Three takeaways from the second day of SEC Football Media Days
.JPG "Alabama fans Buck “Nacho Alabama” Smith, left, and Shannon “Ring” Villa wait for the arrival of Alabama head coach Nick Saban at SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Tuesday.")
In addition to my column, three takeaways from the second day of SEC Football Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame:
1. As usual, Mike Leach has thoughts
Always colorful and outspoken, Mississippi State Coach Mike Leach dispensed with the traditional opening statement on Tuesday and went straight to the questions. And answers.
On Southern Cal and UCLA leaving his old conference, the Pac-12. for the Big Ten: “I’ve been on long trips like that, UCLA and USC have to take five a year across two or three time zones. I don’t think they’re going to play all those games at noon, say. I bet they play a bunch of them at night. They have to do it five times a year. The rest of the Big Ten has to do it less than one time every other year. I’m kind of curious how it will unfold.”
On his idea of a 64-team college football playoffs: “That might be a conference championship now.”
On his Netflix recommendations: “I guess the hidden gem, which I think I said it last year, ‘Operation Odessa.’ That documentary, you need to watch that about these international criminals that try to buy a submarine for Pablo Escobar. That’s worth watching.”
On whether the Air Raid has changed much since his days with Hal Mumme at Kentucky: “It’s hard for me to gauge because some of these things are gradual over the years. Some I forgot we changed. Some I forgot when we changed it. Some I can kind of tell you clearly.
“But, like, if we adopt a new play, I’ve always tried to cut one that we have, so we can control the package, practice and execute it, because execution is the most important. Better having too small of a package than too big of one.”
On MSU quarterback Will Rogers: “He stepped in and had great leadership qualities. He wasn’t afraid to talk to the locker room as a freshman.”
On Alabama Coach Nick Saban: “One thing I’ve always liked is he’s not afraid to coach them hard.”
On trick plays: “I actually wish we still had drop kicks. I had the perfect guy to do it, too, at Washington State. Logan Tago. He would drop kick it about 50 yards out.”
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2. Alabama loaded again for 2022
First things first, Nick Saban did not receive a Jimbo Fisher question. Not in the main interview room in front of the print/web media. The Alabama coach did get a question about the summer spat between the two coaches during his electronic media session.
“I’ve got no problem with Jimbo,” Saban said.
After all, the main focus on the Tide is on the field. Alabama lost to Georgia in last season’s CFP national title game. That came after the Crimson Tide defeated Ohio State in 2020 for Saban’s seventh national title. The Tide wants to get back to the top.
It appears poised to do just that. Alabama boasts the Heisman Trophy winner in Bryce Young and arguably the best player in college football in edge rusher Will Anderson.
“Bryce has to understand that success is not a continuum,” Saban said Tuesday. “Success is momentary.”
Football success has been far from momentary in Tuscaloosa. As Saban himself reported Tuesday, the Tide has had 114 NFL Draft picks, including 41 first-round selections, during Saban’s 14 seasons as head coach.
And Saban said Tuesday that, despite his dust-up with Fisher over the subject, he doesn’t dislike name, image and likeness. “Our players made over $3 million in name, image and likeness last year,” he said.
Saban’s concern is what the current lack of guidelines with regards to NIL will do to “competitive balance.” Alabama, he said, is one of the haves. What will happen to the have-nots?
“There is no competitive sport anywhere that doesn’t have guidelines on how they maintain competitive balance,” Saban said.
3. Vanderbilt makes a change at quarterback
Clark Lea went 2-10 last season, his first as Vanderbilt’s head coach. The Commodores were 0-8 in the SEC. They’ve now lost 20 consecutive SEC games. So, as Lea prepares what he calls his “Team Two” in Nashville, the coach is making a change.
Mike Wright will enter fall camp as Vandy’s starting quarterback, Lea announced during his time at the podium. Ken Seals will be the backup. A junior, Seals has started 16 games over the last two seasons, including nine as a true freshman in 2020.
A sophomore from Fayetteville, Georgia, Wright started five of Vandy’s final six games last season. He completed 93 of 175 passes for 1,042 yards and eight touchdowns with six interceptions on the year. Wright was 7-for-11 for 58 yards and two TDS in Vandy’s 34-17 loss to Kentucky in Nashville on Nov. 13.
“He’s a mobile quarterback, one of the best in the country,” Lea said Tuesday.
Indeed, Wright is more of a dual threat than Seals, a pocket passer. Wright rushed for 376 yards on 91 carries a year ago, including a 70-yard run in Vanderbilt’s 37-28 loss to Missouri at Vanderbilt Stadium.
Lea did commend Seals for choosing to remain a Commodore instead of transferring. The Azle, Texas, native has completed 313 of 511 passes for 3,109 yards over his two seasons. He’s thrown for 17 touchdowns with 18 interceptions.
He was 12-for-17 for 87 yards passing with an interception against UK last season. In 2020, Seals was 21-for-32 for 225 yards and two touchdowns in Vandy’s 38-35 loss to Kentucky at Kroger Field.
By the way, Vanderbilt has lost six straight games to Mark Stoops and Kentucky. The Commodores’ last win over UK was 21-17 on Nov. 14, 2015. This season, the two teams play Nov. 12 in Lexington.
This story was originally published July 19, 2022 at 4:30 PM.
