I have to say that the two best questions of the day yesterday at SEC Media Days -- can I work in a few more instances of "day?" Not today. Perhaps tomorrow. Or later today. -- came from our little contingent of misfits along the tenth (or so) row on the left side of the Big Room, the metaphorical adult table in Hoover.
First, Spencer Hall elicited a steely-eyed, defiant response from Mississippi State's Dan Mullen:
Q. You're one of the leading practitioners in the SEC of the spread offense. Coach Saban referred to it being both difficult to defend, but also it had drawbacks when it comes to preparing people for the NFL. How do you counter those when you were recruiting? How do you keep that offense evolving?
COACH DAN MULLEN: I'm not going to knock him. I don't know his personal record. I've coached the spread offense and I have a lot of more first-round quarterbacks drafted than he has in his career as a head coach. Develop them for the NFL, I don't know. In the last six years, I've had two of mine get drafted in the first round.
I think it does develop those players pretty well to get there. Amazing, one was a five star recruit and one was a one star recruit. When you develop players as a coach, you develop players. One came to me, I guess, somebody in here probably rated him a five star, a superstar player. Somebody rated him as a one star. When I got him, I must have done a great job of coaching him to be a first pick in the draft.
I think that's very overrated for that. I coached the NFL Rookie-of-the-Year, I think, last year, too, was in the spread offense, Percy Harvin. So I don't know. I guess statistically a lot of coaches like to say that. But factually, if you check the facts, I think the spread offense is developing the players for the NFL at a little higher rate than other offenses.
Next, Clay Travis asked a question that not only caused the room to break into laughter (we'll laugh at just about any attempt at humor when we're in a large group), but wonder of wonders, actually got Urban Meyer to show his teeth in a non-threatening manner:
Q. Last year you were muzzled about what you could say about other coaches. Could you give us your honest reaction when you heard that Lane Kiffin and USC was hit with probation? Where were you? What did you do? Who did you give a high-five to?
COACH MEYER: I'll let the commissioner handle that one. How is that?
No, no comment. Sorry (smiling).
Yes, he was actually (smiling), although I think I'd put that "smiling" because it was still quite frightening.