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Even at San Diego State, where being a long shot is commonplace, there is a suppressed hope for the unlikely and always a threat of getting suspended in football’s anticipation freefall.

Missouri is the big favorite this Saturday, and judging by the message boards, Tiger fans are just a mild brand of anxious.

Not here. Nothing gets blood running through the veins like an underdog scratching at the neck of an upset. Oh yeah … except for cocaine. That stuff gets the blood de-curdled real well.

But enough about the SDSU drug bust of “08, subsequently turning this place into the mad cop frenzy it is today. Right now, football. I’m here to talk about the big “what if” against the Tigers.

What if the Aztecs flee to Missouri this Saturday, and never return because atavistic farm boys poach them for their California-dried skin?

Wait, my bad. That’s not the big “what if” (although a valid concern). Let’s try this again: What if SDSU beats the Tigers this weekend? Would it alter the lukewarm college football culture in San Diego? Would a 3-0 start and a major upset turn the stiles at Qualcomm?

Hell if I know.

But here’s a certainty: Watching a game unfold into the hands of a “non-BCS school” would be more than any privileged Big XII team could handle. It would leave Missouri fans with the sort of dejection found on the silly rabbit’s face when told “Trix are for Kids”(ignore the product placement. I’m forced to sell out because The Daily Aztec keeps me off its esteemed payroll, despite slavery ending at least 10 years ago. Send hate mail to sports@thedailyaztec.com).

The 25th-ranked Tigers have a quarterback who will likely have his way with the Aztecs’ secondary. But Missouri did lose its top two receivers from last year, and the Tigers’ former starting running back was kicked off the team after he was charged with sexually assaulting his tutor. And get this: His tutor was a man … Just kidding, that’s not factual.

Which reminds me of a joke: What do you get when a Missouri running back and a tutor cross paths?

Answer: A sexual assault charge.

But the Tigers return plenty of experience elsewhere and their traditionally soft Big XII secondary is vastly improved. And the defensive front will be much better than what SDSU has impressively trucked through thus far.

As for the Aztecs, their fate will once again rest heavily on Jesus Christ and quarterback Ryan Lindley. And at this point, we can’t say Jesus is an SDSU fan. Nor can we claim Lindley to be a big-game quarterback. Against the four best teams last year, Lindley averaged 40 fewer passing yards and completed just 48 percent of his passes. His touchdown to interception ratio was a hellish 8-to-7, and the Aztecs lost all four of those games.

But maybe things have changed this year for SDSU. Maybe everything will change with an upset this weekend.

But one thing is for sure: College football is a year-round sport, and the six days leading to a game will always belong to the underdog. While Missouri fans are a mild brand of anxious, SDSU will revel in the excitement and the what-ifs and the anticipation … and then maybe snort a little cocaine.

8212;Matt McClanahan is a journalism senior.

8212;This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.