ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - In a announcement that doesn't seem hardly surprising, Mizzou Tigers Head Football Coach Eliah Drinkwitz has been named the 2023 SEC Coach of the Year.
Drinkwitz had a little pressure mounting him heading into the season, after three straight seasons of .500 play in the regular season and two consecutive Bowl game losses, Mizzou fans wanted more from Drinkwitz and the Tigers, a program that felt mediocre at best during his tenure his first three seasons, despite a success on the recruiting trail the program hasn't seen in a while.
To Drinkwitz credit, he delivered more to Mizzou Nation more than any Mizzou fan could dream, coaching the team to their fifth 10-win regular season in program history and first since the 2014 season.
Mizzou reached their highest ranking in the College Playoff Era ever, with a ranking of ninth and now the Tigers are heading back to Arlington, Texas for the first time since the 2013 season to appear in the 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
It will be the Tiger's fourth appearance at the Cotton Bowl ever. The Tigers won the 2014 and 2008 Cotton Bowls against Oklahoma State and Arkansas respectively, but lost it in 1946 to the Texas Longhorns.
The 2023 Cotton Bowl will be on Friday, Dec. 29 with kickoff at 7 p.m.