This week the No. 1 ranked UNA football team will square off against the No. 2 team in the country, Delta State, at Braly Stadium with conference title implications on the line.

To me, this game feels like more than just another regular season game, more than just a rivalry game that we play each year on a Thursday night and more than just an ordinary Top 25 matchup that everyone gets excited about.

To me, this feels like a national championship game where you have the top two teams in the country trying to show which team is the team to beat in Division II. Keep in mind the D-II national championship is played every year in Braly Stadium, so it’s kind of like a tune up of what’s to come.

Who knows, this may not be the only time we see these teams meet up this year. We met up with them twice last year, but Delta State got the win where it mattered most in the playoffs and ended up going all the way to the championship game, which they lost.

Some would say whoever has the most experience in big games will be the winner. Yeah, like I said, they did play in the championship game last season with a lot of players returning from that squad, but this is a new year.

UNA has played in a big game this year and won in the biggest stadium in the country (Cowboys Stadium) against traditional powerhouse No. 5 Abilene Christian in its own back yard. So, logic would tell you we have the edge in the experience department for this year.

Also, some of the biggest stars in Division II will play, so there will definitely be some fireworks on display. You have two of the best quarterbacks in the nation with UNA’s Lee Chapple and Delta State’s Micah Davis playing in the game.

Not to mention the best player in Division II and a future first-round draft pick Janoris Jenkins will show his talents in shutting down the Delta State passing game.

Like I said earlier, it feels exactly like a national title game where all the news media will be at the game and all of the Division II will be keeping an eye out on who will end up the winner.

It should be a very exciting night. Let’s just hope the game itself will be just as good as the buildup going in.