The coaching carousel is looming large over college football this season as some of the premier programs in the country are looking for their next head coach. As teams look to fill their void, there are names that are be linked to several top jobs, but how a coach finishes the season is always the most important.
The hottest name in the coaching carousel is Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin, who's being courted by LSU and Florida. While every school would love to land Lane Kiffin, the reality is that two of LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida will be left disappointed. If Lane Kiffin chooses to stay at Ole Miss, everything quickly changes for LSU and Florida.
Eli Drinkwitz's stock should take a big hit with loss to Oklahoma
One of the names to watch for both programs, if they miss out on Lane Kiffin, is Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz. The Missouri head coach has won at a school that isn't a power in the SEC, which always raises the idea that he could hit the next level if he were given more resources to work with. Despite all of the positives that come with Eli Drinkwitz, both LSU and Florida fans seem to prefer plenty of other candidates.
On Saturday, some of the reasons you'd be concerned with hiring Eli Drinkwitz were on full display as the Tigers fell 17-6 to Oklahoma.
The Tigers' offense returned starting quarterback Beau Pribula, and it didn't give this team any boost. The rushing attack that powers this offense was smothered by Oklahoma picking up just 70 yards on 35 attempts for just 2.0 yards per carry.
The issue was that running the ball may have been the best option, as Missouri's passing attack looked out of sync the entire game. Pribula went 20 for 36 on the day for 231 yards and 2 interceptions while he spent most of the game under pressure, with most of his production coming while Oklahoma was in prevent.
Late in the game, Missouri had a chance to kick a field goal and make this a one-possession game, but Eli Drinkwitz decided to go for it on 4th and 2. The Tigers took the shot to the endzone and couldn't convert, allowing Oklahoma to focus on running the clock rather than making any risky decisions.
If you're a school considering hiring Eli Drinkwitz, the results on Saturday aren't all that encouraging, which is why he's behind some of the other hot names this cycle. Drinkwitz has done a solid job at Missouri, but he'll likely need to reach that next level if he's going to get one of the best jobs available.