ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS VS. MISSOURI TIGERS

Time: 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT

TV: CBS (Check your local listings)

Watch Online: CBSSports.com

The Missouri Tigers and Arkansas Razorbacks are still getting used to this rivalry thing. The two programs have only met on nine previous occasions, four of which have obviously happened in the last four years. Outside of SEC play, they met in the 2003 Independence Bowl, the 2008 Cotton Bowl and three times before that: In 1906, 1944 and 1963.

Mizzou has dominated the all-time series, winning six of the nine meetings, and three of the four that have taken place while both teams have been members of the SEC. The lone loss was an anomaly of sort, taking place in 2015 in one of the worst Mizzou seasons in recent memory. That year, the Hogs beat them down 28-3. It doesn’t seem like that’s going to be the case this time around. In fact, it would be a surprise if it was even competitive. Apart from that 25-point blowout, Mizzou has won by seven, four and three points. Given that Arkansas is completing ‘Year Zero’ while Mizzou has an array of talent, the Tigers should be able to win and win comfortably.

But nothing is a guarantee. We have seen Mizzou play down to teams that they should beat this season. With a sparse crowd expected at Faurot Field for this Black Friday matchup, you just never know what could happen, which is one of the hallmarks of this program.

To be fair to Mizzou, the Tigers have played very well lately. They’ve won three in a row, defeating the Florida Gators, Vanderbilt Commodores and Tennessee Volunteers. No, that competition isn’t the fiercest, but the truth is, it doesn’t have to be. Mizzou is supposed to win these games, and win these games they have. They just romped Tennessee 50-17 in their own dwelling, so they’ll be feeding off that momentum as they seek an eight-win season. Things didn’t look so great when they were mired in a three-game losing streak. So, you take what you can get.

It’s plausible that this is Drew Lock’s final home game with the Tigers. Lock is expected to go into the NFL Draft and see what happens after that. The much-accomplished quarterback has been topsy-turvy this season, but has shined recently. He’s thrown for seven touchdowns and two interceptions, both of which came against Vanderbilt. Prior to that he’d last thrown a pick against the Alabama Crimson Tide, so he’s thrown just two interceptions in at least his last 151 pass attempts. We’ll see if he can take that streak all the way through the 12th and final game of the regular season.

Arkansas will certainly need all the luck that they can conjure up if they wanna win their lone SEC game of the season. They have gotten romped pretty good by SEC competition this season. They’ve allowed, on average, 40.1 points per game to their conference peers this season. Given Mizzou’s offense and the way it operates, they could wind up with a similar total if they don’t find a way to make magic happen.

Expect Mizzou to win this game and win it comfortably. Arkansas is pretty bad, and Mizzou has had their slip-ups. But methinks they find a way to end the regular season on a high note.