Saturday’s College GameDay picks didn’t offer much comfort to Texas A&M.
With ESPN’s panel closing out the show by selecting winners from the AP Top 25 slate, four of the five analysts backed No. 14 Missouri to beat the Aggies. Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit all went with the Tigers, while guest picker Bryce Young, the former Alabama quarterback, was the only one who took Texas A&M.
The show was broadcasting from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, ahead of the Alabama-Georgia primetime matchup, and the crowd there didn’t seem especially moved by the Missouri-Texas A&M call. Still, the selections lined up with what both teams have shown so far this season.
Missouri comes in after pounding Florida, a game in which the Tigers held Heisman Trophy candidate Jadan Baugh to 13 yards on 12 carries. Austin Simmons is now in Columbia, giving Missouri another quarterback option after its issues in that area in the last two meetings between these teams.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, is still trying to steady itself. The Aggies opened conference play with a home loss to Kentucky and a blowout defeat at LSU, marking the first time they’ve started 0-2 in SEC play under Mike Elko.
They did bounce back with a 34-7 win over Arkansas, but that result came against a Razorbacks team that hasn’t picked up an SEC victory since 2024. Missouri now looks like the real measuring stick for Elko’s group, with this matchup offering a clearer answer on whether last week’s win was a one-off or the start of a real turnaround.
Texas A&M and Missouri are currently playing on ABC from Faurot Field in Columbia.
In Other News...
Mizzou Just Sent A Serious Message With That Texas A&M Win
Missouris win over Texas A&M was about more than just ending a skid against the Aggies. The Tigers controlled the game from the start, leaned on a relentless defense and got a huge night from Jamal Roberts, who ran for 222 yards and two touchdowns while extending a remarkable personal surge. It was the kind of performance that made Missouri look firm in the trenches and confident on both sides of the ball.
The defense did its part too, holding Texas A&M to six points and keeping the Aggies from ever really finding a rhythm. Nicholas Rodriguez led the Tigers in tackles, and the pass rush added pressure with sacks and interceptions to back up the offenses big night. For Missouri, the larger question now is whether this was a one-off statement or the start of something that can carry forward from here. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou's Secondary Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Against Texas A&M
Missouri heads into its matchup with Texas A&M with its secondary set for a real proving ground, and the challenge starts with the Aggies receiver pairing of Isaiah Horton and Mario Craver. They bring different problems for a defense to solve, which is part of what has made them such important pieces of Texas A&Ms offense. For a Mizzou back end that has been trending better recently, this is the sort of assignment that can tell you a lot about how much progress has actually stuck.
The Tigers do not just have to stay attached to a couple of dangerous targets, either, because Texas A&Ms passing game has been a steady force and Marcel Reeds season has helped drive it. That raises the stakes for Missouris coverage group, which will need more than clean technique and a few timely stops to get through the afternoon. If the Tigers can keep Horton and Craver from dictating the game, it goes a long way toward making the rest of the matchup tilt their way. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Suddenly Faces A Road Test That Could Expose Everything
Missouris uneven start keeps making each week feel a little more revealing than the last. The Tigers have shown enough in stretches to stay in the ranked conversation, but their inconsistency has also left plenty of questions hanging as the regular season moves deeper into October and the schedule keeps getting less forgiving.
That backdrop makes every upcoming matchup matter a little more for a program still trying to sort out what it really is. Around the league, other ranked teams are dealing with their own stress points, from injuries to defensive lapses to unbeaten seasons suddenly looking vulnerable, and Missouri is trying to avoid becoming part of that same discussion by proving it can settle in before the next big test arrives. [Read more 🡒]