A year ago, Missouri fans were ready to get rid of coach Eli Drinkwitz.
Arkansas fans, at least some of them, know that feeling because a bulk were unhappy when athletic director Hunter Yurachek confirmed coach Sam Pittman would return in 2024.
But Mizzou’s faith in Drinkwitz has paid dividends. The Tigers are 9-2 heading into Friday’s game against the Razorbacks and a victory, expected by the oddsmakers, would provide Missouri with its first 10-win season in a decade.
And since Missouri can’t play for an SEC Championship by virtue of Georgia’s continued dominance in the Eastern Division, those 10 wins are the biggest thing on the Tigers’ plate when it comes to storylines.
The truth is a loss won’t hurt the Tigers, really. It might not knock them out of the New Year’s Six bowls, but it also might not, depending on what the teams like Alabama and Ole Miss do in the West. Even if it did, the season is still a wild success.
Arkansas’ less so and a while a loss to the Tigers wouldn’t create much more actual damage, a win might provide some recruiting positivity heading into the offseason. But, also, like Missouri, it might not.
Truthfully, Friday’s game is really about the Battle Line Trophy and little else. And if you listen to fans on the internet, they don’t even care about that (although they actually do).