As the Tigers prepare for what is most likely the biggest game played in Columbia since 2013, they also enter the semi-second half of their schedule at a clean 5-0. Yes, Mizzou plays 12 games and yes,
six is half of 12, but coming off the bye week there is a clear delineation in the Tigers’ schedule from the first half to the second.
The first half, while including a couple big games (if for emotional reasons more than practical ones), set up for the Tigers to run the table as long as they showed competence on both sides of the ball. Well, Mizzou checked that box with thick, dark ink. Now comes the real test. Seven consecutive SEC games, four of which are on the road, four of which are against ranked teams, three of those in the top eight.
The rubber hits the road Saturday against Alabama. So how will the Tigers fare against perhaps their toughest, yet most important seven-game stretch in program history? Time will tell, but patience isn’t my strong suit, so let’s go ahead and predict how the rest of the season plays out.
vs. Alabama (10/11)
It all starts here. Faurot Field hasn’t hosted a game of this magnitude since the Tigers were playing for the SEC East championship against Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M in 2013. While Alabama isn’t the highest ranked team to come in to Columbia since then (not even the highest ranked Alabama team), it is the highest ranked team that Mizzou has had a legitimate chance to beat. In fact, this is the first game in Columbia pitting two top 15 teams against each other in almost 50 years!
This is a game where the strengths of Mizzou match up well against the weaknesses of Alabama. Mizzou is a great running team while Alabama has been vulnerable against the run on defense. Mizzou is a brick wall on defense against the run while Alabama hasn’t been great moving the ball on the ground. Unfortunately, the same can be said for the Crimson Tide’s strengths. They have an explosive passing game with elite wide receivers. Mizzou is prone to giving up 40+ yard passing plays with regularity. All in all, I’d pick Mizzou’s strength in controlling the line of scrimmage over Alabama’s strength. Being at home helps as well. This will be a one possession game, but I’ll take the Tigers to get a massive program-defining win.
Record: 6-0
@ Auburn (10/18)
Normally coming of a massive win over the likes of Alabama might lead to a let-down game. Thankfully the Tigers won’t have to necessarily worry about that as they will be playing in their first road game of the season in the hostile environs of Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn isn’t a great team, but they also aren’t a bad team. Their offense has a couple playmakers including Cam Coleman, who is one of the top receivers in the country and their defense is competent, if not pretty good.
All in all, I think the Mizzou defensive line is going to be able to pressure quarterback Jackson Arnold all night long. Arnold holds the ball too long which will lead to several sacks for the Tigers, as well as perhaps a turnover or two. The offense will be able to control the clock and move the ball effectively on the ground all evening, resulting in a relatively low-scoring, but decently controlling victory for Mizzou.
Record: 7-0
@ Vanderbilt (10/25)
Last year, Mizzou and Vanderbilt were just about the same team, except the Tigers had more talent. They play the same style on offense, wanting long, controlled and time-consuming drives that keep the other team’s playmakers off the field. Mizzou won last year in Columbia because they were a) at home and b) had more talent. The game ended up closer than it should have been due to some mistakes and missed opportunities, including three missed field goals.
This year, Mizzou still has more talent than the Dores, but that gap has shrunken considerably. Also, this game is in Nashville. While far from an intimidating environment, Vanderbilt beat Alabama and nearly beat Texas there last year. This will be no cakewalk. In fact, even if the Tigers come in at 7-0 and presumably ranked in the top 8, I expect Vanderbilt to be a slight favorite. I think this is one of the three toughest games on Mizzou’s schedule and I think this is where the Tigers suffer their first (close) loss of the season.
Record: 7-1
vs. Texas A&M (11/08)
In what will be the first game since this “rivalry” was determined by the SEC office this fall when they released the nine-game conference schedules for the next four years, the Aggies come to Columbia looking for their second-straight win at Faurot. Since the Big 12’s inception, they’ve never won two consecutive games in Columbia and the Tigers are hopeful to keep that streak alive.
A&M is very talented, especially on the defensive end. They will look to create havoc, but the Tigers should still be able to move the ball on the ground and prevent negative plays created by a good secondary and pass rush. Offensively, A&M leans heavily on the run to support their young quarterback in Marcel Reed. Mizzou will be able to shut down the run game early and often, forcing Reed to try and beat them with his arm. The Aggies won the first seven meetings between these two teams, dating back ton 1957. However, since 2000, Mizzou is 7-4 and that is going to move to 8-4 in November.
Record: 8-1
vs. Mississippi State (11/15)
At the start of the season, the Bulldogs looked to be far and away the easiest SEC game on the Tigers’ 2025 schedule. Mississippi State was coming off a winless SEC slate last year and had lost a great deal of their existing talent to the portal (thanks for Kevin Coleman, by the way.) Thus far in 2025, the Bulldogs have proven to be game, barely losing to Tennessee at home a couple week ago and holding Texas A&M to a 7-3 halftime score in College Station last week before running out of steam in the second half.
While the Bulldogs are much improved and will most likely win at least one or two SEC games this year, they won’t be able to come into Columbia and pull out a win. Their defense will be gassed by the third quarter trying to contain Ahmad Hardy and Jamal Roberts, leading to a similar result as they experienced in College Station. Offensively, they will hit a couple explosive passing plays but will not be able to run the ball and thus will not be able to sustain drives. Tigers pull away late in the third quarter to win.
Record: 9-1
@ Oklahoma (11/22)
The Tigers head to Norman for the first time since 2011 in what could be a virtual SEC championship play-in game for Mizzou. At 9-1 with only one loss, a win here and the following week would just about ensure Mizzou plays in Atlanta. Unfortunately this may be the toughest game out of the 12 of the Tigers’ schedule as Oklahoma looks to be leaps and bounds better this season.
John Mateer should be more than recovered from his hand surgery by the time the Tigers roll into town. While not as athletic as LaNorris Sellers, Mateer is actually faster. He will be difficult to contain and while he is willing to put the ball in danger through the air, those risky plays often turn out in his favor. I think the Sooners are able to hit enough big plays to allow their very stout defensive to control Mizzou’s running game. I fear this will be the Tigers’ second loss of the season.
Record: 9-2
@ Arkansas (11/29)
The Tigers return to Failureville, I mean Fayetteville to meet the lowly hogs once again to close out the season. Arkansas is currently on coach #2 of the season, but who knows, they could continue losing and get interim coach Bobby Petrino fired before Thanksgiving and be on coach #3. All options are open and likely with this team.
The Razorbacks’ offense is pretty good, and Taylen Green is pretty underrated as a playmaker. But for as good as Arkansas is at moving the ball consistently, they are twice as bad on defense. They aren’t just bad on defense. They are shambolic. By this point in the season the Arkansas defense will have nothing to play for and, after the first quarter, will lay over rather than meet the pounding from the Mizzou running game head on. Tigers win going away to reach their program-record third consecutive 10-win season. Will it be enough to get them in the College Football Playoff? It’s unknown at this point, but if you win 10 regular season games in this SEC, you are most definitely one of the 12 best teams in the country.
Record: 10-2
