If you need any further proof that college football has entered its professional wrestling era, look no further than Tom Luginbill’s post-game interview with Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz.
After beating Ohio State in the 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl, the Tigers head coach used a question from Luginbill to cut a promo for his program.
“We scored 14 points in the fourth quarter! We put our fist up, and we said we’re not givin’ in! We’re faster, stronger, tougher than you in the fourth quarter! And we got an elite edge, and we’re not gonna be denied! Now we’re the Cotton Bowl champs! M-I-Z!” – Eliah Drinkwitz pic.twitter.com/5xD33AHG19
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 30, 2023
Leading up to an 11-2 season capped with this Cotton Bowl win, which saw Mizzou defeat an AP top-10 team (Ohio State was No. 7 in both that poll and the CFP rankings) for the first time since beating Navy in the 1961 Orange Bowl, Drinkwitz faced backlash for his comments about the recent influx of NIL money in college sports. At the time, he noted that student-athletes were now making more than his pediatrician brother-in-law, adding that the NCAA has “created [its] own problems” by normalizing players getting paid for their name, image and likeness.
In the fallout, Drinkwitz later blamed a “disingenuous approach to media” for a controversy of his own making. So, it’s interesting that he would later use the media to cut a promo.
Missouri also passed one of the most liberal laws regarding NIL, which says, as per CBS Sports, that “School officials — including coaches — can join talks with athletes about prospective NIL deals. Furthermore, in-state high school prospects can become immediately eligible for NIL benefits if they sign with an in-state school. Using the early February football signing day as a starting point, those players could be getting paid for six months before suiting up for their first college practice.”
Mizzou has undoubtedly used that new legislation to its advantage. But this is also a program that signed what 247Sports deemed to be the No. 12 recruiting class in the SEC and No. 24 in the nation for 2024. Thus, while ground has been made up, Drinkwitz and company aren’t operating the program as if they’re Texas A&M. So perhaps his message will resonate a bit more with the masses.
In a bowl win that will set Drinkwitz and his program up for its first top-10 finish since 2013, Luginbill inquired about the head coach’s thoughts on being predicted to finish sixth in the division during preseason.
“Just so proud of our team,” Drinkwitz said. “I think tonight was a testament to a wilderness brotherhood. A bunch of guys that have fought through adversity their entire lives and career. We’re not blue bloods. We’re a dirty, hard-working brotherhood that loves each other and fights for each other. We scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. We put our fists up. We said, ‘We’re not giving in; we’re faster, stronger, tougher than you in the fourth quarter. And we got an elite edge. And we’re not gonna be denied. And now we’re the Cotton Bowl champs.’ M-I-Z.”
Did that message resonate with you?
Well, it resonated with Dickie V, of all people.
ELI DRINKWITZ Iis my kind of guy – LOVE ELI’S energy- passion – spirit – enthusiasm as it is contagious . @MizzouFootball lucky to have ELI leading their🏈🏈🏈 program!- Eli is #awesomebaby via @ESPN App https://t.co/8tDzquYVjT
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) December 30, 2023
As Vitale mentioned, Drinkwitz’s energy, passion, spirit, and enthusiasm are infectious. This is why people want to play for him.
With his fiery post-game promo, embrace of the wrestling era, and an 11-2 season under his belt, Drinkwitz has proven that you don’t need blue-blood status or Texas A&M money to build a powerhouse program. He may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but his success at Missouri proves that authenticity and a willingness to embrace the spectacle can resonate with fans and players alike.
