No. 22 Missouri walks into Athens with its College Football Playoff hopes hanging in the balance, and the assignment could hardly be tougher.
Standing in the way is No. 1 Georgia, a team that has spent the last two weeks looking every bit like a juggernaut.
Missouri had a chance to add a statement win to its résumé last weekend at home against Texas, but a second-half lead disappeared in a 34-20 loss. Now the Tigers have to reset quickly for a trip to Sanford Stadium, where they’ll likely need the passing game to carry the load.
That’s the plan even with star receiver Cayden Lee dealing with an injury late against Texas. Quarterback Austin Simmons and wideout Donovan Olugbode still give Missouri a chance to attack through the air.
Georgia, meanwhile, has no reason to overhaul anything. Kirby Smart’s team has blasted through Florida and Ole Miss since the open date and looks to be hitting its stride at the right time.
Gunner Stockton was sharp throwing the ball against the Rebels, the ground game piled up nearly 300 yards, and the defense has forced six turnovers over the last two games. That same unit just made Trinidad Chambliss look like a bottom-tier SEC quarterback.
There’s also the history problem for Missouri, and it’s a big one. The Tigers have never beaten the No. 1 team in the country, and their 18-game losing streak against top-ranked opponents is the longest such run in AP poll history.
Only Ole Miss and Pitt, both at 15, are even close. If Missouri is going to change that, this is the moment to do it - and it would be a massive lift for the program and its playoff chances.
Georgia’s dominance in this series is hard to ignore, too. The Bulldogs are 12-1 all-time against Missouri, with the lone loss coming in 2013. The last two meetings in 2022 and 2023 were tighter than the usual blowouts, but that doesn’t erase the stretch from 2017-21, when Georgia won five straight by an average margin of 27.6 points.
And while the defense gets most of the headlines, the offense has been plenty dangerous as well. Georgia is averaging 41.1 points per game, good for sixth nationally and just 0.2 points shy of its best mark since 2014. Even with some questions around the passing game, the Bulldogs are still putting up huge numbers.
Missouri can make this interesting if Georgia comes out flat after its win over Ole Miss. The Bulldogs already let that happen once against Auburn, but it’s hard to see Kirby Smart allowing a repeat here.
The Tigers have to prove they can take down Georgia before anyone feels good about backing them in this spot. Georgia rolls for the third straight week.
Pick: Georgia -15.5
In Other News...
Georgias First SEC Availability Report Leaves Key Questions For Missouri
The first SEC availability report for Georgias matchup with Missouri offered an early look at how the Bulldogs are handling the weeks injury picture, and it immediately put a few defensive names in focus. Defensive lineman Joshua Horton was listed as questionable, while outside linebacker Amaris Williams was ruled out, and several other Georgia players, including Ellis Robinson and Craig Dandridge, were not listed because of injuries.
Kirby Smart also offered updates on Chauncey Bowens and Tyriq Green, adding another layer to a report that already suggests Georgia may have to manage its depth carefully heading into the game. Missouri has its own issue to monitor, with wide receiver Cayden Lee not listed because of a knee injury, leaving both sides with a little uncertainty as the week moves toward kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Why Missouri Poses A Real Threat To Georgia Again
Missouri keeps showing why it is a tricky matchup for Georgia, even when the Tigers lean into the run. The offense has enough balance to keep defenses honest, but the passing game still drives most of the yardage, which makes it harder to pin down what is coming snap to snap. Add in a defense that has been good at creating turnovers, and this is not the kind of opponent Georgia can afford to treat like just another conference game.
The concern is not only style, but what Missouri has already shown against ranked teams and how it can hang around even when the offense stalls in the red zone. Senior wide receiver Caydn Lee and quarterback Austin Simmons have both been central to that profile, with Simmons in particular giving the Tigers a chance to make plays when games tighten up. For Georgia, the challenge is less about matching talent and more about avoiding the kind of sloppy stretch that lets Missouri turn a competitive game into a real problem again. [Read more 🡒]
Why Mark Matthews Chose Georgia Is What Fans Will Love
Mark Matthews flip from Texas A&M to Georgia gives the Bulldogs another major recruiting win, and it is the kind of decision that tends to resonate well beyond one signing class. The five-star offensive tackle is considered the No. 2 overall player in the country, so landing him says plenty about Georgias pull on the trail and the way the program continues to sell itself to elite prospects.
What makes this one especially interesting is the backdrop around his choice. Matthews reportedly had bigger NIL offers from other schools, yet still landed in Athens, which points to Georgias recruiting pitch and broader strategy carrying real weight with top targets. For a program that has built its reputation on development and winning, that combination is exactly the sort of thing fans like to see. [Read more 🡒]