Eli Drinkwitz describes Nick Saban saying Missouri has 'easiest path' to Atlanta as 'rat poison'

The SEC schedule looks a little different in 2024. Adding Texas and Oklahoma and eliminating divisions mean there is no specific structure, giving all 16 teams different combinations. Nick Saban has spoken on paths to the SEC Championship game not being equal, believing Missouri with the easiest road to Atlanta.

“If you look at everybody’s schedule Missouri has the easiest path to get in the championship game,” Saban said Saturday in Dublin during ESPN College GameDay. “… So it’s not all equal in the way these schedules are kind of set up as hard as people tried to make them that way, which is difficult with all the change.”

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Eli Drinkwitz had an opportunity to respond to Saban’s statement, inferring he disagrees with the former Alabama head coach. Missouri will hit the road multiple times while also hosting a few big-time games in Columbia.

But at the end of the day, Drinkwitz is not focused on the “rat poison” thrown out there by the originator of the term.

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“If you consider going into (Texas) A&M, to Alabama, going to South Carolina, going to Mississippi State, playing home games vs. Auburn and home games vs. Oklahoma easy, sure,” Drinkwitz said during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference. “But I don’t really get caught up in comparisons and I sure don’t get caught up in the rat poison out there.”

Missouri has been a popular dark horse pick to make the SEC Championship game during the preseason. Teams like Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and Ole Miss have consistently been picked by analysts out there, including Saban. He has Georiga facing Texas in Atlanta, claiming “reverse rat poison” for his former Crimson Tide players.

Of those four, Drinkwtiz will only see his team lineup against one of them. A trip to Tuscaloosa looms on Oct. 26, one many believe could be a highly-ranked matchup. Getting a win against Alabama would put a lot of progress toward heading East to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Two SEC Championship game appearances are on Missouri’s resume since joining the conference. It’s been a decade though, with the last taking place in 2014. Drinkwitz has the goal of getting back there but certainly does not believe the journey will be an easy one.