In a 2007 college football season filled with unfathomable twists and turns, Missouri and Kansas—unranked at the start of the season—kept winning, setting up the biggest game ever played in the oldest rivalry west of the Mississippi. The winner would be ranked No. 1 in the nation.

In a discussion of his new book, Mark Godich dissects not only one history-making football game but also a century and a half of rivalry between the two states. Joining him are two former standouts from that season, Mizzou’s Martin Rucker and Kansas’ Kerry Meier.

Godich, a graduate of the University of Missouri, joined the staff of Sports Illustrated in 1995. As senior editor, he edits the magazine’s reporting on golf, the National Football League, and college football.