Eli Drinkwitz takes accountability for Mizzou’s struggles against ranked SEC opponents
By David Wasson
Published:
College football coaches rationalize defeat in all sorts of different ways, but accepting blame is often at the top of the list.
That’s the route Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz chose Saturday night in the wake of the Tigers falling short against No. 3 Texas A&M – a 38-17 setback that was the 3rd in 4 games for Mizzou with all coming against teams inside the Top 10.
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Drinkwitz was asked about his record against ranked SEC teams the last two seasons, which now stands at 0-6, after the home loss to the unbeaten Aggies.
“Yep, they’re good teams,” Drinkwitz said after pausing to collect his thoughts. “And I don’t do a good enough job coaching.”
To be fair, Drinkwitz has built Mizzou into a perennial SEC contender in his 6 years in Columbia – leading the Tigers to an 11-2 record in 2023 and a 10-3 mark in 2024. Mizzou also earned back-to-back bowl wins in those years, winning the Cotton Bowl 14-3 over Ohio State in 2023 and the Music City Bowl 27-24 over Iowa in 2024.
And even though the Tigers are now 6-3 and likely out of the race for a College Football Playoff berth, the 42-year-old Drinkwitz is a hot candidate for the coaching openings at Penn State, LSU and Florida. Missouri plays host to Mississippi State in Week 12 (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
