No. 18 Missouri gets a massive stage Saturday morning, and the setup is hard to miss: a top-20 showdown with No.
7 Texas at 11 a.m. at Memorial Stadium, with College Football Playoff implications hanging over both teams. For Missouri, the margin is especially thin.
Another loss would seriously damage its CFP hopes.
The Tigers enter at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Southeastern Conference after hammering Arkansas 34-10. In that win, Austin Simmons threw two touchdown passes, Jamal Roberts piled up 138 rushing yards and scored twice, and Ahmad Hardy was back in the mix.
Simmons also made news Friday afternoon, reportedly agreeing to return to Missouri for the 2027 season if he chooses to stay in school. The deal still allows him to enter the 2027 NFL Draft.
Hardy’s role is one of the biggest questions heading into the Texas game. He had only two carries for 5 yards against Arkansas, but Missouri expects him to be used more heavily this week.
Coach Eli Drinkwitz laid out the approach on Tuesday: “I think for us, it’s to continue to clearly define what his role can be for us. Where can we utilize him without throwing off the rhythm of what we’ve already established offensively with Jamal (Roberts)?
I think you’ll see more of a rotation than what we were last week. We’re a more enhanced version of, hey, this is what his role will be.”
Texas comes in after steadying itself with back-to-back wins, knocking off Ole Miss 34-27 and Mississippi State 31-3. That followed consecutive 27-24 losses to unranked Florida and unranked Oklahoma.
The Longhorns are also dealing with a battered roster. They are without All-American left tackle Trevor Goosby and starting tailback Hollywood Smothers. Colin Simmons and Cam Coleman are game-time decisions, while Ryan Wingo is active.
This will be the first meeting between Missouri and Texas since the 2017 Texas Bowl in Houston, when the Longhorns won 33-16. The teams met seven other times while both were in the Big 12, and Texas leads the all-time series 18-9-1.
Missouri is close to full strength by comparison, with Josh Atkins, Malae Fonoti and Gavin Hoffman the only players currently out.
The game will be played at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.
In Other News...
Eli Drinkwitz Owned What Really Undid Mizzou Against Texas
The conversation around Missouris 34-20 loss to Texas has centered on the kind of call that can dominate a postgame discussion, but Eli Drinkwitz pointed the focus back where he thought it belonged. Missouris defense had too many communication breakdowns, especially in coverage assignments, and those mistakes helped open the door for Texas to create scoring chances. For a team that wanted to make a statement in a matchup like that, the missed details on the back end proved costly.
Drinkwitz didnt try to hide from it after the game, choosing instead to frame the loss as one of missed opportunities rather than officiating. That matters for Missouri because it shifts the attention from a controversial fumble ruling involving Arch Manning to the larger issue of execution, which is where the Tigers have to clean things up if they want to turn close games into wins. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Defends Officiating As Missouri Fallout Keeps Growing
The fallout from Missouris Week 10 loss to Texas has stretched well beyond the final whistle, with the SEC now spending as much time defending its officiating process as explaining the call itself. Commissioner Greg Sankey pushed back on the public criticism that followed the game, arguing that broadcasters should not be so quick to question rulings without having the full picture, while also acknowledging how hard it is to expect perfection from officials every week.
For Missouri, the larger issue is less about one controversial moment than what comes next for a program and fan base that still want answers. Sankey said the league is continuing discussions about making the review process more transparent, a sign the conference knows the scrutiny is not going away anytime soon. Even with the explanation, the sense around Columbia is that the conversation around that game is still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Luther Burden III Delivered A Highlight Missouri Fans Couldn't Fully Enjoy
Luther Burden III gave Missouri fans a moment worth replaying on Sunday Night Football, hauling in a touchdown catch that flashed the kind of playmaking ability that made him one of the most electric Tigers to come through Columbia. It was the sort of highlight that travels fast and reminds Missouri supporters how much talent he brings to the biggest stages.
The celebration, though, came with a concern attached, as Burden later left the game because of a possible concussion. For a fan base already juggling plenty of fall and winter storylines, it was another reminder that the joy of seeing former Tigers shine can turn quickly into something far more uneasy. Missouri football now turns toward a tough matchup with Georgia as a sizable underdog, while the basketball team and volleyball program keep adding their own layers to the season. [Read more 🡒]