Missouri Football 2026 Schedule: Full Breakdown and Season Outlook

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Is the Missouri 2026 football schedule manageable enough to get back to the ten-win range of two years ago, or will it be a fight like last year?

The Tigers were masters at beating blah teams, with eight wins over teams that finished with losing records, and the five losses to Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and in the bowl game to Virginia.

Here’s our analysis of the 2026 slate.

The Good, the Bad, and Who Missouri Misses in 2026

Nov 15, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz on the field against the Mississippi State Bulldogs prior to a game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. © Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Good

The Kansas game won’t be a breeze, but Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Troy are non-conference wins. That, and four of the first five games are against teams that didn’t go bowling or finished with losing seasons.

Three of the last four games are in Missouri, and there’s a week off between the only back-to-back road dates against Ole Miss and Arkansas.

The Bad

Texas is back on the schedule, and so are Georgia and Texas A&M.

In all, the Tigers play four College Football Playoff teams from last year. There can’t be any blips anywhere else.

What SEC Teams Missouri Will Miss

Alabama, Auburn, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt.

Considering Auburn and South Carolina should be better and stronger, this isn’t a bad bunch to miss. Not having to play Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee this season is terrific.

Missouri’s Best and Worst Case Scenarios in 2026

Best Case: Mizzou beats a few good teams

There’s a whole lot to like about this slate.

Once again, Missouri beats the teams it’s supposed to – there should be a base of six wins. It gets out of September unscathed, beats Florida to open up October, and gets to November with no more than one loss – either to Texas A&M or at Ole Miss.

After beating the Longhorns in Columbia, Mizzou takes care of Kentucky and Oklahoma to finish 10-2 with a trip to the College Football Playoff.

Worst Case: It’s a rough start

Missouri started last season 5-0. It started 2024 4-0, and went 5-0 to kickoff 2023.

This year, it loses the rivalry game at Kansas, drops the SEC opener at Mississippi State, and struggles from there.

It loses to Florida, setting up a horrible run of tough losses. Needing to be close to perfect in November, it isn’t.

Missouri Football 2026 Schedule

Sept 5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Sept 12 at Kansas
Sept 19 Troy
Sept 26 at Mississippi State
Oct 3 Florida
Oct 10 Texas A&M
Oct 17 at Ole Miss
Oct 24 OPEN DATE
Oct 31 at Arkansas
Nov 7 Texas
Nov 14 at Georgia
Nov 21 Kentucky
Nov 28 Oklahoma

Games That Will Decide Missouri’s Season

1. at Mississippi State, Sept. 26
The Bulldogs will be far more dangerous, and this is a home game they’re going to need to have a good year. Missouri has to take this home in the SEC opener, or else.

2. Texas A&M, Oct. 10
Can Missouri beat the good teams? It lost to the Aggies 38-17 last season, and now it gets them in Faurot.

3. Texas, Nov. 7
These two former Big 12 brothers last played in the 2017 Texas Bowl – a Longhorn win – and before that, 2011. Win this, and November might be fun.

This story was originally published by College Football News on Feb 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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