ESPN College Football

Spring is a time for renewal. In college football, spring is also the time to look ahead to fall and the upcoming season. Saturday, Alabama holds its annual Golden Flake A-Day Game (ESPN3, 3 ET), which will give its fans a first look at the defending national champions.

Alabama captured its record-breaking ninth national championship of the major poll era in January. Once again, the Crimson Tide are expected to be one of the best teams in the country in 2012. But the Tide have been here before. Will history repeat?

In 2010, Alabama was preseason No. 1 in both The Associated Press and Coaches polls with 11 combined offensive and defensive starters returning from the team that had won the 2009 national title. The problem was the retention breakdown. Bama lost eight starters from a defense that allowed the second-fewest yards (244.1) and points (11.7) per game in the bowl subdivision. With quarterback Greg McElroy, the running back tandem of Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, and receiver Julio Jones, the belief was that the Tide would score points and win games with their offense, while buying enough time for their defense to jell.

However, all did not go as planned. The defense allowed slightly more PPG than in 2009 (13.5 in 2010, 11.7 in 2009). The Tide allowed more plays of 20-plus yards (13) in 2010 than it did in 2009 (7). They also blew a 24-point lead in a loss to rival and eventual national champion Auburn in the regular-season finale, the biggest collapse in Alabama’s storied history. That was one of three losses for the Tide that season.

Like in 2010, this Alabama team has a quarterback returning for his second season as a starter (AJ McCarron), along with a strong running back (Eddie Lacy). Also like the 2010 team, the Tide will lose several starters on defense including four likely first-round picks (cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, linebacker/defensive end Courtney Upshaw, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, and safety Mark Barron).

So how good will Alabama be in 2012? History suggests the Tide will be one of the best teams in college football, but not good enough to win a second straight national championship. Just like 2010.

NEW ORLEANS -- Auburn had Cam Newton.

Alabama had Greg McElroy.

Florida had Tim Tebow, twice (though Chris Leak was the starter in 2006).

And LSU had Matt Flynn.

All solid national championship quarterbacks.

This time, the quarterbacks enter Monday’s Allstate BCS National Championship Game with some concern attached to their names.

For Alabama, it’s the talented but young AJ McCarron. For LSU, it’s embattled senior Jordan Jefferson. Together, they create more questions than answers.

McCarron probably hasn’t received the criticism Jefferson has. As a first-year starter, the sophomore is allowed a mulligan here and there. His year has consisted of 2,400 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and just five interceptions. But it also featured seven games in which he threw for fewer than 200 yards, including the final four games of the regular season, among them Alabama's Nov. 5 showdown with LSU.

His decision-making has been questionable at times and there are more than a handful of times in which McCarron tried to do too much, and while that’s natural for a youngster, it can’t happen Monday.

“Growing as a quarterback all year long, I felt like I've done a pretty good job so far,” McCarron said. “Coming in your first year you're not going to know a whole lot going into it. As of now, I feel like I've been here forever.

“This season's taken a long time.”

It feels like it’s been a tremendously long career for Jefferson. His four years at LSU have seemed like eight and he’s always been such a wild card for the Tigers. He's thrown 34 career touchdowns in 41 starts. To put that in perspective, Georgia's Aaron Murray threw 35 touchdowns this season.

It's been a rocky career for Jefferson, and he's had his share of rocky moments in 2011. His 33-yard performance against Georgia in this year’s SEC championship seemed to set quarterback play back, and he’s completed double-digit passes in a game just once this season, when he threw for 208 yards on 18-of-29 passing.

He’ll enter Monday’s game with fewer than 700 passing yards in nine games. Granted, Jefferson didn’t reclaim his starting spot until mid-November, but he averages just nine pass attempts a game.

And unlike McCarron, fans have let Jefferson know when they’re unhappy. The boo birds that greeted him during the Kentucky game after he returned from his four-game suspension for his role in a bar fight resurfaced at times when Jefferson wasn’t playing well. Most notably, they surrounded Jefferson during an eventual scoring drive against Arkansas and a few times against Georgia.

“Once they see that error occur, I guess it makes them mad a little bit, I guess,” Jefferson said of the boos.

But like his team has all season, Jefferson blocks out the negativity on the field. He can’t control it, so he doesn’t bother with it. It’s just like his reaction to his poor play. Jefferson prides himself on quarterback amnesia.

“Playing quarterback, you’re not always expected to have a perfect performance,” he said. “That’s why you have to put the bad performances behind you and try to find ways to improve for the next performance.”

McCarron stresses over his mistakes more, but only because he’s a perfectionist. Curing his field issues is mandatory for McCarron to get through a practice session, and that attitude should take him far in this league.

“Every game you're not going to be perfect going into the game, especially after the game,” he said. “You just try to eliminate as many mistakes as you possibly can.”

They won’t be perfect. That’s why there are other players to lean on at times. McCarron and Jefferson aren’t true stars and don’t have the flashiest stats, but with help from those around them, their teams are playing for a national title and one will be hoisting that coveted crystal ball Monday night.

It could always be worse, LSU offensive coordinator Greg Studrawa said. LSU’s quarterback play could be like it was the three years after its 2007 championship, when quarterbacks threw 48 touchdowns to 37 interceptions and LSU took a back seat to teams.

“Up-and-down, in my opinion,” he said, “has been better than it’s been.”

NEW ORLEANS -- When you’re the quarterback at the University of Alabama, it’s hard to go unnoticed.

Adults know you. Kids know you. And you’re more than likely going to have a random baby named after you.

But somehow, AJ McCarron managed to stay relatively low key during his first season as the Crimson Tide’s starter.

Until his media appearance Thursday inside the New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center, McCarron had done a pretty good job of distancing himself from journalists with help from coach Nick Saban.

Shockingly, the player who usually is more recognizable than the governor of Alabama went through most of 2011 away from the public eye.

“When you don’t get to talk to the media all year long, it’s not that [hard to avoid the limelight],” McCarron said.

But as he faced a throng of media members for his mini news conference, he certainly acted like the man in charge of Alabama’s offense. He spoke with confidence and sure looked like the Tide’s quarterback.

While McCarron hasn’t had to feel a ton of media scrutiny this season, his play has been criticized here and there. He will enter Monday’s Allstate BCS National Championship Game against No. 1 LSU with 2,400 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’ll also enter it with a lot of questions.

Is he ready for another big game on the big stage?

Can he fix the mistakes he made the last time?

Can he live up to the high school hype that followed him to Tuscaloosa?

McCarron thinks he can ... and he thinks he will.

You see, McCarron is a perfectionist. Mistakes really eat at him. Not immediately, but with time to sit and fester in his brain, errors can drive McCarron crazy. Dinner with him after a game can be almost unbearable because of his thirst for immediate improvement.

For most of his football life, McCarron has flourished each time he’s taken the field. As a three-year starter in high school, McCarron threw for 6,066 yards, 66 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.

With those numbers, it comes as no surprise that the little mistakes that have arisen this season frustrate him so much.

“When little things like that happen, I try to do my best to make sure they don’t happen again,” McCarron said.

That’s why the LSU game still haunts him. There were a handful of throws -- his interception in particular -- he wishes he had back. His poise was off, his throws were wild and his confidence wasn’t as high.

In the losing effort back on Nov. 5, McCarron threw for 199 yards and an interception on 16-of-28 passing. It has some wondering whether he can stand another game against LSU’s talented secondary.

“I don’t really pay attention to that,” he said. “I go out and play my game. I’m basically letting my play do the talking.”

To his teammates, his play has said a lot.

Senior center William Vlachos has marveled at McCarron's ability to show composure in environments at Florida, Penn State and Auburn. He also has been impressed with McCarron’s leadership skills, which emerged instantly after Greg McElroy left and before he was named starter.

“He’s very poised and he’s never wavered,” Vlachos said. “I’ve really been impressed with that. I kind of expected him to get a little bit rattled, being the quarterback at Alabama in those situations for the first times, but he really hasn’t had a problem with that.”

He also hasn’t had much of a problem expressing himself with some emotion on the field. If you watched carefully during the first part of the season, McCarron spent time showing just how much he thought of big plays with some trash talk, goofy celebrations and chest bumps.

“He’s kind of fearless,” junior offensive lineman Barrett Jones said. “He just doesn’t back down from big situations. For a young, first-year quarterback, that’s something that you are really impressed with as an offensive lineman. You can see that in his eyes.”

But after the QB taunted a Florida defensive lineman in early October, Saban told McCarron to tone down his emotions -- a move that proved costly a month later.

On Nov. 5, McCarron had no emotional edge. He wasn’t himself, and he didn’t play like it.

Almost immediately after, Saban told him to rev up that emotion, and here the two are -- days away from competing for a national championship.

McCarron said his antics -- which sometimes can be just random arm flailing, as Jones pointed out -- aren’t just for him. McCarron believes they energize his teammates, and Alabama will need plenty of that against LSU on Monday.

“I gotta play with emotion,” he said.

“That’s how I’ve always played the game. I try to get the best out of every guy around me. I feel like when you do that, when you play the game with emotion, it just gets guys’ energy level to the highest.”

Spring game: 3 p.m. ET on ESPNU and ESPN3.com

Questions answered: Julio Jones might not be out there anymore, but Alabama will still have a solid group of receivers this fall. Returning starters Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks have bee flying around this spring. Neither has the skill Jones had, but both will be formidable matchups for defenders this fall. Alabama should also be fine at running back without former Heisman winner Mark Ingram. Trent Richardson returns and he’s healthy, while newcomer Dee Hart has added a lot of speed to the position. Richardson not only has tremendous talent, but he has increased his leadership skills. This offense will be leaning on him quite a bit this season.

Questions unanswered: Greg McElroy is gone, but his replacement hasn’t been named. There are two guys -- A.J. McCarron and Phillip Sims -- still battling for the spot and it looks like a starter won’t be named until the fall. McCarron entered as the favorite, but Sims has made a major push this spring. Players have been pretty tight-lipped about the quarterback position, making Saturday’s spring game that much more interesting. Alabama’s secondary was an issue for the Tide in 2010 and this spring most of the unit was on the mend. Barron, Jarrick Williams, Dre Kirkpatrick and Nick Perry all dealt with injuries this spring. True evaluation of this unit won’t come until summer and fall workouts.

Spring stars: Hart was supposed to be getting ready for prom around this time, but instead he’ll be getting reps in Alabama’s spring game Saturday. Hart has played well in scrimmages and with his shiftiness and speed, he’ll add another element to Alabama’s bruising running game. Linebacker Dont’a Hightower seems to have his legs back this spring. After suffering a major knee injury in 2009 that even slowed him last year, Hightower has been solid in spring practices and is back to 100 percent. Linebacker C.J. Mosley made a ton of plays in scrimmages this spring. Receiver DeAndrew White was a bright spot on offense as well.

Of note: Defensive tackle Kerry Murphy, receiver Kendall Kelly and defensive back Wesley Neighbors missed spring practice with injuries. … Senior safety Mark Barron was limited as he recovered from surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. … Linebacker Alex Watkins underwent knee surgery that kept him out of the latter part of spring practices, but should ready for preseason camp in August. Former linebacker Ed Stinson is now at defensive end. ... Former Ohio State receiver Duron Carter, the son of Cris Carter, is finishing up at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College and plans to enroll at Alabama in June and will be eligible next season.

Schedule: The Crimson Tide will open practice Monday afternoon and conclude the spring with their A-Day spring game on April 16. It will be televised live by ESPNU with a 3 p.m. ET kickoff.

What’s new: Veteran offensive line coach Joe Pendry retired following the 2010 season and was replaced by Jeff Stoutland, who’d been Miami’s offensive line coach the previous four seasons. Mike Groh takes over as the Crimson Tide’s receivers coach and will also serve as recruiting coordinator. Chris Rumph was hired away from Clemson to replace Bo Davis as Alabama’s defensive line coach. Davis took a job on Texas’ staff.

On the mend: Defensive tackle Kerry Murphy, receiver Kendall Kelly and defensive back Wesley Neighbors will miss spring practice with injuries. Safety Mark Barron will be limited while recovering from surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle.

On the move: Sophomore Ed Stinson, who spent most of last season at linebacker, is making the move full time to defensive end.

Key battle: Steady Greg McElroy threw 37 touchdown passes and just nine interceptions the past two seasons in leading the Crimson Tide to a 24-3 record, including a national championship in 2009. His departure sets up what will be one of the most closely watched battles in the league this spring. Sophomore AJ McCarron and redshirt freshman Phillip Sims will duke it out for Alabama’s starting quarterback job. McCarron goes in as the guy to beat and is oozing with talent, but Sims can also throw it and has been looking forward to his opportunity on this stage.

New faces: Alabama welcomed nine enrollees in January who will be participating in spring practice, and at the head of the list are former Arizona Western College teammates Aaron Douglas and Jesse Williams. Douglas will vie for the starting job at left offensive tackle. He started his career at Tennessee and was a Freshman All-American for the Vols in 2009. The 6-4, 330-pound Williams has a chance to be an early impact guy at nose guard. A third junior college signee, Quinton Dial, will factor in at defensive end. Heralded running back Dee Hart of Orlando, Fla., is talented enough to warrant some carries next fall. He'll go through spring practice along with five other high school early enrollees -- receiver Ronald Carswell, quarterback Phillip Ely, defensive end Wilson Love and linebackers Vinnie Sunseri and Trey DePriest.

Breaking out: Senior jack linebacker Courtney Upshaw finished fifth in the SEC last season with 14.5 tackles for loss, and had six of those in his final two games against Auburn and Michigan State. You won't find Upshaw's name on any of the first- or second-team All-SEC lists from the past season, but he’s poised to make that jump and then some in 2011. The 6-2, 263-pound Upshaw returns as one of the best pass-rushers in the league.

Don’t forget about: Junior running back Trent Richardson wasn’t 100 percent for the latter half of the season a year ago, and it showed. But with Mark Ingram gone to the NFL, there are going to be a ton of carries coming Richardson’s way next season. Look for him to remind everybody why he’s one of the most feared offensive playmakers in the SEC.

All eyes on: An inexperienced secondary cost the Crimson Tide last season, especially when it came to blown assignments. Getting that unit to play with more discipline could be the difference between returning to the SEC championship game for the third time in four years and staying at home for the second straight year.

Alabama defeated Michigan State 49-7 on Saturday in the Capital One Bowl.

Here’s an instant analysis from the game:

How the game was won: It was pure domination by the Crimson Tide, who jumped out to a 28-0 lead at the half and never looked back. Michigan State was no match for an Alabama defense that set up shop in the Spartans’ backfield and kept coming the entire game. Offensively, Alabama drove the football at will and didn’t have to punt the football until the midway point of the third quarter.

Turning point: Alabama drove 79 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown on its first possession of the game, serving notice that the Crimson Tide had indeed come to play. From there, they scored touchdowns on their next three possessions to turn the game into a blowout in a hurry.

Player of the game: Junior linebacker Courtney Upshaw led Alabama’s swarming defense with three tackles for loss, including two sacks.

Unsung hero: In his final game in an Alabama uniform, senior quarterback Greg McElroy was 13-of-17 for 220 yards and a touchdown pass. He also led the way with a key block on Julio Jones’ 35-yard touchdown run on a reverse.

Stat of the game: Alabama held Michigan State to minus-48 yards rushing.

Record performance: Alabama set an SEC record with its 36^th win over the last three seasons.

Record performance II: With two rushing touchdowns, junior running back Mark Ingram set the school record with 42, breaking Shaun Alexander's old mark.

What it means: The Crimson Tide (10-3) waited until their final game, but finally got that complete game they’d been looking for all season. Even though they lost three games this season, there’s no doubt this was one of the most talented teams in the country. They just weren’t as consistent as they needed to be, but put it all together against the Spartans to win at least 10 games for the third straight season. Alabama will be one of the favorites to win the SEC next season, especially if the Crimson Tide can keep some of their underclassmen from going pro. Defensive end Marcell Dareus, Jones and Ingram are the most likely to make the jump.

Mark Dantonio called the 2011 Capital One Bowl a chance for Michigan State to measure up. Alabama showed the Spartans still have a long, long way to go.

Here's a look at Michigan State's humbling 49-7 loss to Alabama in the Capital One Bowl.

How the game was won: Alabama showed up from the get-go and mauled Michigan State on both sides of the ball. The Tide utilized their superior talent to overwhelm the Spartans, as quarterback Greg McElroy and his running backs shredded the Michigan State defense. The Spartans never got their ground game going against Alabama's athletic defense and quarterback Kirk Cousins couldn't find any sort of rhythm. They also couldn't stretch the field to get back in the game. Just a complete disaster for Dantonio's team in a bowl in which the Big Ten typically performs decently.

Player of the game: McElroy. The Alabama signal-caller turned in a brilliant performance in his final collegiate game. He completed 13 of 17 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions against a hapless Michigan State defense. Alabama's defense also had several outstanding individual performances, including that of Courtney Upshaw.

Turning point: You could go with the opening drive, but Michigan State trailed by only two touchdowns and had first-and-goal from the 7-yard line early in the second quarter. But after an inexcusable substitution penalty, Cousins absorbed a blind-side hit and lost the ball, which pin-balled all the way back to the 38-yard line. That set up the rarely seen punt on fourth-and-goal. Michigan State's only chance went up in smoke.

Stat of the game: Michigan State finished with minus-48 rush yards in the loss. The Spartans' previous season low for rushing was 31 yards in their only other loss, a 37-6 defeat at Iowa.

What it means: Dantonio has done a lot of good things in his four seasons as Spartans coach, but the program clearly isn't at elite status yet. Michigan State didn't perform like it deserved to be in a BCS bowl and was totally noncompetitive against a 9-3 Tide team. It doesn't take away from the Spartans' first Big Ten title in 20 years, but the loss leaves a sour taste after a special regular season. Michigan State must continue its recruiting efforts and keep upgrading the talent to be able to compete with teams like Alabama. The Spartans lose several outstanding seniors like linebacker Greg Jones but return a pretty good core for 2011.

Here are three keys for Alabama in its Capital One Bowl matchup with Michigan State:

1. Find some balance offensively: Alabama senior quarterback Greg McElroy had a big year throwing the football with 19 touchdown passes and only five interceptions. That was the good news. The bad news was that Alabama wasn’t nearly as effective running the ball as it was during its unbeaten national championship season. If the Crimson Tide can get Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson going in this game, then everything should fall into place offensively.

2. Avoid defensive breakdowns: The inexperience in the Alabama secondary reared its head more than a few times this season, usually at the worst times. Breakdowns in coverage cost the Crimson Tide in all three of their losses. They can’t afford to give up easy scores against the Spartans, who have already said they plan to test sophomore cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick.

3. Get the ball to Julio: Down the stretch, junior receiver Julio Jones was Alabama’s best player. For that matter, he was one of the best players in the SEC, period. He should draw some favorable matchups with the Michigan State cornerbacks, even when the Spartans shadow him with multiple defenders. The goal should be for Jones to get at least 10 touches in this game, which could include a few wrinkles.

Michigan State's secondary had a big-play problem in 2009. The Spartans gave up too many and made too few of their own.

Consequently, Michigan State ranked last in the Big Ten in pass defense (267.6 ypg), pass touchdowns allowed (32) and fewest takeaways (14). The Spartans ranked second to last in the league in interceptions with just six.

When the players started preparing for the 2010 camp, they didn't take long to find a group motto.

"We came up with MAP," safety Trenton Robinson said.

It translates easily: Make. A. Play.

"In our heads going into the season and everything, it was like, 'We've got to make a play,'" Robinson said. "If one guy in camp or during spring ball would make a play, everybody would be like, 'MAP. Make a play. Somebody make a play.’

"That was our biggest focus, just making plays."

The Spartans' defensive backs made plenty of plays this fall as Michigan State surged to 11-1 and a share of the Big Ten championship.

Michigan State ranked second in the Big Ten and tied for 11th nationally in interceptions with 17, nearly tripling its total from 2009. The Spartans had four games with multiple interceptions, including a four-pick performance against Northern Colorado and three picks against both Michigan and Illinois.

All four starting defensive backs -- safeties Robinson and Marcus Hyde, and cornerbacks Chris L. Rucker and Johnny Adams -- finished the regular season nationally ranked in passes defended. They combined for 12 interceptions and 30 passes defended.

Arguably no position group in the Big Ten had a bigger one-year turnaround than Michigan State's secondary, as all four starters received second-team all-conference honors from either the coaches or media.

"Last year, we would get in position to make a play, but we just couldn’t come down with it or break it up," Robinson said. "This year, we’re making plays on the ball. When the ball goes up, we’re trying to turn into wide receivers, getting interceptions, knocking the ball down. That's the biggest difference."

Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins saw an attitude change among the defensive backs this fall.

"They felt like they didn't live up to expectations last year and that wouldn't happen again," Cousins said. "They simply made a decision to play at a higher level and play with confidence. At the same time, coverage can be a result of pressure from the D-line. When the whole defensive steps up, including the defensive line, they're able to pressure a quarterback and force them to make poor decisions.

"That's going to help the secondary."

Michigan State will need every area of its defense to be clicking against Alabama in the Capital One Bowl. The Tide boast a veteran quarterback in Greg McElroy, two outstanding running backs in former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, and an elite receiver in Julio Jones.

"They're going to throw the ball deep on us, and I feel like Chris Rucker and Johnny will be in position on those wide receivers," Robinson said. "It's just going to come down to who’s going to make that play. Hopefully, it's us."

As we wind down the season and point toward the bowl games, I wanted to pay homage to the seniors in this league.

Yes, there are a ton of talented underclassmen in the SEC, many of whom are destined to leave early for the NFL.

But seniors are important in every program, and senior leadership is critical.

Here’s my tribute to the 12 seniors on each team in the league who rose above and beyond this season in terms of on-the-field performance, leadership and sacrificing for the good of the team.

We’ll call it our SEC’s Super Seniors, and it’s something we hope to do every season:

Ahmad Black, S, Florida: Not even Urban Meyer was sure Black was going to make it at Florida when he first arrived. He wasn’t very big, nor exceptionally fast. But he’s proven to be a staple in the Gators’ secondary for the last three seasons. Black led Florida with 102 tackles this season, leading all SEC defensive backs. He was third on the team with 10 tackles for loss and also had three interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Josh Bynes, LB, Auburn: You talk about instant energy. Bynes was Mr. Pick Me Up all season for the Tigers, who fed off his intensity and his passion. He was the guy who rallied the defense all those times when Auburn fell behind by big margins, and he was an invaluable presence in the locker room. A three-year starter, Bynes led Auburn this season with 71 total tackles and also had three interceptions, including two big ones in the Arkansas game.

Jonathan Cornell, LB, Ole Miss: He’s not real loud. In fact, he’s pretty quiet. But Cornell did his talking with his play this season, putting up All-SEC numbers and winning the respect of everybody on his team by the way he went about his business each day. Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt called him the “backbone,” and Cornell was indeed a steadying presence in what was a tough season for the Rebels. He led the team with 80 total tackles and was fifth in the league with 14 tackles for loss.

Akeem Dent, LB, Georgia: Without a doubt, Dent was one of the more underrated players in the SEC this season. He was second in the league with 122 total tackles. First-year defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will tell you that Dent was invaluable to that defense this season from his middle linebacker position. He called all the signals, made the checks and made one key stop after another for the Bulldogs.

Mike Hartline, QB, Kentucky: Despite his arrest early Friday morning, Hartline came through with the most productive season of his career and was a rock for the Wildcats both on and off the field. The first part of his career had been marred by injuries and inconsistency, but Hartline stayed the course and put up huge numbers this season. He was second only to Ryan Mallett in the SEC with 3,178 passing yards and also threw 23 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

Spencer Lanning, PK/P, South Carolina: Lanning was more than just a kicker for the Gamecocks. He was a strong voice in the locker room and demonstrated the kind of work ethic that was infectious. As a kicker, he was one of the best dual-threats in the country. He was 16-of-23 on field goals, ranking him fourth in the league, and was fifth in punting with a 44.2-yard average. Not bad for a guy who started his career without a scholarship and wound up becoming a captain.

Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama: One of the smartest guys you’re ever going to meet on a football field, McElroy had his most productive season of his career. His 19 passing touchdowns broke Alabama’s single-season record, and with 2,767 passing yards, he has a chance in the bowl game to break the single-season record for passing yards. McElroy has been a leader ever since he stepped into the starting quarterback role last season, compiling a 23-3 record as a starter.

Nick Reveiz, LB, Tennessee: Here’s another guy who started his career without a scholarship. But he quickly went from playing on the scout team to leading the Vols in tackles. A true inspiration with how he fought back from a serious knee injury last season, Reveiz piled up 94 total tackles this season and was the defensive quarterback on the field. He made big plays, got teammates in position to make plays and made a profound impact on everyone around him with the way he competed on every down.

Kelvin Sheppard, LB, LSU: The Tigers had a few veteran players to build around on defense, but they were also very young in a lot of spots. Sheppard was the centerpiece of the defense in every way. A fiery leader, he brought out the best in all of his teammates and wasn’t afraid to get in guys’ faces when it was warranted. His 108 total tackles ranked him third in the SEC. Included were 11 tackles for loss.

Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State: The names have changed in Mississippi State’s backfield the last two seasons, but the Bulldogs’ productivity in the running game just keeps churning along. Sherrod has been a big reason why. One of the best left tackles in college football, he was a multiple winner of SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors this season and is one of those guys everybody on the team looks up to for guidance.

John Stokes, LB, Vanderbilt: Headed to medical school, Stokes has been the quintessential student-athlete during his career at Vanderbilt. He also had the best season of his career on the football field. Injuries had plagued him in previous seasons, but he came fighting back to finish third on the team with 78 total tackles. With Vanderbilt being such a young team, Stokes was there every step of the way providing his senior leadership.

D.J. Williams, TE, Arkansas: The recipient of the Disney Spirit Award as college football’s most inspirational player, Williams had a dream senior season. The Hogs are going to the Sugar Bowl, and he also won the Mackey Award as the top tight end in the country. He leads the team with 49 catches and has become a much more complete tight end over the last couple of seasons. Moreover, he’s been the consummate team guy and is a big reason Arkansas’ team chemistry has been so good.

The SEC coaches thought enough of LSU's Patrick Peterson this season to name him Defensive Player of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year, a rare double for a player in this league.

Of course, Peterson is a rare talent. Not only is he the best cornerback in college football, but he emerged as one of the most explosive return specialists in the game this season, taking two punts back for touchdowns. In his first season returning kicks, Peterson broke the school record with 851 kickoff return yards.

The other individual SEC awards, as voted on by the coaches, went to Auburn quarterback Cam Newton as the Offensive Player of the Year, South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore as the Freshman of the Year and Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

In somewhat of a surprise, the coaches voted for South Carolina's Steve Spurrier as the SEC Coach of the Year. Auburn's Gene Chizik was the Associated Press winner of the award, as voted on by the media, and beat Spurrier twice this season. It's the seventh time Spurrier has been named SEC Coach of the Year. He earned the honor five times at Florida and also received the award in 2005, his first season at South Carolina.

Auburn senior offensive tackle Lee Ziemba won the Jacobs Trophy, which goes annually to the top blocker in the SEC. Ziemba has started in all 51 games at Auburn since arriving as a freshman in 2007.

So if you count the Associated Press individual awards, it's been an impressive haul for the Tigers. They can claim the top coach, top offensive player, top defensive player and top blocker in the SEC.

No wonder they're in the BCS National Championship Game.

1. Florida State senior quarterback Christian Ponder, a National Football Foundation scholar-athlete, said in New York on Tuesday that the ailing elbow that kept him out of the ACC Championship Game will benefit greatly from two weeks of rest. He will see a doctor on Thursday, and expects to miss the first week of bowl practice as the Seminoles prepare for South Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. But, Ponder said, he will be ready to play.

2. Playoffs or bowls? Two small college NFF scholar-athletes who have participated in NCAA playoffs endorsed the concept Tuesday. Division III St. Thomas back Ben Wartman called it “grueling,” and “fun” in nearly the same breath. Added Division II Minnesota-Duluth back Isaac Odim, “It’s a lot of work….But I definitely think it would be possible for an eight-team (FBS) playoff.”

3. Alabama senior quarterback Greg McElroy, also an NFF scholar-athlete, showed no ill effects of the concussion he received in the second half of the loss to Auburn 12 days ago. McElroy gave an impassioned defense of the BCS and the bowls. Not only will the two best teams play for the national championship, McElroy said, but “there are 70 teams across the nation that will get the opportunity to play just a little bit longer.”

Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3) vs. Michigan State Spartans (11-1)

Jan. 1, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Alabama take by SEC blogger Chris Low: National championships don’t come easily, and back-to-back national championships in college football are practically unheard of.

Alabama (9-3) fell short in its goal to repeat this season, which isn’t stunning given how rarely that’s happened in this sport. But seeing the Crimson Tide lose two of their last three SEC games was certainly different, especially when you consider that Nick Saban’s club had won 16 straight regular-season SEC games coming into this season.

Inconsistency plagued the Crimson Tide, who had trouble putting four quarters together. Never was that more apparent than in the final regular-season game when they built a 24-0 lead on No. 1 Auburn in the first half, only to unravel across the board and drop a bitter 28-27 decision at home.

This is still an extremely talented team with three guys who will probably go in the first round of the NFL draft next April. Nonetheless, the Crimson Tide’s inexperience in the secondary caught up with them this season. They will be even more inexperienced in the bowl game. Junior safety Mark Barron underwent surgery for a torn pectoral muscle after being injured in the Auburn game and won’t be able to play against Michigan State.

Senior quarterback Greg McElroy suffered a concussion against Auburn, but he should be fine for the bowl game. Probably the most surprising thing about this season for the Crimson Tide was that they weren’t able to run the ball better, although Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson battled injuries.

---

Michigan State take by Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg: A BCS bowl appearance would have been huge for Michigan State, but a matchup against Alabama in the Capital One Bowl is the next best thing.

As expected, the Spartans were snubbed from the big bowls despite a BCS-worthy résumé: a team-record 11 wins, a co-Big Ten championship, a victory against Rose Bowl-bound Wisconsin. Instead, they get an opportunity to prove just how worthy they are against the defending national champions, who are led by a man who used to coach in East Lansing.

The Nick Saban-Michigan State connection certainly adds intrigue to arguably the nation’s best non-BCS bowl. Saban coached the Spartans from 1995-99, compiling a 34-24-1 record before bolting for LSU before the 2000 Citrus Bowl (now Capital One Bowl). Current Spartans coach Mark Dantonio served as Saban’s secondary coach in East Lansing.

The game pairs two of the nation’s smartest and classiest quarterbacks in Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins and Alabama’s Greg McElroy as well as two of the nation’s most accomplished defenders in Michigan State’s Greg Jones and Alabama’s Marcell Dareus. Jones and the Spartans’ run defense face arguably their biggest test of the season against reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, a native of Flint, Mich., as well as dynamic sophomore Trent Richardson.

After setting so many milestones this fall, Michigan State aims for one more. The Spartans look for their first bowl win since 2001 and their first Jan. 1 bowl win since the Citrus in 2000.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama jumped out to a 24-0 advantage and leads No. 2 Auburn 24-7 at the half.

Here’s a quick halftime analysis:

Turning point: With his team trailing 14-0 in the first quarter, Auburn’s Nick Fairley sacked Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy on third down, seemingly coming up with a key stop. But Fairley was hit with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his celebration on the field, giving the Crimson Tide a 4th-and-4 at the Auburn 32. Alabama went for it and converted, and McElroy hit Darius Hanks a few plays later on a 12-yard touchdown pass to make it a 21-0 game.

Player of the half: McElroy was 19-of-23 for a career-high 335 yards passing and two touchdowns. He opened the game by hitting his first 12 passes.

Stat of the half: Alabama had 11 first downs to Auburn’s zero first downs in the first quarter, and Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was held to minus-10 yards on nine carries.

What Auburn needs to do: The Tigers had two huge defensive plays in the first half to keep the Crimson Tide from scoring even more points, but they have to do a better job on first down and get some three-and-outs early in the second half if they're going to get back into this game.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- It just dawned on me that I’ve seen this movie before.

This is Greg McElroy last season against Florida in the SEC championship game all over again.

We’ve played a quarter, and he’s 10-for-10 for 156 yards and two touchdowns, while his counterpart -- the Heisman Trophy front-runner -- has yet to complete a pass.

Cam Newton came into this game getting all the love, but McElroy has clearly been the better quarterback through a quarter of play.

It was a similar story last season when McElroy outplayed Tim Tebow.