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Mizzou Receives Unfavorable Prediction in SEC Media Preseason Poll

Jul 18, 2025 3:43 PM EDT

Two straight 10-plus win seasons and an incoming transfer class ranked among the best in the country wasn’t enough for Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers to sway SEC Media members ahead of the 2025 season.

Friday, the SEC unveiled its preseason football media poll and all-conference teams.

With 96 votes, Texas was predicted to be crowned SEC Champion this season, with Georgia, last year’s champion, coming in a close second. Alabama, LSU and South Carolina rounded out the top five. Overall, 11 different teams received votes to win the conference.

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Mizzou was among five schools who failed to receive a vote. The Tigers were also predicted to finish 12th out of 16 teams. Prior to the 2024, the media picked the Tigers to finish sixth in the conference.

Last season, Mizzou finished 10-3 overall, which included a thrilling 27-24 victory over Iowa in the Music City Bowl. They were 5-3 in SEC play, tied for fourth in the league with five other schools – Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Texas A&M.

Despite losing a number of skill position players, Eli Drinkwitz is welcoming in a number of big time transfers this fall. Former Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula, Louisiana-Monroe tailback Ahmad Hardy, and Mississippi State wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. are among 21 transfers on campus.

“Really proud of the football team we will field this fall. 38 new scholarship players. 21 came from the transfer portal, 17 from high school. We built a roster to compete this season.” Drinkwitz told the media Thursday.

The Tigers also have nine defensive starters returning from a unit that held opposing teams to 20.38 points per game in 2024, which ranked 20th in the nation and sixth among SEC schools.

Mizzou also has a very favorable schedule this fall. After going 7-0 at Farot Field at Memorial Stadium last season, the Tigers open with six straight home games before taking on Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, October 18.

If you ask Drinkwitz what he think about the team’s media poll prediction, Mizzou’s front man is likely to brush it off. “If you get caught up, Coach [Nick] Saban calls it rat poison. I think it’s rat poison either way. Praise and blame are both the same. You can’t care about it either way.”

Since 1992, the predicted champion at SEC Media Days has won the SEC Championship Game only 10 times.