Tuck: SEC Media Days

Brent Beaird, a weekly guest on “Tuck & O’Neill” will join us live on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from Hoover, Alabama in the 5pm hour of the show.  We will discuss the big story lines of the day and for the upcoming season in the SEC.  The interviews will also be available on the “Tuck & O’Neill” page on this website.  Brent writes for Lindy’s and Gatorbait, in addition to many other periodicals through the years.  You can follow him on twitter @brentbeaird

SEC Media Days Schedule:
Tuesday, July 17^th Texas A&M South Carolina Missouri Vanderbilt

Wednesday, July 18th
Florida Mississippi State Arkansas Kentucky Auburn LSU

Thursday, July 19^th Alabama Tennessee Ole Miss Georgia

 

The addition of Texas A&M to the conference is a unique story in many ways.  Newly hired Kevin Sumlin becomes just the fourth black head football coach in SEC history.  Amazingly, the SEC now has three active with Joker Phillips at Kentucky and James Franklin at Vanderbilt.  Sylvester Croom broke down the long-standing barrier in 2004 with Mississippi State.

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The other newcomer in Missouri has had better teams and talent in recent years than what they’ll field in a team in 2012.  Offensively they’ll be fine, but the Tigers are bound to be pelted with questions about their defense not being SEC-caliber all year.

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Steve Spurrier has South Carolina on a run of excellence never experienced before in the program’s history.  He also gets back workhorse running back Marcus Lattimore this season after he tore his ACL last year.  If Lattimore looks to be back at full-strength, he’ll help the Gamecocks, but also probably be playing his last year of college football.

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Vanderbilt went bowling a year ago, and finished 4th in the SEC East.  Of course, they were also just 6-6 and 2-6 in the SEC so you can hold off on the ticker-tape parade.  The Dores showed progress, but is it possible to ask for more considering Tennessee and Florida are bound to improve?

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More updates to come as the week moves along!