How long did Eli Drinkwitz, in your opinion, sit on this one?
Drinkwitz joked while speaking live on national television with ESPN anchor Rece Davis.
Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that the Missouri coach deadpanned a quick phone call I received. “Connor Stalions are listening in right now. I had to leave.
Drinkwitz’s comment regarding the employee at the core of Michigan’s sign-stealing controversy caused fits of laughter among the ESPN crew.
It was the epitome of situational humor, and it worked because Drinkwitz was responding on ESPN to the announcement that his ninth-ranked Tigers would play Michigan’s archrival, Ohio State, at the Cotton Bowl.
It will be Mizzou’s most prominent bowl appearance since competing in the Cotton Bowl following the 2013 season, the year before the current bowl system was instituted, and its first appearance in a so-called New Year’s Six game (of which only half are on New Year’s Day).
To finish MU’s best season in a decade, Mizzou (10-2, 6-2 SEC) will play the Buckeyes (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on December 29 at 7 p.m. This is a big-time clash with a huge payday.
According to Drinkwitz, it takes a lot of effort, faith, and resolve for that to occur.
With wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State’s dangerous Heisman candidate, and the team’s one loss of the season—against the top-ranked Wolverines—the Tigers had a chance to play a postseason matchup against a consistent heavyweight.
As a result, there were many unanswered questions and hypotheticals leading up to Sunday’s bowl announcements.
MU had been ranked No. 9 in late-season rankings by the College Football Playoff selection committee, which determines the New Year’s Six bowls. However, even with 12 slots up for grabs in those contests, the Tigers might have been upset by guaranteed spots for lower-ranked conference winners.
Running back Cody Schrader of Mizzou remarked, “We had to watch the championship games and hope there was no big upsets and stuff like that that kind of veered our chances of getting this opportunity.
To be honest, I sort of got tired of all the speculating, quarterback Brady Cook said.
Mizzou benefited from the committee’s contentious decision to exclude Florida State, the unbeaten winner of the Atlantic Coast Conference, from the four-team playoffs.
This decision set up the Seminoles against Georgia in the Orange Bowl and prevented another ACC school from earning a New Year’s Six slot. This implied that MU might end up in the Fiesta Bowl, Cotton Bowl, or Peach Bowl.
Darius Robinson, a defensive end, grinned broadly and said, “This is real.” We’re heading to one of the largest bowls Mizzou has ever played in—the Cotton Bowl.
Drinkwitz stated he anticipates a nearly complete roster for the Cotton Bowl, despite the fact that some smaller bowls cause players who are headed for the NFL or transfer sites to choose not to play in order to reduce their chance of injury.
Even though the game is still almost four weeks away, Drinkwitz stated that cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is the only player whose availability is in doubt.
Due to an injury that might prevent him from playing in the postseason, the Dallas-based defensive back was unable to participate in the regular-season finale.
Players who are entering the portal can stay on the team and play in the bowl if they so choose, he added.
The Cotton Bowl platform will be a nice touch of end-of-season relevance for guys like Robinson, who have been with the program long enough to experience numerous seasons when achieving the six victories needed for bowl eligibility felt like an accomplishment.
Robinson expressed his satisfaction that his hard work had paid off and that he was now able to play in such a major game. But we need to make sure we’re prepared and figure out a means to prevail.
For some players, in particular, the game versus Ohio State will be crucial. Before transferring to Mizzou, wide receiver Mookie Cooper redshirted his first season with the Buckeyes. Additionally, Javon Foster’s father was an Ohio State player.
Foster chuckled when I called him immediately following (the announcement). Choose a side, I urged.
While missing out on the playoffs may have disappointed some in Ohio State circles, MU’s ranking in the same league as the Buckeyes looks like a significant accomplishment.
Without a doubt, Schrader stated, we are aware of our place. “We’re going to go demonstrate what we know we are capable of.
Specifically, December will be a busy month for Mizzou’s coaches. Though some players nationwide have already declared their willingness to enroll, the NCAA transfer site opens on Monday.
On December 20, high school recruits have the opportunity to formally commit by signing letters of intent. It’s possible that some MU assistant coaches will have offers for more senior positions at other universities.
However, this does not imply that gamers won’t be occupied by coursework and vacations.
According to Drinkwitz, the coaches’ mantra is recruit, recruit, recruit. For the athletes, it’s learn, practice, and maintain proficiency.
The fourth-year coach had six distinct ideas about how Missouri would be selected for a bowl. Though it’s unclear if he had planned jokes for each one of them, making light of sign-stealing isn’t quite the same as strategizing.
We’ll now confirm the one we have and begin making plans following this news conference, Drinkwitz stated.
