SEC Football Blog’s All-SEC team
Sorry we’ve been out of touch…..we’ve been at the SEC Championship Game (did we mention that?), and running around.
Anyway, since we’ve been gone a bit, we’d like to point out a few things:
1) We’re still on the fence about whether we’re rooting for Alabama, Notre Dame, or nobody at the National Championship Game.
2) Well done to Johnny Manziel for winning the Heisman. Great for Texas A&M, and great for SEC Football to have a Heisman winner (again). However, Collin Klein probably had a better body of work, but Manziel beat Alabama. And if anyone beats Alabama, they deserve plaudits. Speaking of that, how on earth does Manti Te’o get to New York but Jadeveon Clowney and Jarvis Jones NOT get a look-in? Come on, guys!!
3) Great hires by Arkansas to get Brett Bielema, and Tennessee to get Butch Jones. Both very competent coaches. What does it say about the SEC that they can get someone with the stature of Bielema to leave the Big Ten and come join an Arkansas team that has up to now been a poor relation of LSU and Alabama (and this season almost everybody else, too!). The Butch Jones hire might not have been Charlie Strong from Louisville, but Tennessee will rebuild under Jones – and he’s done wonders at Cincinnati
Anyway, here’s our All-SEC team on both sides of the ball. Enjoy!!
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M): I’d sit there and put up a crap load about Johnny Football’s stats, tell you how he’s almost singlehandedly put A&M in the limelight, or he took the Aggies from SEC wannabe to SEC contender or I’ll just give you two words: Johnny. Heisman. No-one can argue that one QB has done more for his program this year in the SEC – and maybe in college football. Oh, and Florida’s Jeff Driskel, Alabama’s AJ McCarron and Georgia’s Aaron Murray? Y’all had good seasons too. Auburn’s Kiehl Frazier? Not so much.
RUNNING BACKS
- Todd Gurley/Keith Marshall (Georgia) – ‘Gurshall’ meant one thing: Isaiah Crowell who??
- Eddie Lacy/TJ Yeldon (Alabama) – One guy said on Twitter: “You’ve got TJ Yeldon for two years. Good luck!” I agree. Lacy’s performance in the SEC Championship Game was something special, too.
- Also: LSU RB pairing of Jeremy Hill/Spencer Ware, Florida’s Mike Gillislee, South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore, and Johnny Manziel were up for consideration, too. And what happened to Arkansas’ Knile Davis this season?
WIDE RECEIVERS
- Cobi Hamilton was something special all season long. He was the bright spot in an otherwise goddawful Razorbacks season.
- Vanderbilt’s Jordan Matthews was a real difference-maker for Vanderbilt too in their bowl run….
- Also: Alabama’s Amari Cooper is going to be frightening in the future (he’s already pretty great now!), Ryan Swope at Texas A&M’s good enough to go to the NFL and be a success, and Chad Bumphis (Mississippi State) and Donte Moncrief (Ole Miss) were stand-outs in the State of Mississippi. Catch of the year still goes to LSU’s Jarvis Landry at Arkansas, though…
- Jordan Reed (Florida) has been outstanding for the Florida Gators in their one-loss, Sugar Bowl-making season. The best TE in the SEC.
- A lot of people are going to talk up Alabama and Texas A&M‘s offensive lines, which is quite right. They were immense. But guess which offensive line gave away the least sacks in the SEC? Tennessee’s. Even though the Vols played a tough schedule, the offensive line stood firm. Which means we can blame it all on Erik Ainge and his wide receivers that couldn’t catch a darned ball!
- DAMONTRE Moore (Texas A&M) – Second in the SEC in sacks (7), and a frightening proposal for any offensive linesman.
- She Richardson (Missouri) – The SEC’s best defensive tackle. Had the practise, too – since Missouri rarely put a good drive together (unless they were playing Tennessee!)
- Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina) – This man destroyed offensive lines all season long and should have been in the conversation for a Heisman. There you go.
- Sam Montgomery (LSU) – Big Sam can take over games, and when he’s not being held (see the Alabama game for details, because it happened a lot), he’s a destructive influence. An intelligent pass-rusher, he’s got a bright NFL future.
- Jarvis Jones (Georgia) – Playmaker? Tick. Sack Machine? Tick. Team leader? Tick. Tackling maestro? Tick. Should have been a Heisman Candidate but wasn’t? Tick. Going to make a lot of money in the NFL? Tick.
- A.J. Johnson (Tennessee) – A lot of people would love to rule this kid out, but he led the SEC in tackles this year. By 16. In a horrible season for the Vols, Johnson stood out mightily.
- Kevin Minter (LSU) – Minter had great game after great game for LSU, and took over the Florida game before he was hurt. And although he played on, he wasn’t the same person – and the Tigers lost in Gainesville. He might well go to the NFL this year, but if he’s bright, he’ll wait a year and pick up some big time money in the first round of 2014.
- We also considered Alec Ogletree (Georgia) (Let’s think about his numbers if he hadn’t been banned for four games, shall we?), Alabama’s CJ Moseley Kentucky’s Avery Williamson. Williamson lastly had a tremendously productive year for UK, despite being on a team that was permanently uncared for.
- Dee Milliner (Alabama) – Will Milliner stay in college or will he go pro? SEC quarterbacks are hoping (and praying) for the latter.
- Andre Hal (Vanderbilt) – A lot has been made of Mississippi State’s Johnthan Banks, and we agree, he’s a great player. But Hal had 11 pass break-ups and 2 INTs this year for the Commodores. And Banks this season may have won the Jim Thorpe award for the country’s best defensive back, but as this site said, he disappeared a bit during MSU’s horrible late-season run. Hal did not. Therefore, we’re giving an All-SEC award to Hal this season, although him and Banks are pretty much interchangeable.
- Matt Elam (Florida) – Elam was one of the reasons why Will Muschamp was jumping so much on the sideline. He was sensational all season long. Was there a better safety in college football? Nope. Deservedly named in an AP All-American.
- Eric Reid (LSU) – Reid is exceptionally talented. There’s no argument about that. His 62 tackles rank at the top of the SEC and he was a floating danger for any quarterback out there. Which made it so irritating when he was penalized for stupid personal foul penalties, or missed his man completely. Which rarely happened.
- We would have put Bacarri Rambo (Georgia) in Eric Reid’s place, if he hadn’t been suspended for the first four games of the season for pot brownies. Ramob – like Reid – is going to make a lot of money in the pros.