The game plan is in place. The blockers know their assignments: They will fan out to form a shield in front of the man they need to protect.
And that's just to securely transfer Alabama coach Nick Saban from his car into the hotel.
SEC media days, college football's version of a New Year's Eve fireworks show, commence on Wednesday. The event held at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala., is the first sign that the sport is emerging from its annual summer hibernation.
That could be why fans of the Southeastern Conference's 12 teams swarm over every square foot of open space in the lobby. That could be why at least 900 media members are expected to come to the three-day event, about a 50 percent increase over four years ago. That figure is pretty amazing, especially when you consider there are probably 900 fewer media members than there were four years ago.
Those present will hear from the 12 SEC head coaches, each of whom is bringing three players -- also a 50 percent increase from 2009.
The theater over the next three days may not be daring -- the actors change every year, even if the scripts never do.
Every team starts the season undefeated (yada). Every team has improved (yada). Every team is excited (yada). Throw in a little white greasepaint and you would have Kabuki y'all.
And yet, because of the passion engendered by college football in this part of the country, SEC media days do boffo box office. That may be because they never fail to entertain. And it may be because there never can be enough coverage to satisfy SEC fans.
Issues form and rage with the suddenness and strength of a summer thunderstorm. A year ago, when the league polled its coaches for the preseason All-SEC team, one coach had not voted for then-senior Tim Tebow of Florida.
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