No. 7 Texas and No. 18 Missouri will square off as SEC foes for the first time on Saturday in a clash between two-loss teams seeking traction in the College Football Playoff picture. The Tigers (6-2, 3-2 SEC) have already blown out league foes Florida and Texas A&M at home this season and are 13-3 at Faurot Field against league opposition since 2023. Taking on Texas (6-2, 3-2) represents an uptick in competition, but the Tigers shouldn't be lacking confidence.
Florida was No. 8 in the AP poll when it arrived at Mizzou on Oct. 3. It left with a 45-17 loss that legitimized Missouri and showed its full potential. Since then, we've also seen Missouri's floor, which was found in a 31-3 loss at Ole Miss on Oct. 17.
But after a bye week and a 34-10 "get right" win over Arkansas in Week 9, the Tigers appear to be back on track. The Longhorns are entering off wins over Ole Miss and Mississippi State, but their vaunted offense is still falling short of expectations. Is this the point when everything will start to click for quarterback Arch Manning?
If a Texas team that spent four weeks at No. 1 earlier this season is going to meet expectations, a breakthrough needs to come soon. Injuries mount for Texas: Injuries are adding up for the Longhorns, who enter this matchup with star receivers Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman listed as questionable. Wingo is dealing with a quad injury while Coleman is working through a shoulder issue.
Both have appeared in all eight games for Texas up to this point while combining to catch 11 of Arch Manning's 15 touchdown passes. Star edge rusher Collin Simmons is also questionable after missing Texas' past two games because of an ankle injury. That's a lot of star power in the "questionable" category for Texas.
By contrast, Missouri's injury report is nearly clean. Welcome back, Ahmad: Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy made his 2026 debut last week, carrying the football twice in the Tigers' win over Arkansas. The 2025 All-American has been on the mend from a gunshot wound, and his return adds to a running back room that already features the SEC's leading rusher.
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