The circus that is SEC Media Days will convene this week at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, where the Sooners and Longhorns will host a housewarming party of sorts, inviting all of their crazy new neighbors into what used to be Big 12 country.
OU and Texas leveled up, and we’re about to find out how comfortable they are in their new digs.
In SECville, there are crazy Cajuns staying up all night and Gators lurking in the neighborhood pond. Lane Kiffin egging houses and Kirby Smart pocketing HOA fees. Hogs wreaking havoc on lawns and the ghost of Nick Saban haunting enemies of old.
Other than that, it’s really a nice place!
Four teams will take the SEC Media Days stage each day from Monday through Thursday. The Sooners will take their turn Tuesday with the Longhorns following on Wednesday.
Here’s one big question for each team heading into SEC Media Days. We’ll go in order of when they’ll take their turn in Dallas.
More: What to watch for OU football at SEC Media Days: All eyes on Jackson Arnold
LSU
What is Blake Baker’s plan for fixing the defense?
LSU had the Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Jayden Daniels flanked by a couple of first-round NFL Draft wide receivers in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.
But the Tigers’ supercharged offense was held back by the nation’s 108th-ranked total defense.
Coach Brian Kelly fired defensive coordinator Matt House and replaced House with Blake Baker, the former defensive coordinator at Missouri. LSU is paying Baker $2.5 million annually, making him one of the highest-paid assistants in college football.
LSU will have to remake its offense this season under quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, but as we saw, not even a Daniels-led offense could overcome LSU’s pitiful defense.
South Carolina
Can the Gamecocks’ offensive line protect quarterback LaNorris Sellers?
Last season, South Carolina’s offensive line allowed the highest pressure rate of any Power Five unit while ranking third-worst in run blocking, according to Pro Football Focus.
It’s hard to win football games if you can’t block. Particularly in the SEC.
The Gamecocks are high on Sellers, a dual-threat redshirt freshman, and they have a good running backs room.
Can the big guys up front do their part?
Ole Miss
How will the Rebels replace running back Quinshon Judkins?
Judkins ranked first in the SEC in rushing touchdowns (15) and second in the SEC in rushing yards (1,158) last season.
Then Judkins transferred to Ohio State, leaving a big hole in Ole Miss’ backfield.
Lane Kiffin and Co. signed four running backs out of the transfer portal. It remains to be seen who will emerge as the Rebels’ primary ball carrier.
Vanderbilt
What do the Commodores make of current college football climate?
The SEC’s flagship academic institution is looking more and more out of place on the football field.
Clark Lea, who has one of the hardest jobs in college football, is 2-22 in SEC play in his three seasons as head coach.
How does it feel to be playing and coaching at Vanderbilt in a conference that just got even harder?
Georgia
Are Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs in a league of their own?
Sure seems like it. Votes for the SEC preseason poll will be tallied at media days, and (spoiler alert) Georgia will be No. 1.
The Bulldogs fell short in their bid for a three-peat last season. Georgia finished a disappointing 13-1. A loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game knocked the Bulldogs out of the four-team playoff bracket.
Georgia, once again, will enter the season as the national title favorite. Quarterback Carson Beck is among the Heisman favorites.
The Bulldogs went a combined 42-2 in the last three seasons.
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Tennessee
What will Josh Heupel say about OU, upcoming trip to Norman?
Heupel answered this question at the SEC spring meetings in Destin, but he’s sure to be asked again on the big stage in Dallas.
OU, hosting its first SEC game in program history, will play Tennessee on Sept. 21 in Norman.
There are sure to be mixed feelings for Heupel, who quarterbacked OU to the national championship in 2000 but was fired as offensive coordinator of his alma mater after the 2014 season.
More: Will Davon Mitchell stand out at tight end? OU football freshman ‘looks like an NFL guy’
Oklahoma
Is Jackson Arnold ready for this?
Strange to have more questions about OU’s offense than its defense, but that’s certainly the case entering Year 1 in the SEC.
The Sooners opted to play the long game at quarterback, prioritizing the shiny new toy in Jackson Arnold over the reliability of Dillon Gabriel, who transferred to Oregon.
Keeping Gabriel would’ve likely meant losing Arnold in the transfer portal.
Going from Gabriel to Arnold sure seems like a short-term downgrade, but Arnold has immense long-term upside. Time will tell if the Sooners made the right bet.
Missouri
Can Tigers build off breakthrough 2023 season?
Eliah Drinkwitz was on the hot seat entering last season. Then he led the Tigers to a remarkable 11-2 (6-2 SEC) season, and now all is well in Columbia.
What will Missouri do as an encore?
It hired Corey Batoon to replace Baker at defensive coordinator, and the Tigers still have plenty of talent on that side of the ball.
Quarterback Brady Cook is one of the most experienced signal callers in the conference.
Alabama
What has life been like for Kalen DeBoer…
The Oklahoman
