Editor's note: This is a series previewing each of the Sooners’ opponents in 2025. OUInsider will rank all 12 games by their significance, difficulty, and entertainment value on a 1-10 scale, publishing each installment based on which team is next in the rankings. This installment focuses on Missouri, the team ranked 9th in this series.
There will be no love lost from Oklahoma fans when Missouri comes to town in November.
The Tigers were once a familiar foe at Owen Field, as the teams faced off eight times between 2002-2011 as Big 12 opponents. But the Sooners haven't hosted Missouri since the Tigers bolted for the SEC after the 2011 season.
When the Tigers step on the field for the first time in 14 years, the boos will rain down. But more importantly, the Sooners will be looking for revenge.
Arguably the Sooners' most heartbreaking loss last season came in Columbia, when the Tigers rallied to win in the closing seconds. That proved to be a pivotal win for Missouri, which finished with double-digit wins for the second consecutive season.
Opinions are mixed for the Tigers coming into 2025. Their win total is set at 7.5, with most predictions placing Missouri near the bottom of the SEC.
Here's a look at what the Sooners will face when Missouri comes to town:
GAME INFO
Time: 11 a.m.
Place: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
TV: ESPN or ABC
OUINSIDER METRICS
Significance: 7.5/10
Difficulty: 6/10
Entertainment Value: 7/10
Total score: 20.5/30
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD
OU leads 67-5-25 (8-2 since 1999)
MISSOURI OVERVIEW
2024 STATS
Scoring offense: 28.9 points per game (56th nationally)
Scoring defense: 20.4 points per game (20th nationally)
Rushing offense: 164.5 yards per game
Rushing defense: 136.2 yards per game
Passing offense: 225.1 yards per game
Passing defense: 181.3 yards per game
Total offense: 389.5 yards per game
Total defense: 317.5 yards per game
KEY DEPARTURES
QB Brady Cook (2,535 passing yards, 11 TD, 2 INT, 62.6% completion)
RB Nate Notel (163 carries, 818 yards, 3 TD)
RB Narcus Carroll (140 carries, 595 yards, 12 TD)
WR Luther Burden (61 receptions, 676 yards, 6 TD)
WR Theo Wease (60 receptions, 884 yards, 4 TD)
LB Corey Flagg Jr. (81 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 sack)
DE Johhny Walker Jr. (44 tackles, 13 TFL, 9.5 sacks)
KEY RETURNERS
LB Triston Newson (71 tackles, 7 TFL, 1 sack)
DB Dreyden Norwood (34 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 INT)
DB Toriano Pride Jr. (22 tackles, 2 INT)
DE Zion Young (42 tackles, 6 TFL, 2.5 sacks)
KEY ADDITIONS
DE Damon Wilson II (Georgia)
QB Beau Pribula (Penn State)
WR Kevin Coleman Jr. (Mississippi State)
STORYLINES
— A pivotal game down the stretch
When these two teams meet, it won't just be a pivotal conference matchup. The game comes on Nov. 22, the penultimate week of the regular season.
Considering their schedule, this could be one of the easier games for the Sooners. And it comes at home in late November.
There's no other way to say it: It'll be a must-win game for the Sooners.
It really is that way when you consider the Sooners' schedule down the stretch. Their final seven games? Texas, at South Carolina, Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at Alabama, Missouri, LSU. If things go right, a win against Missouri could set the Sooners up in prime position to make the College Football Playoff.
If things go wrong, a home loss to Missouri in late November could be an absolute gut punch.
If a late-season conference game isn't enough motivation, Brent Venables and company can simply remember the devastating loss in Columbia late last season.
— Will Missouri's offense be good enough?
The Tigers finished 2024 with a respectable 10-win season, and it certainly wasn't because of the offense. They averaged 23.5 points per game against conference opponents, which ranked 11th in the SEC.
They'll basically be starting from scratch in 2025. The Tigers lost both of their quarterbacks, their top two receivers and their starting running back.
New transfer and likely starting quarterback Beau Pribula is an intriguing player to watch. He appeared in 24 games in his two seasons at Penn State primarily as a runner, and he'll now be tasked with leading an offense with a brand new supporting cast, which includes former five-star receiver Kevin Coleman.
The good news is that the Tigers don't have a particularly difficult schedule. The other good news is that most of their key defensive players return, and that unit was solid for most of the season.
ANALYSIS
Normally, a late November game at Owen Field against a former "rival" would be one of the most intriguing games of the season. But given the Sooners' incredibly tough schedule, and the huge storylines with those games, Missouri falls to No. 9 in this series.
But make no mistake. This is a huge game, and it comes at a significant part of the schedule. If the Sooners are serious about bouncing back from last season, this is a game the Sooners absolutely have to win.
OUINSIDER SCHEDULE SERIES
12. Kent State
11. Illinois State
10. Temple
9. Missouri
8-1. ???
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