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The SEC Media Days dominate the college football landscape for four days every July – unless, you know, it’s been called off by a pandemic – but when Nick Saban steps onto the podium, the buzz accelerates to a other level. This was again the case on Wednesday, when the legendary Alabama coach in turn took the microphone the day after his seventh national championship to mark the third day of the event.
While Texas and Oklahoma’s reported interest in joining the SEC generated major buzz in the afternoon, there were many other highlights from another day of the talk marathon. In addition to Saban, there were a few newbies taking center stage at the event in Clark Lea of Vanderbilt and Mike Leach of Mississippi State, as well as another heavyweight in Jimbo Fisher of Texas A&M. .
From discussions about the changing landscape of college football to specific issues on the pitch, there is a lot to recap of the action. Let’s come to the biggest takeaways from the Wednesday storylines at SEC Media Days.
Alabama, Georgia in good shape on vaccination cutoff
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said on Monday that six of the league’s 14 teams were above an 80% COVID-19 vaccination rate, which is important because once the teams hit 85% , they will no longer have to test themselves regularly. With the league not planning to reschedule games disrupted due to complications from COVID-19, teams that can reach the 85% threshold could end up with a competitive advantage by avoiding potential forfeits related to virus issues.
So it’s no surprise that the league’s two favorites are among those with the highest vaccination rates. Saban said he thought Alabama was “pretty close” to a 90% vaccination rate just a day after Georgia coach Kirby Smart said the Bulldogs were above the benchmark. 85%.
“I hope more players will make this decision, but it is their decision,” said Saban.
Saban, of course, missed Alabama’s victory over rival Auburn last season after testing positive for COVID-19 before a vaccine became available. The then offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian played a high role in the match, which the Crimson Tide won 42-13.
“How does personal choice and the decision you make affect the team? Saban said before noting how the COVID-19 issues deprived the NC State baseball program of a chance to continue at the College World Series last month. “There have been a few examples here in baseball now that have had a huge effect and impact on teams.”
But Saban reiterated that he allowed doctors to give “some sort of lecture” on the vaccine as they make what he called a “personal decision.”
Jimbo Fisher has “no regrets” for Alabama comment
Fisher brought the offseason news cycle to life when a remark he made at the Houston Touchdown Club in May about pounding Alabama coach Nick Saban’s * ass * went around in a playful but eye-catching way.
” I have no regrets. That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it? Isn’t that why everyone is here? Fisher said. “That’s what makes this league this league. That’s what we expect to do at Texas A&M. Saying all that – Nick and I are friends. We’ve known each other for a long time. We’ve coached together. are from the same world, if that makes sense. I have the utmost respect for what he has done and what he has accomplished. He is the standard, and the standard is what you have to play. “
Fisher is one of a long line of former Saban assistants who have tried and thus far failed to overthrow their former boss. Last year, a loss to Alabama cost Texas A&M a place in the college football playoffs.
Despite surviving the challenge of an SEC-only schedule with just one loss last season to future national champions, Texas A&M found itself on the outside when the CFP announced their four-team squad. The Aggies still took advantage of a great playoff opportunity by beating North Carolina in the Orange Bowl, but Fisher has made it clear he believes the Aggies are in the playoffs.
Texas A&M would have easily been a 12-team field, and Fisher was among the most vocal supporters of expansion potential when he appeared on Wednesday.
“I totally agree,” Fisher said. “I think it’s necessary. I think it’s necessary. And not just because we finished fifth, but I think – here’s the point I want you to make. what a college level that except for the top five conferences, which are about 60 teams, where the other 60 teams have no chance of winning the national championship. There is not a sport in our world that is not no – that can’t happen. “
Mike Leach REALLY enjoys CFP expansion
Leach is known for his offbeat rants about pirates, mascots, and historical events, but he also has an unorthodox take on one of college football’s hot topics. While most coaches seem relatively to accept the potential extension of the college football playoffs to 12 teams – with a few exceptions such as Clemson’s Dabo Swinney – Leach believes that tripling the current four CFP teams should be just the start.
“It’s never enough,” Leach said. I’ll tell you that Dr. (Mark) Keenum, our chair, is on this committee, so I know they’re in good hands. I think this part is exceptional. I think 12 teams is a big step in the right direction. Personally, I would like to see 64, and you can format it quite easily. But I think it’s a big step in the right direction, and I’m looking forward to it. “
While Leach mostly stayed on the topic and avoided the epic rants he’s known for, he sneaked into a few classic Leach moments during his SEC Media Days debut. On the one hand, he skipped an opening statement on the podium, forgoing the opportunity that most coaches seem to use for a list of canned talking points increasing the virtue of their programs. That left more time for questions, and one of them centered around his flirtation with Tennessee as the Volunteers searched for a new coach in 2017 after Butch Jones was sacked.
“I spoke to Tennessee, but this thing never – well, nothing was ever resolved,” Leach said. “Then, really quickly, they had a coup over there. You can sort it out, but it’s pretty well documented. So, yeah, I didn’t find myself in the middle of it, luckily. for me. “
New energy at Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt freshman coach Clark Lea faces a steep climb as he resumes a program that struggled for a 0-9 record during the SEC roster only last season. Although predecessor Derek Mason took the Commodores to two appearances in a bowl in his seven seasons, it has been eight years since Vanderbilt finished with a winning record, as 2012’s back-to-back nine-game winning streak of 2012 and 2013 under James Franklin fade further into the retrovision. shimmer.
During this period, the quality of sports facilities continued to increase in the league, with universities investing in lavish upgrades to help attract top talent. Vanderbilt, however, has fallen behind in this arms race. Luckily for Lea, a former Vanderbilt fullback arriving from her previous position as defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, the Commodores have big improvements on deck. This spring, the university announced plans to spend $ 300 million to upgrade sports facilities, and Lea is starting to see the dividends.
“It’s definitely having an impact, and it will continue to have an impact,” Lea said. “I think that number becomes conceptualized in the diagrams and those are released and the shovels hit the ground, I think we will continue to see a positive impact on recruiting.”
Of course, recruiting will remain a unique experience for Lea at Vanderbilt, where admission standards are high and elite academics demand a commitment from athletes that makes the school unique among its peers in the SEC. But as a former Vanderbilt player, he’s uniquely equipped to make this pitch.
“I’m starting out with a fast-track perspective,” Lea said. “I know the intricacies of the program, how it fits into our university, what the recruiting profile should look like and where the resources are. So for me, it’s seizing the opportunity that we have to build something. different to give this program a chance to be at its potential. “
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