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SEC Silliness: Arch Madness, Wrong Fight Songs, and Nick Saban's Return

Nick-Roush-headshotby: Nick Roush07/15/25RoushKSR
Arch Manning
Arch Manning (Joe Cook/IT)

Arch Manning‘s highly anticipated arrival is unprecedented. SEC Media Days has produced mayhem around players like Johnny Football and Tim Tebow, but they were all arriving at the event with an impressive college football resume. That’s not the case for Manning.

When he walked into the enormous room at the College Football Hall of Fame, you could feel the entire room stare as he dapped up Cole Cubelic and Paul Finebaum. Cameras gravitated toward him from all corners. One SEC staff member had to kick TV reporters off the stage who were trying to just catch a glimpse of the Texas quarterback.

As has always been the case with Arch, he seems unfazed by the chaos around him. The attention would overwhelm most, but he doesn’t flinch.

“I’m not — this is going to sound mean — in the business of caring about what other people think,” he said.

If he had any other attitude, there’s no way he could survive, let alone thrive, as the Texas quarterback.

Arch Manning Mania is coming to Kentucky this fall and I’m not sure Big Blue Nation is ready for the experience. If all goes according to plan, Texas could have wins over Ohio State, Florida, and rival Oklahoma on its resume. Kroger Field is going to be the place to be on October 18.

Nick Saban Returns to Coaching?

Manning’s arrival at SEC Media Days was briefly overshadowed by another monolith in the league, Nick Saban. Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy shared that there is a thought that Nick Saban could return to coaching.

“This is a little bit out of left field, but the question was asked of me … a very much in the know person that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around and just really, really admire,” McElroy told Paul Finebaum. “They seem to think Nick Saban’s not done coaching. I had a similar reaction. He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again. … Look, if it wasn’t someone notable, I’d never say a word.”

Naturally, that got the folks in Atlanta buzzing. A few reporters had to ask former Saban disciples if they thought he would return to coaching, including Kirby Smart.

“Yeah, I called and offered him Muschamp’s job, but he was overqualified, so he wasn’t interested,” Kirby quipped. Smart is glad that Saban is still involved in college football, “But make no mistake about it. The boss at home is going to make that call for him, not him.”

The Wrong SEC Fight Song

It’s incredibly awkward when coaches are introduced at SEC Media Days. There’s a pause for applause, but journalists aren’t doing that. To break the silence, the SEC plays the school’s fight song. When Steve Sarkisian took the stage, he wasn’t greeted with “Texas Fight.” Instead, the Aggie War Hymn rang through the air. What a sport.

Is Hugh Freeze Golfing at SEC Media Days?

Hugh Freeze’s golf game has been my favorite offseason story. “The coach is too busy golfing to do his job” is the perfect narrative for the Auburn fanbase. I can’t get enough of it. Of course, he got asked if he was tired of defending his golf game.

“I really haven’t had to defend it,” Freeze said. “I just — you know, it’s something I enjoy doing, but I assure you it does not take away from my time working to take Auburn back to the top of the college football world.”

Sounds like somebody forgot to pack the sticks.

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2025-08-01