Texas Faces Missouri in Columbia to Preserve Playoff Contention

The College Football Playoff picture hangs in the balance for two teams with identical six-and-two records. No. 7 Texas and No. 18 Missouri will collide on Saturday, November 7, at 12 p.m. ET in Columbia, Missouri. Both squads have already dropped two games this season and require momentum to remain relevant in the postseason race.

Missouri enters the contest with a 3-2 mark in SEC play. The Tigers have established a strong home presence, posting a 13-3 record against conference opponents at Faurot Field since 2023. They defeated Florida and Texas A&M earlier in the year but fell 31-3 to Ole Miss in mid-October. The team rebounded with a 34-10 victory over Arkansas in Week 9.

Texas also holds a 3-2 conference record but faces internal scrutiny regarding its offensive output. Quarterback Arch Manning has not yet delivered the performance expected of a player who led the Longhorns to a No. 1 ranking for four weeks. The team won its last two games against Ole Miss and Mississippi State, yet analysts view a breakthrough performance as essential to meet the program's high standards.

Injury reports show a stark contrast between the two rosters. Texas lists star receivers Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman as questionable due to quad and shoulder issues. Both players have started all eight games and combined to catch 11 of Manning's 15 touchdown passes. Edge rusher Collin Simmons is also questionable after missing the last two games with an ankle injury. Missouri's injury report is largely clear, though running back Ahmad Hardy returned last week to handle the ball twice.

Jamal Roberts anchors the Missouri backfield as the SEC's leading rusher. He became the first player in the conference to surpass 1,000 yards this season, recording 138 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries against Arkansas. Texas possesses the superior defensive unit, and no team has averaged more than four yards per rush attempt against the Longhorns this year.

The CBS Sports CFB Forecaster projects that a Texas win raises their playoff probability to 67.5 percent. A loss would drop those odds to 22.8 percent, requiring victories against LSU, Arkansas, and Texas A&M to secure a spot. For Missouri, a win improves their odds to 16.1 percent, while a defeat reduces them to 1.6 percent.

The prediction favors Texas by 2.5 points. If Manning manages the game effectively, the Longhorns can rely on their defensive strength to control field position and exploit vulnerabilities shown by the Tigers in their recent losses.