TIME TO CONJURE SOME OF THAT ANKLE-HEALING MAGIC AND DO THE IMPOSSIBLE
♫ You know I stay fresh to death ♫
Once again, no uniform post this week. I don’t know if the program blew its uniform announcement budget too early, if Drinkwitz scrapped the marketing plans after the A&M game or if the equipment team is literally in a coma, but this whole section of Pregamin’ has been M.I.A. for the past two weeks. Easy for me, bad for the content!
Any idea why Alabama is the only “major” university with an elephant for a mascot? Lore has it that a sports writer commented on his surprise at the size of Alabama’s football players, comparing them to elephants. I’m guessing he didn’t get out of the house much.
Tuscaloosa is an old city, older even than the state it’s a part of! The city was incorporated into the U.S. exactly one day before the state of Alabama became a member of the union in 1819.
Planning on going trick or treating in Tuscaloosa? Might want to check to make sure you’re not going as a nun, a rabbi or a priest… it’s illegal to pretend to be a member of clergy in Alabama’s home city.
This week in “Notable Alumni from…” does Forrest Gump count? If not, I’m choosing to celebrate Michael Emerson, the most underrated television villain of the past 50 years.
Rock M-ixology
I’ve been torn about the drink of choice this week. There are some obvious choices to pick given that Mizzou will be playing in Tuscaloosa — the Alabama Slammer, the Yellowhammer — but I’m not sure something so sweet works at this time of year. Thematically it doesn’t make sense either; Mizzou is holding onto its CFP hopes for dear life, and a trip to Alabama might be the make-or-break mmoment in a season that has carried its fair share of thrills.
So instead of going for something resonant with the opponent or the location, I’m choosing practicality this week. I want a drink that’s reliable and crushable, a cocktail that I can knock back a few of in order to prepare for either the pain or the jubilation that Saturday is going to cause. So let’s make my go-to easy drink: A Pinckney Bend G&T.
Gloria! Don’t you think you’re fallin’?
6 oz sparkling water or club soda, 1.5 oz gin of choice, 1.5 oz Pinckney Bend Tonic Syrup
Combine gin and tonic syrup. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with a slice of lime.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll drink a few regular G&Ts any day of the week. Ounce for ounce, it’s probably my favorite mixed drink. But since I discovered the Pinckney Bend tonic syrup out of New Haven a few years ago, I haven’t been able to go back, at least not when it’s available to me. It’s perfect for any type of gin, even the N/A brands for the nights when you don’t really want to imbibe but still need that sprucey, sweet combo as a wind-down. I crushed a few even while writing this.
Now that you’ve had a week to think about it, answer truthfully: Where does Mizzou’s comeback against Auburn rank in the 21st century pantheon of great Mizzou wins?
Josh Matejka, Deputy Site Manager: I think it’s got the potential to really take a leap into the pantheon if Mizzou rallies behind it and makes the CFP. But as of now, I’d still consider it a Top 10 win since the turn of the century. It’s easily a top three entry in Drinkwitz’s time as coach, which gives it a clear pathway to clear even some of Pinkel’s greatest hits.
Quentin Corpuel, Football Beat Writer: Forget about Mizzou history. That was, with all honesty, one of the greatest comebacks I’ve ever seen in college football. The Tigers looked dead; a 14-point deficit felt larger than a 14-point deficit in basketball, where points are worth half as much. But then, a movie plays out in real life when Brady Cook returns from a hospital visit to help save Homecoming. I felt like I was hit with a meteor of bewilderment.
Sammy Stava, Staff Writer: On paper, just barely beating Auburn at home doesn’t feel great, but the way it happened made it feel special. The “Brady Cook Legacy Game” on Homecoming to spark the comeback will have fans remembering that for a long time.
Is it on the list of great Mizzou wins? It definitely will be if Mizzou lands in the CFP.
Chad Moller, Resident Old Guy: You really can’t tell how impactful a win is until after the season is over. In the moment, the 2023 win against K-State seemed monumental, and with the benefit of hindsight, we all know that it was exactly that because it propelled the Tigers to an amazing season. Had Mizzou stubbed its toe a few times later in the same season, then it wouldn’t have meant anything more than a singularly awesome dramatic win. I view the Auburn win through the same lens. If this team either beats Alabama, OR loses in Tuscaloosa but wins the rest and makes it into the CFP, then we’ll look back at the comeback against Auburn with an eternal fondness. Either way, it was undoubtedly one of the more improbable story-book comebacks I’ve ever seen here.
There’s been some comparison between Auburn this year and Kansas State last year as a moment where it felt like things changed. Do you think that could be the case this season?
Josh Matejka: Why not? I understand the differences between 2023 and 2024 as it relates to preseason expectations. But it’s not all that different in a vacuum. Prior to K-State last fall, Mizzou was scuffling, and the win over the Wildcats injected some belief into the team. Last week showed that even a scuffling Mizzou team can come back and beat a good SEC opponent down a few touchdowns. Mizzou will now understand they’re never going to be out of a game, even on their worst day, Texas A&M notwithstanding.
Quentin Corpuel: I think it’s a little different. Kansas State upped the ceiling of the 2023 season; expectations were exceeded. On the other hand, Auburn saved the 2024 season. A loss would’ve knocked Mizzou out of College Football Playoff contention, which is where the Tigers expected to be before the season started. However, I think last week could serve the same role as the K-State game in regards to it becoming a propeller to national success.
Sammy Stava: What Quentin said. Auburn felt like a season-saving win rather than a momentum-changing win. I actually kind of relate the Auburn win to the Florida win last season as Mizzou found a way to beat an inferior opponent to keep their season goals alive. Either way, wins are wins, and 6-1 is 6-1. Mizzou still has everything on the table heading into the final five games of the regular season.
Chad Moller: I can’t top what my colleagues have said already, so I’ll just add that it was more relief than exhilaration so I don’t feel that’s an intangible you can really do too much with going forward.
Alabama is “struggling” to find its way under Kalen DeBoer, even if they’re still quite a good team. What’s your perspective on how things are going in Tuscaloosa?
Josh Matejka: The Tide will be fine in the long term, but there’s no doubt there’s been a learning curve under DeBoer. The little things that Saban had a tight grip on are now pretty loose and uncontrolled, and that can make all the difference in a new college football landscape where everyone has a shot at glory. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Alabama’s first season under DeBoer either collapse into a very atypical 9-3 or 8-4 season… and it also wouldn’t surprise me to see ‘Bama roll the rest of their schedule and still sneak into the playoff.
Quentin Corpuel: Alabama is the epitome of why the transitive property has vanished this season. The Crimson Tide beat Georgia, who just dominated Texas and crushed Clemson. They almost lost to South Carolina, who almost lost to Old Dominion. They actually lost to Vanderbilt, who lost to Georgia State, and Tennessee, who fell to Arkansas. This season’s been beyond weird, and like the other famously odd college football season in the 21st century (2007), Alabama hasn’t been able to escape the chaos largely due to a defense that has more holes than seemingly ever before in recent memory. Even though they carry a name value that few other teams can rival, I think the Crimson Tide (and any other team) will be eliminated from CFP contention with three losses.
Sammy Stava: Obviously, Kalen DeBoer has had tough shoes to fill in replacing Nick Saban. The program is just different now under a new head coach. While the Crimson Tide are still good, they’re “vulnerable” and “beatable”.
Chad Moller: Alabama fans have had it good for so long, for them to be up in arms about a 5-2 team is hilarious to the rest of us simps. All I know is that no matter how good of a coach Kalen DeBoer is, it is damn near impossible to be the guy to follow the guy. I believe they had probably 2-3 other candidates they preferred over DeBoer, but the others decided they didn’t want to follow Nick Saban, and DeBoer wanted to take the challenge on. Kudos to him, and he’s doing fine so far, but the natives are getting restless no doubt. If the Tigers come in on their Homecoming and pull the upset, Katy bar the door!
PICK ‘EM! Mizzou is understandably a heavy dog this week, as most people suspect Alabama will want to make up for last week’s poor performance. Can Mizzou cover or, even better, pull the upset?
Josh Matejka: I still have a sneaking suspicion that the Crimson Tide will be lagging into this game rather than looking to avenge last week’s loss. Brady Cook is going to play (sorry, haters) and I think he’ll have his best game of the season, even on a bum ankle. I think that adds up to a game that will be closer than expected by the turn of the fourth quarter. That being said, Alabama has too much talent to drop a game to a hobbled Mizzou team at home. I think the Tide cover on a late touchdown to ice the game. Tide 38, Mizzou 21.
Quentin Corpuel: If Brady Cook doesn’t play, I’ll take the Tide 38-13. As much as I’d love to see Drew Pyne rally the troops en route to an epic upset, his performance last week doesn’t give me much confidence that he can uplift Mizzou rather than just keep the team afloat. If Cook plays, give me Alabama 30-19.
Sammy Stava: I would have liked Mizzou’s chances more if Alabama would have beaten Tennessee. Now the Crimson Tide come in desperate and mad playing at home against a depleted Missouri team with injuries. It’s simply not a recipe for success.
The Tigers will put up a fight and have a better performance than they did against Texas A&M, but Bama will be too much. 31-17 Crimson Tide.
Chad Moller: If injuries hadn’t hit the Tigers so hard the last couple of weeks, I’d feel Mizzou had a puncher’s chance in this one. However, even if Brady is feeling good enough to play, you know he won’t be 100%, and all it takes is just one random guy to accidentally fall into his leg to tweak the injury and either leave him horribly gimpy or knock him out of the game altogether. And we all saw last week what the Mizzou offense looks like without Cook. Let’s say ‘Bama gets out to a quick 14-17 point lead, how long do you stick with Brady before you pull him to keep him from getting hurt worse and potentially impact the rest of the season? Because even with a loss in Tuscaloosa, the Tigers can still cling to CFP hopes if they would finish 10-2. Based on all of those probabilities, I’m going to say Mizzou is just too banged up to pull this one off, unfortunately. Alabama 30, Mizzou 13.
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