SEC Media Days 2016 Recap

SEC Media Days 2016 arrived with a whirlwind and left leaving media members worn out, Twitter smoldering with quotes and The Wynfrey Hotel in its wake. The college football universe descended upon Hoover, Alabama Monday morning; and by Thursday afternoon, we left with a similar amount of questions.

Monday brought a new motto by the Southeastern Conference proclaiming their worth in the college football universe. “It just means more”, is the motto. Does it mean more to the kids in Jakarta, Indonesia than it does to the adults in Cheyenne, Wyoming? Is it truly worldwide? Nonetheless, the SEC does mean more.

Day Two brought ushered in the debut of Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart to the podium! His opening statement was akin to a Presidential press conference! Smart’s opening remarks were clocked at 12 minutes. He spoke with considerable command and poise for a rookie head coach.

Also on Tuesday’s agenda was Mississippi State Head Coach Dan Mullen. The marathon man dodged questions regarding stud freshman Jeffrey Simmons. In March, the five-star recruit was seen repeatedly beating up a woman and subsequently, Mississippi State handed out a one-game suspension, when asked about the incident:

Next, University of Tennessee’s Butch Jones avoided mentioning “Florida” during his time at the podium. He also spoke about the upcoming season for star quarterback Joshua Dobbs saying having him lead the offense is “very comforting as a head coach.” The Vols only have 11 seniors this year, but Jones said it’s the most experienced team he’s had as Vols head coach. 17 starters are returning for the 2016 campaign.

Lastly on Day Two, Texas A&M Head Coach Kevin Sumlin proclaimed his satisfaction for incoming quarterback Trevor Knight, stated his linebackers needed to improve and Johnny Manziel will forever have the support of Aggie Nation.

Day Three brought the no-holds barred, steel cage match between the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum and University of Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban.

Meanwhile, the loquacious Bret Bielema followed Saban. What Saban lacked in soundbites, the Arkansas head coach made up for it with witty zingers and one-liners that would make the “Ol’ Ball Coach” proud.

The conclusion of SEC Media Days 2016 brought South Carolina’s Will Muschamp, LSU’s Les Miles and Ole Miss’s Hugh Freeze to the podium.

Muschamp was up first and he was grateful for the opportunity to get a second chance to be a head coach in the SEC.

Next, was Les Miles. His commentary regarding the fallout from the Alton Sterling shooting was relevant, relatable and real.

Finally, Hugh Freeze finished out SEC Media Days with a quote that sums up his program’s trials and tribulations:

The media picked Tennessee to win the East and Alabama to win the west. Here’s how it broke down: