Missouri Tigers 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the Missouri Tigers 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the 2026 Missouri Tigers roster and what to expect in the SEC this season. Can Eli Drinkwitz turn a 46-29 tenure and a cool 2-out-of-10 hot seat into a College Football Playoff push after the Tigers went 8-5 in 2025? And is Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons, a 20-year-old already in his fourth college year, the quarterback who lifts Missouri back into the SEC race?
Can new coordinator Garrett Riley keep an offense that finished 32nd in total offense and 8th in rushing rolling even after passing offense ranked 104th? Does Corey Batoon’s defense hold its top-ten form after finishing 8th in total defense, 18th in scoring and 13th against the run a season ago? Do returning pieces like running back Ahmad Hardy carry a roster that brings back 59 percent of its offense but only 40 percent of its defense? Can Missouri clear a 6.5-win total against an SEC gauntlet of Mississippi State, Florida, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma after non-conference dates with Kansas and Troy? And where’s the betting value on the Missouri Tigers win total, SEC odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
Eli Drinkwitz Owns A Cool Seat In Columbia
This Missouri Tigers 2026 preview opens with a coach who has earned a long leash. Eli Drinkwitz sits at 46-29 in Columbia. So the deck rates his hot seat just 2 out of 10, one of the calmer marks in the SEC. First, Missouri finished 8-5 a season ago. Then the close games did not fall their way. They went 1-3 in one-score contests. So the record read worse than the roster played. Now 2026 shapes up as a Drinkwitz push toward the College Football Playoff.
Austin Simmons And An Offense In Good Hands
Missouri’s offense ranked 32nd nationally in total offense in 2025, with rushing offense at 8th. New coordinator Garrett Riley now runs the room. First, Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons steps in at quarterback. He is a redshirt junior who is still only 20 years old. Then the ground game gives him a floor, with returning running back Ahmad Hardy leading the way. Meanwhile the passing attack has room to climb after finishing 104th through the air. Because the offense brings back 59 percent of its production, Simmons inherits real pieces around him.
Corey Batoon Keeps A Top-Ten Defense Humming
Corey Batoon runs a Missouri defense that quietly finished among the best in the country. First, the unit ranked 8th nationally in total defense a season ago. Then the scoring defense landed 18th and the rushing defense 13th, both strong SEC marks. Because the group brings back just 40 percent of its production, Batoon has to reload in a hurry. From there, the pass defense that finished 11th sets the bar the newcomers must match. So the question is whether Missouri holds its top-ten form with a rebuilt back seven.
The Schedule, Faurot Field And The Win Total
Missouri opens with a non-conference slate that includes Kansas and Troy before the SEC draw arrives. First, Mississippi State, Florida and Texas A&M fill the early conference dates. Then Ole Miss, Texas and Georgia headline a brutal midseason stretch. From there, Kentucky and Oklahoma close out the regular season. What does a Saturday feel like at Faurot Field when the Tigers roll into Columbia ranked? The deck sets the Missouri win total at 6.5. The Tigers sit at plus 3500 to win the SEC and plus 700 to make the College Football Playoff. So the hosts weigh the over against Drinkwitz’s calm seat and a top-ten defense.
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Podcast Chapters
00:00 Download the SGPN App Today!
02:48 Hosts and Preview Setup
05:32 Recapping Last Season
07:28 Drinkwitz Track Record
09:24 Hot Seat and Expectations
11:28 Program History and SEC Fit
14:05 Offense Changes and Portal
18:37 Defense Outlook and Additions
25:09 Mizzou NIL Drinks Tailgate Talk
31:21 Mizzou Bar Hunt
31:51 Black And Gold Tavern
33:29 Faurot Field Love
34:45 Program Rating Check
36:39 Nonconference Picks
39:22 SEC Slate Begins
41:29 Midseason Swing Games
43:55 Texas Georgia Gauntlet
46:28 Oklahoma Finale Outlook
47:34 Win Total Debate
51:50 Rivals They Should Play
53:26 Wrap Up And Outro
