Eli Drinkwitz on Missouri's 2024 expectations: 'Every year is a new identity'

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz knows 2023 was a grand year for the Tigers but 2024 is a different animal this coming fall.

Throw out the 11-2 record from last calendar year because this is a new team. He wanted to take a refreshing approach and not rest on their laurels.

In a new SEC, adding Texas and Oklahoma, Missouri will have to be ultra competitive all season long.

“All that success was last year, and we can celebrate it,” Drinkwitz said on College Sports Radio on Sirius XM. “And if you’re on the team, you can enjoy it. But every year is a new identity. And you have to build that identity. And you can’t just assume well, we had great leadership last year, so we’ll have great leadership this year. No, it’s a whole new team. It’s a whole new chemistry. We got new coaches. So you have to fight for this team this year.” 

Other than hard fought losses to LSU and Georgia last year, Missouri surprised some with its 5-0 starter and four game winning streak to end the year.

The Tigers ended with a 14-3 win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, putting Drinkwitz and Missouri on the map.

There are expectations to win double digit games again, especially with a lot of familiar faces back in the fold. But that doesn’t mean you can pencil in Missouri for the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Sure, it gives Drinkwitz and company an opportunity to have another special season. But, he learned from past mistakes earlier in his tenure.

“You have to fight to develop the chemistry, you have to fight to develop the leadership, you have to fight to develop the standard that you want to approach, really in the entire program top to bottom,” Drinkwitz said. “And so I think, mistakes I’ve made in the past, you know, especially after that COVID year, I just thought okay, we’re better than I thought and we’re just going to be good next year. And that’s not how it works in college football, and that’s really not how it works in any sport.”

It’ll all be on display this fall when Missouri opens up non-conference play against Murray State August 29th at home. Of course, SEC play opens against Vanderbilt September 21 and by then, the college football world might have a sense of Drinkwitz and Missouri’s new identity.