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SEC Media Days 2014: Let's play "Does it matter?" with what the Gators say and do!

SEC Media Days is where everything's boring and the points made don't matter. OR DO THEY?

By Andy Hutchins
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

You don't need a Twitter feed full of regurgitated quotes from SEC Media Days to tell you that the event is a Big Deal, even if nothing said or done in Hoover over the next four days will actually be a big deal.

But we have one of those anyway!

What you do need — "need," if we're being honest with each other about how much you need to know about what football coaches and players say at a glorified series of press conferences six weeks before the start of their season — to know is the answer to this question: "Does it matter?"

Does it matter if Will Muschamp says Florida is going to be "a good football team"? No, he's been saying that for months. Does it matter if Jeff Driskel says he's healthy? No, he's been healthy for months. Does it matter if Vernon Hargreaves III reveals he is an alien from Zygrx-Klova V sent to Earth to play football? Probably.

In the interest of public service, then, we'll be noting the quotes and interpreting their importance, or lack thereof, while Muschamp, Driskel, Hargreaves, and Dante Fowler are addressing the media.

Our first item of note: Fowler's socks.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? Because swag.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? Because it demonstrates a belief in Driskel among his teammates that has previously been in some doubt. And because it reminds us that Hargreaves does not lack for confidence.

Also:

We got that reaction out of this, so thanks for that, Vern.

Does it matter? Yes, sort of.
Why? Because it shows a recognition from both Driskel and Muschamp that previous offensive systems did not work, or fit Driskel. This isn't new information, though.

Does it matter? Not really.
Why? Because anyone who attended a spring practice could have told you this already. Florida had players running go routes in drills and 11-on-11 segments, and that was without go route terror Andre Debose being healthy enough to participate.

Does it matter? Nope.
Why? You knew this, right? Florida has more quality depth at almost every position — offensive line and quarterback are the exceptions — than it has previously had under Muschamp, and the depth at quarterback is actually arguable. (Would you rather have Driskel/Mornhinweg/Grier/Harris or Brantley/Driskel/Brissett? Because those are your options for "best quarterback depth under Muschamp.")

Does it matter? A little.
Why? Debose was always going to either return to Florida and be cleared for contact by fall practice — a year after initially tearing his ACL — or not try for a sixth year of eligibility. He decided on and got that sixth year long ago, did non-contact drills throughout spring practice, and was never really off track to be cleared to return. This is just confirmation.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? We did not previously know when fall practice would begin. Now we do.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? Humphries has needed to add bulk to compete with SEC defensive linemen for two years. At 295 pounds, he is basically where he needs to be.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? Florida's going to be quite young on defense this year. Only Neiron Ball, Darious Cummings, Jabari Gorman, Leon Orr, and Michael Taylor are seniors, and the only non-redshirt juniors of note are Fowler and Antonio Morrison. That means a lot of underclassmen with one or zero years of experience will be playing for Florida.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? Because...

Does this matter? YES.
Why? Because Muschamp also mentioned his oft-noted "lesson" from 2013 about keeping his quarterback healthy, and this is one important way to do it — while also preparing for what happens if he isn't.

Does it matter? Absolutely.
Why? Opening practices — there's a schedule here — welcomes fans who are true diehards, satisfies those who would otherwise whine about closed practices, and shows a bit of confidence in Florida's chances of playing well even with notes on what the Gators do in practice out in the ether. And, not to be forgotten, it's also a quite concession that Florida needs to do things like hold open practices to win back fans who suffered through the 2013 season, and are currently gun-shy about throwing themselves (and their money) into the 2014 campaign.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? It's funny.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? It tells us that Driskel knows how to make wide receivers happy ... but it's also possibly a shot at wide receivers who have begged him for targets in the past. (There are also really only two wide receivers who caught passes from Driskel in 2012 and are still around in 2014, so I'll let you figure out if that's a shot at either or both of them.)

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? Players remember and hurt, too.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? Again: Swag.

Does it matter? Not really?
Why? I, too, think Florida's 2013 woes are mostly rectifiable, but what else is Muschamp going to say?

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? Because Florida's defense, much like Alabama's defense has under Nick Saban and Florida State's 2013 defense under Jeremy Pruitt, is about reading and reacting, not thinking. Having to stop and think, on a football field, is usually a lethal bit of paralysis.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? What a great one-liner. You have no idea how happy I am that Dante Fowler's going to be talking to the media all fall.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? WHY DOESN'T DANTE FOWLER BELIEVE IN JEFF DRISKEL AS IRRATIONALLY AS VERNON HARGREAVES DOES? DISSENSION IN THE RANKS SPELLS TROUBLE.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? While it's not exactly surprising that Driskel is aware of the hype he's gotten and failed to meet, it's also a reminder that he — like most athletes — has standards for himself.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? Awww.

Does it matter? Yes.
Why? This is Fowler's version of Dominique Easley not knowing who Bear Bryant was, and equally funny.

Does it matter? No.
Why? He said this in even funnier ways last fall.

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