📡 Notes, quotes and questions from SEC Media Days: Monday-Wednesday

[Max]

MONDAY COVERAGE
Jimbo Fisher ready to chase championship at Texas A&M

CECIL HURT: Ed Orgeron needs a season without “ifs”

Notes: Kentucky still climbing up the SEC

Tagovailoa, Hurts, Harris named to Maxwell watch list

Davis, Jennings, Wilson on Bednarik watch list

Daily Buzz
1. Scheduling
The SEC will stick to an eight-game conference football schedule for the foreseeable future. Greg Sankey, the league’s commissioner, said the league is pleased with its current format and indicated a move to a nine-game conference schedule is not imminent.

“I do not anticipate any major change in our approach,” Sankey said.

Keeping two cross-division opponents for each team, with one rotating, will also continue.

“The divisional structure has supported a number of really important, really healthy rivalries and sectional games,” Sankey said. “Could that change? That’s why we have conversations every year.”

2. Rolling the dice
A Supreme Court ruling in May opened the door for states to permit legalized sports gambling on college sports. Sankey said the SEC has consulted with professional sports leagues on the possible impact, and acknowledged that gambling has become more accepted by society.

“For us, the integrity of our games is of the utmost importance,” the commissioner said.

3. Coaching turnover
Five head coaches are making their SEC Media Days debuts this week, and that doesn’t include new Florida coach Dan Mullen, who was previously at Mississippi State.
Nick Saban is going into his 12th year at Alabama, making him the longest-tenured coach in the league. Auburn’s Gus Malzahn and Mark Stoops are next in length of tenure, a statement on the conference’s high turnover rate.

“That’s not a good thing,” Stoops said. “I’ve only been here six years.”

Top Quotes
“It gets your attention. I’ll definitely say that.”
– Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher on facing national contenders Alabama and Clemson in the season’s first four weeks

“You don’t want to turn it into another form of free agency. None of us want that.”
– Kentucky coach Mark Stoops on more liberal transfer rules

“It starts when you make a mistake.”
– LSU coach Ed Orgeron on making a change at offensive coordinator after his first season

Monday’s dumbest questions
Gather more than 1,000 media people in front of football coaches and players for four days, and there are going to be some questionable queries. Here is a sample of some of the dumbest questions asked at SEC Media Days on Monday:

Give him a minute

Texas A&M’s new coach, Jimbo Fisher, was about 15 minutes into his first appearance at SEC Media Days when he got this question:

Q: What’s your timetable for winning a national championship at Texas A&M?
A: Well, I think your timetable is as quick as you can put things in place and everyone buys into what you’re trying to do. You have a timetable; your timetable is now.

Any football questions?
Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen got grilled about grilling more than what happens on the field by one questioner. A sample:

Q: What is your weirdest dorm memory?
A: I got locked out of my room just in my underwear, so I had to walk the hallway to the (resident assistant), so they could let me back in. It was a little awkward, but really funny.

Q: What’s your go-to on the grill, what’s it look and taste like?
A: I just recently started to grill. … They have one in my apartment. I didn’t even know how to turn it on … but hamburgers, hot dogs, and I want to learn how to grill chicken because everyone can grill hamburgers and hot dogs.

Q: Must-have tailgate side?
A: Potato chips. You can’t kick those.

Recaps
TEXAS A&M
Head Coach: Jimbo Fisher
2017 Record: 7-6 (4-4 SEC)
Returning Starters: 16 (8 offense, 8 defense)
Toughest question Fisher faced: “In all your years, you meant a lot to Florida State. In hindsight how do you look back on your years, any regrets about how it ended, and was it because of commitment?”
Fisher’s reply: “Florida State was an amazing place and I have some great memories there. I grew up loving them around the Bowden family and Coach Bowden had taken me in a long time ago. … When you leave is there ever a good way to leave? You try to do it the best you can. I wish we could have finished out the season, but that’s the way it came about. But like I said, I had no intentions of ever leaving.”
You need to know: Texas A&M has one of the toughest schedules in the country with championship contenders Clemson and Alabama in the first four games and then a stretch of three straight away games – at South Carolina, Mississippi State and Auburn – in the middle of the season.
Best player quote: “It definitely humbled us and it made us want to change that. When he came in, he brought the mentality with him of toughness, effort, discipline, and pride. … And he’s really instilled that tough mentality on this team and made us want to be tougher.” Junior center Erik McCoy on Fisher calling the team “soft”

KENTUCKY
Head Coach: Mark Stoops
2017 Record: 7-6 (4-4 SEC)
Returning Starters: 17 (8 offense, 9 defense)
Toughest question Stoops faced: “How critical is it for the program to finally get over that hump with Florida?”
Stoops’ reply: “I always look forward to that annual question. My answer my first three or four years was I really wasn’t certain about it. I was trying to build a culture at Kentucky, win games, and get in a good position. But you do hear it. So you can’t hide from the elephant in the room; it’s been a long time, and we need to beat Florida, but we need to beat a lot of teams on our schedule.”
You need to know: No quarterback on Kentucky’s roster has thrown a pass in a major college game; one candidate, Terry Wilson, has junior college experience.
Best player quote: “We can’t think about it as Florida. We just have to think about it as a game that we want to win to be 2-0. That’s a little goal, but not our ultimate goal. … We want to make it to a SEC championship.” – Senior linebacker Josh Allen

LSU
Head Coach: Ed Orgeron
2017 Record: 9-4 (6-2 SEC)
Returning Starters: 10 (5 offense, 5 defense)
Toughest question Orgeron faced: “You’re going into your second full year at LSU, and you’re already in the middle of the pack in terms of tenure at your SEC School. What was it like going to the spring meetings having five new coaches in the league and Dan Mullen at a new school? And what do you think about the job security in this league?”
Orgeron’s reply: “I was glad I had my seat at LSU. But, you know, this is why you come to the SEC. You know that expectations are high. You know the expectations are high at LSU. So you invite those challenges and you’re going to the play in the SEC West, perhaps the best conference in the United States, and you’re going to play against some of the best coaches.”
You need to know: The 2018 season marks the first time LSU is not returning a running back who has scored a rushing touchdown since at least 1974.
Best player quote: “It makes our quarterbacks want it that much more. There is going to be less reps, less playing time for guys to show what they have… so I think they’re going to have to take those a lot more seriously. The competition is really going to heat up come fall camp.” – Senior tight end Foster Moreau, on the addition of Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow to the roster

https://www.tidesports.com/notes-quotes-and-questions-from-sec-media-days-monday/

 

[TerryP]

I don't know how this didn't catch more attention.



Yet, he's going to a spread system where the physicality aspect is removed and the offense is going to a basketball on grass scheme? Power isn't their forte this season based on what he's said and what Ensminger has said as well.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

"O"....sometimes you get what u pay for....
Read a Lsu forum......they know what’s coming.....
And it aint candy and popcorn

 

[TerryP]

Read a Lsu forum

By my count that's twice you've referred to reading comments on a LSU forum. Which one?

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Read a Lsu forum

By my count that's twice you've referred to reading comments on a LSU forum. Which one?

"Tiger rant"..... so many references to Bama,...
Ie...Officials favor Bama
Ie...Saban
Etc
Just curious how the fans are with "o" as HC
Most blame AD as their down trend....
Retired...have a lot of time on my hand...lol

 

[Max]

Tuesday:

Kirby Smart “on to next year” after 2nd and 26

Freddie Roach remembers his Alabama beginnings

CECIL HURT: Experience sometimes matters at media days

Notes: Chad Morris’ teaching moments; Dan Mullen’s championship expectations

Anfernee Jennings named to LOTT Impact Trophy watch list

Jalen Hurts on Dave O’Brien watch list

Daily Buzz
Here are the hot topics from Tuesday at SEC Media Days:

1. New rules
New rules governing blocking and kickoffs will be be introduced in 2018. Steve Shaw, coordinator of football officials for the SEC, went over changes Tuesday at SEC Media Days.

In short, blocking below the waist outside the tackle box now has to be head-on, and all blocking below the waist 5 yards or more downfield is now illegal.

A fair catch on kickoffs inside the 25-yard line will now be spotted at the 25 to start the ensuing series.

There will also be a 10-second runoff after replays in the final minute of either half if the ruling is overturned and the clock would have kept running had the play been called properly.

There are also new wardrobe rules: uniform pants have to cover knee pads, and other equipment (like back pads) must be covered by the uniform.

Another new rule allows players to participate in four games and still redshirt.

“I really like the flexibility that rule provides,” Ole Miss coach Matt Luke said.

2. New coaches
Of four coaches who took the podium Tuesday, two were making their first appearance and another was wearing new colors. Arkansas coach Chad Morris, who was hired from SMU, made his first appearance at SEC Media Days. Luke coached Ole Miss last season, but was promoted after Hugh Freeze abruptly resigned shortly after last year’s league preseason media event. And while Dan Mullen is no SEC newcomer, he is now representing Florida after nine years at Mississippi State.

Kirby Smart of Georgia was the day’s only carryover from 2017, making his third appearance.

3. Rivalries
New Florida coach Dan Mullen was asked about the Gators’ rivalry with Georgia. Kirby Smart and his Georgia players were asked a lot about Alabama, although the schools aren’t traditional rivals. Ole Miss players and Luke talked about the Egg Bowl with Mississippi State. And new Arkansas coach Morris said his team’s biggest rival is the Arkansas Razorbacks, adding that he tells his players that they are the ones who can defeat themselves by making the wrong choices.

Top Quotes
“After our first season going 8-5, we didn’t change a whole lot. But we demanded more.”
– Georgia coach Kirby Smart

“Once all the actions were delivered and everybody knows what you’re dealing with, you can then move forward.”
– Ole Miss coach Matt Luke, on sanctions that were handed down last December after a long NCAA investigation

“Right now I would say that our biggest rival is the Arkansas Razorbacks.”
– Arkansas coach Chad Morris

“The goal for this year’s team is to go, to get back, the first week of December and compete for an SEC championship.”
– Florida coach Dan Mullen

Tuesday’s dumbest questions
Check the roster
Georgia has some highly-rated quarterbacks on its roster, but not all of the ones mentioned in this question directed to Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart:
Q: With (Jacob) Eason, (Jake) Fromm and (Justin) Fields, have you ever seen a better stock of quarterbacks in your career?
A: Yeah. If we had all three of them we’d be sitting pretty good. Eason is gone. He transferred (to Washington).

TV star?
Pop culture sometimes finds its way to SEC Media Days. Just ask Georgia receiver Terry Godwin.
Q: A lot of former Georgia guys who have gone on to the Bachelorette. Would you ever do that? Or who of your teammates might be on there next?
A: To be honest, I can see J.R. Reed getting in on that.

Free time
Some reporters are fascinated with the off-the-field lives of players. Georgia defensive back J.R. Reed was one who was asked about it.
Q: What do you do outside of football to get away from it: relax, stress relief, that kind of thing?
A: I like to go to the lake. I like jet skis.

Ole Miss defensive tackle Josiah Coatney got a more specific query.
Q: Do you have a go-to dance move?
A: No. I’m not a dancer. I just don’t really dance.
– Tommy Deas, Carlyle Rickenmann and Ben Jones

Recaps
Georgia
Head coach: Kirby Smart
2017 record: 13-2 (7-1 SEC)
Returning starters: 13 (8 offense, 4 defense, 1 special teams)
Hardest question Kirby Smart faced: “Coach, what lessons did you take as you led your team to the playoffs last season and how important are those lessons going to be for the players returning this year being in those high pressure situations?”
Smart’s reply: “I think being in the SEC, we all know it’s week to week. Humility is a week away. Every team you play has the ability to defeat you. I think you see that every year top to bottom, and people can say what they want about our conference; it’s tough and physical and demanding.”
You need to know: Georgia lost eight of its defensive starters from the College Football Playoff, including all four linebackers. Two of those linebackers, Roquan Smith and Lorenzo Carter, were drafted by the NFL in the first and third rounds.
Best player quote: “As a team, we are not using that as motivation or any type of fuel. We are just trying to build off of it. … We are going into this season and offseason trying to be the best Georgia Bulldogs we can.” – Senior wide receiver Terry Godwin on the loss to Alabama in the national championship game

Ole Miss
Head coach: Matt Luke
2017 record: 6-6 (3-5 SEC)
Returning starters: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense)
Hardest question Matt Luke faced: “How tough has the bowl ban been to deal with? How do you handle that with the players?”
Luke’s reply: “Everybody asks me ‘what is my motivation?’ What’s been impressive about this team is how they’ve gotten up every morning at 6 a.m.; They’ve gone to work and they’re competing and playing for each other.”
You need to know: The Ole Miss offensive line has a combined 103 starts going into this season.
Best player quote: “You have all of these outside perspectives trying to write this narrative, and that is just not the case in our locker room. That is a testament to Coach Luke coming in and instilling this culture.” – Senior offensive linemen Sean Rawlings on the presumed “dark cloud” over Ole Miss and the bowl ban

Arkansas
Head coach: Chad Morris
2017 record: 4-8 (1-7 SEC)
Returning starters: 19 (9 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams)
Hardest question Chad Morris faced: “A lot of magazines might put you last in the SEC West, how do you deal with that for your team and what are your expectations?”
Morris’ reply: “No one is going to have higher expectations on this program than I am. Whether we are picked to finish first or last is irrelevant at this time, that’s the way I’ve looked at it. … We’ve heard it and our players have heard it. You can’t help but not to hear it. It’s how hungry is this football team going to be because of it?”
You need to know: New defensive coordinator John Chavis has spent the past 23 years as a defensive coordinator at Texas A&M, LSU, and Tennessee.
Best player quote: “It’s not fun to lose, and it’s really, really hard not to start pointing fingers once it goes south. I was mad at myself because I felt like I fell in that same boat. … The only thing you can do is look yourself in the mirror.” – Senior offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt on the struggles last season

Florida
Head coach: Dan Mullen
2017: 4-7 (3-5 SEC)
Returning starters: 20 (10 offense, 9 defense, 1 special teams)
Hardest question Mullen faced: “You mentioned the fan base at Mississippi State and how there’s a lot of animosity for you there given all your time there. How do you feel about that? And do you think there’s anything that could have been done differently?”
Mullen’s reply: “My family and I, we gave it all we have. I was at Mississippi State for nine years, and I had a lot of opportunities to go other places. … The opportunity to become the head coach at the University of Florida is something that I couldn’t pass up.”
You need to know: Since 2009 (the end of the Tim Tebow era), there hasn’t been a Florida quarterback who has accounted for more than 16 touchdowns in a season.
Best player quote: “Even my friends who knew nothing about football could tell me like what we were going to run, and at least 95 percent of the time they were right. That’s the biggest thing about it, we’re not as predictable anymore.” Senior Offensive Linemen Martez Ivey on the predictability of the offense last year

 

[Max]

Wednesday:

CECIL HURT: Saban lights a fire with QB questions

More questions than answers this early for Alabama

Transcript: Nick Saban at SEC Media Days podium

Alabama’s most likely candidate to move to ILB

Notes: Alabama alums Joey Jones, Will Friend back in SEC

Bill Hancock on UCF: “Play a good schedule” to make playoff

Damien Harris on Doak Walker watch list

Drew Lock working on improving football IQ

SEC Notes: A strong message to UCF

Daily Buzz
Here are the hot topics from Wednesday at SEC Media Days:

1. Red elephant in the room
Alabama’s championship dynasty permeated through the entire day with Nick Saban and three Crimson Tide players on hand.

New Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead mentioned UA in his opening remarks and players were asked about last year’s close game against Alabama. Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt, who played and coached at Alabama, was asked about multiple questions about Saban and even some about Crimson Tide players.

“I could write a book,” Pruitt said on the influence Saban has had on him.

The defending national champions had the week’s largest and loudest group of fans to greet them when they walked the carpet into the lobby at the College Football Hall of Fame for media days interviews.

2. Central Florida
The self-proclaimed national champions aren’t in the SEC, but the Knights are still getting attention coming off their undefeated 2017 season. College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock was asked about UCF’s title claim, and Saban was asked about whether he feels for a program like Central Florida running the table and not being able to get in the playoff.

“I have tremendous amount of compassion for UCF and what they accomplished this (past) year in going undefeated,” Saban said. “… I’m not responsible for the system that determines who gets in the playoffs.”

3. New coordinators
Each of the four teams at SEC Media Days on Wednesday has new coordinators on both offense and defense. Pruitt at Tennessee and Moorhead at Mississippi State are new to their schools as head coaches and have brought in their own staffs. Alabama has a new offensive coordinator in Mike Locksley and a new defensive coordinator in Tosh Lupoi. Missouri promoted Ryan Walters to defensive coordinator last December and hired Derek Dooley as offensive coordinator a month later.

Top quotes
“Forget about what happened last year. There’s no looking back at that.”
– Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban

“It would be like taking the stage and performing after the Beatles.”
– Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead on being happy to not follow Nick Saban at SEC Media Days

“You think Coach Saban’s going to give me advice?”
– Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt on whether his former boss has been helpful in his transition

“It’s the best staff harmony that we’ve had since I’ve been the head coach.”
– Missouri coach Barry Odom, who changed both coordinators after last season

Wednesday’s dumbest questions
Gather more than 1,000 media people in front of football coaches and players for four days, and there are going to be some questionable queries. Wednesday at SEC Media Days brought a lot of silly exchanges. Here are some samples:

Turning the tables
Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has developed a reputation for asking a lot of questions, which led to this exchange with Missouri coach Barry Odom:
Q: I had kind of a multiple question …
A: (interrupting) Hang on, Bob, real quick. You have got a longer tenure than a lot of coaches that are here. Me included. I’m glad to see you’re back for another year.
Q: I wish I made as much money as you guys. I mean that respectfully.

Quick wit
Alabama running back Damien Harris had a funny exchange about being asked about UA’s quarterback competition:
Q: Do you get that question quite a bit?
A: Do you ask that question a lot?
Q: I’m just saying how often do you get asked about the quarterback thing.
A: But I’m saying how many times have you asked somebody about the quarterback situation?
Q: I haven’t.
A: You’ve never asked? Never? Not one time? Not one time? Because I’m pretty sure you’ve asked me about the quarterback situation. I know for a fact you’ve asked that question before.

Say what?
Missouri quarterback Drew Lock got asked a nonsense question and responded accordingly.
Q: Picture this: It’s a Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl and you take a five-step drop from center. Who would you rather see coming down in terms of pass rush: one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
A: I’d rather see one horse-sized duck, because I bet he doesn’t move very well. I could probably get around him.

Recap
Mississippi State
Head coach: Joe Moorhead
2017 record: 9-4 (4-4 SEC)
Returning starters: 18 (9 offense, 8 defense, 1 special teams)
Hardest question Moorhead faced: “Is there any sense of urgency to have a really good season this year with such a talented returning quarterback in Nick Fitzgerald and then a lot of talent around him?’
Moorhead’s reply: “Certainly from a contextual standpoint, you have the elevated expectation levels relative to who is coming back and you look at it and what you’ve done in the past, you walk into the building and the Egg Bowl trophy is not there, we’ve never won an SEC championship, we’ve never competed for a national championship. … So part of our task as a staff is to elevate the program, which has a very solid foundation, from good to great.”
You need to know: Defensive coordinator Bob Shoop is on his third SEC school in his career, and he’s Mississippi State’s fifth coordinator in as many seasons. He previously coached at Vanderbilt and Tennessee.
Best player quote: “It was me, Jeffery Simmons and Farrod Green. We met him at the airport when he first flew into Starkville. We went to shake his hand and then he asked us (our ring size) … then we looked down at our hands and our ring fingers.” — Senior defensive linemen Gerri Green on meeting his new head coach

Tennessee
Head coach: Jeremy Pruitt
2017 record: 4-8 (0-8 SEC)
Returning starters: 13 (6 offense, 7 defense)
Hardest question Pruitt faced: “You talk a lot about Tennessee bringing it back to the ‘90s. The last 10 years with the struggles of Tennessee football and the coaching leading up to your hire, how do you assess the state of the program you’re walking into?”
Pruitt’s reply: “The only thing I can assess is the last six months. I wasn’t at Tennessee the last 10 years. I’ve been there six months. … We’re all running in the same direction, and we’re running as fast as we can.”
You need to know: Tennessee’s first game is against West Virginia, which averaged 32.5 points in 2017. The Volunteers averaged 17.8 points.
Best player quote: “Pretty much throughout the whole spring everybody got the same amount of reps. … I believe that that is going to help us instill more depth within our team, within our defense and within our offense.” – Senior defensive end Kyle Phillips on the changes in day-to-day coaching

Alabama
Head coach: Nick Saban
2017 record: 13-1 (7-1 SEC)
Returning starters: 12 (7 offense, 3 defense, 2 special teams)
Hardest question Saban faced: “I think it’s 47 days until the opener, kind of late in the offseason. Do you expect Jalen (Hurts) to be on the roster on opening day or with the team?”
Saban’s reply: “Well I have no idea. I expect him to be there. I think it’s our job to give both players a very fair opportunity to have a chance to win the team at their position. … We’ll create a role for one or both of those guys on our team and they’ll all have to make a decision based on what that outcome is as to what their future is at Alabama.”
You need to know: Alabama is returning four of five starting offensive linemen and both tight ends. Bradley Bozeman, the one starter lost, was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round.
Best player quote: “If I had a dollar for every time I heard it, I would be a rich man, maybe retired.” – Senior offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher on questions about the quarterback situation

Missouri
Head coach: Barry Odom
2017 record: 7-6 (4-4 SEC)
Returning starters: 17 (9 offense, 6 defense, 2 special teams)
Hardest question Odom faced: “I remember after the Auburn game last year you were very emotional what you wanted out of the Mizzou program and what you wanted to build there. I know that you guys lost the next two, but then you won six straight. What changed for your program and for your team to get the program to finish strong like they did?”
Odom’s reply: “I wouldn’t recommend anybody starts 1-5. That’s not a lot of fun or healthy for anybody. … At the time, they needed to see that. I needed to stand up for them a little bit publicly because I knew we were getting close.”
You need to know: Quarterback Drew Lock set both SEC and Missouri records for single-season touchdown passes with 44 last season. He decided to stay for his senior season to gain a “greater understanding of NFL ball.”
Best player quote: “Probably one of the greatest quarterbacks you’ll ever see play this game. … I love watching him play and especially since we came in as freshman and seeing what he can do now.” – Senior defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. on Lock

 

[TerryP]

Quick wit
Alabama running back Damien Harris had a funny exchange about being asked about UA’s quarterback competition:
Q: Do you get that question quite a bit?
A: Do you ask that question a lot?
Q: I’m just saying how often do you get asked about the quarterback thing.
A: But I’m saying how many times have you asked somebody about the quarterback situation?
Q: I haven’t.
A: You’ve never asked? Never? Not one time? Not one time? Because I’m pretty sure you’ve asked me about the quarterback situation. I know for a fact you’ve asked that question before.

Quick wit? Or, quick study after watching Saban for three years?