23 NOV 07: THIS TIME IT'S WAR

In case you're reading this at 4:00 a.m. before going to sales, the Indianapolis Colts raced back from behind Thursday night and beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-13. It was the first Thanksgiving home game for the Falcons in team history - and it looked for a while like the team recommended the Colts have dinner at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

But for area football fans, the more important games of the weekend will occur Saturday. Alabama plays at Auburn, in the "Iron Bowl." Georgia goes to Georgia Tech for the.... well, what nickname should go on this game? The Drought-Dirty-Car Bowl?

The center of Auburn University's campus will reopen for traffic this morning, in time for the Iron Bowl. It was closed Tuesday evening for a police sweep -- which prevented Alabama pranksters from stealing any "War Eagle" statues.

Both Alabama and Auburn enter the Iron Bowl on a low note. Auburn lost to Georgia two weeks ago. Alabama has lost three games in a row, the last loss coming to Louisiana-Monroe. No wonder Troy University has to travel to Georgia and Florida for non-conference competition....

Alabama head coach Nick Saban has raised some eyebrows, with his comments about last weekend's game. He compared the loss to Louisiana-Monroe with national setbacks such as Pearl Harbor Day and the September 11 attacks. It's surprising Saban didn't declare his comments the "Monroe Doctrine."

People such as WLTZ sportscaster Jeremy Moss think Nick Saban went over the verbal edge, by comparing the ULM-barassment to September 11, 2001. But then again, Moss is presenting the sports from Iowa - and diehard Alabama fans would tell you with the Auburn game approaching, Saban was probably right.

Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville has tried to push away rumors about possible other jobs. Some claim Texas A&M wants him. Others claim Louisiana State might want him. And for some odd reason, nobody's mentioned working at Notre Dame yet.

This year's Iron Bowl is a week later than it's been in recent years. The Southeastern Conference now requires all teams to play a game, on the weekend before the conference championship. When you consider that Vanderbilt had to add a game against Wake Forest, the rule can seem a little silly.

The Iron Bowl is considered SO BIG that several wagers have been placed on the outcome of the game. In fact, I'm surprised Alabama Governor Bob Riley hasn't stepped in to warn everyone about the evils of gambling.

One of the Iron Bowl bets has the mayors of Auburn and Tuscaloosa betting plates of barbecued ribs. I'm sorry, but this makes no sense to me. The Auburn Mayor's name is Bill Ham, Junior - and he's wagering ribs?!

There's even an unusual bet in Columbus involving the Iron Bowl. Brad and Mike made it during last weekend's Rivertown Ford infomercial - as the loser will have his head shaved on television. So the dancing turkey soon will be paired with a bald eagle....

Before Alabama and Auburn take the field, Georgia will go against Georgia Tech. This year they meet at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta - also known as the stadium which seems to get renovated every five years to justify a building fund.

Georgia is seeking its seventh win in a row over Georgia Tech -- which I believe means the last Tech win came when George O'Leary was head coach. Has anyone checked his resume lately, to see if he claims the Yellowjackets won twice that season?

Even though Columbus is in Georgia, the Georgia-Georgia Tech game simply doesn't get as much attention here as the Alabama-Auburn game. Perhaps that's because the Auburn campus is so close. Perhaps it's because Georgia Tech games haven't been on local radio much in recent years. Or perhaps it's because the "Tech" most local graduates attend is Columbus Technical College.

While this two in-state battles dominate the headlines, I'm preparing for a different Saturday rivalry. I'll be focusing this weekend on the Kansas-Missouri game - joining perhaps about 12 other people in the Columbus area. But hey, we'll be a Big 12....

Regular blog readers know I went to college at Kansas - and this year has been an amazing dream season. The Jayhawks are 11-0 for the first time ever! For decades, they did well merely to play 11 games in a season - as in ten regular-season games plus a bowl.

Kansas wasn't even ranked when the college football season began. But higher and higher the Jayhawks have climbed - and if Alabama's John Parker Wilson had held onto the ball against Louisiana State, the polls might actually make sense and put an undefeated team at number-one.

The Kansas-Missouri game Saturday night actually will be the top game on the college schedule. That's because unbeaten Kansas is ranked second in the country. Missouri with its 10-1 record is ranked fourth. The winner could wind up in the Bowl Championship Series title game. The loser might have to wait 50 years for another opportunity like this.

Kansas-Missouri happens to be the oldest college football rivalry west of the Mississippi River. But this year's game is the biggest in the series in my lifetime. The days of Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri being called the "devil's triangle" of football seem to be far in the past.

There have been rumblings since my college days of moving the Kansas-Missouri clash off the college campuses, and playing it in Kansas City. This year it's finally happening - and look at what's happened as a result. These teams are so giddy, their coaches might actually accept calling the game an "outdoor cocktail party."

I've been telling people this is Kansas's biggest college football game in the last 40 years. That goes back to 1969, and a 15-14 Orange Bowl loss to national champion Penn State - a game the Jayhawks would have won, except for a penalty for having 12 players on the field. That game simply was a prophetic sign of the current Big 12 Conference.

My older brother was in college when that Orange Bowl game was played, and he flew from Kansas City to Miami to see it. That trip marked the first visit of my young life to an airport. It says something about Kansas football that my first actual airline flight came four years after graduating college -- for a job interview.

I discovered Thursday night that my older brother and his wife will be at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium for this big game as well. It's a Kansas "home game," included in their season ticket package. Hopefully they'll remember to put this blog's Internet address on the sign they'll hope for the ABC cameras.

It's likely to be cold Saturday night for the Kansas-Missouri game, but my brother plans to be there nonetheless. I advised him to save the (ahem) victory beverages until he gets home. But I'll be watching on my home TV, and probably blogging about here Sunday -- so if every other word seems to be misspelled, I hope you'll understand what happened.

OVERHEARD OVER HERE: Several Columbus supermarkets were open Thursday - and at one of them, a man needed help with Thanksgiving dinner.

"Turkey juice. Where do you have that?"

"Turkey juice?"

(Next part inaudible.)

"Gravy - I think in aisle two."

We don't make those "overheard" comments up - but we do make up some Instant Messages....

+ To Cheddars Restaurant on Veterans Parkway: OK, you were closed for Thanksgiving Day. But did you have to leave the waterfall running out front - violating Georgia water rules for perhaps the 50^th day in a row?

+ To the Burger King across from Peachtree Mall: You're not opening until 5:00 a.m.?! Isn't that a bit late? Shoppers will want to drink coffee before the big department stores open.

+ To Ruby Tuesday inside Peachtree Mall: It's one thing NOT to add a traditional turkey dinner to your Thanksgiving menu. But showing poker and college basketball on your TV screens, instead of the Green Bay-Detroit pro football game?! Are your managers from Mexico or something?

+ To R. Kelly: Yes, I'm messaging you again. Now Ne-Yo is saying you demanded all seven dressing rooms at the Civic Center last week, and made him and his dancers dress on a tour bus. First of all - does the Civic Center really have that many dressing rooms?

BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Gas for $2.91 a gallon at Dolly Madison on Victory Drive.... milk for $3.89 a gallon at Walgreens.... and parking spaces near the department store doors being nearly impossible to find by 7:00 a.m....

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: Our writers' strike-inspired Blog of America is off today, due to a dearth of interesting national news on the holiday.)

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