HOOVER, Ala. – It wasn’t a drop-dead impression of Steve Spurrier, but Florida Gators coach Dan Mullen sounded like the Ol’ Ball Coach when he was asked about Georgia being the overwhelming favorite to win the SEC’s Eastern Division this year.
“Didn’t they say that last year?” Mullen told reporters on the first day of SEC Football Media Days here at the Wynfrey Hotel.
Well, actually, “they” didn’t.
Media Days actually weren’t held last summer due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the conference did release preseason predictions based on the virtual votes of media members. And, according to those voters, the Gators actually were picked by a narrow margin over Georgia to win the Eastern Division, 53 to 43. And that’s exactly what happened.
Those same media members also picked Alabama to win the West and the overall conference championship, which also came to pass. It was just the eighth time in the 28 years the SEC media has correctly predicted the conference champion.
Welcome to SEC Media Days 2021, which Mullen kicked off as the first of 14 coaches and selected players to address the in-person media gathering in this Birmingham suburb. Georgia coach Kirby Smart and players JT Daniels and Jordan Davis will lead of Day 2 festivities on Tuesday.
This year, the Bulldogs have a 72% chance to win the East, followed by Florida at 20% and Kentucky at 4%, according to ESPN.com’s FPI (Football Power Index). This year’s actual voting will be tabulated Friday.
On Monday, Mullen was followed by LSU coach Ed Orgeron and South Carolina coach Shane Beamer. Beamer, a former Georgia assistant coach, is one of four new coaches making their public debuts in this forum.
Mullen’s session actually followed a half-hour appearance by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, who gave annual state of the SEC address. For the second time in his seven-year tenure as the league’s chief executive, Sankey built his message around Bob Dylan lyrics.
Sankey cited lyrics from Dylan’s 1963 tune “The Times They Are a-Changin” in his first address back in 2015. After what the league has endured in the last year -- which in addition to navigating a global pandemic also included brokering a new television rights deal with Disney/ABC and ushering in the era of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) -- Sankey realized those lyrics are more applicable now than ever.
“I think I got that one right, but maybe a little early because the times are still changing,” Sankey said.
While welcoming in an era that includes endorsement opportunities and one-time, anywhere transfers, Sankey made a point of saying that SEC athletes in already had it pretty good.
“Understand that our student-athletes don’t go hungry,” Sankey said. “There are no limits around the nutritional support provided to our student-athletes…. They as a matter of standard practice go through advanced medical screenings. … And when they are injured, our student-athletes have access to world-class physicians and the best rehabilitation support.”
Sankey revealed that, to keep SEC sports operating last year, the league had administered through third-party testing nearly 350,000 COVID-19 tests. This fall, he said the emphasis is on getting vaccination numbers up for the league’s athletes.
Sankey said that only six of the SEC’s 14 football teams have reached an 80 percent threshold in roster vaccinations. With only six weeks left until the start of the season, Sankey said the goal remains for that to be 100 percent.
“That number needs to grow and grow rapidly,” he said. “(Vaccinations) have proven to be highly effective and will maximize our chances of returning to a normal college football experience and to normal life.”
Sankey said roster minimums remain in place for the moment, but inferred that could be waived this as they’ve built in no extra time for makeups this year
“The ‘forfeit’ word comes up at this point,” Sankey said. “That’s not a policy, (but) what you see are the bookends now for decision-making. … Our teams are going to have to be fully prepared to play their season as scheduled, which is why embedded in my remarks is the vaccination motivation.”
Sankey’s remarks ended most of the day’s serious talk. The rest of discussions centered on the game and gamesmanship.
Credit: SEC
Beamer, who was tight ends coach at Georgia under Smart from 2016-17, emphasized his plans to utilize that position at South Carolina. It’s certainly no coincidence that the Bulldogs and Gamecocks are in a head-to-head battle for 4-star tight end Oscar Delp of Cumming.
“We are going to pass to the tight end,” Beamer said. “We want the premier tight ends in America.”
LSU’s Orgeron was asked about his long, lost tight end, Arik Gilbert. The sophomore from Marietta left the Tigers via the NCAA transfer portal and landed at Georgia during the offseason.
“We wish him the best,” Orgeron said. “He’s an outstanding young man. His mama is a great lady. I think he’s going to be an All-Pro tight end, All-American, has a chance to be a first-round draft choice.”
Added LSU cornerback Derek Stingley: “I think he’ll be a mismatch for a lot of people. I’m excited to see what he does this year.”
Gilbert, a 6-foot-5, 248-pound sophomore, is one of three high-profile transfers that Smart will be asked about Tuesday morning. The others are cornerback Derion Kendrick from Clemson and safety Tykee Smith from West Virginia.
Even more intrigue surrounds Georgia’s Daniels. The redshirt sophomore from Irvine, Calif., transferred to UGA from Southern Cal last summer, but did not take over as starting quarterback until the final four games of the season. A year later, he’s considered one of the top returning signalcallers in the league. However, most preseason All-SEC lists have Matt Corral of Ole Miss as the top player at the position.
Meanwhile, Mullen was very positive and upbeat regarding his Florida offense. The Gators famously lost their top three offensive players – tight end Kyle Pitts, flanker Kedarius Toney and quarterback Kyle Trask – in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft. But he expressed confidence in the abilities of quarterback Emory Jones, a fourth-year junior who hails from LaGrange, along with the next wave of Florida wide receivers to.
“Media Days last year, I know you would have: ‘You just lost four receivers in the NFL Draft. How do you come back with production in the passing game?’” Mullen asked rhetorically Monday “Well, we’re able to come back because of our system, playing a lot of different guys and they have experience. The next guys are going to have the opportunity to get the ball in their hands and make things happen.”
Lack of confidence definitely won’t be an issue for the Gators.
