ATLANTA — SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame concluded on Thursday with three teams speaking with the media. Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin opened the day, and two teams coming to Williams-Brice Stadium this season joined him after.

Second-year head coach Josh Heupel represented Tennessee in the middle of the day, and Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher shut the week down with the last press conference. The Gamecocks faced all three teams last season, losing road games at Tennessee and Texas A&M before beating Auburn in the penultimate game of the regular season to clinch bowl eligibility.

Right off the bat, Harsin answered what everyone was going to ask him. After losing five consecutive games to end his first season at the helm — including a late collapse in the Iron Bowl — 20 players and five coaches departed the program, launching a university-driven investigation into his conduct. Auburn elected to retain him, but his status is as murky as any coach in the conference entering 2022.

“Going back to what happened back in February, what I'm going to do now is address it,” he said. “Moving forward, that will be the last time I talk about this subject. There was an inquiry. It was uncomfortable. It was unfounded. It presented an opportunity for people to personally attack me, my family, and also our program. And it didn't work.”

As for how the offseason turmoil is going to play into his football team, the hope is it will help to bring his team together ahead of a challenging schedule that includes road trips to Georgia and Alabama and a non-conference showdown with Penn State.

“Right now our focus is on moving forward,” Harsin said. “What came out of that inquiry were a lot of positives. There was a silver lining in all of this. What I saw from our players and our coaches was leadership opportunities for them to step up, which is exactly what they did. You got a chance to see guys provide leadership. You got a chance to see coaches provide leadership.”

Just like at South Carolina, the Volunteers are entering year two of a new head coaching era. And just like in Columbia, the team over-achieved in year one. And in a very similar manner to everything happening with the Gamecocks, the expectations are soaring in Knoxville.

“A year ago we were with 69 scholarship players as we opened fall training camp,” Heupel explained. “We were the thinnest football team in America, hands down, not even close. You look across America, many were playing with 90 to 95 because of COVID seniors. We're deeper than we were. We're not as deep as we need to be. We'll still be under 85. But I think the depth, the competition, the year inside of our system, inside strength and conditioning, the ability to strain, finish, focus at the end of football games should allow us to take a step defensively for sure.”

Continuing on with the similarities between Tennessee and South Carolina, the Volunteers will be relying on a transfer portal quarterback this season. Hendon Hooker arrived from Virginia Tech last season and took over as the starter after Joe Milton’s injury, but still understands the process of learning a new offense.

“Just being patient and not trying to rush my reads and not rush my decisions,” he said is the key this season. “Just being relaxed and in total control of the offense. Trying to lead my teammates is my end goal and motivate them on and off the field. Just having a positive attitude and bring joy every day on and off the field.”

Last and certainly not least was Jimbo Fisher, who fielded three questions about his May spat with Nick Saban before taking any on his own team. Texas A&M has been one of the hottest discussion topics of the offseason, with everything from Alabama to its burgeoning NIL profile and everything in between making national waves.

“Listen, we're great,” Fisher said about Saban. “Two competitive guys that go at it. We all learn from things we do in our business. Two competitive guys on a topic that is very -- everywhere, as they say. There's no rules in this thing, where it goes. Each state has different laws and everything. I have great respect for Nick. Unfortunately, our thing went public. Sometimes that happens in this world. Nothing is private anymore, is it?”

On the field Texas A&M is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 8-4 campaign in 2021, one that was a major step back from a 10-1 regular season in 2020. The Aggies will visit the Gamecocks on Oct. 22 for their annual meeting.

“The vibe has been focused, getting ready for the season, being prepared,” defensive back Demani Richardson said. “The goal is to keep working hard every single day. We have stuff to accomplish. We have to put in the work to accomplish those things.”