SEC Media Days superlatives: ‘The Sopranos,’ Saban and South Carolina takeaways

Talking season has arrived.

This week’s SEC Media Days wrapped up Thursday afternoon following South Carolina’s, Tennessee’s and Ole Miss’ final jaunts through the gauntlet of TV cameras, print reporters and other outlets that gathered at the Grand Hyatt just off Broadway.

Like any event involving college football’s most compelling conference, there were plenty of wild-and-wacky takeaways from the week in the Music City.

Let’s dive into a few SEC Media Days superlatives:

Best pregame video

I mean, this is a given at this point, right?

South Carolina’s creative team has made an annual habit of pumping out video content ahead of SEC Media Days. This year, the Gamecocks’ staff turned to a teaser featuring Beamer and Co. set to the backdrop of the intro for “The Sopranos.”

In the past three years, the South Carolina video team has now found a way to incorporate the famous Steve Spurrier Arby’s picture, Soulja Boy and “The Sopranos” into their content. Can’t wait to see what they cook up next week.

Top beverage reference of the week

If there was a coach in the SEC that would be more fun to enjoy a cold beverage with than Sam Pittman, color me surprised.

“Go Hogs,” Pittman said on Wednesday. “I like an old Hamm’s beer, but you burp a lot afterwards.

I won’t pretend that Hamm’s is the world’s best frothy drink of choice. That said, if Pittman wants to kick back after a long week in Nashville with a few, I can’t blame him.

Pick your NIL rant of choice

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin may be the transfer portal king, but he’s not exactly mincing words about the current state of college football’s roster management mess.

Kiffin, in his generally monotone voice, took issue with the way NIL and the transfer portal have become intertwined and created all sorts of headaches for coaches.

“First off, I’ve always said that I think it’s phenomenal that players get a chance to get paid, which is great,” he said on Thursday. “I do think, which I’ve stood up here and said before when it first happened, that there’s going to be some major issues and we’re creating free agency with the portal.

“And with NIL, you’ve got a lot of pay-for-play going on and that is what it is. Those two things combining, there’s not a system in place. I don’t think there’s any other sports at any level that are like this, that really, you every year, can opt into free agency. Really, twice a year.

“I mean, I was just thinking on the plane ride over here. What if you had that in other sports? Tom Brady, A’Jai Wilson, Lionel Messi, LeBron James, what if every year those guys can opt to free agency, twice a year, really and they have no long-term contracts? Basically everybody is not even on a one-month contract because they can leave in two windows.”

Kiffin’s lengthy explanation of the issue comes on the same day that Sports Illustrated reported the drafting of an NIL bill on Capitol Hill. The hope in most college football circles has long been that congress would intervene with some kind of legislation. However, if and when that actually happens remains to be seen.

Best South Carolina moment in Nashville

Kai Kroeger for the Heisman Trophy anyone?

The South Carolina punter has been one of the best players in the country at his position. His 44.2-yards-per-punt average is the second-best mark in school history. He’s also a perfect 6-for-6 with 173 yards and three touchdowns with a passer rating of 507.2 (!!).

So is it fair to say Thursday is the beginning of Kroeger’s Heisman campaign?

“We can go ahead and say that definitely. For sure,” Kroeger said with a laugh.

It’s time to put some respect on Kai Kroeger’s name. Let the Heisman talk begin.

Are we sure they were here?

SEC Media Days generally devolves into a zoo of media members that forces coaches and players to weave through hotel ballrooms and back hallways to get their varying obligations.

That said, are we sure Florida made the trip to Nashville?

Florida is in one of the stranger spots it has been in of late. A 6-7 debut season under Billy Napier won’t fly with regularity in Gainesville. The Jaden Rashada NIL deal saga added unnecessary outlandish headlines to what was already a bizarre year. Throw in the belief that *cough* Graham Mertz is going to solve the Gators’ quarterback issues and it’s fair to wonder what all is happening in the Sunshine State at the moment.

It’s not so far gone that Dan Mullen took Florida to the SEC title game (granted we know what happened after that). This program is among the bluest of blue bloods over the past 30 years. But it sure felt like the Gators just weren’t a part of the conversation this week — and that’s a shame.

Is this the end of Nick Saban’s evil empire?

Welcome to this year’s edition of “Is Nick Saban losing his touch?”

That Alabama finds itself in a precarious spot is not so much an indictment on Saban as it is that quarterback uncertainty makes it hard to pick Alabama ahead of the behemoth that should be LSU in the SEC West this fall.

Saban didn’t name a starting quarterback during his podium session on Tuesday. (Shocking, I know.) However, the battle should likely fall between Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner and redshirt sophomore Jalen Milroe.

“Expectations, we want somebody to play winning football at that position,” Saban said. “Our quarterback is a unique position in that you distribute the ball on every play — whether you hand it off, whether you choose the play that we run, whether you hand it off, or whether you throw an advantaged throw, making decisions in the passing game to throw it to the right guys at the right time and the right place and accurately.

“So who can do that with the most consistency and be a leader on our team who has an impact on the other players is also important, because quarterback may be one of the most difficult positions to play if the people around you don’t play well.”

Alabama has the talent. It always has the talent. Still, the Crimson Tide has serious uncertainty at quarterback, and it sure makes it feel like Alabama is due for a step back in 2023. Then again, doubt Saban at your own risk.