Football

SEC football media days: Media pick Alabama to win league title; Georgia 2nd in SEC East; Auburn 5th in SEC West

By ANDY BITTER - abitter@ledger-enquirer.com

Updated July 28, 2015 5:18 PM

HOOVER, Ala. -- Alabama and South Carolina were tabbed by the media to win the SEC’s divisions Friday, with the Crimson Tide the overwhelming choice to win the league’s championship game.

It’s the fourth time since 1992 Alabama has been picked to win the SEC, although the Tide has come up short the three previous times. It lost the SEC title game in 1993, finished tied for fifth in the West in 2000 and was fourth in the West last year.

Perhaps that’s why Alabama coach Nick Saban was dismissive of the preseason poll when he took the stage Friday morning.

“You all are a lot smarter than we are as coaches because I could never pick who is going to win the SEC,” Saban said to a room full of reporters, drawing laughs.

“Even though I have a tremendous amount of respect for the intelligence level and your ability to prognosticate, which we really can’t do, I’m not capable of doing, I don’t understand how you come to the decisions that you come to.”

Alabama received 111 of the 167 votes to win the West. It was followed by LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Auburn and Ole Miss. The defending national champion Tigers, who were picked third last year, were the only team in the West not to receive at least one first-place vote.

South Carolina was an equal runaway winner in the East, getting 114 first-place votes. Georgia was a distant second, followed by Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

The Crimson Tide got 98 votes to win the SEC championship, followed by LSU (29), Arkansas (18), South Carolina (14), Georgia (4), Florida (2) and Ole Miss (2).

Alabama dominated the All-SEC teams as well, leading the league with 16 selections on the three teams, ahead of Arkansas (14), South Carolina (10), Georgia (9) and Auburn (8).

The Crimson Tide had nine players selected to the first team, five of them on defense -- lineman Josh Chapman, linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw and safeties Mark Barron and Robert Lester.

Offensive lineman Barrett Jones, center William Vlachos and running back Trent Richardson were first-team picks on offense. Richardson also made the first team as an all-purpose player on special teams.

Half of Georgia’s first-team selections were on special teams, with kicker Blair Walsh, punter Drew Butler and return specialist Brandon Boykin getting the nod. Tight end Orson Charles, offensive lineman Cordy Glenn and quarterback Aaron Murray were also first-teamers.

Offensive tackle Brandon Mosley was Auburn’s lone first-team selection.

ALL-SEC TEAMS

OFFENSE

First-Team Offense

Position, Name, Team, Class

TE Orson Charles, Georgia, Jr.

OL Barrett Jones, Alabama, Jr.

OL Bradley Sowell, Ole Miss, Sr.

OL Cordy Glenn, Georgia, Sr.

OL Larry Warford, Kentucky, Jr.

OL Brandon Mosley, Auburn, Sr.

C William Vlachos, Alabama, Sr.

WR Greg Childs, Arkansas, Sr.

WR Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina, Jr.

QB Aaron Murray, Georgia, So.

RB Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina, So.

RB Trent Richardson, Alabama, Jr.

Second-Team Offense

TE Phillip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn, Jr.

OL D.J. Fluker, Alabama, So.

OL Alex Hurst, LSU, Jr.

OL Bobby Massie, Ole Miss, Jr.

OL Chance Warmack, Alabama, Jr.

C Ben Jones, Georgia, Sr.

WR Marquis Maze, Alabama, Sr.

WR Joe Adams, Arkansas, Sr.

QB Stephen Garcia, South Carolina, Sr.

RB Knile Davis, Arkansas, Jr.

RB Michael Dyer, Auburn, So.

Third-Team Offense

TE Michael Williams, Alabama, Jr.

TE Brandon Barden, Vanderbilt, Sr.

OL Grant Cook, Arkansas, Sr.

OL Kyle Nunn, South Carolina, Sr.

OL Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina, Sr.

OL Alvin Bailey, Arkansas, So.

OL Addison Lawrence, Mississippi State, Sr.

OL Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State, So.

C Travis Swanson, Arkansas, So.

WR Jarious Wright, Arkansas, Sr.

WR Emory Blake, Auburn, Jr.

QB Jordan Jefferson, LSU, Sr.

RB Brandon Bolden, Ole Miss, Sr.

RB Tauren Poole, Tennessee, Sr.

DEFENSE

First-Team Defense

DL Jake Bequette, Arkansas,Sr.

DL Josh Chapman, Alabama, Sr.

DL Kentrell Lockett, Ole Miss, Sr.

DL Malik Jackson, Tennessee, Sr.

LB Dont’a Hightower, Alabama, Jr.

LB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, Sr.

LB Danny Trevathan, Kentucky, Sr.

DB Mark Barron, Alabama, Sr.

DB Robert Lester, Alabama, Jr.

DB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina, Jr.

DB Morris Claiborne, LSU, Jr.

Second-Team Defense

DL Devin Taylor, South Carolina, Jr.

DL Nosa Eguae, Auburn, So.

DL DeAngelo Tyson, Georgia, Sr.

DL Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State, Jr.

DL Travian Robertson, South Carolina, Sr.

LB Chris Marve, Vanderbilt, Sr.

LB Jerry Franklin, Arkansas, Sr.

LB Ryan Baker, LSU, Sr.

DB Dre’ Kirkpatrick, Alabama, Jr.

DB Brandon Boykin, Georgia, Sr.

DB Janzen Jackson, Tennessee, Jr.

DB Neiko Thorpe, Auburn, Sr.

Third-Team Defense

DL Melvin Ingram, South Carolina, Sr.

DL Barkevious Mingo, LSU, So.

DL Sam Montgomery, LSU, So.

DL Tenarius Wright, Arkansas, Jr.

DL Dominique Easley, Florida, So.

LB Shaq Wilson, South Carolina, Jr.

LB C.J. Mosley, Alabama, So.

LB Jon Bostic, Jr.

LB Jerico Nelson, Arkansas, Sr.

DB Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt, Sr.

DB T’Sharvan Bell, Auburn, Jr.

DB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU, Sr.

DB Tramain Thomas, Arkansas, Sr.

SPECIALISTS

First-Team Specialists

PK Blair Walsh, Georgia, Sr.

P Drew Butler, Georgia, Sr.

RS Brandon Boykin, Georgia, Sr.

AP Trent Richardson, Alabama, Jr.

Second-Team Specialists

PK Caleb Stugis, Florida, Jr.

P Tyler Campbell, Ole Miss, Jr.

RS Onterrio McCalebb, Auburn, Jr.

AP Joe Adams, Arkansas, Sr.

Third-Team Specialists

PK Zach Hocker, Arkansas, So.

PK Bryon Rose, Ole Miss, Jr.

P Ryan Tydlacka, Kentucky, Sr.

RS Marquis Maze, Alabama, Sr.

AP Trey Burton, Florida, So. ALL-SEC TEAMS