Highlights From SEC Media Day 3
Coming into the second half of Media Day, all eyes were obviously on Nick Saban. Between the Clemson game last season and post-Kiffin life, there are some questions surrounding the Tide. I will be diving into that, but lets forget we were also blessed with the Kentucky Wildcats Basketba, I mean Football team, The Missouri Tigers (as if we didn’t already have enough felidae mascots), and Texas “The House That Johnny Built,” A&M.
Alabama:
I am going to be biased towards Alabama because I went there and have been a fan for a while. I was at the National Championship game and got my heart torn out of my chest by Deshaun Watson, so I was interested in seeing what Saban had to say about it.
Saban talked a lot about how the team needs to learn from their failure last season and touched on the fact that this is the youngest team they have had since 2012. Also, this is the first time that the Tide has returned a starting QB since 2013 with AJ McCarron.
He touched on Jalen Hurts saying that he has become a better passer, which exactly what we wanted to hear. Typical Saban, he said the right thing every time and gave the media everything he wanted to give them. Saban is the most humble, non humble guy ever, and it is because of quotes like this:
Gosh, I love that man.
Missouri:
I know, I am annoying with Alabama, get over it. After Coach Barry Odom took over a Missouri program that had a very solid two year stretch in the SEC, his team went 4-8. The journalist joke of the day is brought to you by the SEC realignment rumor that Missouri would be going to the West. Odom shot that down reallllllll quick cause he sure as shit does not want to step into the lions den.
Odom also touched on, like most coaches, his QB situation. He said that Drew Lock needs to be more constant and make better choices on the field. Just like what Saban, Mullen, Smart, etc., said about their players. Odom is going into his second year, so it will be interesting to see where this team goes and if they make a splash in the East.
Kentucky:
Because the only Stoops that really matters is Bobby. Kentucky is coming off a poor 7-6 season, but they are like Vanderbilt in the sense they are returning a lot of starters, 17 in fact. They had some impressive wins, especially in their last game of the season against Louisville and the Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson.
Stoops seems to have found his QB in Stephen Johnson, but he had an interesting quote where he said that Johnson needs to go earn the starting role every day. Kentucky still has Drew Barker, their former starting QB who injured his back which put Johnson in the position to be the starting role. Johnson won seven games in their last 11.
Overall, Media Day for Kentucky went how you’d think it would go…. Is it basketball season yet?
Texas A&M:
The coach that everyone has on the SEC hot seat is Kevin Sumlin. He is like Jeff Fisher with his consistency going 8-5 in the last three seasons. This guy had Johnny Mazniel, Mike Evans, Trevor Knight, Myles Garrett, etc., and hasn’t made much of a splash in the post season. (except that Duke/A&M game was unreal)
This sounds a lot like a guy who who is under pressure. Trevor Knight is gone, Myles Garrett is gone. The Aggies need players to step into those leadership positions on both sides of the ball. The QB spot is wide open Sumlin pointed out.
He also touched on them needing to have a better run defense. Losing Garrett is going to hurt like I said, but you cannot let up 191 ypg and expect to be better than 8-5.
Tomorrow is the finale of SEC Media Days. We got South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Auburn from 10-3 on the SEC Network.
Written by @JakeBass657