November has a way of turning every slip into a season-shaping problem, and that’s exactly the backdrop for Texas’ trip to Missouri. Both teams still have a path back into the College Football Playoff picture if things go sideways Saturday, but neither side wants to find out how forgiving that road really is.
This one also comes with a little history attached. Texas is heading to Columbia to face an old Big 12 foe for the first time since joining the SEC, and Missouri hasn’t hosted the Longhorns at Faurot Field since 2011, when the Tigers won 17-5.
On ESPN’s “Always College Football” show, Greg McElroy made his call for the matchup, and he likes Missouri to defend home turf in a 20-17 win.
“I think they’re [Tigers] going to have to win this game the way they’ve been doing it all season,” McElroy said. “By refusing to give the ball away.”
McElroy pointed to Texas’ recent issues with turnovers as a major reason he sees Missouri having the edge. He said the Longhorns have developed a bad habit of putting the ball in harm’s way and handing opponents short fields, something he believes Austin Simmons & Co. can exploit.
He also laid out five keys that could swing the game: who blocks [Mizzou’s] Daeden Hopkins, how Texas gets to 24 [points], what Austin Simmons does with the deep ball taken away, whether Jamal Roberts keeps Missouri on schedule, and which team blinks with the ball.
The Tigers and Longhorns kick off at noon ET on ABC.
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Eli Drinkwitz Is Pushing A CFP Change Missouri Fans Will Notice
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Drinkwitz is backing a move to a 24-team playoff with more automatic bids for conferences and play-in games instead of relying so heavily on selections. There is already a tentative agreement for that format to arrive after 2032, but the formal details are still being worked out, which means Missouri fans are watching both the rankings and the broader playoff debate with real interest. [Read more 🡒]