College Football Insider – All SEC Team Brings Controversy

PRE-SEASON ALL-SEC TEAM REVEALS INSIGHT, HOT DEBATE

Apparently there has been controversy coming out of Gainesville, but it is not because another player with the Florida Gators (now +185 to win the national title at BetOnline) has been arrested. It’s because Gator fans feel that whatever SEC coach who did not vote for Tim Tebow (+200 to win the Heisman Trophy at BetOnline) as the pre-season all-conference quarterback should be arrested.

Only one vote prevented that from happening, and those kinds of things obviously mean something, at least in that neck of the woods. There has been some speculation that Lane Kiffin, the new coach of the Tennessee Volunteers (+1200 at BetOnline to win the SEC East) was the one who stiffed Tebow, because he has been a rather vocal anti-Gator ever since he took the job, presumably as a way of stirring up the rivalry again.

However, Kiffin explains that he feels Tebow is "potentially the best college player ever," which would imply that someone like that would receive his vote.

I really don’t know what the fuss is all about. No, there are not a lot of great quarterbacks in the SEC, which might lead you logically to no other choice. But let me give you a possible explanation, and a rationale. Most of the NFL scouts I have talked to think that Tebow will eventually be a good pro, with "eventually" being the operative word. They are almost unanimous (there’s that word again) that he is a "project" of sorts, because although he is considered unrivaled as a competitor, and has a strong arm, it is not necessarily as accurate as they would like on the deeper passes, and he will also face a period of adjustment in transitioning from the spread option offense employed by coach Urban Meyer to the pro-style offenses that are used in the NFL.

If you took a poll of pro scouts, they would, at this moment, probably be overwhelming in their preference for Jevan Snead of the Ole Miss Rebels (+500 to win the SEC at BetOnline) as a player who could step into the NFL sooner and play. In fact, there has been talk that Snead might wind up the #1 choice in the draft, although it is very early to be engaging in such speculation. The fact is, right now Snead is looked upon as more of a pro-level talent, and my point is, given those parameters, why would it be so much of a stretch for someone to vote for him as an All-SEC pre-season selection? Why wouldn’t his own coach, Houston Nutt, do it?

As for me, I would certainly cast my vote for Tebow, based not only what he’s done, but what I think he’s about to do, which is to quite possibly lead his team to a third national title in four years.

However, I think there are more important things for Gator fans to be worried about, namely that September 5 season opener against Charleston Southern.

Hahahahahaha!

Incidentally, in case you were interested, there were three unanimous selections to the All-SEC team: wide receiver Julio Jones of Alabama (+7000 to win the Heisman Trophy at BetOnline), left tackle Ciron Black of the LSU Tigers (+325 to win the conference at BetOnline) and strong safety Eric Berry of Tennessee. There are ten players on the team who also showed up in the 2008 year-end All-SEC squad. Aside from Tebow and Berry, they are: RB Charles Scott (LSU), RS Brandon James (Florida), DL Terrence Cody (Alabama), LB Rolando McClain (Alabama), LB Brandon Spikes (Florida), LB Rennie Curran (Georgia), LB Eric Norwood (South Carolina), and DB Trevard Lindley (Kentucky).

Take note of a few things. Alabama (+200 to win the SEC West at BetOnline) has three members of the first team defense – Cody, McClain and cornerback Javier Arenas – and one more on the second team, linebacker Dont’a Hightower. Seven members of Florida’s defense made either the first, second or third teams, and that includes the entire starting secondary. Stephen Garcia of South Carolina (+1400 to win the SEC East), who threw six TD’s and eight interceptions last year, and Mike Hartline of Kentucky (+2500 to win the SEC East at BetOnline), who had nine TD’s and eight INT’s, tied for the third team quarterback spot, which should give you an idea of the quality of signal-callers in the conference.

Out of the 87 players who were named, Mississippi State (+2000 to win the SEC West at BetOnline) had only two of them – running back Anthony Dixon, who is on the second team, and third-team linebacker Jamar Chaney. Vanderbilt (+5000 to win the SEC East at BetOnline) had no one at all named to the first three offensive teams.

What’s also kind of interesting is that except for the quarterback position, where Jordan Jefferson is erratic but considered to have some potential, LSU has all its skill position standouts on the team – running back Scott and tight end Richard Dickson (both on the first team), wide receiver Brandon LaFell (second team) and wide receiver Terrence Oliver (third team). Also named was backup running back Trindon Holliday, who is the third team return specialist. LSU has a lot of weapons, so look out if that QB situation is stabilized.