NORMAN — Oklahoma in an unexpected spot heading into the weekend.

It is a favorite to beat Missouri in Columbia.

The Sooners are a 2.5-point favorite for Saturday's game (6:45 p.m. SEC Network) after a 59-14 win over Maine. The Tigers have lost two of their last three conference games and are coming off a 34-0 loss to Alabama. To make things worse, quarterback Brady Cook and running back Nate Noel are questionable to play. The Sooners are expected to get Jalil Farooq and Deion Burks back at receiver, which should be a huge boost to the offense.

The stakes are incredibly high. The Sooners need one more win to secure bowl eligibility, while the Tigers need a win to stay in the hunt for the College Football Playoff.

Here's a look at three things to watch this weekend:

The return of Jalil Farooq and Deion Burks

Assuming there's no setbacks, the Sooners will get two much-needed weapons back on offense.

It's obvious how much they're needed. Burks has missed the last five weeks and is still second on the team in receptions (26) and continues to lead the team in receiving touchdowns. Farooq is the most productive and longest-tenured wide receiver on the team and had established himself as a threat in the intermediate part of the field the last two seasons.

There's not going to be any time to ease them in. The Sooners need them both to play a healthy dose of snaps.

Missouri's passing defense has been one of the stingiest in football. They've allowed the fifth-fewest completions to opposing defenses (109) and are tied for ninth in passing plays of 20 yards or more.

However, they have shown a willingness to allow teams to compete short and intermediate passes, and that's where Burks and Farooq thrive. Burks was a reliable safety blanket as OU's offensive struggled early in the season, averaging 7.7 yards per reception. Farooq averaged 12.6 and 15.4 yards per reception, respectively, the last two seasons as he thrived in the intermediate part of the field.

If the Tigers go all out to not allow big plays, Farooq and Burks should have plenty of opportunities to do what they do best. That's going to be needed for an OU offense that has finished with 186 passing yards or fewer in seven of their nine games.

The running back rotation

Jovantae Barnes has officially been ruled out, leaving the Sooners without their top running back.

Can the Sooners survive without him? Yes. But it could be really difficult, and how they go about replacing him will be key.

The most obvious option is Taylor Tatum, who has been OU's most explosive running back this season. In addition to averaging 5.6 yards per carry, he's averaging 3.51 yards after contact, per PFF. Tatum could also be effective on dump offs in the passing game, which should be available against Missouri's bend-but-don't-break defense. However, Tatum hasn't been asked to be a three-down back this season, and he hasn't logged more than 10 touches in a game. He's also displayed a bit of a ball-control issue, coughing up fumbles in three of the last four conference games.

The safest answer would be Gavin Sawchuk, who has proven he can be an every-play running back. But he's turned just 20 carries into just 42 yards, and he's missed the last three games with an injury. He's officially questionable heading into the weekend. Xavier Robinson showed some flashes against Maine, but he's played just 12 snaps this season. Sam Franklin hasn't been very effective this season.

But the Sooners are going to need to establish some sort of rhythm running the ball against Missouri, a team that ranks 54th against the run. The Sooners do have options if Barnes can't play, but the picture gets a lot murkier if he misses.

OU's defensive backs

If quarterback Brady Cook can't play — and he's trending towards missing the game — then that will put a huge limit on Missouri's offense. Drew Pyne has really struggled as a back-up quarterback, completing just six of 12 passes for 50 yards and three interceptions against Alabama. The Sooners could afford to send pressure at Pyne without having too stress about getting exploited down the field. That'll really be the case if Nate Noel can't play.

However, the Tigers have two targets to be concerned about: Luther Burden and Theo Wease, a name that's certainly familiar to OU fans. Burden (40 receptions, 450 yards, 4 TDs) hasn't had the most impressive season as the Tigers have struggled, but he's one of the most dangerous skill players in football.

"We have to defend his yards after the catch," OU cornerback Eli Bowen said. "He can make people miss easily. He's good at changing direction, good at making people miss and being deceptive. eE got to get him down when it comes to open-field tackles."

Wease, listed at 6-foot-4, has shown a big-play ability this season, and his size could cause some issues.

That'll make OU's cornerback rotation worth monitoring. Bowen is a lock and has been the Sooners' best and most productive corner, by far. Kani Walker would presumably take the other spot, but he's played just 45 snaps the last two weeks. Dez Malone played just three snaps last week against Maine. Meanwhile, Jacobe Johnson started last week and led the defense in snaps with 40.

Stopping Burden and Wease will be the main task for OU's defense, and the cornerbacks could end up having the biggest impact on the game.

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