COLUMBIA, Mo. — A narrative, to a football coach, is only useful until it becomes counterproductive. There are few things more bitter-tasting in that profession than something that is counterproductive.
The return of the Border War seemed to cross into that territory for Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz just a few minutes after noon on Tuesday.
For months — really, years, since the 2020 announcement that Mizzou and Kansas would once again play each other in football this season — the rivalry served a grandiose purpose. Fans have anticipated Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. clash between the Tigers and Jayhawks (TV: ESPN2; radio: KTRS 550-AM locally) for quite some time. Tickets for the game sold out before they were even available to the general public.
The rivalry between MU and KU served not as bulle