Around the SEC (7/23)

A bunch of SEC-related links to pass along as the SEC Media Days get going this afternoon. But, first, here's today's schedule:

FLORIDA (1:10 - 3:10 pm)
Urban Meyer, QB Tim Tebow, OT Phil Trautwein
MISSISSIPPI STATE (1:10 - 3:10 pm)
Sylvester Croom, QB Wesley Carroll, LB Jamar Chaney
LSU (3:10 - 5:10 pm)
Les Miles, C Brett Helms, DE Tyson Jackson
VANDERBILT (3:10 - 5:10 pm)
Bobby Johnson, S Reshard Langford, WR George Smith

Jon Solomon of The Birmingham asks a great question: Is this the golden age of SEC football coaches?

Solomon believes so, pointing out that it's the first time in the conference's 76-year history that five current coaches have won a national championship. "And," he says, "it's not just quality at the top. The depth among the 12 current coaches rivals the early 1960s, which is considered the Holy Grail-era of SEC football."

The rest of the country finally seems to admit that the SEC is the best, according to John Adams of The Knoxville News Sentinel. For example, did you know that the SEC has three guards, three tackles and two centers ranked in the top five nationally at their positions?

Funny tidbit about Bobby Johnson in this Press-Register story about the off-field demands of coaches.

Some coaches go for laughs. Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson broke up the room when he described signing autographs for Japanese tourists who were convinced that he was comedian Steve Martin.

The Clarion-Ledger lists six topics to look for this week in Hoover. A couple of the big ones: Can Georgia live up to the preseason hype? Is it put up or shut up time for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina?

Meanwhile, The Tennessean's Bryan Mullen takes a look at 10 hot topics, including Vanderbilt's QB controversy.

Finally, Seth Emerson of The State rates each coach on how intense his press conference will be from one to four microphones and gives Bobby Johnson a 1.5.

Typically, the biggest activity during Johnson’s presentation is at the beginning, when media members scramble out of the room. That’s too bad, because the Columbia native can be one of the most entertaining and humorous coaches in the league. Johnson should face the usual round of Vanderbilt questions: So, how close to getting to a bowl do you think you are? How tough is it to win at a school you need a 24,000 SAT score to get in? Why aren’t you winning when your basketball and baseball programs are?

Also, don't forget to check out my preseason SEC predictions below.