One of the teams on the podium from day one of SEC Media was the Missouri Tigers, which always produces some hilarious soundbites from head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

What Drinkwitz had to say about former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn on the podium, however, will certainly make waves all the way from Tampa to The Plains.

Malzahn notably joined the College Football Playoff selection committee after announcing his retirement from coaching this offseason.

Drinkwitz — who has very close ties to Malzahn as a former colleague both at Auburn and at Arkansas State — believes that analyzing the teams and deciding who should be in is going to make Malzahn want another shot at coaching a team into the playoff field.

Eli Drinkwitz:
▪️ hates his players playing pickleball
▪️ believes Gus Malzahn will be back in coaching soon pic.twitter.com/26UtMpSQXE

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) July 20, 2026

“I think it will only drive him back into coaching,” Drinkwitz said of his close friend joining the committee. “Because as he evaluates all these teams he’s gonna think ‘Man, I gotta get one more shot at it.’ So I’m starting Coach Malzahn’s campaign to be hired next year. He’ll do a great job, he’ll do a tremendous job.”

Whether or not Drinkwitz proves correct remains to be seen, although it does make a whole lot of sense that watching film on every team in the country could get those competitive juices flowing once again. Malzahn will turn 61 years old this fall and if he wants to come back, he likely will have the opportunity.