Josh Pate Names SEC Contender with Major Question Marks Heading Into 2026

The Missouri Tigers have had an impressive return to relevance under head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

The Tigers left the Big 12 and joined the SEC before the 2012 season. They had an impressive start, winning double-digit games in two of their first three seasons. However, from 2015 to 2022, the team won eight or more games just one time, and had six seasons of .500 or worse.

But 2023 marked a turning point for Missouri and Drinkwitz, who took over before the 2020 season. The Tigers surprised everyone and went 11-2. He followed that up with a 10-3 season in 2024, and things were looking like Missouri was going to be a constant threat in the SEC.

However, they came back down to earth in 2026, going 8-5 despite having one of the best running backs in college football, Ahmad Hardy.

Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) runs the ball. | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Now, Missouri is hoping to get back to being a thorn in the side of SEC teams. One way they hope to do that is to be a more balanced team in 2026.

Last year, they relied heavily on the run game, but this year, they want to add a strong passing attack. So, they added Ole Miss Rebels' transfer Austin Simmons, hoping he is the answer.

Josh Pate mentioned on his show, "Josh Pate's College Football Show," that if Simmons is the player that the Tigers hope he is, Missouri could surprise some people. However, he thinks there are too many question marks.

"If Lane (Kiffin) was right about this guy, we'll find out this year, and he'll play well above over-under six and a half win total range, and they'll win eight games, maybe nine games. If they do that, it almost certainly correlates with him putting up almost certainly good enough numbers to be in the conversation. If they surprise, it's probably because of quarterback play. They did lose five of their top six wide receivers... Missouri could be okay. There's just more questions there than I'm comfortable with at this point."

The reality is, Drinkwitz has proven he can overcome a lot of question marks. In 2023, there were major question marks, including whether Drinkwitz was the right man for the job. He answered that with flying colors.

So, as soon as people start to doubt Missouri and Drinkwitz, that's when they are at their best.

Which could be a scary sign for the rest of the SEC in 2026.

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