If the 12-team College Football Playoff had existed last season, Mizzou would've made the tournament.
The Tigers have their sights set on making the CFP this year but to get there they must win a lot of games.
Here, we will predict each game of Missouri's season and where we believe the Tigers will finish.
Week 1: vs. Murray State
A loss to this FCS program will likely stop the season before it starts. However, it's hard to believe Mizzou would do anything but handily win this game.
The Racers went 2-9 last season with both of their wins coming at home and they were outscored 345-112 on the road. Murray State will also have a first-year head coach and offensive and defensive coordinator.
Prediction: Missouri wins 41-6
Week 2: vs. Buffalo
Like the Racers, Buffalo enters the year with a first-year head coach and offensive and defensive coordinator after going 3-9 in 2023.
This game should be another comfortable win for the Tigers. The Bulls are predicted to finish 10th in the Mid-American Conference
Missouri would have to fall flat for this game to be close, let alone lose it. Also, the Bulls were 112th in run defense last season allowing 179.9 yards per game. This could be a big day for the running back room.
Prediction: Missouri 44-7
Week 3: vs. Boston College
The Eagles represent Mizzou's toughest non-conference matchup of the season.
Boston College will come to Columbia for the second-ever matchup between the two teams. The Eagles won 41-34 in the last encounter at Alumni Field in 2021.
Things have changed since then. Boston College will be led by new head coach Bill O'Brien, who is replacing Jeff Hafley as head coach after BC went 7-6 last year.
Facing Boston College seems like an easier non-conference matchup than No. 15 Kansas State, which was Mizzou’s best non-conference opponent last year.
Mizzou should be able to handle the Eagles in this ACC/SEC showdown.
Prediction: Missouri 38-21
Week 4: vs. Vanderbilt
Missouri is riding a four-game winning streak over the Commodores heading into this matchup and the Tigers should extend the streak to five games.
This one is pretty simple. Mizzou is trending upwards and Vanderbilt is still viewed as the worst team in the league by a decent margin.
The games were close in 2021 and 2022. Expect this game to be closer to last year's matchup that saw the Tigers win 38-21.
Even in that game, the score isn't reflective of how dominant the Tigers were in that game.
Prediction: Missouri 36-13
Week 6: at Texas A&M
This game will be among Mizzou's top three games of the season. When it heads to College Station for this Week 6 matchup it will be coming off a bye and the Aggies will have been battle-tested with games versus Notre Dame and Florida on their schedule before this game.
New Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko led Duke to the 41st-ranked defense in the country while the Aggies were the 19th-best. So, this seems to be a strength versus strength game with TXAMU's defense trying to take down Mizzou's offense.
Playing at Kyle Field will be tough but the Week 5 bye should help Mizzou. By the way, the Tigers defeated four top 25 teams last year and have over 70% of their production returning, this shouldn't be a game that's too big for them.
Prediction: Missouri 28-24
Week 7: at UMass
Missouri's last non-conference opponent should have the same fate as the ones before it. This first-time matchup between UMass and the Tigers should see the latter handle business at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium and possibly get some playing time for players lower on the depth chart if everything goes well.
Prediction: Missouri 43-13
Week 8: vs. Auburn
The 17-14 loss to Auburn on the road in 2022 still leaves a nasty taste in Mizzou's mouth. It hasn't forgotten how it lost and knows it should've won (twice).
Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter might be a problem. He is a preseason All-SEC first-team selection after rushing for 909 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023. The Tigers of Auburn, had the 23rd-ranked rushing attack last season so that will likely be their bread and butter this fall.
However, Missouri dispatches Hugh Freeze's team and gets its revenge.
Prediction: Missouri 28-20
Week 9: at Alabama
This will be the biggest game of the season for the Tigers. It's a road game against the most beatable Alabama team in years.
However, the most beatable Alabama team doesn't mean the Crimson Tide will be beaten.
Kalen DeBoer isn't Nick Saban. That much is clear. But DeBoer just led Washington to the national title game and has only lost 12 of 116 games. He inherits one of the elite programs in the nation in the Crimson Tide and they’re still in the mix for the national title.
Alabama has a tough schedule before this game with games against Wisconsin, Georgia and Tennessee. So, it’ll be battle tested but this program has been battle tested for years.
Since Alabama is at home and will likely be a CFP contender in its own right, this game may seem like Mizzou's 30-21 loss to Georgia last season.
Prediction: Alabama 34-24
Week 11: vs. Oklahoma
This will be the biggest home game of the year for Mizzou. The teams haven't faced off since 2011 when both teams were in the Big 12.
Oklahoma's schedule is brutal but the Sooners will likely still be a top-25 team and a potential contender for a CFP spot.
These teams have had a lot of intersectionality in the last year between recruiting battles and a handful of OU players transferring to Mizzou in recent years.
The respective fan bases have bought into the reigniting of this old Big 12 rivalry and may see this as the game of the year.
Mizzou gets to come off another bye week before this game and that extra time may help the Tigers get over the hump.
Prediction: Missouri 31-29
Week 12: at South Carolina
Missouri has won five straight in this series dating back to 2019 and the Gamecocks they face this fall will be a bit different from last year. South Carolina had four players go to the NFL including wide receiver Xavier Legette and quarterback Spencer Rattler.
They were able to make a splash in the transfer portal by getting former Arkansas running back Rocket Sanders. He was plagued with injuries throughout last season but when healthy he is one of the best backs in the nation.
However, he and a defense that allowed almost 400 yards per game likely won't be enough to top the Tigers even at home in South Carolina.
Prediction: Missouri 29-14
Week 13: at Mississippi State
Another first-year head coach and a team not predicted to do well. It's all too common for Mizzou opponents this season.
Even though the Bulldogs won the last two meetings in 2015 and 2020, respectively, this is a fresh matchup.
Mississippi State lost star quarterback Will Rogers this offseason and is predicted to finish second-to-last in the SEC.
This pre-Thanksgiving showdown should see Missouri prevent a three-game losing streak to the Bulldogs in its final road game of the season.
Prediction: Missouri 34-20
Week 14: vs. Arkansas
Much like Vandy, this is the tale of two teams in the league heading in opposite directions. Eli Drinkwitz is the reigning SEC Coach of the Year while Sam Pittman has been on the hot seat for a while, and it's possible by the time this matchup happens that the Razorbacks have an interim head coach.
Arkansas also lost plenty of talent including quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Rocket Sanders. Combine that with coming to Faurot Field against a Mizzou team trying to seal a playoff spot, and the Razorbacks may see flashbacks from last year's 48-14 loss.
Prediction: Missouri 36-14
Final Prediction
Final regular season record: 11-1
Postseason: No. 8 Notre Dame hosting No. 9 Mizzou in the first round of the College Football Playoff
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