Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz is complaining about Big Ten scheduling. Problem is, the Big Ten is 4-0 vs. the SEC in the CFP over the last three years while winning three straight national championships.
For years , those coaches gloated about how great their conference is, and how the SEC schedule is a gauntlet, week in and week out.
Now that the Big Ten has won three straight national championships in football, SEC coaches have turned to the fact that Big Ten teams aren't required to play a Power Four opponent during their non-conference slate. The Big Ten is the only Power Four conference that doesn't require its members to play a non-conference game against a Power Four opponent.
During Missouri’s appearance at SEC Football Media Days on Monday, Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz argued that the Big Ten’s success over the last three years was built on not playing Power 4 teams in non-conference play.
“There’s been a couple of reasons ,” Drinkwitz said Monday at SEC Football Media Days. “I think there was some great decisions by their leadership. There’s some things we look back on in the SEC and maybe we shouldn’t have done it that way.
“There’s also cycles to college football. And once you get into expanded playoffs, it’s all about matchups and draws and our matchups and draws haven’t been as good as we obviously wanted them to be in order to be successful. Obviously, when you don’t play an A4 game as one of your non-conference games and that was the quote you were looking for. It’s pretty obvious.
“I distinctly remember last year being in SEC meetings when we were discussing the 8 to 9 game scenario and we were being told that if we didn’t vote to go to a nine-game then the playoffs wouldn’t expand,” Drinkwitz said. “And so we made that decision . But in hindsight, we did not recognize that didn’t play a game.
” On a related note, Missouri's Power Four non-conference foe this season is Kansas. The Jayhawks are coming off two straight 5-7 seasons and have just one winning season since 2007. The Tigers' other two non-conference matchups are against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Troy. On another related note, the Big Ten has not only won three straight national championships, but the conference has taken care of the SEC along the way to those rings.
Michigan beat Alabama, 27-20, in the CFP semifinal before beating Washington – who beat Texas – in the national championship game three years ago. Two years ago, Ohio State dominated Tennessee, 42-17, and beat Texas, 28-14, in the CFP on the Buckeyes' road to winning the national championship.
Then, last season, Indiana dominated Alabama, 38-3, before the Hoosiers concluded their undefeated season with a national title. So, when it has mattered most over the last three years, the Big Ten is a perfect 4-0 against the SEC in the CFP, outscoring them 137-54 in those games. Over the last three seasons, the SEC is just 3-8 in CFP games , including a 2-8 record vs. Power Four competition.
Meanwhile, Missouri finished 8-5 last season, one that concluded with a loss to Virginia in the Gator Bowl – and that was with non-conference games against Central Arkansas, Louisiana and UMass, and only eight conference games against SEC opponents. If only the Tigers and the rest of the SEC weren't forced – by their own conference, nonetheless – to play a Power Four non-conference game along with a nine-game SEC schedule going forward.
Please follow us on Google to support usUnited States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Big Ten's Exceptional Point Guard TalentThe Big Ten conference is home to exceptional talent in college sports, particularly in football and basketball. This article focuses on the top point guards in the Big Ten for the 2026-27 season, highlighting the potential for increased usage rates and improved averages.
Read more »
How Much Will Indiana and the Big Ten Be Discussed at SEC Media Days?Will the run the Hoosiers just pulled off be top of mind in the conference where 'it just means more?'
Read more »
Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz becomes latest SEC coach to make ridiculous complaints about Big Ten schedulesEli Drinkwitz blames Big Ten non-conference schedules for SEC struggles, but Missouri's 2025 slate included six straight home games to open the season.
Read more »
Nebraska Quarterback Anthony Colandrea Ranked Among Big Ten's Best by PFFThe former Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year enters 2026 regarded as one of the conference's best QBs.
Read more »