College Football Live - SEC Media Day 2!

Episode Date: July 16, 2024

It is day 2 of SEC media day and CFB Live hosted by Victoria Arlen with Greg McElroy and Jordan Rodgers bring you all the sites and sounds of the day. Tune in as we hear from Kirby Smart as well as Lane Kiffin and Brent Venables. You wont want to miss what Nick Saban things it will take for these teams to be successful. All that and more her on CFB Live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You know what they say. Everything's bigger in Texas. The food. The boots. The hats. The attitude. And this week in Dallas, talking season is bigger than ever before.

A bigger conference. FCC. Bigger storylines. A bigger playoff. Plus. big shoes to fill. And some big old rivaled. Renewed once again and another in the SEC for the first time.

Welcome to a new era of college football. And in a conference where it just means more. This week, it's just bigger in Texas. These coaches have big expectations this season. Kirby Smart and Brett Venables arriving in Dallas for SEC Media Day. Welcome into college. College Football Live, I'm Victoria Arlen, and SEC Media Day continues to roll on, and we've got Jordan Rogers and Greg McElroy who are with us from Dallas. Hello, Fellows. We are going to be making our rounds across the SEC, and today we hone in on Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Tennessee, and we're going to kick things off with a team that has an undertaking this season.

And one of the toughest schedules we're talking about them dogs. Georgia is looking to win their third national title in four years after finishing fourth last season in the AP poll with the only loss coming to Alabama and the SEC championship game, which of course ended their shot at a three-piece. On offense, two-time Mackey Award winner Brock Bowers is off to the NFL, but quarterback Carson Beck and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo are back, back ranked third in the FBS and passing yards last season. And on defense, three of the top five tacklers returned from last year as well as the top two sack getters and Jalen Walker and Mikel Williams. Georgia has led the nation in scoring defense over the past three seasons. Here's Kirby Smart today on if the team has a chip on their shoulder after how last year ended. We don't have a chip on our shoulder in terms of people trying to use that as motivation. I've never used a failure from the previous year as motivation,

and I've never used the success of a previous year as motivation. We won't do that this year. That's not who we are. Initially, I was wondering how I got that draw, you know, but we're not one to complain. We're one to be excited. I think when you step into the shoes of a University of Georgia football player, you accept that that challenge is going to be there. As coaches, you want to play the best.

And people forget that when you spent time in the NFL, every week was like that. So when Texas and Oklahoma came into the conference, every schedule is going to get harder. We're going to get easier. It's going to get harder. And we embrace that. We look forward to it and excited for the challenge to go to some really tough places. Embrace it indeed. Now, Georgia won two in a row, but failed the third.

three Pete last year when, of course, Bama dethroned them. Now, Coach Kirby described his team's schedule earlier as a gauntlet. Of course, they have one of the toughest schedules coming up with three road games against Texas, Alabama, and Ole Miss. Now, Jordan, how do you prepare for this

type of schedule? Well, one game at a time. Nothing changes for Georgia, right? Kirby Smart was indoctrinated under the master of one game at a time. The goat, Nick Sabin, who lives it on a daily basis. So nothing changes for them. And I think it helps that Clemson's First, it's hard to look past the Clemson.

Have you had a non-conference game to start the season? Well, you might look past it a little bit, but that's not the case for this Georgia football team. And the other thing, when this schedule was released, 15 other teams in the SEC went, do we have to play Georgia? They hurried to look at the schedule. Do we have to play Georgia? Georgia didn't hurry to look to see if they had to play anybody. Everyone has to play Georgia and that's just the state of the SEC right now. They actually have the third toughest schedule in the FBS.

Now, Greg, that is according to ESPN Analytics. Now, Greg, what's the biggest difference this year for Georgia? Well, I think really the last couple of years, the biggest change is the schedule. I mean, in the SEC East and the divisions, the SEC East, most cases, in the least in the last decade, a little bit more manageable than the SEC West, where it was kind of a gauntlet with what LSU had done, and Bama had done, and A&M's had some great years, Auburn's had some great years. So you look in the Ole Miss as well, or not forgetting about them, looking at it. Looking at the schedule, though, now, to have to play three teams that are ranked in the top 10 in the preseason at those three places at Bama, at Texas, at Ole Miss.

Very, very difficult. I also think, too, when you look at the best versions of Georgia, and when you're this good, you're the Alpha Dog program in the sport, according to many, you're going to be measured against yourself. So you could say, well, hey, look, the defensive line, for instance, maybe it's just not quite as good as it's been in. in 2021 and 22 when they won the national championship. It doesn't mean it's not maybe one of the best in the country. It's just maybe not where it's once was. So I think that's kind of the problem is they're kind of chasing

ghosts a little bit because of how good those teams were both 2021 and 22. A lot of folks, of course, are worried about playing Georgia. And Georgia has only lost two games in the last three years. And Carson Beck is coming off the season in which he set Georgia's single season record for completion percentage.

And he spoke earlier today on the road to get to this point in his career. Those first three years were really tough, especially, you know, getting a little scrap time, you know, getting playing time, but it wasn't real playing time. But obviously I knew that one day I was going to get that opportunity. And I think that's what helped me stay and, you know, helped me to continue to compete and try to get better each and every day and just keep progressing. Because I knew when I got that opportunity, I just wanted to be ready. So once I did, you know, come out, finally get there. And I'm super excited.

He is a great example of college football. The day and age when you go somewhere and you jump school to school, it's a popular trend. This kid stuck it out. He stuck it out now, and he didn't get the starting job in a tough moment when the starter went down, and he lost the starting job to Stetson Bennett, the week of UAB game two years ago, and then said, you know what, I'm sticking with it. I'm going to persevere. I'm going to show resiliency, which is one of our core traits, and he did that.

He stuck it out, and Carson Beck is back for year two in Georgia, And there's a lot of hype around this Q. He's considered not only to be the first overall pick, but also one of the favorites to win the Heisman. So let's talk here to you, Jordan, with all the hype, how does someone like Carson Beck manage the pressure both on an individual level but also overall with leading his team? Yeah, I think you show up to the SEC Media Days in a mock turtleneck in a chain. I mean, he's one of the best quarterbacks in the entire country. Now he's one of the best dress. I mean, trying to get Greg to rock one of those forever.

It's tough sell. I've worn a mock turtle like before, but it was because I had nothing else. Yeah, it was a long time ago, yeah. All right, in all seriousness, there is a lot of pressure around this program just because the standard of excellence is that they go undefeated. That's kind of the standard for Georgia right now. Carson Beck in particular, he just needs to continue to not try to do too much, right? A lot of quarterbacks will jump off the tape because they're incredibly fast, athletic,

or this huge arm. And yes, he has all the physical tools, but what jumps out when you watch him is how efficient he is, how quickly the ball comes out of his hands, how accurate he is. So continue to not force throws, continue to play the quarterback position in a calm manner. And I think he's going to continue to have success. But one thing that Kirby said today about leadership as a whole, he said this spring, they're really pushing him to celebrate more with his teammates, be more excited because naturally he's kind of like a status quo, no emotion kind of guy.

And they want him to get more involved. So he takes a little bit more of that leadership role. I think guys will gravitate towards that too. I mean, it's just he has so much game. But the charisma now, I think, is the next part of the evolution and making sure guys gravitate towards him. Well, that's that turtle neck. It's also hard to do that, though, when you haven't played. 100%.

But now that he's played and he's accomplished, like, he can really be comfortable in his own skin to have a lot of fun because he's proven that he can play as well as anybody in the sport at that position. And I look last year, too, really the first two, three games kind of held him back a little bit. Like, hey, man, we don't want to put you in an uncomfortable spot. And the Kentucky game rolled around. They said, all right, it's time to unleash you on the college football world. And from that point forward, he was really lights out. So I think the sky's the limit for this young man. He's got a great ball placement, really, really cerebral and has a great feel for what they want to be offensively.

We'll see that emotion as well. Now, Carson Beck will, of course, be without his go-to target, tight-in Brock Bowers, who was selected in this year's draft 13 overall by the Raiders. He was essential in Georgia's success and was not only the first Bulldog to win a John Mackey Award for college football. best tied end, but the first player to win twice overall. Now, there is no doubt that Brock Bowers was such a key point to George's offense. Now, Jordan, what can we expect the offense to look like this year without him? Well, I think it's going to look similar in some elements, but if you take a player like Brock Bowers off the field, something's going to change.

He was such a chess piece for Mike Bobo in this offense, really his entire career, but they could use him all over the field. Split him out wide. He can take a DB on one-on-one. He was such an incredible blocker in the box. as well as out on the perimeter. He can run by guys, great route runner, great hands, and even better after the catch. So that chess piece is not going to come, I don't think, from the tight-in position as much. Although Oscar Delp is a really good player, I look at a guy like maybe a Dylan Bell,

who's a running back slash wide receiver kind of guy that they can use in the back field, they can split them out wide and give themselves that diversity of personnel groups that they had with Brock Bowers. Well, the funny thing is we look at the Heisman trophy, and we know it's probably going to go to a quarterback, just being frank. But I also look too is I don't think this offense is going to completely center around Carson Beck and the passing attack. I think with the addition of Trevor E.TN and Branson Robinson getting healthy again, I think the run game is going to be a bigger part of what this offense is going to be. And I think Kirby Smart has been pretty outspoken about, hey, we got to create more explosive plays. And by creating explosive plays, he means, hey, we got to gain 30, 40, 50 yards on one snap as opposed to methodically. working our way down the field. Well, you know how they do that? You make the defense think that

you're going to run the football. You play action pass. You throw it over their head. So I think the run game is going to be what's really different about this offense, partly because they're going to be healthier at running back. And they've made some notable additions like ETN like we referenced. And Georgia, of course, has reached the SEC championship game six times in the last seven seasons. A lot of pressure over there. We're going to shift gears over to some coaching news from yesterday. Fresno states Jeff Tedford is stepping down, stating that health concerns following a recent medical checkup has prompted this decision. This is the second time coach Tedford has had to step down due to health concerns. Tim Skipper, the Bulldogs linebackers coach and assistant head coach will serve as the team's interim head coach for the 2024 season.

Up next on college football live, the SEC opens its doors to the Oklahoma Sooners. What will be their biggest challenge? coaching legend Nick Saban joins us. Find out what he thinks will be Georgia's keys to success this year. Welcome back to college football live day two of four from SEC Media Days from the Omni in Dallas, Texas. Now after 28 seasons in the big 12, Oklahoma joins the SEC with a schedule that includes visits from Tennessee, Alabama, and trips to Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU. Oh, and the annual Red River rivalry game versus Texas just means more now that it counts in the SEC standings. Seth Latrell takes over as offensive coordinator and priority number one will be filling the

nearly 7,000 yard void left by all big 12 quarterback Dylan Gabriel who transferred to Oregon. Now Oklahoma's defense made life easy for the offense last season. Oh, you forced 26 turner turnovers that led to 111 points. Armed with 79% of its defensive production returning, the Sooners are poised to take another step forward in Brett Venable's third season. Here's Brent earlier today. Jackson understands, you know, better than anybody. What goes into being a quarterback of a football team, of a locker room, the leader, the face, the responsibilities, the challenges, his skill, his arm talent, his toughness, his instincts,

his ability to lead people, bring out the best in people. No question about it. He's ready for, you know, his opportunity and his moment. We're excited for the challenge. As competitors, as a football program, you know, Oklahoma, you know, isn't intimidated as a football program. We're running towards the SEC. I think that goes without saying we've looked forward for the last several years for this partnership to be a part of an amazing conference, the best conference in college football. Now, with Oklahoma making its SEC debut this season, they have not been given an easy first year.

They'll be facing six of the best teams in the nation, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, Tennessee, and Missouri. Greg, what do you think overall will be their biggest challenge in this conference? Well, they're going to have the same challenges that Texas will as they transition to a league in which every single team can get you. And I think that's been the biggest adjustment. And if you look at really the SEC over the course of time, it doesn't matter the week. Even Vanderbilt, with all due respect to my good buddy right here, even Vanderbilt. building, depending on the week, can go and rally up and get you if you don't play your best. Now, they've been down, no denying that.

But if you look at some of these road trips at Auburn, really difficult place to play. We all know that Ole Miss is a legitimate playoff contender. Missouri is a playoff contender this year. You got Bama coming to you before you go to LSU, who I think is also a legitimate playoff contender. So I think the gauntlet and being able to weather the storm will be the biggest adjustment for Oklahoma because there is not that get back on track team in the SEC. the same way they might have seen it from time to time in the Big 12th.

In order to weather that storm in the physicality week to week, the line of scrimmage is huge, right? And up front, they lose all their full-time starters from last year at offensive line, got a young, talented quarterback. So I think that's going to take a little bit to come along to gel as a unit as well. But look, this is a team that albeit they have a brutal schedule, and Texas is getting all the hype because they come in as more of the favorite new team, make a run for a championship. Oklahoma's really talented.

football team. Jackson Arnold is so good and he's young and he'll make mistakes. But especially on that defensive side of the ball, Danny Stutzman and Billy Bowman coming back. They have a bunch of guys coming back. That defense is going to carry them to some wins that I think maybe if we looked at the schedule today. We're like, I don't know if they'll get that one. They'll get one or two of those. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. And Jackson Arnold, he is set to steer the Sooners through one of their most important years in program history, making a statement in the SEC and facing six of the top teams in the nation. Now, after sitting for a year behind now Oregon QB, Dylan Gabriel, the former five-star quarterback is one of the most anticipated newcomers in the country at one of the most prestigious positions in the country. He spoke with our Daray Noca. I mean, it's blessings to God, you know, I wouldn't be in this position without him and without my family too, you know.

If you told me this 18 months ago that I'd be here right now. I honestly wouldn't believe you. It's a great feeling. I'm just super blessed. SEC fans are going to be learning more about Oklahoma every day throughout the season. How do you describe the offense you'll run to those fans? A super up-tempo, fast offense, spread them out wide, run a spread offense, old air raid systems part of it. But it's a super explosive offense that loves to just get going, have fun. You had limited experience a year ago.

I know you started the bowl game against Arizona. In that limited experience, what was the biggest thing you've done? learned about playing quarterback, starting at quarterback at a high college football level? I think just limiting the mistakes that you make. You know, I don't have to, in high school, you know, you can kind of get away with things that you can't get away with college. You can make these extreme plays that we're in college you don't need to make, you know, just go out, execute, do what the coaches need you to do, and you can go out and you'll

win games, man. And I feel like in the bowl game and even in BYU a little bit, like I try to do too much, try to overcompensate it. And that's when the mistakes start happening, the turnover start happening. So just learn to kind of play in my realm and just kind of, you know, execute and do what I'm coached. This is a huge learning point for me. I know you got some receivers coming back, three that got to play quite a bit. Tell us about Dionne Burke's transfer from Purdue.

Dion's an absolute stud. Great person, great football player, super fast, super quick. He's going to be one of our guys this year, man. He's always going to get open. I mean, spring ball is always getting open. Super fast guy, super twitched up. I'm super excited for him. Jackson Arnold.

Starting quarterback, Oklahoma Sooners. to the league. Thank you. 18 months from graduating high school to starting QB for Oklahoma. Greg, what are the realistic expectations with Jackson Arnold? I think he can certainly elevate to the top five in the SEC if the opportunity presents itself. A lot of it has to do with playing within himself. He's got the natural ability like Jordan referenced.

We all know that he was highly recruited, a blue chip prospect coming out of high school. But a lot of it has to do with your supporting cast. And the good news is he's got guys that he can rely on. to distribute the football, stay within the offense. Seth LaTrell is going to do a great job of making him feel really comfortable in both the downfield passing attack and the regular down and distance passing attack as well. So I'm really optimistic about what this young man might be. The only thing that he's got to do, Jordan, I think, is just make sure he doesn't try to win the game on one play like so many young quarterbacks do.

Did that a few times in the Alabama Bowl. Yeah. Well, Jordan, how confident are you in his ability to lead the Sooners in their offense to the top? of the SEC. Well, I think he can. And what I love about SEC Media Days is it's talking season for us to sit up here with microphones. But for most of the players and coaches, they don't give you a ton, right? But if you saw that interview with Dari Noca and Jackson Arnold, he asked him about Dionne Burks.

Did you see the smile and the glance to the camera when he talked about his stud receiver that transferred him from Purdue? So I think he loves him. I think he loves the talent that surrounds him. And like he admitted, he's just trying to do too much as a young talented quarterback at time. He's going to learn and he is going to be one of the top guys in the SEC sooner rather than later because the talent skill set set and what Seth Latrell is going to set him up to do from an offensive perspective. Absolutely. And having that composure is everything. And I loved what coach Brett Venable said that Jackson is a guy that knows that the tough moments are part of that position.

As in any position to get better, that's one of the ingredients. We're going to take a quick break, but don't go anywhere. We keep the sooner discussion going with Nick Sabin. Find out what he thinks will be their very important. he thinks will be their biggest challenge this year. Welcome back to college football live, Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Missouri taking the podium today on day two of SEC media days from Dallas. Now, Georgia has won 42 games over the last three seasons, which is the most of any FBS program. However, the team's only two losses over that span come against Alabama, including a loss in the SEC title game, which ultimately kept them out of the playoff.

Now the man responsible for those losses joins us now. Coach Sabin, welcome to college football live. And as we mentioned, your Bamba team last year defeated Georgia in the SEC championship game. What is the key to Georgia's success to getting back to the playoff? Well, I think Georgia knows how to win. They have a good bunch of players that have talent. They have a returning quarterback. They have a really good offensive line. So I don't think they have a lot of weaknesses.

But I do think that the number one thing when it comes to really getting to the top, because, you know, success is not a continuum. It's momentary. So your players have to be very mature in terms of their competitive spirit to stay focused on being the best that they can be and win, lose, or draw. They have to continue to improve so that they're playing their best football at the end of the season. And I think George is very capable of doing that. Another team capable of doing that is Oklahoma, who is set for their first season in the SEC. What kind of challenge, coach, do you see them facing this year? You know, I think one thing that hasn't been mentioned about the new teams coming into the league is the teams that have been in the league have played each other as common opponents.

And I think it's a huge advantage as a coach if you play teams year in and year out because sort of got a better feel for them. you have a better idea of what their tendencies are. You have a better idea of their players, their strengths and weaknesses. So Oklahoma and Texas are not going to enjoy that. But I think the biggest thing for Oklahoma is the physicality of the SEC weekend and week out and how they're going to be able to sustain that through the course of the season. Now, one of the best players in college football, Missouri wide receiver Luther Bird in the 3rd, returns this year.

What makes him such a special player coach? Well, he's a complete player at the wide receiver position. You know, the guy has got great hands. He's a good route runner. He's got explosive speed to get on top of the defense. But yet he can run good routes and make possession plays on third down when you need it. I think they have a good quarterback, which obviously is going to complement his abilities to play. And I just think he's a team player and a complete player at that position.

They also have a very nice schedule as well. Now, following his impressive. performance in the Citrus Bowl. Everyone was talking about Tennessee quarterback, Nico Iamaleava. Are you buying into the hype on Nico? Well, you know, if you look at the history of our programs, you know, we've had some great quarterbacks,

and all those great quarterbacks had to have an entry-level year. In other words, they started from someplace. And I think Nico is a very talented guy. He obviously showed what he could do in the bowl game last year. They have a system that I think is very quarterback dependent, but it's also quarterback friendly. And I think Josh Heifle does a really good job of developing his quarterback. So if this guy can maintain his poise, take care of the football, not get affected by all the external hype and expectation that people will sort of put on him as a new player and be able to stay focused on what it takes to be successful, play in and play out. I think he'll do a really good job for him.

And you mentioned the hype from a coach's side, how do you help a quarterback manage that hype? Well, I think, you know, you really want people on your team that are motivated internally. In other words, they're driven to be the best player that they can be. Some people are sort of motivated externally by what other people think, what other people say. And I think in this day and age, with all the hype around athletes at any level, in any game that you have to be one of those people that are really internally motivated. So you're going out every day to try to be the best player you can be. You don't care what other people say.

You don't care what other people think. You're not affected by that. You don't let that create anxiety, whether the expectations are high or low. You're just going to go out there and do the best you can to be the best you can be. And that's the best way to compete. That's the best way to be the best player you can be. And honestly, coach, that's the best way to go about. about life is continuing that internal motivation but not letting the outside noise deter you from that.

So I think we can all take those words and implement them everywhere. Now, continuing on in SEC, you called LSU a sleeper team yesterday. Why? Well, I think that people sort of look at LSU having first round draft pick, quarterback, two first round wide receivers. They see these significant impact players leave the pro. But what I see at LSU is still a very good, talented receiver core. I see a young quarterback who has tremendous potential, and I see the defense getting better.

So I think the squad overall is probably more balanced and a better squad than they had a year ago, even though they don't have those three significant players. So I think they're still going to have a much better team than people may give them credit for. credit for. And coach talked about how he has the deepest and most accountable team he's ever had before. Do you agree with him? Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's really, really important that, you know, you have a group of guys that want to be responsible for their own self-determination. In other words, coach defines what it takes to be successful, but they have to be accountable to that day in and day out. And I think the maturity of your team and a team, that's committed to that is very, very important.

You know, I heard, you know, Brent Venables told me that we have more guys that are self-motivated that can lead themselves. I think that's really, really important that you're not depending on somebody else to get you to do the things you need to do to be successful. 100% it goes back to that internal motivation. And I think that accountability and that motivation has been a theme throughout each day at Media Day. Now, a man you know well, Lane Kiffin, had this to say when it comes to expectations on this year's squad. There's plenty of, you know, noise out there that means nothing and plenty of teams over years in all sports have been ranked high and haven't played well and been ranked low and played really well.

So none of that means anything in respects to Coach Saban's terms. You know, this is really, as he said, this is a rat poison situation here. to have all this attention on our players, and it means nothing. Rat poison aside, coach, what does Ole Miss need to do to meet those lofty expectations this year? I think the key word there is to keep saying expectations. I think, you know, you want high achievement motivation and low anxiety if you're going to perform well. And if you allow expectations to create anxiety and think you have something to go out and prove, rather than just going out and doing your job and playing within yourself,

you're going to create some negative situations for yourself, and you're not going to perform like you're capable performing. And I think our team, year before last, had a lot of anxiety. They were in a very similar situation. They were number one out of the box. A lot of people with Bryce Young coming back after winning a Heisman trophy put this really high standard and expectation on the team, and it created internal anxiety.

that really affected our performance, especially in coach close games, especially at the end of close games. And we didn't perform very well and we didn't finish like we needed to. So consequently, that team didn't sort of live up to those standards and expectations that people created for them, but they also didn't live up to the standards of what they were capable of doing. And holding on to that capability goes back to that internal motivation. Thank you, Coach, for hanging with us today. We'll see you tomorrow.

All right. Thank you, Victoria. Coming up next, Tennessee head coach Josh Heppel takes the podium, find out what he had to say about his new QB. And the Missouri Tigers are hoping to take their momentum into the new season. Will their easy schedule help them or hurt them? We'll discuss. Welcome back to college football live, where we are continuing our coverage of the 2024 SEC Media Days from Dallas, Texas.

We've got Tennessee coach Josh Hyple arriving to SEC media. And he had this to say about the hype regarding his QB. The thing that I've loved about Nico is, you know, when he came into the building, he wanted to earn the respect of his teammates. And you do that through your actions, not your words. Everybody understands how hard he works to become the best that he can at his craft. He takes great ownership in his skill set and developing it, understanding of our offense.

And just, you know, as a young player, gets his first start in the bowl game. One of the best compliments you can give to a quarterback is when it goes from the practice field to the game field, it slows down for him. During the course of the bowl game, it slowed down for him. I thought he was in great command out there. Now, there's a lot of things that he learned from that game.

He's had great urgency in his preparation all off season. I'm really excited to see his growth in development as a young quarterback throughout the course of this 24 journey. We're excited for that journey as well. Now, in regards to Nico, Greg, are we buying into the hype? We are. And a lot of it has to do with ceiling with Nico Iamaleva. Because so much of what we saw in the bowl game were parts and aspects of his skill set that I didn't really anticipate to be honest with you.

I knew he had a big arm. I knew he could place the football. Those two things were obvious from his prep school tape. What I didn't know is that at 6 foot 5 and change, He has some quick twitch mobility. And we saw that with runs between the tackles. We saw that with runs to the perimeter. And if he can just keep you off balance with his skill set,

not just throwing it because he's going to hit guys that are open because in this offense, guys are going to be open. That was the problem last year. They had way too many long foul balls and guys were open and Joe Milton just couldn't connect with those guys that were open. So I know he's going to hit those, but to keep them off balance too with his legs, what we saw against Iowa is going to be a real problem

for just about everybody who, he'll see in the SEC. I think he played a near perfect game against Iowa. And I agree the mobility, I think, is the game changer for me. Look, I'm not not buying into the hype, right? I ranked my top eight quarterbacks in the SEC yesterday. And VAL Twitter, lit me up because I didn't have him my top eight. It's less of an indictment on him and what I think of Nico.

And more of a testament, I think this quarterback class is just so deep this year. Look, I think Nico can absolutely play his way into a top five in the SEC. I just wasn't ready after a bowl game, one body, work, albeit it was really good to say that he's better than a Garrett Nussmeyer, who went on a biggest stage in the SEC championship and threw for 295 yards in a loss against Georgia and then lit up Wisconsin, you know, in the bowl game as well. Just a little more body work from some of those guys. But, man, Nico has all the skill set to light the world on fire in this offense under Josh

hype. I expect him to do so. I just, I want a couple games. And we'll get there. Heaven forbid, you know, we've been a couple games, right? He's going to be good. We've fallen victim in the past to kind of jumping on the hype train. Let's be real.

I can rewind a year ago to a guy that, you know, we were all very enamored with the skill set that Joe Milton showed us in the ball game against Clemson. And we just have to be a little bit more guarded. But I'd much rather have promise and projections than to be a guy that's like maximized out already. No doubt. Really optimistic about Nico I amaleva. And I think rightfully so. And I think that's part of the. reason why a lot of us really believe. I mean, genuinely believe that Tennessee has a legitimate

playoff, playoff contender, I think. 100%. I really liked what Coach Heppel said about how Nico is determined to earn that all-around respect and also in the locker room. And you do that through actions, not word. So hopefully he makes your list next time, Jordan. Now, we're going to shift gears over to Missouri, who won 11 games last season. It's fourth 11 win season in school history. Now, the Tigers cap the year off with a win over Ohio State. the Cotton Bowl Classic, it was Missouri's most wins in a season since 2014. Now, Missouri returns one of the nation's top quarterback-wide receiver duos from a year ago

in senior quarterback Brady Cook and junior wideout Luther Bird in the third. Now, this tandem connected for 1,197 yards a year ago, the most among FBS QB receiver tandem. Now, Missouri enters this season with high expectations. According to ESP and bet, the Tigers have a 14 to 1 odds to win the SEC. Now with no Georgia or Texas on the schedule, Missouri has the easiest schedule among SEC teams. Now having one of the easiest schedules this season, Greg, do you see that as a benefit or a burden? Massive benefit.

I mean, with all due respect, I mean, there is not an easy schedule in the SEC. There's not. And we need to, in the new era of college football, get really comfortable with seeing teams that are 10 and 2 that we're not used to seeing that are 10. two. There's a reason why when you look at the win totals for all these teams, Ohio State, Georgia, yeah, at one, two, whatever, however you have them, they're all at like 10 and a half. Because I think natural human tendency is you're going to lose games. Maybe you shouldn't if you're already secured a playoff spot. So I think it's a challenge, though, going to A&M. I think it's a challenge going to Alabama. And then following that trip to Alabama, you have

the buy week, come back, kind of regroup, and then you have to play against an Oklahoma team. nothing matches up pretty well against Missouri. A couple of road trips in November, finally finish up with Arkansas. So I know it's more manageable than most, but I certainly wouldn't qualify the Missouri Tiger schedule as being easy. Jordan, benefit or burden?

I mean, it's easy, but kind of, but what about you, Jordan? I'm going to say it's a little bit of a burden. And here's why, hang in with me. I agree with everything Greg just said. Their road is smoother than a lot of other schools with a bumpy road and a tough SEC schedule. But here's the thing. Last year, we all set in this very room, actually in a different city,

but we set at SEC Media Days, and nobody picked Missouri to be good. They got to go in with nothing to lose and everything to gain. They were an underdog almost every opportunity, and they showed everybody who they were. This year, nobody's going to be sleeping on them, right? So they're expected, I think, favored to win, what, nine or ten games maybe, something crazy like that. So they're going to have to not slip up. They're going to have to, the margin for error for Missouri and their run to the playoffs. is very thin because of the expectations.

You lose your defensive coordinator. You lose three draft picks in the secondary. Still got Brady Cook, still got Luther Burden. But I just think there may be one or two slipups there because of the expectations are so different last year to this year. And Missouri has its highest regular season win total in at least the last 15 seasons. Now, speaking of Burden, someone who is contributing to the benefit is Luther Burden the third, who returns to continue to dominate.

Now, Jordan, is he the best player in college football? He's up there. He's on the short list. He's probably in the top three. And what I love is how Kirby Moore and Eli Drinkwitz, the two masterminds behind this offense, find every way possible to get this dude the ball. It is unbelievable. You flip on the tape. He is moving pre-snap every stinking play. They're moving him from one side to the other, motioning him, stacking him. They're finding so many creative ways to get this guy the ball because everybody on the defensive side goes, I know where you're going. We know who you're trying to throw it to.

We're going to try to stop it. And Missouri just goes, okay, well, we're going to move him over there. We're going to move him over here. And Brady does a great job of looking defenses off, finding the ball or getting him the ball as much as possible. So he's up there. He's an absolute stud. He's going to be great this year. He's going to be great at the next level, too.

Can't wait to see that greatness. Now, whether the schedule is a benefit or to burden, we can only see. But the easy schedule, maybe it can help. All right. Coming up, will Georgia live up to preseason expectations? How many wins for the season? Sooners and can Tennessee get to 10 wins? We'll talk win totals coming up next.

Bill, so let's keep things rolling and get to some SEC win totals. All odds brought to you by ESPN Bet. Now, we'll be doing this all week long, hitting on the teams that speak each day. And before we get started for today's picks, let's take a look at Greg's picks from yesterday. He has LSU going under the nine and a half, and the Tigers went under that total last season. He's taking the over on Ole Miss, South Carolina and Vandy, excluding 2020. Vandy has gone under its regular season win total and three of the last four seasons. Okay, Greg, let's start with the newbie to the SEC, Oklahoma, over under seven and a half wins.

I was kind of hoping you'd burn the pick so I could change them the next time we did them. Then I have it on both sides of the coin. In this particular, I'll do with Oklahoma, I'm going over. I know a lot of people are having a hard time seeing them being competitive with this roster right now in the SEC. I disagree. I think they could make a pretty strong case to have a top three defense in the league. I think the offensive line is the big question mark.

And all they have to beat Jordan is, I think, adequate. They can't be a liability with this style of attack. So I'm going to take the over seven and a half of the Oklahoma Sooners. I'm going to take the under just slightly. I think seven is really realistic. I think eight would be a big success for this team just because of how brutal this schedule is, right? If they win all the games they're supposed to lose the ones they probably should, it puts them right at that seven. So are they going to lose one, slip up somewhere and steal one from somebody else? I just think they land right around seven. And that's respectable based on what they're missing, as you alluded to, and really how tough their schedule is. Yeah, that schedule doesn't help it all. Another tough schedule. Greg, Georgia, over under 10 and a half wins. Well, I'm not taking the bait on this one. I think everybody and their brother thinks Georgia,

at a bed wins 11 or 12. And I think Vegas has the number here for a reason. So I'm going to go on the sharp side. I'm going to take the under. I look at Georgia and I look at their personnel. I think they're amazing. I really do. I just think that schedule is an absolute gauntlet.

And it really, this doesn't have as much to do about Georgia as it does the respect level I have for a road trip to Kentucky, a road trip to Bama, a road trip to Texas, a neutral side against Florida, who I think is going to be better than people realize, a road trip to Ole Miss, not to mention a high-flying attack like Tennessee. So I just look at the scale. Let's look at the schedule and I think there's two in there somewhere.

I just don't know which two they might be. So what you're telling me is I'm the sucker then, huh? Totally. I'm going to take the over. That's fine. It's just Johnny Public. You know what? I'm taking the over just because like I think I think Carson Beck, obviously I've said it

before is the best quarterback in the entire country. I think their defense, especially at linebacker, returns three absolute studs at that level and on the back in a guy like Malachi Stark's who's here as well. So I think they slip up somewhere. I think they're going to. but I think they get to 11. And I think it's, again, you mentioned the schedule is super tough. It's tough for all those other teams as well.

Everyone's going to be beat up this year in Georgia just recruit so well. They're so deep. I think they roll. They're deep and they're hungry for sure. Now, Greg, Tennessee, over under nine and a half wins. Now, this one's tough for me because I look at their schedule and I think that 10 is very achievable. I think nine feels a little bit more right. So I'm going to take the under.

I don't feel great about it at all. I think Tennessee is a top 10 team coming in the season. But I think when you look at just the sheer depth of college football right now, 9 and 3 is probably going to have you around 10, 11, or 12, depending on what conference you're in and just how challenging the gauntlet might be. I think the NSTATE state game in Charlotte is a really challenging game at Oklahoma is going to be one that you know the Sooners have had circle with Josh Heiple returning to Norman. I think the Alabama game is always a difficult game.

at Georgia, too. So I think there's a bunch of games that will be very, very challenging, but I'd lean under. I just don't, this is one of the hardest ones I think for me to get on board with. Yeah, I agree with you. I'd lean under too. I think nine's a great number. If you look at the schedule, let's say they lose the ones they maybe should to Alabama and Georgia, then they got to run the table against everybody.

And that includes at Oklahoma, at Arkansas, which is a tricky place to play toward the middle of the season as well. Kentucky, Florida on the schedule. I'm with you in Florida. So I just think nine's more realistic when you have a young quarterback, some pieces on defense that you're filling in with. But nine would be a great season and put them, like you said, depend on some of those wins, right in contention for that 12, 11, 12 spot in the playoff.

Of course, all eyes also will be on Nico. And Coach Saban said earlier that they have an eccentric offense. So we shall see. All right, Greg, Missouri, over under nine and a half wins. I'm going to take the under on Missouri. I know we look at the schedule earlier. Let's look at how many times the ball seemingly bounced their way last year. And I look at four wins in one.

one score games, four and no. And those things have a very difficult time replicating themselves. Usually the ball bounces away from you the following year. And I hope that doesn't happen for Missouri, but I think it's certainly a realistic possibility. Now, I think the first four games are no problem. They should be okay in all four of those, including the neutral site, excuse me, it's going to the game against Boston College and the non-conference game against Buffalo and Murray State. I look at the road trip to A&M, I think that's a loss.

I think the road trip to Alabama, I think that's probably going to be a loss as well. then you factor in some of the others. Auburn at home, Oklahoma at home, at Mississippi State after what you just traveled to South Carolina. Now you've got to go to Starkville. That's a really difficult place to play. So I just look at the schedule and I would take the under because I feel like the obvious thing would be to say 10 and 2.

But man, I don't know. It just feels like they might get a little unlucky at some points this year. I mean, if they were returning more on defense, I'd maybe think it was a better argument. I'm taking the under too. I think they get maybe to nine wins. I think that's really realistic. but replacing your defense coordinator,

replacing pieces on defense. I think it makes it tough. And you're right. If it weren't for a fourth and 17 against Florida, they lose that game. So there's some close games where you said it. The ball bounced their way. I just don't think this year in the SEC,

you're going to win all of those games. So that means they might slip up somewhere else. Yeah, we don't want to get caught up in that easy schedule because that can bite him in the bum. All right, let's talk about some flag football because it is the fastest growing sport in the world in the NFL flag football championships round of 16. We'll be on ESPN 2 Friday starting at one Eastern.

ESPN Plus will have additional coverage from Canton, Ohio at 10 a.m. Eastern. For more information, go to NFL flag.com. College Football 25 came out to those who pre-ordered. And coming up, we'll break down the most overrated and underrated players in their 10 rankings. Let me tell you a story about how on Saturday nights in the SEC, the only thing brighter than the lights are the stars. and SEC story film. Saturday Night Lights.

Thursday, July 18th at 7 Eastern on SEC Network. EA Sports College Football 25 is available to all those who pre-order. Now, here's a look at the top 10 players rated in the game. Three players boast 96 overall ratings, headlined by Michigan cornerback, Will Johnson. Georgia and Ohio State are the only schools with multiple players in the top 10. Now, it's been 11 years since the last college football. football video game and here we are. Looking at that list, Jordan, what stands out to you the most?

I'm just jealous that these players don't have to go through and add every single name in the NCAA add your playbook. Do you remember doing that? How many hours it took for us to do that back in the day? It was ridiculous. It took me weeks to get the roster uploaded instead to do it by hand. But I think what stands out is Will Campbell at number two right there, 96 overall. I mean, he's an absolute stud for LSU. Emery Jones on the other side for that offensive line is great as well. going to maybe propel them back to where they were next year, maybe, even without Jane Daniels. Now, everyone will be able to get their hands on this game on Friday. So very excited. We've got a stack day tomorrow in Dallas kicking off with the new guy in Tuscaloosa,

Kaelin DeBore. He will speak at 10.05 a.m. Then it's another old face in a new place. We'll hear from Mississippi State's Jeff Levy at 1135 a.m. Plus, the pressure is on for the Gators. We'll hear from them at 1.50 p.m. And we round out the day with Steve Sarkisan. Can't wait to hear what he has to say about the Longhorn's first year in the SEC. Greg, who are you most excited to hear from? Well, obviously, it's got to be Caitlin DeBoer for me. I mean, I just don't think that many people in this part of the country are really familiar with him. I don't think anybody knows him yet. How we've been fortunate in our line of work to have spent quite a bit of time with him. And I've been

just amazed at how people have a tendency to gravitate in his direction. So I think for a vast majority of the media that have never really interacted with him in a setting like this, that opportunity for them tomorrow will be eye-opening. Yeah, that was the best singular coaches meeting I had with Kaylon DeBoer two years ago. I walked out of that meeting going, I'd play for that dude, one of the smartest guys I've ever been in a meeting room with. So it'll be fun to see him in this SEC scene that just means more, right? I think we'd all be excited to play for Kalin DeBore.

I mean, it's going to be super exciting. All right, thanks for watching college football live. We are back tomorrow, same time and place three Eastern on ESPN 2, with more action from SEC Media Day. We'll see you tomorrow.