Opening statements from Drink and Day, with the former going first.
Eli Drinkwitz
Starts with appreciation for being at the Cotton Bowl and thanking the people for their hospitality during their week or so in North Texas, especially during Christmas.
Fast Friday is about the fundamentals and making sure they play a clean game.
Calls OSU most explosive team offensively as far as position players.
Calls their front six the best in the country. Thinks nickelback Jordan Hancocok is a great player. Called their special teams elite.
Ryan Day
He echoes Drink's sentiments about hospitality.
Practice has been good. They practiced fundaments, then install and then the finishing touches.
Team has rallied around Devin Brown who will be making his first start.
Said Mizzou is good in all three phases of the game.
Media questions are next. I'll put what Day says if it relates to Mizzou of course.
Questions
Someone asked about the helmet technology allowed for the games. Did the teams want to use them or not?
Day: Down the road it makes a lot of sense but they aren't really trying to use this new technology yet. They want to try it in spring ball, but that's not something they want to figure out during this time.
Drink: Says that he didn't want to use the technology because December has enough challenges. You don't want to use something new and something goes wrong.
So, both teams won't use the helmet technology. Even though they like the idea.
Question: Does every game matter? Does every game need to be won now that CFP has expanded to 12 games?
Drink: Every game matters. Every game counts. You can w go 10-2 or maybe 9-3 and make CFP but who you lost to and all that other stuff matters.
Day: The top 4 teams that get a bye will be huge. You want to win as much as you can for the bye.
Ryan Day was asked who is playing?
Day: Joked that he isn't going to tell who is playing or not and is leaving it up to the players.
Question: What Kirby and Drink has done for the program?
Drink: Both utilize unique personalities to convey Drink's message to their respective side of the ball.
Drink said this same thing last week. Also, check out the story on Kirby and Baker that was released this morning on why they resigned.
Question: What LB3 means to program?
Drink: When LB3 chose Mizzou and then for the program to back it up through NIL it created a place where other players can go to Mizzou and make a name for them. He brings up Williams Nwaneri choosing Mizzou over going anywhere else. That doesn't happen if LB3 doesn't choose Mizzou.
Last year, LB3 relied on talent and this year he's relied on preparation. Now, talent meets preparation.
Question: What does STL big 3 (cook, Schrader, LB3) mean for the team?
Drink: The dedication they've put in outside of the field speaks volumes. Schrader was a walk-on and was 8th on the depth chart when he got here. The coolest thing about all three is that they don't care who gets the spotlight. They just want to win. There was no drama, just finding a way to win.
Question: What's the team chemistry after this week at Cotton Bowl?
Drink: It's a great ending to a great season to have another week to bond and spend time together.
Question: What changes should happen to the recruiting calendar?
Drink: There's not any one thing that needs to change. There's no way to have a 12-team CFP, the portal, Signing Day and prepare for the game in December. There will have to be a reset. Believes they have to start all over again and have a new calendar. You can't just move signing day. The decisions that have been made weren't thought all the way through. Having two transfer portals isn't great. Players are transferring before they finish their finals. He supports NIL but he believes getting a degree is more important for their future. It's not possible to continue with this cycle.
Day: Different demos, different sizes of schools, different conferences, etc. December is not working. Moving signing day isn't that easy. Can't do it in the summer because a coaching change can change a lot. He doesn't have a particular answer but he knows the current cycle isn't it.
Question: His improved relationships with players this year after not calling plays?
Drink: It began after the bowl game. Believes he wasn't doing his best for the team. He wasn't embracing role as head coach. His ego as playcaller was in the way. He focused on building better connections with players, coaches and other people at the university. He didn't have the time to do that as the playcaller. He felt the team needed to be more connected and it happened for this team after the K-State game. Drink had to live his integrity and be about it and not talk about it.
Question: How does Drink see himself now that he's facing a blue blood like OSU?
Drink: Has plenty of respect for Day, who has played in the CFP or a NY6 bowl his entire OSU head coaching career. Calls OSU a blueblood a reason, but not only because they're Ohio State. You see a team that is similar to the elite teams in the SEC. They play man-to-man, physical defenses. Offensively, they have elite players everywhere.
Question: The change Drink would make to college football?
Drink: He jokes that he's just trying to figure out how to beat OSU. Chip Kelly has time on the beach to think about this scenario of how to change college football (the question mentioned Kelly giving his take on the matter). At some point, decisions for football only need to be for football. Not football makes decisions for every sport. Gives examples that a soccer team shouldn't have to play far away and then return to school the next day for a final based off a football decision.
Question: Is it easier to face an experienced or inexperienced QB?
Drink: They watched all 76 snaps of Brown once he was announced as the starter. He jokes it was a mistake because they realize Brown can do so much. He admits the Tigers will have to be reactive and figure out what style of game it will become. Said Brown throws and runs well. Calls Brown a good leader.
Eli Drinkwitz
Starts with appreciation for being at the Cotton Bowl and thanking the people for their hospitality during their week or so in North Texas, especially during Christmas.
Fast Friday is about the fundamentals and making sure they play a clean game.
Calls OSU most explosive team offensively as far as position players.
Calls their front six the best in the country. Thinks nickelback Jordan Hancocok is a great player. Called their special teams elite.
Ryan Day
He echoes Drink's sentiments about hospitality.
Practice has been good. They practiced fundaments, then install and then the finishing touches.
Team has rallied around Devin Brown who will be making his first start.
Said Mizzou is good in all three phases of the game.
Media questions are next. I'll put what Day says if it relates to Mizzou of course.
Questions
Someone asked about the helmet technology allowed for the games. Did the teams want to use them or not?
Day: Down the road it makes a lot of sense but they aren't really trying to use this new technology yet. They want to try it in spring ball, but that's not something they want to figure out during this time.
Drink: Says that he didn't want to use the technology because December has enough challenges. You don't want to use something new and something goes wrong.
So, both teams won't use the helmet technology. Even though they like the idea.
Question: Does every game matter? Does every game need to be won now that CFP has expanded to 12 games?
Drink: Every game matters. Every game counts. You can w go 10-2 or maybe 9-3 and make CFP but who you lost to and all that other stuff matters.
Day: The top 4 teams that get a bye will be huge. You want to win as much as you can for the bye.
Ryan Day was asked who is playing?
Day: Joked that he isn't going to tell who is playing or not and is leaving it up to the players.
Question: What Kirby and Drink has done for the program?
Drink: Both utilize unique personalities to convey Drink's message to their respective side of the ball.
Drink said this same thing last week. Also, check out the story on Kirby and Baker that was released this morning on why they resigned.
Question: What LB3 means to program?
Drink: When LB3 chose Mizzou and then for the program to back it up through NIL it created a place where other players can go to Mizzou and make a name for them. He brings up Williams Nwaneri choosing Mizzou over going anywhere else. That doesn't happen if LB3 doesn't choose Mizzou.
Last year, LB3 relied on talent and this year he's relied on preparation. Now, talent meets preparation.
Question: What does STL big 3 (cook, Schrader, LB3) mean for the team?
Drink: The dedication they've put in outside of the field speaks volumes. Schrader was a walk-on and was 8th on the depth chart when he got here. The coolest thing about all three is that they don't care who gets the spotlight. They just want to win. There was no drama, just finding a way to win.
Question: What's the team chemistry after this week at Cotton Bowl?
Drink: It's a great ending to a great season to have another week to bond and spend time together.
Question: What changes should happen to the recruiting calendar?
Drink: There's not any one thing that needs to change. There's no way to have a 12-team CFP, the portal, Signing Day and prepare for the game in December. There will have to be a reset. Believes they have to start all over again and have a new calendar. You can't just move signing day. The decisions that have been made weren't thought all the way through. Having two transfer portals isn't great. Players are transferring before they finish their finals. He supports NIL but he believes getting a degree is more important for their future. It's not possible to continue with this cycle.
Day: Different demos, different sizes of schools, different conferences, etc. December is not working. Moving signing day isn't that easy. Can't do it in the summer because a coaching change can change a lot. He doesn't have a particular answer but he knows the current cycle isn't it.
Question: His improved relationships with players this year after not calling plays?
Drink: It began after the bowl game. Believes he wasn't doing his best for the team. He wasn't embracing role as head coach. His ego as playcaller was in the way. He focused on building better connections with players, coaches and other people at the university. He didn't have the time to do that as the playcaller. He felt the team needed to be more connected and it happened for this team after the K-State game. Drink had to live his integrity and be about it and not talk about it.
Question: How does Drink see himself now that he's facing a blue blood like OSU?
Drink: Has plenty of respect for Day, who has played in the CFP or a NY6 bowl his entire OSU head coaching career. Calls OSU a blueblood a reason, but not only because they're Ohio State. You see a team that is similar to the elite teams in the SEC. They play man-to-man, physical defenses. Offensively, they have elite players everywhere.
Question: The change Drink would make to college football?
Drink: He jokes that he's just trying to figure out how to beat OSU. Chip Kelly has time on the beach to think about this scenario of how to change college football (the question mentioned Kelly giving his take on the matter). At some point, decisions for football only need to be for football. Not football makes decisions for every sport. Gives examples that a soccer team shouldn't have to play far away and then return to school the next day for a final based off a football decision.
Question: Is it easier to face an experienced or inexperienced QB?
Drink: They watched all 76 snaps of Brown once he was announced as the starter. He jokes it was a mistake because they realize Brown can do so much. He admits the Tigers will have to be reactive and figure out what style of game it will become. Said Brown throws and runs well. Calls Brown a good leader.
