SEC analyst says Alabama game is biggest of Eli Drinkwitz’s career
By Mark Kern
Published:
SEC fans are gearing for the huge matchup on Saturday between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the undefeated Missouri Tigers.
The Crimson Tide have responded since the season-opening loss, winning their last 4 games, including victories over ranked Georgia and Vanderbilt teams. The Tigers are unbeaten at 5-0, having played every game in Columbia.
A win in this game would put Mizzou squarely at the forefront of the race in both the SEC and the College Football Playoff. This is a big opportunity for Mizzou, and ESPN’s Peter Burns believes it is the biggest game of the Eli Drinkwitz tenure.
“This is the biggest game of Eli Drinkwitz’s career,” Burns said on SiriusXM this week. ” I am talking, like, there has never been a bigger game. I could argue as big as Missouri and Kansas was in 2007, this is the biggest game.
“Right now, you will be on everybody’s radar if you can do it. The crowd is going to be there. You have a blue-blood coming into town that is playing really good ball. This is the Eli Drinkwitz come-out party.”
The Tigers were looked at as a sleeper entering the season, in large part because of the schedule. They haven’t had to leave Columbia yet this season, and their toughest games of the year are at home.
Saturday presents Mizzou the opportunity to prove it can compete with anybody in the SEC. The Tigers’ best two wins are against Kansas and South Carolina, and both of those teams already have 2 losses on the season.
With Beau Pribula and Ahmad Hardy, the Tigers have one of the best QB/RB duos in all of college football. Hardy is leading the country in rushing yards with 730, while Pribula has thrown for 1,203 yards and scored 12 total touchdowns.
This figures to be the most hyped game for Missouri since the game against Kansas that Burns eluded to, and Drinkwitz has a chance to elevate his status with a win. Kickoff between the 2 teams is scheduled for noon ET on ABC. Alabama is a 3-point favorite, per BetMGM.
