Honestly, the energy in Columbia back in August was electric. Coming off that massive 2023 season and a solid 2024, everyone—and I mean everyone—thought Eli Drinkwitz had finally cracked the code. People were looking at the mizzou football ranking 2025 projections and dreaming of a College Football Playoff spot.
It didn't happen.
The Tigers finished the 2025 campaign with an 8-5 record. On paper, it’s a winning season. In reality, for a fan base that spent the summer talking about SEC titles, it felt a little like getting a pair of socks for Christmas when you were expecting a PlayStation 5. They hovered in and out of the Top 25, peaking early before a grueling SEC schedule reminded everyone just how thin the margin for error is in this conference.
Where the Mizzou Football Ranking 2025 Actually Landed
By the time the dust settled in January 2026, Mizzou found themselves sitting at No. 25 in the final AP Poll. They barely scraped in. It was a rollercoaster.
The season started with a bang. A 5-0 start had the Tigers climbing as high as No. 14 in the country. Fans were losing their minds. Then came the Alabama game on October 11.
The Crimson Tide rolled into Faurot Field and handed Mizzou a 27-24 heartbreak. It wasn't a blowout, but it was the start of the "tread water" phase of the season. After that, the rankings became a game of musical chairs. They’d win a tough one against Auburn, jump back up, then lose a head-scratcher to Vanderbilt.
The Mid-Season Slide
If you look at the middle of the schedule, that's where the wheels kinda wobbled.
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- Alabama: Loss (24-27)
- Auburn: Win (23-17)
- Vanderbilt: Loss (10-17)
- Texas A&M: Loss (17-38)
That Vanderbilt loss was the one that really stung. Vandy ended up being surprisingly good in 2025 (finishing 10-3), but Mizzou fans aren't used to seeing the Dores as a "quality loss." By the time November rolled around, the Tigers were unranked in several polls before finishing strong against Arkansas to regain some dignity.
The QB Battle and Offensive Woes
Replacing Brady Cook was always going to be the biggest hurdle. Drinkwitz went into the portal and grabbed Beau Pribula from Penn State. Pribula brought that "dual-threat" vibe everyone wanted. He was fast. He was exciting.
But he wasn't always consistent.
The offense, which had been so explosive with Luther Burden III the year before, struggled to find its identity. Burden was gone to the NFL, and while Kevin Coleman Jr. was a total stud—racking up massive yards—the chemistry just wasn't the same.
The Tigers averaged about 30.2 points per game. That’s fine for most schools, but in the SEC? It’s middle of the pack. When you're playing teams like Oklahoma and Texas A&M, you need to be able to trade punches. Mizzou just didn't have the knockout power this year.
Defensive Bright Spots
If there’s one reason the mizzou football ranking 2025 didn't completely crater, it was the defense. Corey Batoon’s unit was legit.
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They held opponents to 18.9 points per game on average. That is top-tier stuff. Players like Johnny Williams IV and the secondary kept them in games where the offense was basically stuck in the mud. The Gator Bowl against Virginia was the perfect example of this. The defense only gave up 13 points.
The problem? The offense only scored 7.
The Reality of the SEC Grind
We have to talk about the schedule. Mizzou didn't play a road game until Week 8. That sounds like a dream, right?
It was actually a trap.
They got comfortable at home, and when they finally had to go to places like Norman, Oklahoma, or Fayetteville, the intensity jump was massive. Losing 17-6 to the Sooners in late November was a cold shower for anyone still hoping for a New Year's Six bowl.
The SEC expanded, the talent pool got deeper, and Mizzou found out that being "pretty good" gets you 4th or 5th in the standings. They finished 4-4 in conference play. That’s the definition of average.
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What Most People Get Wrong About This Team
People see 8-5 and think the "Drinkwitz era" is losing steam. I don't buy it.
The transfer portal class Mizzou brought in for 2025 was ranked No. 7 in the nation. They are recruiting at a level we haven't seen in Columbia for a long time. The issue wasn't talent; it was experience in key spots.
- Quarterback Transition: Moving from a multi-year starter to a portal addition is rarely seamless.
- O-Line Depth: They got beat up in the trenches against A&M and Bama.
- Expectation Management: 2023 was an outlier season. 8-5 is actually much closer to Mizzou's historical "good" year.
Looking Ahead to 2026
So, where does this leave us? The mizzou football ranking 2025 is in the books, and it’s a bit of a "what if" story.
The good news is that several key pieces are coming back. Ahmad Hardy, the freshman sensation at running back, finished the year with over 1,300 yards. He’s going to be a problem for the rest of the SEC next year. Plus, the sting of that Gator Bowl loss to Virginia is going to be a lot of motivation in the weight room this spring.
If you're a Tigers fan, don't jump off the boat just yet. The foundation is still there.
Actionable Next Steps for Mizzou Fans
If you're looking to track how the team bounces back from the 2025 finish, keep an eye on these specific areas over the next few months:
- Watch the Spring Game: See if Sam Horn or a new portal entry challenges Pribula for the QB1 spot. The competition needs to be real.
- Monitor Defensive Roster Retention: With several starters eligible for the draft, seeing who stays for their senior year will dictate if the defense remains elite.
- Analyze the 2026 Schedule: Check the away game distribution. Mizzou needs to prove they can win in hostile environments early in the season to stay in the Top 15.
- Follow NIL Developments: Mizzou's aggressive NIL stance is what built the 2025 roster; see if the boosters stay aggressive after an 8-win season.
The 2025 season might not have been the fairytale everyone wanted, but it solidified Mizzou as a permanent resident of the national conversation. They aren't a basement dweller anymore. They're a team that people are disappointed in when they only win eight games. That, in itself, is a huge shift in the program's culture.