Missouri sets up as ground zero for Sooners' hopes of making postseason

Two old Big 12 rivals meet up on Saturday as Oklahoma goes on the road to face the Missouri Tigers in a game that has important implications for both teams and brings back classic memories from the past.

Oklahoma (5-4, 1-4) owns a commanding 67-24-5 record in the all-time series, which dates all the way back to 1902, including eight of the last nine meetings and 20 of the last 22. Missouri's last five wins in the series, however, have come in Columbia, where the game on Saturday is being played.

The Tigers (6-2, 2-2), ranked 22nd this week in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll, are coming off a bye week that followed a decisive 34-0 defeat to No. 15 Alabama. Meanwhile, the Sooners had arguably their best offensive performance of the season last weekend in a 59-14 demolition of FCS opponent Maine.

Missouri is 5-0 in home games this season at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field and has won 13 of the last 14 home games under head coach Eli Drinkwitz, now in his fifth season at Missouri. Since November 2022. the Tigers are 24-5 under Drinkwitz.

Saturday's game is scheduled for a 6:45 p.m. CT kickoff, the third time Oklahoma and Missouri have met under the lights in Columbia. The game will be televised on the SEC Network with Tom Hart doing play-by-play, Jordan Rodgers providing analysis and Cole Cubelic reporting on the sidelines.

What fans need to know about Missouri

• The question mark for Missouri coming into the Oklahoma matchup is the health status of starting quarterback Brady Cook. The Mizzou senior has been battling a high ankle sprain from a couple of games ago and a hand injury suffered in the Alabama game. His availability for the Oklahoma game is still uncertain.

• If Cook cannot play, Drew Pyne, a fifth-year senior who has played for two other teams (Notre Dame and Arizona State), will start for the Tigers. Pyne has appeared in five games this season, completing 35 of 55 passes for 248 yards and no touchdowns with three interceptions.

• When Missouri runs the ball, the Tigers rely on seniors Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll. Noel has 503 rushing yards and nearly 6.0 yards per carry with a pair of touchdowns, while Carroll has logges 403 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

• Defensively, Missouri ranks fourth in the SEC and 13th in the country, allowing 299.0 yards per game to opponents this season.

• After beginning the season 4-0, Missouri has lost two of its last four SEC games (41-10 at Texas A&M and 34-0 at Alabama). On the other hand, its two wins over SEC opponents during that span were by three points to Vanderbilt and by four points to Auburn. Both of those games were at Mizzou.

What to watch for from Oklahoma

• Although OU's resounding win and offensive breakout against -- let's own up to it -- a far inferior Maine team was good to see after what so far -- again, owning up to it -- has been a difficult season for the Sooners, we really won't know what to make of it until we see how Jackson Arnold and the offense do against a much better Missouri defense.

• OU averaged 288.1 yards of offense in its first seven games. Over its last two games, the Sooners have averaged 497 yards of total offense. Against Ole Miss, which came into that game ranked 13th nationally allowing just 289 yards per contest, Oklahoma produced 329 yards of offense.

• During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Brent Venables indicated that WRs Deion Burks and Jalil Farooq might return for the Missouri game. Both have been out of action for multiple games this season with injuries. Farooq broke his foot on the first play in the season opener against Temple, and Burks has been out with a hamstring injury suffered against Texas. The return of one or both on Saturday would be a big boost for an offense that has struggled mightily without the services of its five leading receivers.

• There are several interesting cross connections between OU and Missouri coming into Saturday's game. Former Sooner WR Theo Wease (2019-22) and OL Cayden Green (2023) are now at Missouri. Junior WR Luther Burden III, one of the top wide receivers in the SEC as well as nationally, orginally committed to Oklahoma before flipping to Missouri. On the reverse side of the ledger, OU WR J.J. Hester began his career at Missouri (2020-21) before transferring to Oklahoma.

• Oklahoma has won its last 89 games when it holds the opponent to 22 or fewer points. Through nine games the Sooners are allowing 21.0 points per game to opponents.

Injury report

Oklahoma: WR Jayden Gibson (out), WR Andrel Anthony (out), DB Gentry Williams (out), OL Geirean Hatchett (out), WR Nic Anderson (out), DB Kendel Dolby (out), K Tyler Keltner (out), OL Jacob Sexton (out), OL Jake Taylor (out), RB Jovantae Barnes (questionable), RB Gavin Sawchuk (questionable), DE Adepoju Adebawore (questionable), OL Joshua Bates (questionable), OL Michael Tarquin (questionable), DE Ethan Downs (probable), WR Jalil Farooq (probable). WR Deion Burks (probable).

Missouri: DE Daris Smith (out), QB Sam Horn (out), LB Kahlil Jacobs (out), DE Joe Moore (out), WR Mookie Cooper (doubtful), LB Brayshawn Littlejohn (doubtful), RB Nate Noel (questionable), QB Brady Cook (questionable), OL Logan Rierchert (questionable), OL Cayden Green (probable).

Weather forecast

Mostly clear and 58 degrees with wind 5-7 mph at kickoff; 55 degrees by end of game.

Key matchup

Oklahoma's third-down defense vs. Missouri's third-down offense. The Tigers have been successful on 46 percent of their third-down conversion attempts this season, 22nd-best among FBS teams. Meanwhile, the Sooners' opponents have been successful on third down just 32 percent of the time, which ranks Oklahoma 20th in the country in that defensive category.

Prediction

Oklahoma entered the week as a four-point underdog, but by the middle of the week, the Las Vegas handicappers had completely reversed field, establishing Oklahoma as a three-point favorite. Presumably this is due to the uncertainty surrounding Mizzou QB Brady Cook. Whether the veteran Cook plays or not, Missouri poses a serious challenge to the Sooners and is good enough to cause problems on both sides of the line of scrimmage. It will all come down to which team wants this game more. I'm betting that edge rests with the Sooners. Oklahoma 27, Missouri 21