HOOVER, Ala. – Several of LSU’s chief football rivals took the floor Wednesday on day two of the Southeastern Conference’s annual Media Days. While neither Florida, Arkansas nor Auburn are expected to win the league this season, that didn’t stop the coaches from promising improved seasons in 2012.
FLORIDA It was hard to tell if Florida coach Will Muschamp was nervous about speaking to the media or just playing coy about the high expectations that always greet the Gators.
It was most likely the former, since his opening statement bordered on novel length with a 15-minute, 2,000-word speech that spanned everything from his own expectations for the upcoming season to praising his kicker, Caleb Sturgis.
Muschamp acknowledged Florida’s trouble on both sides of the ball last season, and he said a major offseason focus has been to develop a more “north-south” running attack.
“People ask ‘What will be different?'” Muschamp said. “We better score some more points. But [offensive coordinator Brent Pease] brings a lot of formation variation, motion shifts. We will be more of a downhill running game because of the backs we have.”
Regarding his defense, Muschamp seemed positive, stating that the Gators only lose one starter and return 15 of their 16 top tacklers.
“Defensively, going into last season, we had less starters than anyone else in the SEC,” Muschamp said. “That attributed a lot to our inconsistent play across the board. That’s where we need to improve.”
ARKANSAS For any team not named Penn State, Arkansas had one of the most tumultuous off-seasons in recent memory after head coach Bobby Petrino was fired for lying about an extramarital affair with an intern after crashing his motorcycle in April.
Enter former Razorbacks special teams coach and Michigan State head coach John L. Smith, as the Hogs still look to play into pre-season national championship hopes and capitalize on an 11-2 record last season.
“A little adversity is just going to make us stronger,” Smith said on Wednesday at SEC Football Media Days. “They’ve had great energy, worked hard. Our players are doing a great job.”
Coaching with only a ten-month contract, Smith has the luxury of a healthy Knile Davis at running back and a veteran presence in returning quarterback Tyler Wilson.
AUBURN While it may have been a step down from the BCS National Championship game he coached in the year before, Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said last season’s Chik-fil-a Bowl win over Virginia was a big moment for his program.
After a year that included blowout losses and near colossal upsets, Chizik said the win gave his underclassmen confidence and “put them on the map.”
“I think that gave us some momentum as we propelled ourselves through the off-season,” Chizik said. “Since then it’s really been a good thing watching our guys grow.”
Now transitioning to a more pro-style offense, headed by new offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler, Chizik said the Tigers will rely heavily on a senior class that has averaged ten wins per season in their first three years and is unbeaten in bowl games.
“We feel like those seniors that have been starters in the past, we feel like their leadership is key,” Chizik said. “It’s very paramount.”
Tiger wide receiver Emory Blake and tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen both praised the new offense and their role within it.
Chizik said while his team last year was young, the resilience it showed will pay dividends as the Tigers look to capture their second Southeastern Conference and national titles in three years.
“[We] feel good about the direction it’s headed,” Chizik said.
 
Contributing writer Mike Gegenheimer also contributed to this story.
 
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