October 26, 2024, has been no less than a nightmarish day for the Missouri Tigers. It was the same day that Kalen DeBoer’s boys crushed Eli Drinkwitz’s squad to mere specks of dust. The score? Alabama went home with a 34-0 victory. Drinkwitz’s boys and the Crimson Tide are now gearing up for another face-off this weekend, October 11. Looks like the Mizzou head coach is already under a lot of pressure and prepping themselves to taste the “poison.” As they face off against Alabama, what’s at stake for Drinkwitz and Co.? A 5-0 start to the season and a clearer path to the College Football Playoff.

Already, Drinkwitz can feel the heat. Courtesy? Home sweet home has treated Missouri well. But Saturday brings reality with Alabama. Drinkwitz and Co. haven’t left Columbia yet this season, and now the No. 8 Crimson Tide storms in looking to end their 15-game home heater. Looks like the Tigers’ head coach is already having sleepless nights with Ty Simpson coming to haunt him in his sleep. 

Drinkwitz could not help but praise Alabama’s third-down strategy in games against Georgia and Vanderbilt. “The quarterback [Simpson] makes very good decisions, not easily deceived with disguise, unaffected by pressure, ability to escape. I think those three things make it really difficult to try to game plan a quarterback on third down,” shared the Mizzou head coach. When it comes to his own understanding of throttling Simpson, Drinkwitz said, “You kind of have to pick your poison.”

It comes with a major dilemma. Drinkwitz’s use of the word “poison” refers to the fact that coaches must choose between imperfect options. No matter what defense they pick, there will be a weakness the QB can exploit. Defenders cover areas rather than specific players. Smart quarterbacks like Simpson can find soft spots in the zones and complete passes. If Drinkwitz plans to send extra defenders to pressure the quarterback, Simpson can read the rush, find a favorable one-on-one matchup, and exploit it. 

The Missouri head coach shared, “If we play zone, he’s [Simpson] going to pick us apart. If we blitz, he’s going to stand in there and identify the one-on-one matchup and take it. I think that’s what they’ve been really good at.” Looks like Drinkwitz has already done some homework on the Alabama quarterback. 

Simpson was a one-man highlight reel against Vanderbilt. He weaved through pressure to throw a touchdown to Ryan Williams, then dominated a third-quarter drive with a mix of passes and scrambles, including a 13-yard sprint that ended with a crowd-pumping celebration. Finishing with 340 yards and two touchdowns, he turned improvisation into art. Against Georgia, Drinkwitz said, “He had three scrambles for a first down with his feet.” Here comes a quick recap of Simpson’s feat against Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs.

Ty Simpson is in desperate search of a big win

Right out of the gate, Simpson connected with Germie Bernard for a 6-yard touchdown, giving Alabama an early 7-0 lead. Not content with one, he added another 6-yard strike to Isaiah Horton. The Tide made sure Smart struggled, keeping Georgia in check. Alabama’s dominance over the Bulldogs is no fluke; they’ve won 9 of the last 10 matchups, cementing their long-standing edge.

But when it comes to Alabama’s face-off against the Vanderbilt Commodores, Simpson failed to achieve that mental satisfaction. Even though the Crimson Tide sealed a 30-14 victory and successfully took last season’s revenge, something felt off for Simpson. In the post-game presser, the quarterback took accountability for his own actions, “You know, it’s one, like, all coming together and having good plays, right, is always great. I think that’s what killed us in the first half, right, and it’s really my fault.” 

The Tide stalled on third down, and DeBoer’s bold fourth-down call backfired. Simpson’s deep pass intended downfield left was picked off by Vanderbilt’s Martel Hight, marking Alabama’s first turnover and Simpson’s first interception of the season.

Alabama’s offensive line faltered early. And Ty Simpson had to bear the blows. He was sacked on first down thanks to a missed block by Wilkin Formby, leaving Alabama pinned deep. But Simpson quickly took matters into his own hands. With 1:22 left in the first half, trailing by a touchdown, Simpson calmly took the shotgun snap and faced down a fired-up Vanderbilt defense, showing he could do his own damage control on the field. This weekend’s game marks Missouri’s 18th straight sellout home game. Pressure’s on — who will fold: Eli Drinkwitz’s boys or Simpson and company?