James Franklin

SI: How different is the outlook on your second season with a program?

JF: Completely different. In year one the players didn't understand our expectations, how we were trying to change a lot of things culturally. We laid the foundation last year. We're trying to build on that now.

SI: Has this team turned a corner in the SEC?

JF: Not yet. But when you consider that we went to a bowl game in our first year, and that we had a top 30 recruiting class [in 2012], and that we were competitive against the best competition in the country, I think we opened some people's eyes.

SI: WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP?

JF: FOCUS ON THE PROCESS: WORK HARD, HAVE A GREAT ATTITUDE AND COMPETE. IF YOU DO THOSE THINGS, SATURDAYS WILL START TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES.

SI How important is this recruiting class for the program?

JF: Very important. There are some high-profile guys, but there are also the not-so-highly recruited players that go on to be great ones. You do all your research and you hope you get lucky on a few. You look at Tom Brady, a guy in the sixth round who ends up being a Hall of Famer. Those things can change your program forever.

SI: Finally, what have you learned after one season as an SEC head coach?

JF: I've worked a lot of places where football's important, but in this part of the country it's at another level. In this part of the country, this is the NFL.