There’s no Johnny Manziel to steal the spotlight this time around.
The main storyline last year in Hoover, Ala., was former Texas A&M quarterback and current Cleveland Brown Johnny Manziel being kicked out of The Manning Passing Academy for missing meetings and “oversleeping” his meetings and camp activities.
It’s a new year and a new batch of storylines for the 2014 SEC Media Days in Hoover. The 2013 football season in the SEC was arguably the most exciting and the most improbable season in the history of the conference.
In 2012, the Auburn Tigers had a tumultuous season, finishing 0-8 in SEC play with a 3-9 overall record. This led to the firing of head coach Gene Chizik, who just won a national championship for Auburn in 2010. Former offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn was hired in 2013 to turn the Auburn program around and did just that, going 12-2 overall, winning the SEC and losing in the national championship game against Florida State. Auburn was picked in the preseason to finish near the bottom of the SEC West and ended up representing the SEC in the national championship game. And who can forget the Iron Bowl — an instant classic.
Are we in for another turnaround in the SEC this season?
There are many storylines and questions surrounding the SEC this season that reporters and programs are looking to answer. Here are five storylines I’m following.
1. Can Auburn and Missouri build on their successes from last season?
Both the Tigers of Auburn and Missouri did a complete 180 on their 2013 campaigns. Both programs were picked to finish near the bottom of their divisions, but came out on top to represent the SEC West and East in the conference title game.
Auburn lost some key players to the NFL, including runningback Tre Mason, offensive tackle Greg Robinson, defensive end Dee Ford and iron bowl savior/cornerback Chris Davis. Even with these losses, Auburn will not skip a beat, as they return nine starters on offense and seven on defense. A question I have about Auburn is: how will Nick Marshall handle the pressure of being picked to finish as the top quarterback in the SEC preseason poll and will he have a more expanded role in the passing game and not just be a runner. Another question I have is how the running game will look without Tre Mason.
Missouri will face a tougher road. Starting quarterback James Franklin graduated, but redshirt sophomore Maty Mauk is ready to take the helm, as he played great filling in last season for Franklin, who sat out four games due to injury. Missouri loses two of its top three wide receivers so the passing attack is a cause for concern. The stout Missouri defensive line loses its top two pass rushers in Michael Sam and Kony Ealy, but returning seniors will fill in the holes for pass rushers and fill in nicely.
2. Who is the premiere QB in the SEC?
For the past couple of seasons, there were household names at seemingly every quarterback position in the SEC. Most of the big names are gone, including AJ McCarron, Aaron Murray, Zach Mettenberger, Connor Shaw, Johnny Manziel, James Franklin and Tyler Russell.
Auburn QB Nick Marshall was named the top quarterback on the preseason all-SEC team. Who else can challenge him? Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace is the other proven starter to return in the SEC. Can he make the transition and improve to be the best quarterback in the SEC?
Many SEC teams are going through a transition period at quarterback, but Auburn and Ole Miss seem to be set.
3. How will Alabama look when the season starts?
Many questions face the crimson tide after a disappointing 2013 campaign. Who will start at quarterback? Decorated starter AJ McCarron is now in the NFL. The QB battle should come down to Florida State transfer Jacob Coker and senior Blake Sims, but who gets the nod? How will the defense look after losing seven starters? Will the kicking game still cause nightmares after losing both the starting kicker and punter? Does Alabama have the best runningback/wide receiver combo in the country in TJ Yeldon and Amari Cooper? Head coach Nick Saban once again built the number one recruiting class in the nation and Alabama will undoubtedly be near the top in the conference once again.
4. Who is the favorite in the SEC East?
No one picked Missouri last season to win the SEC East. Can they do it again? The usual suspects will be back again to fight for the division title with Georgia, South Carolina and Florida all looking for the top spot.
If I had to pick a favorite, it would be South Carolina.
Senior Dylan Thompson finally gets the starting QB job after backing up Connor Shaw and filling in for him nicely when Shaw went down with injuries. The Gamecocks return eight starters on offense and look to be loaded at the running back and wide receiver positions. Running back Mike Davis is looking to be tops in the SEC and the country. The defensive line was ripped apart because of the NFL draft, most notably number one pick Jadaveon Clowney, but head coach Steve Spurrier always has talent waiting.
Don’t sleep on Georgia and Missouri fighting for the SEC East crown also.
It will be interesting to see who the coaches think is the favorite next week.
5. Which head coach will steal the spotlight and say something absolutely ridiculous?
The odds-on favorite for me is South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier, who always has something on his mind and is not afraid to say it. LSU head coach Les Miles is the runner up. The dark horse is Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who always has something controversial to say.
Follow @drubino11 and @thedm_sports on Twitter for live coverage of SEC Media Days, starting Monday.
