Eye on the Tigers

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
A regular dose of Mizzou Tigers athletics, including football, basketball and other college sports, from game previews to interviews and everything else you need to stay ahead of the curve. Hear from St. Louis Post-Dispatch beat writer Dave Matter and sports columnist Ben Frederickson.

All Episodes

On the latest episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff talks with author Brendon Steenbergen about Respectable Roughnecks, Brendon's recent book about the 1960 Missouri football team. They talk about what makes that season so transcendent, from first-ever competitive achievements to MU's first Black football player to the legacy of that era in today's game. 

Jul 2

24 min 11 sec

On this episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff and Ben Frederickson share their relations to Mizzou's hiring of its next athletics director: Memphis AD Laird Veatch. Ben shares why he thinks there's cause for the excitement with the hire while Eli talks through Veatch's strengths and first priorities.  Ben also assuages some concerns around the hiring process before they close out the episode with talk of how the hire will eventually be evaluated.

Apr 23

22 min 4 sec

On this episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff and Ben Frederickson catch up on what has and hasn't happened with Mizzou's search for a new athletics director. They also discuss the potential impacts of John Calipari leaving Kentucky on a former Mizzou basketball target, and what the commitment of a four-star quarterback means for Eli Drinkwitz's program.

Apr 10

42 min 12 sec

In this episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff and Ben Frederickson prepare for the end of the Mizzou men's basketball season, and weigh whether the Tigers have a chance of doing the surprising and winning a game in the SEC tournament. Eli shares some of his observations from the first spring football practices before he and Ben discuss MU's hire of a search firm for its athletics director hunt. This week's Quick 3 puts Ben on the spot as a hypothetical candidate for the gig, with some decisions looming right off the bat.

Mar 7

47 min 2 sec

On this episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff and Ben Frederickson discuss the past and future of the Mizzou athletics director position, from how the university will handle Desiree Reed-Francois' buyout to what decisions will face her replacement. They also discuss some observations and questions from the start of the Tigers' spring football practices before turning to potential college postseason changes in the Quick 3 segment.

Mar 1

40 min 6 sec

On this episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff and Ben Frederickson react to the surprising departure of Mizzou AD Desiree Reed-Francois. They revisit some of the signs of friction between Reed-Francois and university leadership and why that contributed to her sudden exit before listing some potential replacements and discussing what recent turnover means for Mizzou athletics going forward.

Feb 20

30 min

On this episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff is joined by Rock M Nation writer Matt Watkins for an analytical discussion of Mizzou men's basketball's future. They discuss what to make of the Tigers' freshmen and their roles before talking through the stats that show off a player's role and style. Eli closes out the episode by picking Matt's brain about the concept of "program building" and how Dennis Gates' experience as an assistant coach at Florida State is shaping his current approach toward recruiting and developing players.

Feb 12

38 min 46 sec

On this episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff is joined by NFL Draft analyst Joe DeLeone to talk through where some former Mizzou players will go in the draft. They discuss Joe's adventures at the Super Bowl and Senior Bowl before diving in with discussion of how Darius Robinson and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.'s skillsets will translate to the pros. Joe shares insight on how he scouts cornerbacks before putting Cody Schrader's potential in context. Joe closes out the show with valuable insight for football fans on how to determine whether the analysts putting together mock drafts and big boards know what they're talking about. You can follow Joe and his analysis on X, formerly Twitter, at @joedeleone.

Feb 8

33 min 26 sec

On this episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff and Ben Frederickson dissect Mizzou men's basketball's latest defeats, including a rock fight against Texas A&M. They highlight an important change to the Tigers' starting lineup and what it means for the team's freshmen going forward. Eli and Ben also weigh how much time to give the freshmen this season and what expectations might look like for next year's highly regarded recruits. This week's Quick 3 segment takes on a bit of a different form as Eli and Ben consider which four-game stretch of the rest of the season gives Mizzou its best chance of getting an SEC win.

Jan 24

38 min 2 sec

On this episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, the Post-Dispatch's Eli Hoff and Ben Frederickson weave through the latest Mizzou sports news, starting with the sudden departure of defensive coordinator Blake Baker. They unpack the timeline of his decision to leave, what it means for Missouri and where coach Eli Drinkwitz might go with his new hire. Eli and Ben also talk through Drinkwitz's recent pay raise before discussing another defeat for the men's basketball team – but one that showed some silver linings. This week's Quick 3 segment puts Ben on the record with some way-too-early predictions for how Mizzou football will be ranked in 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 10

36 min 39 sec

On this episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff is joined by Post-Dispatch columnist Benjamin Hochman at the Cotton Bowl media headquarters to discuss Mizzou's final game of the 2023 season. They talk through what the bowl appearance means for the Tigers, what storylines will impact the game and how Missouri has prepared. Eli shares his observations of what lining up for a 50-yard field goal in AT&T Stadium looks like before pressing Benjamin for predictions in the Quick 3 segment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 2023

27 min 5 sec

Eli Hoff and Ben Frederickson dash around Mizzou sports, starting with the Tigers' coup of O-lineman Cayden Green from Oklahoma. They dance through the list of MU's early signees, including what holding on to the nation's top defensive prospect means for coach Eli Drinkwitz. Eli and Ben close out the episode by prancing past Missouri men's basketball's loss to Seton Hall and how the Tigers might recover for Braggin' Rights, wrapping up with a year-ending Quick 3 segment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 2023

31 min 59 sec