Missouri’s first stumble of the season showed up in the rankings too.
After falling 31-24 on the road to then-No. 24 Mississippi State, Mizzou football slid in both the AP Top 25 and the coaches poll. The Tigers are 3-1 overall and 0-1 in SEC play, and the loss extended a rough run against ranked league opponents: Missouri has now dropped eight straight games to ranked Southeastern Conference teams and hasn’t beaten a ranked foe since Week 3 of 2024.
In the AP Top 25, Missouri fell from No. 19 to No. 25, landing as the last of 10 SEC teams in the poll. Mississippi State jumped past the Tigers and moved up to No. 16.
The full AP Top 25: Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State, Indiana, Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, BYU, LSU, Texas Tech, Utah, Iowa, Oregon, Mississippi State, Tennessee, USC, Oklahoma State, Houston, SMU, Boise State, UCLA, Kentucky and Missouri.
The coaches poll was nearly as harsh. Missouri dropped from No. 21 to No. 25, with Florida, Washington, Mississippi State, UCLA, Duke and Houston moving ahead.
It’s the lowest the Tigers have been ranked in that poll since the preseason, when they were also No. 25.
The coaches poll ranked teams this way: Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami, Indiana, Ohio State, Alabama, Florida, BYU, Texas Tech, LSU, Ole Miss, Utah, Iowa, Oregon, Mississippi State, Tennessee, USC, SMU, Houston, Duke, Penn State, UCLA, Michigan and Missouri.
Missouri’s path gets no easier. The Tigers have five games left against ranked opponents, starting with No.
8 Florida in Week 5. That stretch also includes No.
9 Ole Miss in Week 7, No. 1 Texas in Week 10, No.
2 Georgia in Week 11 and No. 24 Kentucky in Week 12.
Saturday’s game against Florida is one of two ranked SEC matchups on the weekend slate. It also gives Missouri its highest-ranked opponent through the first five games, at least by the coaches poll.
Later on, the Tigers will host No. 1 Texas and visit No.
2 Georgia and No. 12 Ole Miss.
In Other News...
Daeden Hopkins Is Becoming Missouris One Sure Defensive Difference-Maker
Daeden Hopkins keeps turning himself into the kind of edge rusher Missouri can build a defense around. The sophomore defensive end just picked up his second SEC defensive lineman of the week honor after a breakout showing against Mississippi State, where he finished with 3.5 sacks. Through four games, Hopkins already leads the Tigers in sacks with six, a sign that his impact is growing fast and that opposing offenses have to account for him on every snap.
For Missouri, that kind of presence changes the shape of a game plan. The Tigers have been waiting for a true difference-maker up front, and Hopkins is starting to look like the most reliable one they have. Around the program, there was also a lighter bit of news as Missouri athletics announced an NIL partnership with Friskies involving Truman the Tiger and a charitable donation program for shelter cats, a reminder that the off-field branding piece is humming too even as Hopkins keeps supplying the on-field headlines. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Faces A Huge Bounce-Back Test Against Unbeaten Florida
After a frustrating 31-24 loss to Mississippi State, Missouri gets a chance to reset quickly with a top-10 opponent coming to Columbia. The Tigers, ranked No. 25, will have their hands full with No. 8 Florida, a team that has opened unbeaten under new coach Jon Sumrall and brings a much bigger spotlight into Memorial Stadium.
The stakes are obvious for Missouri, which needs a bounce-back performance to keep its momentum from slipping further after the setback. Florida arrives with the cleaner resume, and the matchup gives the Tigers an immediate measuring stick against one of the SECs early front-runners, with national attention following along on ABC and FUBO. [Read more 🡒]
Missouris Top 25 Standing Is About To Face Its Biggest Test
Missouris spot at No. 25 in the AP Top 25 has come with a little extra scrutiny, the kind that follows a team sitting on the edge of the poll and drawing skepticism from outside the program. The Tigers have managed to hang around the rankings, but the conversation around them has turned as much toward perception as performance, with some wondering whether their presence is helping the broader SEC picture more than their own rsum.
Now comes the kind of game that can settle plenty of arguments. Florida arrives as the next heavyweight on Missouris schedule, and the Tigers standing figures to be on the line in a way that goes beyond one weeks ranking. A strong showing would give Missouri a real case to stay put, while anything less could make the rest of the season a much tougher climb in the eyes of the voters. [Read more 🡒]