Looking Back: The Top 10 SEC Games, Atmospheres and Players of 2011

Looking back, it was another glorious year for the SEC. Another National Championship was won, with Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide taking home the bacon. The Crimson Tide beat LSU 21-0 in a re-match in which did both of the things they went out to do: Dominate AND win. In the first game against the Tigers in front over 92,000 in Tuscaloosa, they’d done a lot of dominating, but not a lot of winning. The sad thing is is that both games didn’t make the Top Five games of the 2011 season. Here are your top 10 involving SEC teams – and yes, we’ve involved some non-conference ones too. And sorry Texas A&M and Missouri fans, your teams aren’t

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Arkansas O-Linesman gets jail

Arkansas offensive linesman Jason Peacock has been sent to jail after pleading guilty to taking another student’s debit card and using it to buy $35 of gasoline. The player – a starter for the Razorbacks – was sentenced to 10 days’ in jail for the theft – a misdemeanor theft charge. The good news for Peacock (if there is any) is that this could stay off his record if he completes his sentence as well as a year’s probation, the Associated Press said. “He understood he had to be punished. He stepped up and took it like a man,” his lawyer said. “I can tell you he is one of the most remorseful people I’ve ever represented and I’ve been

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Defensive back returns for Kentucky

Safety Dakotah Tyler has returned to the Kentucky football team, the school said in a press release. Tyler, who can also play on special teams, didn’t play on the 2011-2 side because of ‘personal reasons’, the release said, and no further reason was given. In his 2010 season, the school noted, Tyler had 13 tackles, one pass break-up, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble, and he had one start. BOTTOM LINE: The news is great for Kentucky, who need all the help they can get if they are to emerge from the SEC East basement. Tyler’s return is great for the school, who have additional talent in seniors Martavius Neloms and Mikie Benton, and sophomores Ashely Lowery and Glenn Faulkner all coming back.

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Recruiting: Florida adds QB commitment

The University of Florida have added a commitment at quarterback for its 2013 class, Gatorsports.com reported on Monday. Three-star Quarterback Max Staver committed to Will Muschamp’s side, decided to go for Gainseville instead of Dan Mullen’s Mississippi State, who had also given him an offer. Staver, from Brentwood, Tennessee, is ranked the 14th player in the State and the 27th in the country amongst pro-style quarterbacks nationally. “I called them and they asked me if I was ready to be a Florida Gator, and I committed on the spot,” he told the website. Staver had also been shown interest from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, but none of the other schools had offered him yet.

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Recruiting: Georgia adds Recruit No.19

Georgia has added its 19th recruit of the 2013 season: Rico Johnson. Johnson, out of Swainsboro, Georgia, accepted after being offered a place at Saturday’s Mark Richt camp, the AJC reported. He told the paper: “That was my dream school; I always wanted to go there,” he said. “I told myself if I ever got an offer from Georgia, that would be the school I would go to.” He isn’t listed in any of Rivals’ rankings after swapping high schools, the AJC said, but added Appalachian State and Marshall had both offered him scholarships. Thankfully, the ‘Big Dawgs’ came calling. The paper said that Johnson ‘dazzled’ during the camp, posting 4.25 and 4.28 40 yard dashes. The news provides some

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Florida LB cleared to play

There was good news for the Florida Gators on Friday when linebacker Neiron Ball was cleared to play after a long injury. According to the Gainseville Sun, Ball missed the whole of the 2011 season after a blood burst in his brain and doctors found “arteriovenous malformation, a congenital vascular condition not related to football”. But finally, ball passed his final medical check-up, meaning that he’s free to put on the blue and orange soon. BOTTOM LINE: Great news for Florida, who now adds even more depth at linebacker and on the defensive side of the ball. Jelani Jenkins and John Bostic are going to be tough enough for offensive players to try and get through – and now Ball

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Trial of Harvey Updyke starts today

Harvey Updyke didn’t play football for the University of Alabama. Harvey Updyke didn’t attend the University of Alabama. But the former Texas State Police Officer did something in Alabama’s name that will love on long in infamy: He poisoned the oaks at Toomer’s Corner, which are always dressed in toilet paper after the Auburn Tigers have victory. In 2010, he called the Paul Finebaum Show and told millions of listeners he had done the dirty deed, so annoyed he was after the Tide lost to their hated Auburn rivals. According to Al.com, Updyke was charged with “two felony counts of first-degree criminal mischief, two felony counts of unlawful damage to property from a crop facility and two misdemeanor counts of

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Recruiting: Vanderbilt adds two commitments

Vanderbilt continued an excellent recruiting season so far by adding the commitment of cornerback Darius Sims from Memphis – the 11th ranked player in the State. This was widely reported on Twitter. Sims, who is ranked as a three-star defensive back by Rivals committed to the Commodores on Sunday. Vanderbilt beat Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss amongst other schools to Sims. Sims is 5 ft 9,  can run a 4.65 40 and has a 32 inch vertical – and Vanderbilt will hope he can frighten quarterbacks for years to come. The commitment is the second to be announced this Sunday after defensive end Sean Spencer – the 52nd player in Georgia – committed to Vandy. Spencer was recruited by LSU and

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Recruiting: Tennessee adds two recruits

Quarterback Riley Ferguson has committed to The University of Tennessee , reports have said. Ferguson, who plays in Matthews, North Carolina, is a three-star quarterback, was recruited by Alabama, LSU, Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan before opting to play in Knoxville. Ferguson was ranked 199th in the 2013 class by ESPN, and the sixth overall in North Carolina. He threw for over 3,000 yards and nearly 50 touchdowns in an incredible year in 2011. Grayson High School (Ga.) linebacker Zach Barnes also committed to the Vols today, too. BOTTOM LINE: This is quite a coup for Derek Dooley and his recruiting team – especially with the coach on the perennial Vols hot-seat this year.

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Recruiting Focus: Why did Robert Nkemdiche opt for Clemson?

The consensus No.1 player in high school football, Robert Nkemdiche,  today stunned the college football world by committing to Clemson over Alabama or LSU. But why did he decided to play his football in the ‘other’ Death Valley for the ‘other’ Tigers? The defensive end from Georgia – who is seen by some as another DeMarcus Ware – had 18 sacks in a season for Grayson and he’s pretty useful on the other side of the ball, too. To say he’s ‘physically gifted’ is one of the major understatements of the year. He’s incredibly gifted, and he’s going to frighten the beejesus out of an offensive line near you in college. Many in the SEC were convinced that he’d go to the ‘big

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