Missouri’s bye week arrives with the Tigers sitting at 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play, a record that still leaves plenty on the table after a rough loss to Ole Miss. With five regular-season games left, the second half gives Missouri a real chance to reset and make noise.
The stretch starts after the break with a trip to Fayetteville to face Arkansas, and on paper it looks like one of Missouri’s friendlier remaining matchups. ESPN Analytics gives the Tigers a 73.1% chance to win.
Arkansas comes in at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in SEC play, and the quarterback edge tilts toward Missouri’s Austin Simmons. He has thrown for 1,434 yards, 14 touchdowns and one interception, while Arkansas’ KJ Jackson has 1,193 passing yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions.
That favorable spot doesn’t last long. Missouri’s next two games are against two of the toughest opponents left on the schedule, starting with Texas in Columbia.
The Longhorns bring a serious threat off the edge in Colin Simmons, who has 10.5 sacks this season. Simmons is dealing with an ankle sprain, but if he’s on the field, he’ll be a major problem for Missouri’s offensive line and its protection for Austin Simmons.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning has had some sophomore hiccups, but he still poses a real challenge as a passer, especially when he finds Cam Coleman. Missouri’s defense will need to keep both in check, and the fact that the game is in Columbia gives the Tigers a chance to turn home field into an edge.
After that comes what looks like Missouri’s biggest test of the season: a trip to Athens to play Georgia. The Bulldogs have controlled the series, holding a 12-1 record against Missouri.
Georgia’s roster is loaded on both sides, but the loss to Auburn showed they are not untouchable. If Missouri can put together a complete game from Simmons, Jamal Roberts and the defense, it at least gives itself a shot.
The Tigers then return to Columbia to host Kentucky, a team that has put together a strong year under first-year head coach Will Stein. Kentucky is 6-1 overall, 4-1 in SEC play and ranked No.
- Even so, Missouri’s success at Faurot Field matters here.
ESPN Analytics gives the Tigers a 56.2% chance to win, despite the Wildcats’ ranking and record.
Missouri closes the regular season at home against Oklahoma, and that matchup brings a different kind of challenge. The Sooners have a defense built to pressure the quarterback and shut down the run, which will put Missouri’s offense under the microscope one last time.
Offensively, though, Oklahoma has issues of its own. With a thin running back room, the Sooners could be vulnerable in a way Missouri can exploit.
For Missouri, the path through the back half of the season runs through a mix of opportunity and danger. The Tigers get two key games in Columbia, one favorable road matchup, and a brutal trip to Georgia. What comes next will go a long way toward defining their regular season.
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