worst game of his senior season.) But two guys who really impressed me were Kip Edwards and Kevin Rutland. Especially Edwards. Major props.

-We make a lot out of the whole Todd Reesing-is-a-douchebag thing here at Mizzourah and with some of the pictures of him floating around out there I don’t think you can blame us. And for the last three years he’s held the throne of My Most Hated Athlete.

But now that his career is done and over I’m going to come clean. I respect the hell out of the guy as a player. No I don’t think he was ever quite at Chase Daniel’s level. But when the game was on the line the dude scared the living shit out of me. Thank God Pinkel didn’t leave any time on the clock for Reesing to get another shot at the end of the game because I have no doubt that I would have lost consciousness had he gotten the ball back.

He had my hate. He has my respect.

-That said, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tickled about the fact that the two most significant plays of his career were safeties in the same end zone at Arrowhead.

-Dez Briscoe’s performance tonight provided the perfect microcosm of his career. His final numbers are staggering. Fourteen receptions for 242 and two touchdowns. He showed why he’s considered to be such a special talent. But his dropped passes and fumbles also showed why he’ll likely be remembered as somewhat of an enigma.

-When Gary Pinkel elected to punt the football away on fourth and short with just over three minutes left and only one timeout remaining I was positive he made the wrong decision. Lets face it, kU was probably one first down away from victory. And anything less than another Jake Harry punt down inside the five was really going to stack the odds against the Tigers.

And after all that happened I’m still not sure GP made the right call. But that’s the thing about coaching. Sometimes it’s a guessing game. And when a guy guesses right then you tip your cap to the man.

And one enormous Mizzourah salute goes to Jake Harry IV. I’m not well versed in the history of Mizzou’s punting greats but I can’t imagine it’s a stretch to call him the best the Tigers have ever had.

-Of course, the Tigers were aided by Mangino’s insanely controversial decision to throw on three straight downs when the obvious move was to run the ball and at the very least force the Tigers to burn their last timeout and run a minute or so off the clock.

I can kinda see the logic behind Mangino’s decision. Mizzou’s secondary had an obvious deer in the headlights look to it on the previous couple of possessions. The Tigers have been solid all year long against the run and consistently inconsistent against the pass. He was leaving the ball in his best playmakers hands—the same playmakers that were instrumental in leading kansas to its most successful stretch of football in the modern era. So it’s not like Mangino just went batshit crazy with those play-calls.

All that said—not to sound all Tony Dungy—you just have to run the football there. But then again, what did he have to lose? His job? In my opinion it was definitely the wrong call, but the more I think about it the less insane I think it was.

-Going back to Pinkel’s coaching job, I’m not sure if this was one of his best performances or one of his worst. But doesn’t that sum up Gary Pinkel? Some of the mishaps and play-calls will drive you to drink like Sod in the P&L. You’ll curse him and stare at him in disbelief. You start to wonder if there’s something to what all his naysayers are constantly spewing.

But if there’s one thing you can and must say about Gary Pinkel coached football teams it’s that they’re tough. How many times throughout the course of this season has this team had the opportunity to fold? It could have been pretty easy for them to be in the exact position that kU is in now. But these guys know how to pick themselves up after getting punched in the mouth. They’ve shown that this season and they sure as hell showed that tonight. And I don’t give a shit how cliché this last paragraph sounded.

Oh and lets never bring up that dumbass “Mangino has Pinkel’s number” argument again. Seriously.

-Grant Ressel, I don’t quite no what to say. If we ever encounter each other at Harpo’s or Bengal’s or Field House or any other CoMo bar you will not be paying for your drink. I will assure you of that my friend. Lets just leave it there.

-This season isn’t quite over so we can’t totally grade it, but I think barring something catastrophic happening in the bowl game it’s safe to call this season a successful one.

Eight wins (which I predicted by the way), a decent bowl, a program crushing victory over kU, a record setting year for a fan favorite who had never quite put it all together until now, a Senior Day win, the emergence of a couple super-duper stars (Aldon and Gabbert), and a buttload of experience for the underclassmen. When you’re accomplishing that in a down year it’s a pretty damn good sign of the overall health of your program.

Via Missourinet.com

Hell with stats. Via @D_Alexander81 on Twitter.

Brand new Nike cleats =$100, new beast mode helmet =$250, beating KU and keeping them out of a bowl game = PRICELESS!!!!!!

Good Lord. Gary Pinkel and Co. owe me a new heart. Game balls to Coulter, Ressel, Gabbert, Danario, and DWash. Much more to come.

And sorry about the spread Bump.

Just look at this fucking guy. No, seriously,  just look at him. I've actually had to stop typing several times as I've needed all of my body to hate this guy. I wish I could hate him to death. Let's break it down:

1) Defacing the good name of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I'm sorry Donatello, we have failed you.

2) Mismatched gloves. One of which in a Nazi-esque salute.

3) An open can of Joose in his hand. Joose, of course, is the kUchebag drink of choice.

4) Although there are very few people in this photo other than the kUchebag, it certainly does not appear like anybody else is wearing a costume, so it's likely not Halloween.

Fuck I hate this guy.

M-I-Z FUCK kU!

Hate Year Week culminates Saturday afternoon on ABC, ESPN, or ESPN360, and the big ass drum will be on one sideline. Which one is it going to be? Mizzou's of course.

-kU has been bad lately. Ok, they've played like shit. After starting off 3-0, the buckleshoes struggled to grab two more wins before losing their last six. Last week was probably their best showing since mid-October, but even that was a 31 point loss to Texas.

-kU still has a few names you'll know from the past few years- Sod, Kerry Meier, Dez Briscoe, and Jake Sharp. Obviously, kU is an offensive minded team, and those guys are on that side. They are missing Toben Opurum, who's been their best offensive weapon this year, and their OLine blows like a November wind.

-kU's passing offense is pretty solid, ranking 2nd in the conference. Good thing our passing D is good...wait, shit. It's almost a mirror when Mizzou passes- good passing O, kU's pass D is just as bad as Mizzou's. Push??

-DWash, De'Vion Moore, and Kendial Lawrence will be keys in this game. Mizzou has their starting backs, and kU's rushing D is fairly pourous.

-With Toben Opurum out, kU will probably look to throw throw throw. Stec will probably have the D sell out against the pass. This game will rely on Carl Gettis' play (covering Briscoe), and the safety/LBs covering Kerry Meier. That mulleted son of a bitch still gives me nightmares from last year.

-This is Mangino's last game, bowl or not. Of course, kU needs the win to get to a bowl anyway. Shoney's in Lawrence will be looking for a government bailout, stat. Lew has walked MM out far enough on the plank, that it's ready to snap (FAT JOKE!!). Personally, I like Mangino in a kind of Bobby Knight way. He'll be on the market for about a week. It wouldn't surprise me if he took a look at the Louisville gig, or another Big LEast or ACC school.

-Does Danario Alexander go for double digit catches and 150+ yards again? I'd give it a resounding 'YES'. With the option of a run game, kU can't sellout against the pass, which will leave DA open at times. He's obviously Blaine's favorite target, and usually gets the first look. If he's open, watch out.

-Coulter and the Agent Smiths could have heydays against kU's OLine, especially with Sod moving around like a raver on ectasy and Red Bull.

-Jared Perry is donezo for the year after his leg blew up on him. Jerrell Jackson came in last week and dominated, which is what we've waited for since August. As long as Blaine has three solid targets, along with a run game, Mizzou's options will strain kU's D.

-Again, no Blaine Gabbert mistakes and the Tigers should be able to go blow-for-blow. I think there is something everyone has overlooked with Gabbert: he hasn't thrown a pick since the Colorado game on Halloween. Three games without an INT for a sophomore 1st year starter is a good stretch. He's had a great season and has suddenly become probably the best returning B12 QB for '10. I hope I just didn't jinx him.

-The Pro-Combats will be on display Saturday. I prefer to call them 'the bastard child made after a sweet night of love between Mizzou and Oregon'. Yeah, not a fan.

Mizzou is still a 3.5 point favorite, and that should be right. I don't see Mizzou blowing out kU, and it should be a shoot out. With the multiple options on offense, the Tigers will win 35-28. kU has so many things going against them right now- Mangino's shit, Lew Perkins lurking, failing to win since early October, and injuries. Blaine is 1-0 in neutral site rivalry games after blowing up the Illini, so the kid knows pressure. If either teams' defense holds up, it could get ugly.

You can listen online HERE, Rock M Nation will have the usual live thread, and if you're stuck visiting your dumbass drunk uncle over the weekend, peep the ABC coverage map. The coverage blows, but, if you have ESPN360, you'll have it. If you don't have that, we should have a video link posted Saturday. There has always been a vid link to the extra ESPN360 games, and I don't see why there wouldn't be this week.

For kU coverage, I'd suggest Oread Boom Kings.

I've kinda held off doing any sort of analysis or opining on the Mark Mangino-Lew Perkins feud. The main reason for that is because at the moment it's completely a Mangino said-Perkins said-Player X said-Parent Y said type of a deal. Bottom line, both sides are probably going to come out of this thing looking pretty bad. I think it's becoming obvious that Perkins is sort of a manipulative asshole (maybe that explains why kU got the Orange Bowl bid over Mizzou) and I think it's becoming obvious that Mangino is, well, just an asshole.

So without speculating over what to really believe in this whole saga here are some thoughts I've had that I believe are relevant and don't make unprovable assumptions.

-I've thought that Mangino was a dick for a while now. And not just because he coaches kU. And I didn't always feel this way. I can still remember the moment that I first started thinking, "Wow, if I were a college football player I absolutely would not want to play for that guy." It was at the end of kU's Orange Bowl victory over Va. Tech. There was less than a minute or two left in the game, the beakers had the victory well in hand and there was no chance that Va. Tech could mount a comeback. Aqib Talib and a couple other kU players grabbed a bucket of Gatorade and were trying to sneak up on Mangino for the obligatory Gatorade bath. The Jayhawks had sealed their 12th win of the season and cemented what was quite possibly the greatest season in school history. For all the shit talking us Mizzou fans do about how weak their schedule was that year, it was still one hell of a season (even if they shouldn't have gotten a BCS nod over Mizzou) and this was their moment to enjoy it.

But instead of going with it and having some fun with his players who had worked so hard for the last six months or so like just about any other coach in the country would've done Mangino started shouting at Talib. He was not having the Gatorade bath. And he seemed downright pissed that they would even consider doing such a thing.

Look, I get that some coaches are going to play the bad cop thing-disciplinarian thing with their players. Some coaches like their relationship with the players on their teams to be adversarial. But at some point you have to lighten up or their going to lose their passion for the game they're playing. If you're not going to let them enjoy a BCS bowl victory then why the hell are they going to try to kill themselves out on the field for you? That's taking the hard ass thing way WAY too far.

-One thing that I think is really telling about the entire situation is the lack of players that have stepped up in Mangino's defense. Kerry Meier and Darrell Stuckey have been the only ones I've read about doing it even though Mangino says the support he's gotten has been overwhelming. And they didn't do it until two days ago.

Lets say roles were reversed and it was Gary Pinkel that was in the middle of a six game losing streak (not that farfetched a few weeks ago) and Mike Alden out of nowhere decides to launch an investigation about how Gary's been getting a little too physical with some of his players. Can you imagine the number of guys that would fire back in his defense? Do you think Chase Daniel, T. Rucker, Zo Williams and Jeremy Maclin would sit back while their former coach came under fire? What about Sean Weatherspoon, Jaron Baston or Danario Alexander? I just can't see that happening. They'd be up in arms.

Maybe there have been more players go on record about the situation than I realized and I just haven't found the links. Maybe they think the best thing to do for Mangino is to keep quiet until the investigation is over. But I doubt it. And there have been more than a few players who have made comments that were either condemning Mangino's coaching methods or if not condemning them then basically saying "it is what it is."

-The comment that Mangino made that bothered me the most was when he went on Sports Radio 610 in KC and said this: "We are sending kids out into the world prepared. But I can't do the work of some parents, what they should have done before [the players] got to me. Some of these guys are bitter, they are bitter and [the allegations] are about that.

"There are some things that happen for 18 years of their lives that I can't change in four years of college. Can't do it. Can't change their behaviors, can't change their attitudes."

Dave Matter commented on this briefly on his Twitter page and basically said that's probably something that Gary Pinkel would disagree with. Some of the building blocks of Pinkel's program have been guys that had what were perceived to be character flaws. William Moore was a hothead and an undisciplined player. Tony Temple went from being potentially the biggest bust in the program's history to Tony Bowl Game by the time his final game was played. Xavie Jackson got suspended I think once every season he was at Mizzou and never really fully matured but made strides every single year. I'm betting he left the program a better person.

But to be fair there probably are some people out there that no matter how hard you try they're going to end up lost causes. But you gotta remember Mangino was the one who brought those guys into his program. It's not like he didn't have a say in the matter.

And don't you think Mangino lost just about all of his credibility when Joe Mortensen, who was a team captain last season, went on record bashing Mangino and saying "what goes around comes around"?

-This isn't necessarily about the Mangino-Perkins thing but it's related nonetheless. Last summer when the infamous Reesing Power & Light District, flag jacket and bag wine pics started coming out and it seemed like every other day a wasted pic of Sod was popping up on our laptops I wrote something that a lot of kU fans vehemently disagreed with. I wasn't super critical of Reesing because I understand you're probably going to drink when you're in college. Especially if you're a college athlete. But I just pointed out that I would be concerned if I were a kU fan and these pics of my quarterback were showing up the summer before a make or break year for the program.

I was told I was making something out of nothing. Reesing's just "livin' the dream." (I still don't understand how dumping a bag of wine on yourself while your buddy fondles your chest hair qualifies as living the dream but whatever.) Well maybe part of the reason Reesing and kU have struggled so much is because they weren't focused enough in the offseason. I mean, you had Reesing acting like he had already won the Big 12, Dez Briscoe struggling to get eligible and the bar fight where the dude got ran over with a car by his teammate.

Does that sound like a team determined to prove themselves as Big 12 Contenders? I don't think so.

-And this is way unrelated to any of this but I ran across this article from Aug. 2008 and just had to pass it along: Jocques Crawford didn't like his NCAA '09 video game rating. "“I wasn’t too happy because I don’t know where I am on the game,” Crawford said. “I don’t know if I’m that No. 21. I don’t know who that is — maybe it’s me.”

No word on if he was alright with his rating in NCAA 10 as the backup running back for Tennessee Central State Tech Community College University.

Damn, this game really isn't going to get national coverage. Good news if you don't have 360; it'll probably be on ATDHE, which we'll link.