College Football season inches closer with SEC Media Days starting on Monday, Andrew Hammond takes a look at the storylines for each “Power 5” conference.
Next week, it begins. College football.
On Monday, the College football season unofficially begins with SEC Media Days in Hoover, AL. You know, the place where the SEC gathers to see Nick Saban, Paawwwwllll Finebaum and the rest of the SEC elites. Once the SEC begins it’s media days, the other conferences around America soon follow.
Conference media days are the first time we’ve seen coaches and players en masse since spring football and end of the spring 2017 recruiting period. Outside of the usual “We’re excited to be here” and “Excited to get the season and fall camps going”, you really don’t learn much from what’s being discussed at the various conference media days. While not every team will delve into anything beyond the typical yearbook answer to every question, there are some that will have a special spotlight on them once they take the stage.
Since the SEC kicks things off on Monday, here’s my look at what to watch out for during SEC Media Days.
SEC media days
When: July 10-13
Where: Hoover, Alabama
TV Coverage: SEC Network, ESPN
Explain yourself
In 2016, a lot of strange things happened across the board. That was no different in the college football world. The SEC looked “weak” for the first time since they began their triumphant run through the sport in 2007. Kevin Sumlin and Butch Jones walk into the 2017 season with the hottest seats in the conference. Meanwhile, you’ve got Hugh Freeze and the dark, ominous clouds of the NCAA hanging over Ole Miss.
The “Ed O” show
In the middle of last season, LSU had a miniseries in the middle of their football season. Les Miles gets fired and Ed Orgeron takes over, the Tigers go to a bowl game and now there’s a bit of optimism headed into 2017. With a new offensive coordinator in Matt Canada, it’s possible that we might see Danny Etling turn the corner, but will it be enough to be a player in the always tough SEC West race.
The wild, wild, East
Death, Taxes and trying to figure out the SEC East. Florida or Georgia? Or can Tennessee finally add an SEC East crown to their “Champions of Life” title in Knoxville. In all seriousness, the SEC East has played second fiddle to the SEC West as they’ve lost nine straight SEC Title Games. Will a new venue (Mercedes-Benz Dome) offer a chance to break the streak?
ACC media days
When: July 13-14
Where: Charlotte, North Carolina
TV Coverage: ACC Network Extra, theACC.com and ESPN
King of the castle
The ACC no longer has to call the SEC “Mr.” anymore. With Florida State’s win in the final BCS title game matched up with two straight appearances by Clemson in the College Football Playoff including a 2017 title, it’s clear the ACC is going to be a problem for a while. How long they can remain at the top is the biggest question.
Seminole uprising
Last year was Clemson’s year. There is no denying that, however one of bowl season’s more underrated stories was an Orange Bowl win by a Florida State team that’s loaded with young talent. This season there is no Dalvin Cook, but the Noles do have a dynamic QB in Deondre Francois. The Defense is led by Derwin James and Tavaruis McFadden who will be tested by Alabama in the first week of the season. Regardless of a win or loss, the Noles will have final say when it comes to the ACC.
Canes, Cards and Hokies
With all the successes that the ACC has had during college football season, it’s crazy that the Heisman winner almost sits back as a sidebar in the race for ACC supremacy. While Louisville attempts to battle Florida State and Clemson in the ACC’s Atlantic division, the Coastal will see the Miami Hurricanes and Virginia Tech Hokies. The Canes and Hokies both have coaches going into their second season that will be saddled with high expectations.
Big 12 media days
When: July 17-18
Where: Frisco, Texas
TV Coverage: Big 12 Digital Network, Regional Fox Sports stations
Big 12 Championship Game
The Big 12 wanted to add a small but important step to determine their conference champion after losing out on the playoff in 2014. They have finally made the decision to bring back the conference championship game. Starting this season, the top two teams at the end of the season will play each other for a second time to determine who the Big 12 Champion will be. It’s quite possible that the Big 12 has made their road to the playoff a bit harder with this move.
Must Read: 10 Most anticipated Big 12 games in 2017
Bye bye Bob
One of the biggest stunners in the college football offseason came when Bob Stoops decided it was time to leave the head coaching game. His replacement, Lincoln Riley has been a part of the staff for a few seasons as the offensive coordinator but will be under the spotlight for the first time as the head coach of a team that has a chance to reach the College Football Playoff.
Hello Tom Herman
Mike Gundy’s mullet, the charm and wizardry of Bill Snyder will all welcome the new head coach of the Texas Longhorns, Tom Herman to Big 12 media days in a few weeks. There is pressure on Herman right away because after all, this is Texas. For the first time Herman will get peppered with the same questions that former head coach Charlie Strong got when he showed up for Big 12 media days. Questions about quarterbacks, recruiting and beating Oklahoma. Welcome to the Big 12, Tom Herman.
Big Ten media days
When: July 24-25
Where: Chicago, Illinois
TV Coverage: Big Ten Network
Minnesota miracle man?
PJ Fleck worked wonders at Western Michigan, giving them an undefeated regular season with an appearance in the 2017 Cotton Bowl. Now he’s at Minnesota with a chance to recreate the same type of boat rowing magic with the Minnesota Gophers, but it’s in the Big Ten which is a much taller task than the MAC was. When Fleck takes the stage in Chicago, you better believe that he will have all eyes and ears on him as he eats difficult conversations for breakfast or in this case probably lunch.
Sliding Sparty
Remember when Michigan State reached the College Football Playoff in 2015-16? It seems like twice as long as the Spartans have struggled to maintain relevancy on the football field but have remained in the news for what has happened off the field (you can read the timeline of events here) . With the off-field issues mixed with the on-field struggles of a team quickly fading in an increasingly tough division, it’s possible Mark Dantonio’s days in East Lansing may be numbered.
Big Ten East battle royal
Three dynamic personalities, three historic programs, three teams that lost in bowl games a year ago. Even with the defeats the most talked about teams in the Big Ten’s east division will slug it out for a chance to play in the Big Ten title game and possibly play for much more. Penn State looks to repeat it’s surprise season from a year ago but they’ll have to travel to Columbus to face an Ohio State team that is out for revenge after losing in Happy Valley a year ago. Meanwhile, Michigan will attempt to overcome many NFL departures as they look to make their way into the Big Ten east race.
Pac-12 media days
When: July 26-27
Where: Hollywood, California
TV Coverage: Pac-12 Network
LA story
For years the heartbeat of the Pac-12 has involved USC and UCLA. The 2017 season will be no different as one team looks to take the next set forward while the other looks to finally fulfill a promise that seems to be fading away as the seasons change. Both USC and UCLA have gunslingers that will light up the scoreboard and stat sheets in 2017. It’s quite possible that the showdown with Sam Darnold from USC and UCLA’s Josh Rosen will have Heisman and conference title game appearances on the line.
Valley of the hot seat
Both Arizona and Arizona State had 10-win seasons in 2014, including an appearance for the Arizona Wildcats in the Fiesta Bowl, after that things seem to go downhill. In 2016, both programs hit free fall as the Sun Devils and Wildcats combined for 3-15 conference record. Both Rich Rodriguez and Todd Graham have seen their programs slip while seeing the emergence of both Utah and Colorado. It’s quite possible that we may not see either coach at the 2018 Pac-12 Media Days if they don’t turn it around in 2017.
Next: 10 QBs with the best chance to win the Heisman in 2017
Northern exposure
A year ago, the Washington Huskies burst back onto the college football scene by laying waste to everybody in their path in the Pac-12 North. One of those teams they left in their path of purple and gold destruction was Stanford. The Cardinal struggled during 2016 but did have a good end to the season by beating North Carolina in the Sun Bowl. Two other teams that look to wreck the chances of the Huskies and Cardinal are Oregon who begins a new era with Willie Taggert and Washington State that came close to fighting it out for the Pac-12 North title.