Eli Drinkwitz makes strong statement about his 'standing on business' comment and Tennessee's Josh Heupel

Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz probably had no clue that his "standing on business" comment to Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel last fall would still be getting asked about nearly a year later.

Drinkwitz made the comment to Heupel as the two coaches shook hands at midfield after Mizzou's blowout win against Tennessee last season.

Drinkwitz e xplained earlier this offseason that he promised his defense before the game that he would make the comment to Heupel if the Tigers beat the Vols that week.

On Tuesday, at SEC Media Days in Dallas, Drinkwitz joined That SEC Podcast and he was almost immediately asked about the standing on business comment.

"Well, it was something that we did, obviously, for that week, that was the motto for the game," said Drinkwitz. "I told my players I would do it. Obviously, if you've seen the clip, my defensive captain was right behind me to make sure that it got done. And so, we stood on business that game. [It] was not personal in any sort of way at all. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Heupel and his football program. I think he does an outstanding job. He's one of the best coaches in the country . I have a tremendous amount of respect for that program. But that was more about our program and what we needed to do for us to win."

"And let's just say it like it was, we'd had our butt whipped embarrassingly bad the previous two years (by Tennessee)," added Drinkwitz. "For us, we needed to play at a higher level and do what we needed to do to win."

That kind of stuff is what makes the SEC so great. Every team takes the field every Saturday with the expectation of winning. And that often means that coaches have to find unique ways to motivate their team, just so they can gain the tiniest of edges (which could be the difference in a close game).

Even if you're a Vols fan, it's hard to be upset at Drinkwitz's comment to Heupel. Drinkwitz did what he needed to do to ensure that his team got a win (and they did...36-7). And then he kept his word to his team. I'm not sure what there is to hate about that.

Related: Josh Heupel reveals who will call plays for the Tennessee Vols in 2024