Josh Pate Names SEC Head Coach Who Doesn't Get Enough Credit

Eli Drinkwitz has already done the hard part at Missouri. He changed the trajectory of the program.

When Drinkwitz arrived, Missouri was searching for relevance in a conference that offers little margin for error. Early growing pains were expected, but over time, the results began to follow. The Tigers developed into a consistent winner, not just competitive, but credible. That distinction matters.

Missouri is no longer viewed as a team hoping to pull an upset. It is viewed as a team expected to win most of the games on its schedule. Double-digit win seasons and sustained competitiveness have shifted the perception of the program, both internally and nationally.

With that shift comes something unavoidable. Expectation.

Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz celebrates with former defensive end Zion Young (9). | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

What once felt like progress now feels like the standard. Winning eight to 10 games is no longer the goal. It is the baseline. The next step is becoming a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, and that is where the conversation around Drinkwitz begins to change.

On "Josh Pate’s College Football," Josh Pate summed up that tension when discussing how Drinkwitz’s tenure should be evaluated.

"I think it should be an A," Pate said. "Here's my suspicion on why it may drop to a B+. Drink's name was in the conversation a lot last year... in the no- win situation you're put in as a head coach, might his name have hung out there long enough to where some fringe portion of the fan base got a little turned off enough for it to drop down to a B+?

"Also, might that same fringe portion of the fan base look and say, 'Wait a second, we had half a dozen guys drafted and only went eight and four. Why is that?' I could see someone saying, 'That is my point.' So, I'd give Drink an A. I think the fan base would give him a B+."

That evaluation highlights the reality of success in college football. It raises the bar. A few years ago, Missouri fans would have celebrated an eight-win season as a sign of progress. Now, it invites scrutiny. That is not a contradiction. It is a reflection of how far the program has come.

Drinkwitz built that standard. He also inherits it every season moving forward.

That is the challenge facing Missouri in 2026. The Tigers are no longer chasing respect. They are chasing relevance in the playoff conversation. That requires more than consistency. It requires breakthrough moments, signature wins and the ability to close out seasons against elite competition.

Those are the areas that separate good teams from great ones.

Missouri has proven it can be good. It has proven it can sustain success over multiple seasons. What it has not yet done is take the next step and establish itself as a true contender in the SEC and nationally. That is why the evaluation of Drinkwitz is shifting.

It is no longer about whether he can rebuild a program. He has already answered that question. It is about whether he can elevate it beyond its current ceiling. That is a different challenge entirely.

The margin for error is smaller. The expectations are higher. The results are judged differently. That is the cost of success, and it is also the opportunity it creates. Missouri is closer than it has been in years.

Now it has to prove it can finish the climb.

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