No, it won’t happen this year, or anytime soon.

Missouri’s most fierce rivalry with Kansas, known as the Border War, is no more. It’ll be the third straight year the Tigers haven’t played the Jayhawks, as a result of Missouri’s moving to the SEC in 2012.

Although the game won’t be played, Missouri fans can be rest assured — the Border War would have been an automatic win for the Tigers this season.

In fact, all three seasons would have been near-guaranteed victories for Missouri considering the struggles Kansas has had.

This season especially would have been a been a brutal matchup for the Jayhawks.

Missouri’s defense is one of the best in the SEC, which often means one of the better units in all of college football. Could you imagine Shane Ray and Markus Golden against a 3-8 Kansas team this season? The Jayhawks’ offensive line has allowed 25 sacks on the season, good for 82nd nationally.

The Jayhawks are averaging only 18.3 points this season, last in the Big 12 and 119th nationally. The passing and running games are virtually non-existent for Kansas, who rank last in both categories in the Big 12.

Defensively, it doesn’t get much better for the Jayhawks. Kansas allows just over 448 yards per game. Even though Missouri’s offense has been inconsistent at times this season, it’s a unit that’s gotten stronger as the season has progressed.

Quarterback Maty Mauk has settled in late in the season and he’s protecting the football better than he ever has with three two-touchdown, zero interception performances in his last four SEC games. Kansas has struggled mightily in the secondary and Mauk’s gunslinger mentality would undoubtedly carve up the Jayhawks’ defense.

Marcus Murphy’s electrifying speed and playmaking ability would show itself at some point. Murphy usually gets around 20 touches in a game on offense, and if Missouri’s defense held Kansas like it should, the Jayhawks would have to punt his way more than preferred.

Even off the field, it’s been a rough season for the former Missouri rival. Head coach Charlie Weis was fired just four games into the season after winning just six games in three years, including a 1-18 conference record. Weis couldn’t get Kansas out of the conference cellar, and frankly, he may have forced them the Jayhawks down even farther.

With where the state of the program is right now, compared to where Missouri is at, it’s tough to imagine Kansas providing much of a fight for the Tigers.

Of course, all of this is speculation. The game won’t be played this season and who knows when it’ll be played again.

Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel wants it to happen, sooner rather than later.

Discussing a hypothetical matchup is always fun, especially when it’s between two rivals such as Kansas and Missouri. There’s no doubt that Missouri has the more talented team this season, as evidenced by the huge discrepancy in team records in their respective conferences.

Missouri has struggled at times, but overall the Tigers are a potential SEC Championship team — I’d like to see Kansas face off against a team of that caliber.

And while the Border War is a great rivalry that hopefully resumes soon, however, it’s likely most Missouri fans are perfectly fine with where their team is at right now, one win away from the SEC Championship — something that a season-ending game against Kansas wouldn’t provide.

But I’m sure they wouldn’t mind a blowout win over Kansas as the finale to a highly successful 2014 season.