SEC Media Days kick off Monday at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham in Hoover, with the University of Tennessee the highlight of a day that also includes Arkansas and LSU.
This year, though, it seems the Gators have some competition in a revitalized Georgia squad entering its second season under former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and Tennessee seemingly fighting for Jones' job. An East team hasn't accomplished that feat since Florida in 2008.
Smart had an erratic 8-5 debut season in Athens past year, collecting victories over North Carolina, Auburn and TCU but becoming the first Bulldogs coach since Johnny Griffith in 1961 to lose to Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt in the same season. Their quarterback made two plays.
Saban is the only current SEC head coach with a national championship as a head coach.
Alabama has won 17 straight games against conference opponents and 24 of the last 25.
Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide shakes hands with head coach Gus Malzahn of the Auburn Tigers after their 30-12 win at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 26, 2016 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
SEC Football Media Days has had a local flavor a few times with Central grads Marco Battle (Alabama) and Ed King (Auburn) and Baker grad Chris Shelling (Auburn) making the trip.
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They will face some of the more pointed questions this week.
Jim McElwain, Florida: Will plopping graduate transfer Malik Zaire into the mix, who came from a program (Notre Dame) noted for producing overrated quarterbacks, really be the answer? But will a defense that has 10 starters back from a top-20 unit, statistically, be the difference in overtaking Florida in the East? Meanwhile, the only championship Jones' Tennessee teams can claim is the made-up "championship of life" with a combined 14-18 record in SEC play the last four years.
Mark Stoops, Kentucky: Your program has improved. But will you let your offensive coordinator take advantage of that fact?
Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: Will running back Ralph Webb survive another season averaging 20-plus carries per game? Alabama standout quarterback Jalen Hurts will not be in attendance.
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M: That second half of the season has been a bear, hasn't it? Bielema is nearly guaranteed to say something that draws attention and that's just what he did on day one. While not necessarily freshmen, Mississippi State's Nick Fitzgerald and Arkansas' Austin Allen also emerged in their first years as starters.
Orgeron will be at his first SEC Media Days since 2007, which was his third season at Ole Miss. Beisel, who stepped up and started the final five games of the 2016 season at linebacker, is expected to be one of the senior leaders of a defense that is trying to replace key players such as Aarion Penton, Charles Harris and Donavin Newsom.
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