What would a successful 2020 season look like for Mizzou football? It’s complicated
Missouri Tigers football coach Eliah Drinkwitz took nearly 10 seconds to answer the question at his weekly news conference Tuesday. He snuck in a, “Well…” to fill the silence before finally giving his answer.
What would constitute a successful 2020 season on and off the field for Mizzou?
It’s not the hardest question, but it’s layered and nuanced considering, well, everything that’s happening this year — both around the program and throughout society.
Simply playing and completing the SEC’s modified 10-game league-only schedule in its entirety — even if some postponements or cancellations are encountered — could be be considered a success.
The Tigers’ final record under their first-year head coach’s watch won’t be an afterthought, but context will be important: Drinkwitz is a first-year coach implementing a new scheme and culture during the first pandemic in a century.
Drinkwitz, hired away from Appalachian State in December, said he isn’t thinking in just in the short-term.
“For our football team, we’re laying a foundation for a program that I hope to be here for a long time for,” he said. “Anytime you’re building a program, it starts with living by your core values on a daily basis and showing those core values when you compete.”
Ever since Drinkwitz took over the MU program after his one-year stint at Appalachian State, he’s reiterated the same goals: “Win the SEC East with class, integrity and academic excellence.”
He isn’t fast-tracking those expectations, though. While the Tigers feature talented playmakers on both sides of the ball, it’ll likely take time to get the program to where Drinkwitz wants it to be.
The Tigers were picked to finish sixth out of seven in their division, as determined by media who cover the SEC. The over/under win total for MU, according to Vegas, is 2.5, meaning the Tigers are expected to win only a few SEC games this season.
Adding No. 2 Alabama and No. 6 LSU to Mizzou’s schedule only stiffened the Tigers’ challenge. They’ll play six of 10 teams ranked among the AP Top 25: Alabama, LSU, No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Florida, No. 16 Tennessee and No. 23 Kentucky. Mississippi State, Mizzou’s final regular-season opponent, also received votes.
That schedule doesn’t mean the Tigers are going to roll over, Drinkwitz noted. He has instilled in his program that core value No. 1 is “always compete,” which is what he’s expecting from his program this fall.
“We want to do more than what’s expected,” he said. “I saw the over/under for us is three wins, so obviously we want to do more than what’s expected and we want to enjoy the journey as we go along.”
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey defines success in different terms. The conference stood strong and stayed patient when the Big Ten and Pac-12 elected to shut down their seasons (the Big Ten and Pac-12 have now reversed course and decided to play).
But Saturday is “nowhere near the finish line,” Sankey said. The commissioner views 2020 as a long season with a singular goal.
“Being in Atlanta on Dec. 19 naming a conference champion would be a success,” he on an SEC teleconference call. “Saturday can be a success, the Saturday after can be a success. We’re really redefining success, at this point.”
So Drinkwitz will make his Mizzou and Faurot Field debut when he and the Tigers face Nick Saban and Alabama this weekend. And he’s planning each day as its own unique challenge.
“Right now, I’m focused on this challenge on Saturday and where that goes,” Drinkwitz said. “And whatever happens Saturday is not going to define the season one way or the other.
“It’s just going to be the starting point of where we have to go. No matter what happens on Saturday, we know Sunday’s going to be all about improving and getting better. That’s really my focus right now.”