Missouri fans and their head coach, Eliah Drinkwitz, don’t hold back. Fresh off another pointed comment, Drinkwitz stirred things up by questioning college football’s new playoff format. The Tigers’ coach has never been shy about sharing his take, but this time, he left fans with plenty to say in return.
The tension between Missouri’s head coach and the crowd is real, and now, everyone is wondering: Is Drinkwitz onto something, or just trying to defend his turf?
Why Did Eliah Drinkwitz’s College Football Playoff Take Spark So Much Fan Backlash?
The College Football Playoff kicked off in 2014 with a basic setup: four teams, two semifinals, and a championship game. Starting with the 2024–25 campaign, the system grows to 12 teams and changes everything about how contenders are picked.
But Drinkwitz isn’t convinced. On a recent Marty & McGee show appearance– shared on X by SEC Network– he didn’t hold back, calling the new format unfair to plenty of teams. He argued, “Is it going to be best long-term for the fans in five years, in ten years, that only 12% of college football is involved in a playoff? No.”
“Is it going to be best long-term for the fans in 5 years, in 10 years, that only 12% of college football is involved in a playoff? NO.”
Coach Drink has a strong opinion on the College Football Playoff 👀 pic.twitter.com/xfmRKIl42O
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 13, 2025
He doubled down. “Is it going to be best long-term for the fans in five years, in ten years, that only 12% of college football is involved in a playoff? No, that’s not going to be good. There are 136 Division One football teams in college football. How do we give them the most access?” Drinkwitz said.
The top five conference champs now grab automatic bids, while a 13-member panel of coaches, players, and others votes to fill out the rest.
He kept going: “…There are 11 teams being decided by an imperfect group of committee members, sounds insane to me.”
Fans wasted no time with their replies. The comment section was loaded with reminders that, to them, playoffs should be all about competition.
“Translation: ‘Is it good for college football that I can’t make the playoff with the easiest schedule in the SEC?’” Corndog wrote.
“LOL came for the comments and wasn’t disappointed… If you aren’t one of the top 12 teams in college football, you have no business playing for a national championship. The committee may screw up the top 12, but reality only the top 6–8 have a legit chance of winning it all,” Salty replied.
“Oh, I really cared what the largest loser in our conference has to say about something he won’t ever sniff,” WildasaMink said.
“It should be hard to make the playoff not easy,” Biscuits & SEC argued.
“Guy is proud he finished eighth in the conference, and thinks that deserves a playoff spot?” Boomer Sooner commented.
Can the Missouri Tigers Shock the College Football Playoff This Season?
Most fans– and even the AP Poll– aren’t giving Missouri much credit right now. The Tigers didn’t make the Top 25 in the latest preseason rankings, and many critics doubt Drinkwitz’s group will make much noise in the 2024–25 campaign. But college football is unpredictable.
Just last year, Arizona State started off nowhere near the rankings. They won the Big 12 title and stormed into the CFP quarterfinals. Sometimes, the long shots get hot exactly when it counts.
Missouri has quietly built momentum. Drinkwitz’s squad has strung back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time since 2013–14. A big reason? The program jumped on the NIL era and found new ways to attract talent.
Former Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula steps in, bringing a running threat to the offense. Pribula rushed for 242 yards and nine touchdowns on just 38 carries last year. Out wide, he’ll have Kevin Coleman, who piled up 932 receiving yards with Mississippi State in 2024.
Running back Hardy powers the ground game. He led all true freshmen with 1,351 rushing yards last season. On defense, the Tigers return nine starters, including a group that held teams to 20.4 points and 318 yards a game in 2024.
With eight games at home and reasonable road trips to Auburn, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, Missouri faces a schedule with chances to make a splash in the new 12-team playoff format.
