ST. LOUIS -- Pardon Chase Coffman if he is not overwhelmed at the prospect of playing in the biggest college football game in the nation today.

"We've been there, done that now," said Missouri's star tight end.

Three straight games to end last year, in fact.

Beating No. 2 Kansas 36-28 and winning the Big 12 North title on Nov. 24 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Taking a second-half beating from No. 9 Oklahoma, 38-17 victors over the Tigers in the Big 12 championship on Dec. 1 in San Antonio.

Handing out a 38-7 beatdown to No. 25 Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1 in Dallas.

Two for three, all at neutral sites, in nationally televised games. No wonder Missouri, at 12-2 and losers only to Oklahoma, wound up No. 4 in the final rankings.

No wonder the Tigers, rated No. 6 in the preseason, are not shivering in their cleats over playing No. 20 Illinois in the Arch Rivalry at 6:30 tonight in the Edward Jones Dome.

"We have more experience at a national level," Coffman said. "People aren't saying, 'Oh, we're in the national spotlight now. We have to play differently.'"

That sounds cocky. Yes, it does. If anyone wants to take it that way.

Perhaps Mizzou's Gary Pinkel, knee-deep in the pregame caution of nearly every head coach, can explain it well enough to unruffle any of the Illini's feathers .

"There are many lessons from a year ago," Pinkel said. "I think one of the things our players have learned is how you prepare will definitely carry over to how you play.

"It doesn't mean you'll win all your games, but you have a chance to win all your games.

"One of the things that we did a good job of a year ago was when there was all that pressure to win game after game after game, hopefully we learned what it takes to have an opportunity to do that."

Mizzou's reputation following the greatest season in school history naturally precedes the Tigers into the start of what many predict will be an even greater 2008.

"Saturday is a highly-anticipated game," said Illinois quarterback Juice Williams. "There'll be plenty of viewers out there watching it (on ESPN). It means a lot.

"Especially for the Illini nation. You're sort of thrilled to go out there and show the world what you can do."