If No. 22 Missouri is going to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive, it needs a win over No. 1 Georgia on Saturday. That's a big ask considering the lopsided history between the two programs.
The Tigers had an opportunity to get a resume-building win at home against Texas last weekend, but they let a second-half lead slip away in a 34-20 loss. Now Missouri has to pick itself up and prepare for a trip to Athens. Expect the Tigers to lean on their passing game against Georgia, although star receiver Cayden Lee suffered an injury late against Texas. Quarterback Austin Simmons and wideout Donovan Olugbode can do some damage through the air.
On the Georgia side of things, Kirby Smart doesn't need to change much. The Bulldogs have stomped their first two opponents out of the open date -- Florida and Ole Miss -- and are playing their best football of the season. Gunner Stockton was efficient in the passing game against the Rebels, and the run game rumbled for nearly 300 yards. The defense has forced six turnovers in the last two games, and that unit just made Trinidad Chambliss look like a bottom-tier SEC quarterback.
Here's everything you need to know about this ranked showdown in Sanford Stadium.
Georgia vs. Missouri: Need to know
Mizzou looking for first win over No. 1: The Tigers have never beaten the No. 1 team in the country. Their 18-game losing streak to top-ranked opponents is the longest without a win in AP poll history. The only programs with streaks in the same zip code are Ole Miss and Pitt (15). There's no better time to change that than the present, I suppose. If Missouri can spring the upset, it would serve as a historic moment for the program and a major boost to its playoff hopes.
Georgia winning with offense and defense: The Georgia defense gets a lot of credit, and rightfully so. That unit is perennially among the best in the country thanks to Kirby Smart, but the offensive output shouldn't be overlooked this year either. The Bulldogs are averaging 41.1 points per game, which ranks sixth nationally and is 0.2 points shy of the team's best mark, set in 2014. Even with questions about its passing game, Georgia is hanging enormous numbers on the scoreboard.
One-sided series: It's tough to own an all-time series more than Georgia has owned this one. The Bulldogs are 12-1 against Missouri, with the only loss coming in 2013. The last two meetings -- in 2022 and 2023 -- were much closer than other recent matchups. Perhaps that means Missouri is closing the gap, but it's also hard to overlook the run from 2017-21 when the Bulldogs won five games with an average margin of victory of 27.6 points. Nobody likes to see Georgia on the other sideline, but especially not the Tigers.
Where to watch Georgia vs. Missouri live
Date: Saturday, Nov. 14 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Sanford Stadium -- Athens, Georgia
TV: ABC | Live stream: Fubo (try free)
Georgia vs. Missouri prediction, picks
Missouri is capable of making things interesting if Georgia lets its foot off the gas pedal after a big win over Ole Miss. The Bulldogs have already made that mistake once against Auburn. Will Kirby Smart let them make another one in this spot? I find that hard to believe. The flagship university of the Show-Me State is going to have to show me that it can beat the Bulldogs before I feel comfortable betting on them. Georgia rolls for the third consecutive week. Pick: Georgia -15.5
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