Missouri Football Notebook: Playing on national stage, not many opt-outs

After Missouri's 48-14 win over Arkansas on Black Friday, star running back Cody Schrader said the team belongs in big games like a New Year's Six Bowl.

Well, he and the Tigers (10-2) will have that chance to play in a big game when they face No. 7 Ohio State (11-1) in the Cotton Bowl.

This marks the team's first New Year's Six bowl game and the third straight bowl game under head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

"We've been fortunate to have the national spotlight from November," Drinkwitz said in a presser held shortly after the bowl announcement. "So, this is just the opportunity to have a capstone opportunity in a moment, but we've got to capitalize on it. You don't want to be on the national stage and not perform at your best. So, from coaches all the way to the players, we have to prepare with purpose.

"It's just a remarkable feeling to know at the start of the year there was a poll about would we even make a bowl game. Instead, we're one of the top 10 teams in the country that's going to a New Year's Six Bowl game, and that doesn't happen without a lot of hard work, a lot of belief and a lot of determination and (I'm) just thanking the seniors for making that happen."

Missouri hosted a watch party for team and player personnel on Sunday at Faurot Field and the group erupted when they heard that they'd not only be going to the Cotton Bowl, but will be playing against one of the nation's premier programs.

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"I mean, it's going to be a really tough challenge," Drinkwitz said. "(The Buckeyes are a) very good football team. Coach (Ryan) Day does an excellent job. So, that's going to be a great challenge. And our team was excited. You know, the quality of the opponent you get is always a lot of fun. Obviously, they've got some really good players. I mean, some really good players. So that'll that'll bring our attention to focus pretty quickly.

"I mean, you're talking about a team that lost by four to Michigan on the road, right? I mean, they had an argument too just like some of these other schools on why they should be in the top four. So, you're talking about a playoff-worthy team. We're going to have our hands full."

It’ll be a fresh matchup.

The squads haven't faced off since the 1998 season, and the Buckeyes are 10-1-1 against the Tigers.

This is why the seniors came back

A couple of years ago, Missouri heard it would be facing Army in the Armed Forces Bowl after a 6-6 regular season.

Around this time last year, it would be hearing that it would be facing Wake Forest in the Gasparilla Bowl after another 6-6 campaign.

Plenty of guys could've chosen to go elsewhere, but they didn't, and that includes star defensive end Darius Robinson and star left tackle Javon Foster.

In this portal era, Drinkwitz knows he has to re-recruit his players every season and after a third straight .500 season, it would've been easy for those players to go elsewhere. So, he appreciates the senior class for their commitment to him, the coaching staff, their teammates, the university and what they've built in their tenures as Tigers.

"When you choose to come to Missouri when those guys came, you know, that's (going to a New Year's Six Bowl) not something that has been done in a while," Drinkwitz said. "And it's an opportunity to leave their mark on this university, on the brotherhood and as a group of men together. So, I think it means a lot to continue to entrench their legacy and what they're able to do.

"We haven't achieved what we all wanted to achieve in the previous two years in our bowl games. They were great experiences, but they weren't your New Year's Six. So, these guys want to experience that and they want to play at a high level."

When Robinson walked into his presser after the bowl announcement, he came in with his usual smile, grinning from ear to ear.

He understands what it is like to be at the bottom. He understands sacrifice.

Last year, he received mid round draft grades and was invited to the NFL Combine and Senior Bowl but returned to Missouri hoping to be a part of a season like this.

"I was grateful to play in the Armed Forces Bowl (and) I'm grateful to be in the Cotton Bowl as well. I'm just grateful for this opportunity," Robinson said. "I'm glad our hard work has paid off and put us in a spotlight to play in a big game like this, but we've got to make sure we're ready to play and find a way to win."

For Foster, this game is special in more ways than one.

His dad, Jerome Foster, played for Ohio State from 1979-83 before playing four seasons in the NFL. He joked that his dad is having a tough time choosing between who to root for come game time.

"I was hoping all week we were going to play them. When I said it on Wednesday, I really didn't think it was going to be true. But it's a blessing," Foster said. "I can't wait. I called him right after and I said, 'Pick a side.' He said he doesn't know it's hard for him to answer. I said, 'Okay, we're going to see."

Schrader, who has been here since last year, said he and his teammates have kept receipts about what people outside the team's facility thought about them and that he's excited for the seniors to have this game to seal their legacies.

"I think we definitely keep receipts and we heard all the outside voices and now we see people want to jump on board or whatever you may have," Schrader said. "But we're focused on the guys that are in this room, guys that are on this team and this coaching staff. We built a brotherhood. We built this team from the ground up. From a lot of trials and tribulations that we had last year and a lot of failures. So, I know this team is hungry and we're going to go get it.

"This is an opportunity that we've been waiting for. I think for this senior class. This is where we leave our legacy. I think we've had a really good season at this point. But I think this game is kind of a defining moment for the senior class."

Expect Missouri to have full roster available

In a Zoom press conference hours after the bowl announcements, Day said he expects everyone to play, but this press conference happened before the Buckeyes held a team meeting and for a championship-or-bust team like the Buckeyes, it's unlikely, that they don't have some significant opt-outs.

So, whoever will and will not play for Ohio State is to be determined.

However, Drinkwitz has already held a team meeting and expects everyone to be available, except three outgoing transfers, who have decided they don't want to participate in the bowl game.

Mizzou is allowing outgoing transfers to play if they so choose.

"There's only one questionable right now and that's an injury situation with Ennis Rakestraw," Drinkwitz said. "Ennis was not able to participate in that last game and was going through some things. So, that's really the only one. All the other seniors have decided right now that they want to finish this thing out and play. So, I don't anticipate having any issues.

"I've given the players the option if they've elected to transfer, they can still finish out the season with us and participate in the bowl game. So, some of the guys that announced that they're transferring were in the room today and were at practice this morning."

Robinson said it was a no-brainer for him. Even though he's boosted his NFL Draft stock up and earned (and accepted) another invite to the Senior Bowl, he knew he was going to play in the bowl game once the clock hit triple zeroes against Arkansas.

He believes having almost everyone return for the game is another testament to the team wanting to finish what they started.

"It shows we are committed and we want to win at all costs," Robinson said. "It's definitely an idea that everybody thought about, but not for one second I thought about it. I knew as soon as we beat Arkansas, this would be just one more opportunity.

"I think all the seniors are just committed to finishing this the right way. So, that's why I say we're grateful that we're there, but we've got to win. Because if not, I mean we were just there. We didn't actually do anything. So, we've got to make sure we do the things to be 1-0 each day."