Is it a rivalry yet?

While many Arkansas and Missouri fans don’t like to recognize the SEC’s manufactured “Battle Line Rivalry” created following Mizzou’s addition to the SEC, the series is starting to actually feel like a rivalry.

The series began heating up after Barry Odom was dismissed by Missouri and soon landed on his feet at Arkansas as Sam Pittman’s defensive coordinator. That was after Pittman lured away offensive line coach Brad Davis from the Tigers. The Razorbacks then started to steal recruits from Missouri left and right.

During his recent National Signing Day press conference, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz even called out Arkansas — although he didn’t mention the Razorbacks or Odom by name.

Now comes the latest chapter in the rivalry as Missouri plans to honor the program’s 2019 win over Arkansas in football — over two months after it occurred.

With Missouri’s basketball team hosting the Arkansas basketball team on Saturday, in addition to Tiger fans planning to wear “beat arKANSAS” shirts, the Tigers will honor the 2019 winners of the Battle Line Trophy.

It’s an interesting strategy, considering the coach that actually won that game now coaches in Fayetteville but Missouri technically still claims bragging rights in the series.

Missouri even threw in a little shade in the description of the event, noting the Tigers have won four games in a row over Arkansas on the gridiron. Again, Odom was the winning coach for all four games:

https://twitter.com/MizzouAthletics/status/1225603586119200768?s=20