SEC Media Days 2015: Highlights, Comments and Twitter Reaction from Wednesday

Alabama coach Nick Saban took center stage on Wednesday at the 2015 SEC media days. He's always one of the main attractions during the annual event, and his comments, particularly those about why his team fell short of a title last season, drew plenty of reaction.

The Crimson Tide were one of four teams to take to the microphone on Day 3. Representatives from Kentucky, Missouri and Arkansas also met with the media to discuss the upcoming campaign. Predictably, Saban made the most headlines, though.

Alabama lost to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, which served as one of the semifinal games for the inaugural playoff, back in January. The Buckeyes went on to win the national championship with a victory over Oregon in the title game.

Saban didn't arrive to media day prepared to praise the champs, however. Dan Wolken of USA Today noted the longtime coach highlighted another reason for the Tide's loss:

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"I just felt like in our experience last year, our chemistry from the SEC championship game to the playoff game was affected by something. We had six guys in this situation this past year and 11 the year before. We're trying to get ready for a game and all of a sudden a guy finds out he's a first-round pick or a guy who thought he was a first-round pick finds out he isn't and we're trying to play a playoff game."

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He argued draft-eligible players shouldn't receive their NFL evaluations until after the college season is over due to the distraction factor. He felt it caused some players to move forward with a mentality that they didn't want to get hurt and damage their draft stock.

It's a stance that didn't sit well with many. National college sports writer Bryan Fischer didn't believe Saban made the right call to go down that avenue:

Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland wasn't surprised:

Yet, his basic premise shouldn't be totally dismissed, as Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports explained:

Saban's other notable moment came when he discussed Jonathan Taylor.

The talented defensive lineman, who was previously dismissed by Georgia, was let go by Alabama after being arrested for a domestic violence incident. Joe Schad of ESPN noted the charge was later dropped when he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief.

Saban gave his opinion about how the situation played out, via Jon Solomon of CBS Sports:

After Saban's session, the focus shifted toward more typical topics.

The SEC Network highlighted Mark Stoops' vision about the type of team Kentucky is working to become:

He got asked about trying to build a strong football program at what's currently a "basketball school," and he gave a diplomatic response, per TexAgs:

All told, Greg McElroy of the SEC Network liked what he heard for the Wildcats' head man:

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel passed along unfortunate news that defensive lineman Harold Brantley, who suffered serious injuries in a car crash last month, won't be available during the upcoming season, as David Morrison of the Columbia Daily Tribune pointed out:

Pinkel is happy with the development system the Tigers have in place to help fill voids throughout the season like the one created by Brantley's absence, per Brandon Kiley of KTGR:

Quarterback Maty Mauk admitted there's room for improvement on a personal level but said there's only one thing that matters in the end, via Saturday Down South:

As the final team of the day took the stage, Arkansas' Bret Bielema passed along an interesting anecdote. One certainly worth noting for top prospects as programs become more cautious about the players they bring in, per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com:

Of course, it wouldn't be media day in 2015 without at least some conversation about coach swag. Darren Rovell of ESPN spotlighted today's development:

Mark Schlabach of ESPN noted Razorbacks quarterback Brandon Allen may have provided the line of the day:

SEC media days come to a close on Thursday with the final three teams. Coaches and select players from Georgia, Ole Miss and LSU wrap up the schedule. All three teams rank inside the top 15 heading into the season, according to Athlon Sports' preseason projections.

More importantly, the end of the yearly gathering for press conferences means the games are finally on the horizon. Sometimes these meetings can produce some good soundbites, but it certainly doesn't compare to a complete Saturday slate.