No. 7 Texas and No. 18 Missouri have only met once on the football field since the Tigers left the Big 12 along side Texas A&M for the SEC. That meeting was the 2017 Texas Bowl. What should scare Longhorns fans is the 2026 version is tinkering on the edge of a disappointing bowl like that. Especially if they can't beat a team like Missouri.

The Tigers are a good team. It's easy to see Missouri winning on Saturday. They're ranked just 11 spots below Texas in the College Football Playoff rankings and have the same record. And Mizzou has home field advantage. Then why is Texas a -3.5-point favorite. Because a fully functioning Texas team is better than Missouri.

But this Texas team isn't fully functioning. First, the injuries are starting to pile up. It was announced this week that the Longhorns have lost running back Hollywood Smothers and tight end Nick Townsend for the rest of the season. All-American right tackle Trevor Goosby is also out for the year. And UT has been without All-American EDGE Colin Simmons for weeks.

In addition to trying to plug the injury holes, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian must also continue to work on the offense. At times it looks great. But its not trustworthy. Will Muschamp's defense will need to stand tall for a third game in a row if the offense can't get it going.

Tommy Bresee's Prediction

Texas walks into this Missouri game needing the win to feel confident about their CFP chance heading into LSU. Missouri is a relative unknown, with losses to both Mississippi schools but a dominating win over Florida. Jamal Roberts and the run game leads the way, averaging just over 160 rushing yards/game.

Austin Simmons has become a riser in this upcoming NFL Draft, flashing his elite arm talent every week. Texas was able to get a win over Tennessee earlier this season, but I don't see this as a task that's comparable. Missouri is capable of  performing at a high level on both sides of the ball, especially the front seven defensively.

It's difficult to imagine this Texas offense to trade punches with Missouri, especially on the road, so I'll take the Tigers to possibly end Texas' CFP hopes.

Jamie Gatlin's Prediction

The Longhorns will take on Missouri this Saturday in their latest SEC clash. The Tigers are off to an impressive 6-2 start and, like Texas, are 3-2 in conference play.

Texas will need Arch Manning to be at his best and for the defense to shine. Last week, the Longhorns defense held Mississippi State to three points and 187 total yards. If the Longhorns can replicate that performance, another win could be on the horizon.

This should be a game that Texas can win as they look to improve their playoff odds.

Trey Luerssen's Prediction

When this year's schedule came out, I thought the game against Mizzou might be the toughest to forecast. But it's even tougher now, because we're not sure which team will actually show up on either side of the ball. Both teams have had some big wins and some real clunkers.

How much will Texas miss Smothers and Townsend? Can the defense slow down the Tigers offense? Which version of quarterback Arch Manning will show up in Columbia?

For four games in a row, Texas has jumped out to an early lead and then coughed it up by the end of the third quarter. UT is 2-2 in that stretch. A coin flip. Twice the dam broke and twice it didn't.

I think the defense will save the offense again.