Joel Klatt makes prediction on Missouri at Oklahoma

The Missouri Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners are set to play one of the biggest games in the SEC this Saturday. On the line, as rumors swirl about the future of Eli Drinkwitz at Missouri, is a possible bid in the College Football Playoff for the Sooners.

Ahead of that game, there have been rumors that Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula could return from injury. He was listed as doubtful on Wednesday’s availability report. With Sam Horn out as well, it will likely lead to the Tigers leaning on the running game. That’s what analyst Joel Klatt believes will be their undoing.

On The Joel Klatt Show, he predicted that Oklahoma will win and cover the spread. That’s going to be on the back of another stellar defensive performance.

“There’s some speculation that Pribula is back and starting to practice a little bit,” Klatt said. “Even if he goes, he’s not going to be 100 percent. So, you get the full throat of the OU defense focused on Ahmad Hardy. I firmly believe this is one of the best defenses in college football. They stop the run, they get after the passer, they stop the pass. It was a bad matchup for Alabama and, guess what, they bring a top 10 run defense into this matchup. They’re one of the best teams in terms of getting to the quarterback as well. They’re going to make life difficult. Their linebackers are terrific. They’re fast. If you watched that game against Alabama, you know that this team is for real.”

This season, Hardy has been one of the best running backs in the country. He has 1,346 rushing yards for 15 touchdowns. That’s 6.8 yards per carry. Oklahoma, meanwhile, has the fourth-ranked rushing defense in the country, giving up 82.2 yards per game.

Klatt admitted that Oklahoma has its weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball. However, that shouldn’t cost the Sooners as long as their defense holds up.

“Granted, offensively we don’t know what we’re gonna get from week to week and is it great? Probably not. But as [John] Mateer gets more healthy and he turns into more of the Mateer that we saw against Michigan,” Klatt said. “Then watch out.”

Oklahoma currently sits at No. 8 in the CFP selection committee rankings. That’s a good place to be, assuming they win out. After all, a third loss could throw the season into chaos for the Sooners at the last minute. However, for the time being, that shouldn’t be a concern, with Klatt projecting a two-touchdown win.

“So, the 7.5? OU covers that. All day long. The defense is consistent. I don’t see a letdown in this ballgame. How is Missouri scoring more than 10 points? I don’t see it. Unless Mateer goes out there and starts throwing picks all over the place,” Klatt said. “And I don’t foresee that either because he’s too veteran and he’s too experienced. OU 24, Missouri 10. OU covers the 7.5 and continues to roll.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. EST on Saturday. Oklahoma will play host to this former Big 12 battle turned SEC rivalry.

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