There’s a special Sunday that comes along once a year in February. A Sunday upon which Americans gather in living rooms across the country to consume several days’ worth of food and alcohol in the name of an epic television event; a head-to-head of some of the most talented, coordinated human beings society could find. Obviously I’m talking about Oscar Sunday.

I’ve been planning my tailgate for weeks. Every year my friends and I participate in a betting pool after following the award show stats all season. In spite of what happened at the Golden Globes, you can be sure that if Les Mis wins Best Picture I will be on my feet shouting at someone, because nothing drives me over the edge like a bad call. Especially a bad music-cal(l).

Some of us will actually pay attention to what’s going on, and some of us will just be there for the commercials/musical performances, but we’ll all be there just the same. We may see some nasty injuries to the feelings out there on the stage. Maybe a wardrobe malfunction or two or other really dated jokes. There will be shouting, cheering, yelling, maybe even crying, and we may not even remember parts of it (thanks, alcohol) but in the end we will know the difference between the winners and the losers, and if Beyonce shows up we will talk about it via helpful memes for days. I also intend to blame everything I don’t like on this year’s ref, Seth MacFarlane.

This season has been extra special though, because my girl Jennifer Lawrence is up for Best Actress for her role in Silver Linings Playbook. It’s been a surprise excellent season for Lawrence and her top tier teammates Bradley Cooper (Best Actor), Robert De Niro (Best Supporting Actor), Jacki Weaver (Best Supporting Actress) and veteran coach David O. Russell (Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay). I’ve been studying every performance of Lawrence’s since she started out as a rookie in 2006’s totally unknown TV movie Company Town.  Even back then she played to win. I’ve got my jersey with her name on it all ready to go (I had it made). She came so close to the big win in 2011 when she was nominated in the same category for Winter’s Bone but Natalie Portman came out with some pretty impressive game play in Black Swan. She was perfect, and Nat Port won that round.

But this year. This year could be different. Jennifer Lawrence isn’t a shoo-in, what with Jessica Chastain (that girl has an incredible arm on her, artistically speaking), surprise newcomer on the offense Quvenzhane Wallis and the lady from Amour. But Lawrence is back in the Best Actress game, and I will be watching, ready to go freaking crazy if she leads the Silver Linings Playbook team to the Best Picture championship win.

Freaking. Crazy.