It's Super Bowl week at South Dakota State. With a win Saturday over Southern Illinois, the Jacks would not only clinch a share of the Missouri Valley Conference title, but they'd also lock up the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. And that makes this one of the most important weeks in SDSU football history.

When you play in one of the toughest conferences in the country, big games are a way of life. And SDSU head coach John Stiegelmeier says his team treats them all the same.

"The terminology we use is 'let's play Jackrabbit football.' That's in the big game, the small game, its in the opener, and its in the final game," Stiegelmeier said.

But the circumstances surrounding Saturday's showdown with third-ranked Southern Illinois are anything but ordinary. The Jacks and Salukis come into the game with identical 6-0 records in conference play, making this the Missouri Valley's first winner-take-all contest since 2005.

Junior running back Kyle Minett says, "Knowing that this here, just like the UNI game was for us, is the biggest game of the year. I think it gives us confidence just to go into that game and know that we have succeeded in this situation before, and know that we can definitely succeed in it again."

"I think our players deserve to come into this game with confidence," adds Stieglemeier. "I think they've earned that. They've played that type of football. What I don't like, and what I don't want to be a part of is a program that feels they're the best team because I want to be humble with what we've done. I want to approach this game like we have to do everything possible to win it. Then you'll play up to your potential."

SDSU has been showing off that potential all season long. And the Jacks are relishing the chance to turn it into something tangible.

"It was our top goal on our list of goals at the beginning of the season, to win the conference championship. So I think that just means a lot to this football team, and hopefully we can do that Saturday," Minett said.

"These players have built this program," explains Stiegelmeier. "I want them to come back and see the history that they've created. And by doing that you win a conference championship."

Southern Illinois nipped SDSU 38-35 in Carbondale last November. Since then, the Jacks have won seven straight in the conference.

Kickoff at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium is scheduled for 1:00pm Saturday.