College Football Nation: William Vlachos
Everybody talks about the best value picks come NFL draft time.
In other words, who were the best football players to go later in the draft?
Now that everybody else has had a say, I’ll weigh in with regard to SEC players.
Below are my value selections. These guys either went in the last three rounds of the draft or went undrafted, and I’m betting that all five will be contributors in the NFL. They’re listed alphabetically:
Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama: The Indianapolis Colts took Chapman with the first pick of the fifth round, and all you really need to know about Chapman is that he played most of last season with a torn ACL. He waited until after the season to have surgery. That decision hurt his draft stock, but helped his team and was a big reason the Crimson Tide won their second national championship in the last three years. Had Chapman not been recovering from surgery at draft time, he would have gone a lot higher. He should be cleared for practice in July and will have a great chance to win the starting nose guard job this fall.
Tim Fugger, DE, Vanderbilt: The Colts took Fugger with the seventh pick of the seventh round, and he projects as an outside linebacker in the Colts’ 3-4 scheme. The thing you love about Fugger is how smart, tough and intense he is. Plus, he ran a 4.6 40-yard dash in his workout at 250 pounds. He has a knack for making big plays, as evidenced by his eight sacks and three forced fumbles last season, and he doesn’t take plays off. There are more than a few former Vanderbilt defenders earning a living in the NFL right now. Fugger has everything it takes to join that fraternity.
Chris Rainey, RB, Florida: The Pittsburgh Steelers took Rainey with the 24th pick in the fifth round. Just from a special teams perspective alone, Rainey figures to be a huge asset. He has game-changing speed and will certainly be a threat in the return game, but what a lot of people forget is that he’s also Florida’s all-time leader with six blocked kicks. There’s just no substitute for the kind of speed Rainey possesses, and he’s proven than he can both run and catch the football. The Steelers will find a niche for him, and Rainey will put his speed to use in a number of different ways.
Danny Trevathan, LB, Kentucky: The Denver Broncos took Trevathan with the 18th pick in the sixth round. There were some who didn’t think Trevathan would be drafted at all, but a savvy football personnel guy is always going to take a chance on a player as productive as Trevathan was during his career at Kentucky. He racked up 287 total tackles over his last two seasons and was one of the surest tacklers in the SEC. He doesn’t have ideal size (6-0, 237), and he’s not very fast (4.82 in the 40). But turn on the tape and watch him make play after play against some of the best competition in the land. The guy’s a football player, and he’ll get it done on defense and on special teams at the next level.
William Vlachos, C, Alabama: Vlachos was not drafted and agreed to a free-agent deal with the Tennessee Titans. Let’s face it. If Vlachos were about three inches taller, he would have gone as high as any center in the draft. But he’s barely 6-0, and we all know the NFL’s hang-up with measurables. It’s a given that Vlachos isn’t going to get any taller, but he’s a natural when it comes to playing center. He was the engine for that Alabama offensive line last season and has started for three years. He’s as smart as he is tough and always wins the leverage battle because he plays so low. Go ask Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram what they think of Vlachos, who went up against everybody from Nick Fairley to Michael Brockers to Fletcher Cox during his career.
In other words, who were the best football players to go later in the draft?
Now that everybody else has had a say, I’ll weigh in with regard to SEC players.
Below are my value selections. These guys either went in the last three rounds of the draft or went undrafted, and I’m betting that all five will be contributors in the NFL. They’re listed alphabetically:
Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama: The Indianapolis Colts took Chapman with the first pick of the fifth round, and all you really need to know about Chapman is that he played most of last season with a torn ACL. He waited until after the season to have surgery. That decision hurt his draft stock, but helped his team and was a big reason the Crimson Tide won their second national championship in the last three years. Had Chapman not been recovering from surgery at draft time, he would have gone a lot higher. He should be cleared for practice in July and will have a great chance to win the starting nose guard job this fall.
Tim Fugger, DE, Vanderbilt: The Colts took Fugger with the seventh pick of the seventh round, and he projects as an outside linebacker in the Colts’ 3-4 scheme. The thing you love about Fugger is how smart, tough and intense he is. Plus, he ran a 4.6 40-yard dash in his workout at 250 pounds. He has a knack for making big plays, as evidenced by his eight sacks and three forced fumbles last season, and he doesn’t take plays off. There are more than a few former Vanderbilt defenders earning a living in the NFL right now. Fugger has everything it takes to join that fraternity.
Chris Rainey, RB, Florida: The Pittsburgh Steelers took Rainey with the 24th pick in the fifth round. Just from a special teams perspective alone, Rainey figures to be a huge asset. He has game-changing speed and will certainly be a threat in the return game, but what a lot of people forget is that he’s also Florida’s all-time leader with six blocked kicks. There’s just no substitute for the kind of speed Rainey possesses, and he’s proven than he can both run and catch the football. The Steelers will find a niche for him, and Rainey will put his speed to use in a number of different ways.
Danny Trevathan, LB, Kentucky: The Denver Broncos took Trevathan with the 18th pick in the sixth round. There were some who didn’t think Trevathan would be drafted at all, but a savvy football personnel guy is always going to take a chance on a player as productive as Trevathan was during his career at Kentucky. He racked up 287 total tackles over his last two seasons and was one of the surest tacklers in the SEC. He doesn’t have ideal size (6-0, 237), and he’s not very fast (4.82 in the 40). But turn on the tape and watch him make play after play against some of the best competition in the land. The guy’s a football player, and he’ll get it done on defense and on special teams at the next level.
William Vlachos, C, Alabama: Vlachos was not drafted and agreed to a free-agent deal with the Tennessee Titans. Let’s face it. If Vlachos were about three inches taller, he would have gone as high as any center in the draft. But he’s barely 6-0, and we all know the NFL’s hang-up with measurables. It’s a given that Vlachos isn’t going to get any taller, but he’s a natural when it comes to playing center. He was the engine for that Alabama offensive line last season and has started for three years. He’s as smart as he is tough and always wins the leverage battle because he plays so low. Go ask Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram what they think of Vlachos, who went up against everybody from Nick Fairley to Michael Brockers to Fletcher Cox during his career.
How 2011 All-SEC team ranked as recruits
January, 26, 2012
Jan 26
12:27
PM ET
By
Chris Low | ESPN.com
One of the things I like to do every year leading up to national signing day is go back and look at where the players who made All-SEC that season ranked as high school recruits.
Occasionally, it’s stunning how few of the All-SEC players were hot-shot recruits. For instance, of the 11 defensive players who earned first-team, All-SEC honors in 2010 by the Associated Press, only two were ESPNU 150 recruits (ranked among the top 150 players nationally).
It’s a reminder that recruiting rankings are anything but foolproof.
However, the recruiting folks at ESPN batted a much higher percentage with the players on the 2011 All-SEC team.
Using the coaches’ selections this time, 10 of the 22 position players on offense and defense were ESPNU 150 selections coming out of high school.
In fact, both of the running backs -- Trent Richardson and Michael Dyer -- were rated as the No. 1 running back prospects in the country the years they graduated high school.
LSU’s Rueben Randle was the No. 1-rated receiver in 2009, while Arkansas receiver/return specialist Joe Adams was the No. 2-rated athlete in 2008.
So the evaluations by the ESPN recruiting team on the top skill players from this past season in the SEC were dead-on when they were coming out of high school.
It’s a little trickier with the guys up front.
Of the 10 offensive/defensive linemen named to the 2011 All-SEC team by the coaches, counting the tight end, only three were ESPNU 150 selections coming out of high school – Alabama center William Vlachos, Auburn defensive end Corey Lemonier and LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery.
LSU offensive tackle Alex Hurst and Arkansas defensive end Jake Bequette weren’t ranked nationally or regionally as high school prospects.
Using ESPN’s recruiting rankings and the 2011 coaches’ All-SEC team, here’s a look back:
OFFENSE
Occasionally, it’s stunning how few of the All-SEC players were hot-shot recruits. For instance, of the 11 defensive players who earned first-team, All-SEC honors in 2010 by the Associated Press, only two were ESPNU 150 recruits (ranked among the top 150 players nationally).
It’s a reminder that recruiting rankings are anything but foolproof.
However, the recruiting folks at ESPN batted a much higher percentage with the players on the 2011 All-SEC team.
Using the coaches’ selections this time, 10 of the 22 position players on offense and defense were ESPNU 150 selections coming out of high school.
In fact, both of the running backs -- Trent Richardson and Michael Dyer -- were rated as the No. 1 running back prospects in the country the years they graduated high school.
LSU’s Rueben Randle was the No. 1-rated receiver in 2009, while Arkansas receiver/return specialist Joe Adams was the No. 2-rated athlete in 2008.
So the evaluations by the ESPN recruiting team on the top skill players from this past season in the SEC were dead-on when they were coming out of high school.
It’s a little trickier with the guys up front.
Of the 10 offensive/defensive linemen named to the 2011 All-SEC team by the coaches, counting the tight end, only three were ESPNU 150 selections coming out of high school – Alabama center William Vlachos, Auburn defensive end Corey Lemonier and LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery.
LSU offensive tackle Alex Hurst and Arkansas defensive end Jake Bequette weren’t ranked nationally or regionally as high school prospects.
Using ESPN’s recruiting rankings and the 2011 coaches’ All-SEC team, here’s a look back:
OFFENSE
- QB: Tyler Wilson, Arkansas – An ESPNU 150 selection in 2008. Ranked as the No. 8 quarterback in the class and the No. 82 prospect overall. A grade of 82. Ranked one spot below Andrew Luck that year among quarterbacks. Terrelle Pryor was No. 1. Wilson was the top-rated quarterback to sign with an SEC school in 2008. No. 2 on the list was Jordan Jefferson, and No. 3 was Star Jackson.
- RB: Trent Richardson, Alabama – An ESPNU 150 selection in 2009. The No. 1 running back in the class and the No. 6 prospect overall. A grade of 91. Only two players were rated higher than Richardson that signed with SEC schools in 2009 – No. 3 Russell Shepard to LSU and No. 4 Dre Kirkpatrick to Alabama.
- RB: Michael Dyer, Auburn – An ESPNU 150 selection in 2010. The No. 1 running back in the class and the No. 5 prospect overall. A grade of 87. The No. 1 player that year was Ronald Powell, and No. 3 was Dominique Easley, both defensive linemen who went to Florida.
- WR: Jarius Wright, Arkansas – Ranked as the No. 44 receiver nationally in 2008 and the No. 115 prospect in the Southeast. A grade of 79. Twelve receivers who signed with SEC schools were rated ahead of Wright, including Julio Jones and A.J. Green. Some of the others rated ahead of Wright included Rod Wilks, Aaron Boyd, T.J. Lawrence, Chris Tolliver, Destin Hood and Frankie Hammond Jr.
- WR: Rueben Randle, LSU – An ESPNU 150 selection in 2009. The No. 1 receiver in the class and the No. 10 overall prospect overall. A grade of 86. Six players that year rated in from of him signed with SEC schools – Russell Shepard, Dre Kirkpatrick, Trent Richardson, Craig Loston, Bryce Brown and Jelani Jenkins.
- TE: Orson Charles, Georgia – Ranked as the No. 15 tight end prospect nationally, the No. 150 prospect in the Southeast and the No. 59 prospect in the state of Florida in 2009. A grade of 79. Arthur Lynch, who also signed with Georgia, was rated ahead of Charles that year at tight end. The top-rated tight end to sign with an SEC school that year was Zaccheus Mason, who went to Ole Miss.
- AP: Joe Adams, Arkansas – An ESPNU 150 selection in 2008. The No. 2 athlete in the class and the No. 41 prospect overall. A grade of 83. The player ranked No. 1 nationally that year as an athlete was Burton Scott, who went to Alabama and later transferred to South Alabama. For what it’s worth, No. 86 on that list was Randall Cobb.
- OL: Barrett Jones, Alabama – Ranked as the No. 28 offensive tackle nationally and the No. 157 prospect in the Southeast in 2008. A grade of 78. The No. 1 offensive tackle that year nationally was Jones’ Alabama teammate, Tyler Love. Another teammate, John Michael Boswell, was also rated ahead of Jones at No. 19.
- OL: Will Blackwell, LSU – Ranked as the No. 15 defensive tackle nationally in the 2007 class and unranked regionally or overall. A grade of 79. The top-rated defensive tackle that year to sign with an SEC school was D.J. Stafford, who went to Kentucky and was No. 2 nationally. John Brown was No. 3 and went to Florida. For what it’s worth, Josh Chapman was the No. 74 defensive tackle, and 18 tackles that year who signed with SEC schools were rated ahead of Chapman.
- OL: Cordy Glenn, Georgia – Ranked as the No. 74 offensive tackle nationally in 2008 and the No. 390 prospect in the Southeast. A grade of 74. Ten offensive tackles who signed with SEC schools that year were rated ahead of Glenn.
- OL: Alex Hurst, LSU – Unranked regionally or nationally with a grade of 40 coming out of Bartlett, Tenn., in 2008. Hurst was able to attract Les Miles’ attention at an LSU football camp.
- C: William Vlachos, Alabama – An ESPNU 150 selection. Ranked as the No. 3 offensive guard nationally and the No. 80 prospect overall in 2007. A grade of 80. The No. 1 offensive guard that year was James Wilson, who went to Florida.
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Nelson Chenault/US PresswireJarius Wright wasn't as highly touted coming out of high school as several other wide receiver prospects who ended up at SEC schools.
Nelson Chenault/US PresswireJarius Wright wasn't as highly touted coming out of high school as several other wide receiver prospects who ended up at SEC schools.The 2011 SEC All-Bowl team
January, 13, 2012
Jan 13
11:18
AM ET
By
Chris Low and
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
We're taking one last look at the SEC's postseason by putting together our All-SEC bowl team:
OFFENSE
QB: Connor Shaw, South Carolina: Shaw didn't seem to feel the pressure of a bowl game, completing 11 of 17 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 42 yards and another score in the Gamecocks' win against Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. He even gave South Carolina the momentum going into the second half with a touchdown on a Hail Mary to end the first half.
RB: Vick Ballard, Mississippi State: Ballard ended his career with the Bulldogs with one of his best performances, as he rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries in Mississippi State's win against Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl. His touchdowns went for 72 and 60 yards.
RB: Onterio McCalebb, Auburn: As the Tigers' lead back in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, McCalebb had a game-high 109 rushing yards, including a long of 60. He also recorded a three-yard touchdown run and caught two passes for 53 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown in Auburn's win against Virginia.
WR: Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina: Jeffery's day would have been even better if he hadn't been ejected. However, he still caught four passes for a game-high 148 yards and snagged Shaw's Hail Mary touchdown pass at the end of the first half. He also had a 78-yard reception.
WR: Tavarres King, Georgia: King tried his best to get Georgia a victory in the Outback Bowl against Michigan State. He was Aaron Murray's best friend, catching six passes for a career-high 205 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown pass that at one point stood as the longest play in Outback Bowl history.
TE: Brad Smelley, Alabama: The Crimson Tide got its passing game going with Smelley in Monday's Allstate BCS National Championship win against LSU. He was AJ McCarron's safety net when plays broke down, and the young quarterback also used Smelley on rollouts. Smelley finished the game with seven catches for 39 yards.
OL: Barrett Jones, Alabama: Behind one of the most versatile linemen in the entire country, Alabama's line held back LSU's defensive front for most of Monday night's game. Alabama ran for 150 yards against LSU's vaunted defense. He also kept McCarron safe, as the youngster was sacked only twice while throwing for 234 yards.
OL: Alvin Bailey, Arkansas: He just keeps looking better and better for the Razorbacks. In Arkansas' AT&T Cotton Bowl victory against Kansas State, he helped Arkansas churn out 129 rushing yards on 4.3 yards per carry and helped give quarterback Tyler Wilson enough time to pass for 216 yards and two touchdowns.
OL: Kyle Nunn, South Carolina: The Gamecocks' offensive line gave up four sacks to Nebraska, but Shaw was still able to throw for 230 yards and two touchdowns. With Nunn's help, the Gamecocks also rushed for 121 yards against the Cornhuskers.
OL: Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State: Ballard's outstanding performance for the Bulldogs wouldn't have been possible if not for some solid line play. Jackson had one of his best outings, as he helped Mississippi State rush for 253 yards and pass for another 129. Mississippi State gave up just one sack to Wake Forest.
C: William Vlachos, Alabama: Vlachos had his hands full with the interior of LSU's defensive line, but he more than held his own. He battled all night with LSU's Michael Brockers and allowed him to assist on just one tackle for loss. He provided a ton of protection in the passing game and helped Alabama rush for 150 yards on LSU's defense.
DEFENSE
DE: Jake Bequette, Arkansas: Bequette said before Arkansas' bowl game that the Hogs' defense needed to make a statement. Bequette certainly made a few in his final game with the Razorbacks, registering two sacks, forcing a fumble and totaling three tackles.
DE: Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina: The freshman put a nice bow on his first season with the Gamecocks. He put a ton of pressure on Nebraska's backfield with two sacks for a loss of 13 yards and finished the game with four tackles.
DT: Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State: Cox wanted to make a lasting impression in his final game with the Bulldogs, and he certainly did by disrupting Wake Forest's offensive line in the Music City Bowl. He finished the game with seven tackles, including two for loss and a sack, and blocked his fifth career kick, which is a Mississippi State record.
DT: Michael Brockers, LSU: Brockers had a tough time with Vlachos in the middle, but that didn't stop him from making plays. He did a tremendous job of clogging holes in the middle for the Tigers and finished the game with seven tackles, assisting on one for loss, and blocked a field goal attempt.
LB: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama: It came as no surprise that Upshaw was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game. He was nearly unblockable for LSU on Monday night. He put immense pressure on LSU's backfield and finished the game with six tackles, including a sack.
LB: Archibald Barnes, Vanderbilt: Barnes was a true rover for Vanderbilt against Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl. He had a game-high 10 tackles, assisting on one for a loss, and blocked a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter that gave Vandy some life late.
LB: Alec Ogletree, Georgia: Georgia might not have come up with the win in the Outback Bowl, but it wasn't because of how Ogletree played. He was all over the field for the Bulldogs, grabbing a game-high 13 tackles, including two for loss, breaking up two passes and getting a sack.
CB: Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt: Yet again, Hayward was tremendous in coverage for the Commodores. He grabbed two interceptions and broke up another pass. He was also second on the team with eight tackles, including one for loss. Cincinnati threw for just 80 yards against the Commodores.
CB: Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina: Gilmore ended his South Carolina career on a high note. He recorded five tackles, including one for loss, and an interception. He also returned a blocked extra point for South Carolina's first points of the game. Nebraska threw for just 116 yards on the Gamecocks' secondary.
S: Mark Barron, Alabama: Barron recorded just two tackles, including a sack, but he was outstanding in coverage. He roamed the back part of the field for the Crimson Tide and didn't allow LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson to stretch the field at all because of his positioning. Jefferson threw for just 53 yards on Alabama.
S: Matt Elam, Florida: Elam was Florida's most consistent player during the regular season, and he was all over the field for the Gators in the Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl against Ohio State. He finished the game with six tackles, two for loss and a sack.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK: Jeremy Shelley, Alabama: Talk about redeeming the position that spoiled Alabama's first game against LSU. Shelley hit five of his seven field goal attempts against the Tigers and even rebounded to hit four of his final five after having his second attempt blocked in the second quarter.
P: Dylan Breeding, Arkansas: He punted four times for an average of 46.8 yards per kick. He had a long of 63 yards and dropped two inside the 20-yard line against Kansas State.
RS: Joe Adams, Arkansas: Surprise, surprise, Adams made another special teams unit look silly. Against Kansas State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl, Adams got things started for the Hogs with a nifty 51-yard punt return for a touchdown. His return sparked a 16-point second quarter for the Hogs.
AP: Brandon Boykin, Georgia: Boykin found a way to put points on the board three different ways in the Outback Bowl. He forced a safety when he stuffed Michigan State's Keshawn Martin on the Spartans' first offensive play, returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown and caught a 13-yard touchdown late. His punt return was the longest play in Outback Bowl history.
OFFENSE
QB: Connor Shaw, South Carolina: Shaw didn't seem to feel the pressure of a bowl game, completing 11 of 17 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 42 yards and another score in the Gamecocks' win against Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. He even gave South Carolina the momentum going into the second half with a touchdown on a Hail Mary to end the first half.
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AP Photo/Mark HumphreyMississippi State's Vick Ballard rushed for 180 yards against Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl.
AP Photo/Mark HumphreyMississippi State's Vick Ballard rushed for 180 yards against Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl.RB: Onterio McCalebb, Auburn: As the Tigers' lead back in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, McCalebb had a game-high 109 rushing yards, including a long of 60. He also recorded a three-yard touchdown run and caught two passes for 53 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown in Auburn's win against Virginia.
WR: Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina: Jeffery's day would have been even better if he hadn't been ejected. However, he still caught four passes for a game-high 148 yards and snagged Shaw's Hail Mary touchdown pass at the end of the first half. He also had a 78-yard reception.
WR: Tavarres King, Georgia: King tried his best to get Georgia a victory in the Outback Bowl against Michigan State. He was Aaron Murray's best friend, catching six passes for a career-high 205 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown pass that at one point stood as the longest play in Outback Bowl history.
TE: Brad Smelley, Alabama: The Crimson Tide got its passing game going with Smelley in Monday's Allstate BCS National Championship win against LSU. He was AJ McCarron's safety net when plays broke down, and the young quarterback also used Smelley on rollouts. Smelley finished the game with seven catches for 39 yards.
OL: Barrett Jones, Alabama: Behind one of the most versatile linemen in the entire country, Alabama's line held back LSU's defensive front for most of Monday night's game. Alabama ran for 150 yards against LSU's vaunted defense. He also kept McCarron safe, as the youngster was sacked only twice while throwing for 234 yards.
OL: Alvin Bailey, Arkansas: He just keeps looking better and better for the Razorbacks. In Arkansas' AT&T Cotton Bowl victory against Kansas State, he helped Arkansas churn out 129 rushing yards on 4.3 yards per carry and helped give quarterback Tyler Wilson enough time to pass for 216 yards and two touchdowns.
OL: Kyle Nunn, South Carolina: The Gamecocks' offensive line gave up four sacks to Nebraska, but Shaw was still able to throw for 230 yards and two touchdowns. With Nunn's help, the Gamecocks also rushed for 121 yards against the Cornhuskers.
OL: Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State: Ballard's outstanding performance for the Bulldogs wouldn't have been possible if not for some solid line play. Jackson had one of his best outings, as he helped Mississippi State rush for 253 yards and pass for another 129. Mississippi State gave up just one sack to Wake Forest.
C: William Vlachos, Alabama: Vlachos had his hands full with the interior of LSU's defensive line, but he more than held his own. He battled all night with LSU's Michael Brockers and allowed him to assist on just one tackle for loss. He provided a ton of protection in the passing game and helped Alabama rush for 150 yards on LSU's defense.
DEFENSE
DE: Jake Bequette, Arkansas: Bequette said before Arkansas' bowl game that the Hogs' defense needed to make a statement. Bequette certainly made a few in his final game with the Razorbacks, registering two sacks, forcing a fumble and totaling three tackles.
DE: Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina: The freshman put a nice bow on his first season with the Gamecocks. He put a ton of pressure on Nebraska's backfield with two sacks for a loss of 13 yards and finished the game with four tackles.
DT: Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State: Cox wanted to make a lasting impression in his final game with the Bulldogs, and he certainly did by disrupting Wake Forest's offensive line in the Music City Bowl. He finished the game with seven tackles, including two for loss and a sack, and blocked his fifth career kick, which is a Mississippi State record.
DT: Michael Brockers, LSU: Brockers had a tough time with Vlachos in the middle, but that didn't stop him from making plays. He did a tremendous job of clogging holes in the middle for the Tigers and finished the game with seven tackles, assisting on one for loss, and blocked a field goal attempt.
LB: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama: It came as no surprise that Upshaw was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game. He was nearly unblockable for LSU on Monday night. He put immense pressure on LSU's backfield and finished the game with six tackles, including a sack.
LB: Archibald Barnes, Vanderbilt: Barnes was a true rover for Vanderbilt against Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl. He had a game-high 10 tackles, assisting on one for a loss, and blocked a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter that gave Vandy some life late.
LB: Alec Ogletree, Georgia: Georgia might not have come up with the win in the Outback Bowl, but it wasn't because of how Ogletree played. He was all over the field for the Bulldogs, grabbing a game-high 13 tackles, including two for loss, breaking up two passes and getting a sack.
CB: Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt: Yet again, Hayward was tremendous in coverage for the Commodores. He grabbed two interceptions and broke up another pass. He was also second on the team with eight tackles, including one for loss. Cincinnati threw for just 80 yards against the Commodores.
CB: Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina: Gilmore ended his South Carolina career on a high note. He recorded five tackles, including one for loss, and an interception. He also returned a blocked extra point for South Carolina's first points of the game. Nebraska threw for just 116 yards on the Gamecocks' secondary.
S: Mark Barron, Alabama: Barron recorded just two tackles, including a sack, but he was outstanding in coverage. He roamed the back part of the field for the Crimson Tide and didn't allow LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson to stretch the field at all because of his positioning. Jefferson threw for just 53 yards on Alabama.
S: Matt Elam, Florida: Elam was Florida's most consistent player during the regular season, and he was all over the field for the Gators in the Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl against Ohio State. He finished the game with six tackles, two for loss and a sack.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK: Jeremy Shelley, Alabama: Talk about redeeming the position that spoiled Alabama's first game against LSU. Shelley hit five of his seven field goal attempts against the Tigers and even rebounded to hit four of his final five after having his second attempt blocked in the second quarter.
P: Dylan Breeding, Arkansas: He punted four times for an average of 46.8 yards per kick. He had a long of 63 yards and dropped two inside the 20-yard line against Kansas State.
RS: Joe Adams, Arkansas: Surprise, surprise, Adams made another special teams unit look silly. Against Kansas State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl, Adams got things started for the Hogs with a nifty 51-yard punt return for a touchdown. His return sparked a 16-point second quarter for the Hogs.
AP: Brandon Boykin, Georgia: Boykin found a way to put points on the board three different ways in the Outback Bowl. He forced a safety when he stuffed Michigan State's Keshawn Martin on the Spartans' first offensive play, returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown and caught a 13-yard touchdown late. His punt return was the longest play in Outback Bowl history.
Chris Low talks to Alabama's William Vlachos after the BCS title game about winning two championships in three years, the Tide's game plan and his postgame plans.
NEW ORLEANS -- The rest of the college football world will be watching on Monday night.
But in the Big Easy, it’s strictly an SEC world.
The SEC will make it six straight national championships when Alabama and LSU clash in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in what will be the first matchup of two teams from the same league in the BCS National Championship Game.
The players on both sides said they don’t see the SEC onslaught ending any time soon. Already, several early preseason polls for 2012 include four and five SEC teams in the top 10.
Everybody wants to know what the common denominator is in the SEC’s success.
In short, Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower said it’s a combination of size, strength and speed mixed in with superior coaching.
“There are a lot of guys who are fast, or they’re big and strong,” Hightower said. “But in the SEC, you’ve got both. You’ve got guys who are 260 and run a 4.5 or 4.6 [in the 40-yard dash], and you see guys who are 200 and 210 pounds that can bench-press 500 pounds. You don’t see that in a lot of conferences.
“It’s that, and I think the coaches here have more of an edge than other conferences.”
LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers said there’s a level of defense played in the SEC with a level of athlete, particularly in the defensive line, that other conferences can’t match.
“Look at the front sevens in the SEC,” Brockers said. “Where else do you see that kind of size, speed and depth? There are great players all over college football, but every team has them in the SEC, and I’m talking about big guys who can run and make plays.”
Alabama center William Vlachos said LSU’s depth in the defensive line is a perfect example.
“They run three or four off and bring in three or four just as good,” Vlachos said. “There’s no drop-off … in size, speed or strength.”
Depth, period, is something that sets both Alabama and LSU apart.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smarts points to LSU’s backfield on offense. Spencer Ware was the go-to guy to begin the season, but Michael Ford goes into the national title game as the Tigers’ leading rusher. Alfred Blue isn’t too far behind, and 240-pound true freshman Kenny Hilliard has emerged as their most powerful back toward the end of the season.
“By the fourth quarter, your linebackers are tackling them 30 times, and they’re getting tackled for the fourth time and fifth time because they’re sharing all the carries,” Smart said. “They’ve got four really good backs, and that’s what you better have in this league to be good.”
Even when the SEC’s streak hits six in a row on Monday, Hightower realizes there will be some people out there who simply won’t give the league its due.
Never mind that four SEC teams are poised to finish in the top 8 of the final polls for the first time ever or that five SEC teams finished among the top 16 in the final BCS standings.
“I feel like there’s always going to be a debate,” Hightower said. “But if you look at the six straight years of winning the national championship and all the bowl games, the SEC has always been the best overall.”
But in the Big Easy, it’s strictly an SEC world.
The SEC will make it six straight national championships when Alabama and LSU clash in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in what will be the first matchup of two teams from the same league in the BCS National Championship Game.
The players on both sides said they don’t see the SEC onslaught ending any time soon. Already, several early preseason polls for 2012 include four and five SEC teams in the top 10.
Everybody wants to know what the common denominator is in the SEC’s success.
More on the BCS championship
For full coverage of the LSU-Alabama matchup in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game, check out the BCS championship home page.
More:
• BCS championship blog coverage
Monday on ESPN networks
All times Eastern
• 2 p.m.: The Experts: Allstate BCS National Championship Edition (ESPNU)
• 3 p.m.: College Football Live at the BCS (ESPN)
• 4 p.m.: BCS Countdown (ESPN2)
• 5 p.m.: BCS Countdown (ESPNU)
• 6 p.m.: College GameDay (ESPN)
• 8:30 p.m.: Allstate BCS National Championship: LSU vs. Alabama (ESPN)
“There are a lot of guys who are fast, or they’re big and strong,” Hightower said. “But in the SEC, you’ve got both. You’ve got guys who are 260 and run a 4.5 or 4.6 [in the 40-yard dash], and you see guys who are 200 and 210 pounds that can bench-press 500 pounds. You don’t see that in a lot of conferences.
“It’s that, and I think the coaches here have more of an edge than other conferences.”
LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers said there’s a level of defense played in the SEC with a level of athlete, particularly in the defensive line, that other conferences can’t match.
“Look at the front sevens in the SEC,” Brockers said. “Where else do you see that kind of size, speed and depth? There are great players all over college football, but every team has them in the SEC, and I’m talking about big guys who can run and make plays.”
Alabama center William Vlachos said LSU’s depth in the defensive line is a perfect example.
“They run three or four off and bring in three or four just as good,” Vlachos said. “There’s no drop-off … in size, speed or strength.”
Depth, period, is something that sets both Alabama and LSU apart.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smarts points to LSU’s backfield on offense. Spencer Ware was the go-to guy to begin the season, but Michael Ford goes into the national title game as the Tigers’ leading rusher. Alfred Blue isn’t too far behind, and 240-pound true freshman Kenny Hilliard has emerged as their most powerful back toward the end of the season.
“By the fourth quarter, your linebackers are tackling them 30 times, and they’re getting tackled for the fourth time and fifth time because they’re sharing all the carries,” Smart said. “They’ve got four really good backs, and that’s what you better have in this league to be good.”
Even when the SEC’s streak hits six in a row on Monday, Hightower realizes there will be some people out there who simply won’t give the league its due.
Never mind that four SEC teams are poised to finish in the top 8 of the final polls for the first time ever or that five SEC teams finished among the top 16 in the final BCS standings.
“I feel like there’s always going to be a debate,” Hightower said. “But if you look at the six straight years of winning the national championship and all the bowl games, the SEC has always been the best overall.”
NEW ORLEANS -- The trenches were no place for the meek the last time Alabama and LSU tangled, and that’s where this game will be won on Monday night in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game.
Alabama center William Vlachos said LSU’s depth up front in the defensive line was staggering, and that every time he looked up there were three or four fresh guys running into the game.
“They’re deep, but they’re also good and very well-coached,” Vlachos said. “They don’t make many mistakes.”
LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers said Vlachos, who’s listed at 6-1 (which is probably a stretch), is one of the best he’s gone against. The 6-6 Brockers has Vlachos by a good five or six inches, which is not always ideal for an interior defensive lineman.
“I kind of took it as funny at first because he’s so short,” Brockers said. “I was like, ‘Dang, he’s short,’ and he is short. But he’s got the leverage all the time. I’m 6-6 and don’t know how tall he is, 6-1 or 6-2, but he’s under my pads pretty much every play.
“Sometimes he’s blocking me and I’m looking over him and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m getting blocked.’ That guy uses his strength and leverage to his advantage.”
Brockers said the only thing more difficult than going up against Alabama’s offensive line is trying to tackle Trent Richardson.
“After the (first) game, my neck was hurting, shoulders, everything,” Brockers said. “It’s like hitting a brick wall constantly. He gets the ball a lot, so you have to hit him a lot. You can’t know how solid he really is.
“We’ve got to get all 11 hats to the ball. You can’t take that dude down with one guy.”
Richardson rushed for 89 hard-earned yards on 23 carries in the first game against LSU and also caught five passes for 80 yards, but the Crimson Tide were stymied any time they moved inside the 30.
This time, Richardson said Alabama needs to “step on the throat."
Four different times back on Nov. 5, Alabama had a first-and-10 at the LSU 30 (or closer) only to be bogged down by a negative play on first down. Twice they lost yardage, once on a reverse to receiver Marquis Maze. They also had 5-yard penalty on a substitution infraction, and Maze’s pass out of the Wildcat formation was intercepted by LSU’s Eric Reid at the 1.
In overtime, the Crimson Tide had another 5-yard penalty on a substitution infraction with it second-and-1o at the 25.
“Everybody wants to talk about our kickers not making their field goals,” Richardson said. “Those were long field goals. We’re the ones who need to finish drives.”
Maze suggested that Alabama might have gotten too cute with a few of the trick plays and needs to do what it does best on offense and go right after the Tigers.
Of course, that’s easier said than done against an LSU defense that simply doesn’t give up many touchdowns, period, and specializes in knocking teams out of scoring position.
“Here’s the deal. If a couple of those things had worked, we would have been geniuses,” Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain said. “If we would have just run the ball inside, it would have been the other way. That’s the beauty of this sport. That’s the beauty of you guys (the media). You’ve got to have something to write about. You either make a great call or you don’t.
“Give them the credit on defense. They stopped us.”
Alabama center William Vlachos said LSU’s depth up front in the defensive line was staggering, and that every time he looked up there were three or four fresh guys running into the game.
“They’re deep, but they’re also good and very well-coached,” Vlachos said. “They don’t make many mistakes.”
“That respect is mutual."I was like, 'Dang, he's short,' and he is short. But he's got the leverage all the time. I'm 6-6 and don't know how tall he is, 6-1 or 6-2, but he's under my pads pretty much every play. "
” -- LSU's Michael Brokers on Alabama's William Vlachos
LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers said Vlachos, who’s listed at 6-1 (which is probably a stretch), is one of the best he’s gone against. The 6-6 Brockers has Vlachos by a good five or six inches, which is not always ideal for an interior defensive lineman.
“I kind of took it as funny at first because he’s so short,” Brockers said. “I was like, ‘Dang, he’s short,’ and he is short. But he’s got the leverage all the time. I’m 6-6 and don’t know how tall he is, 6-1 or 6-2, but he’s under my pads pretty much every play.
“Sometimes he’s blocking me and I’m looking over him and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m getting blocked.’ That guy uses his strength and leverage to his advantage.”
Brockers said the only thing more difficult than going up against Alabama’s offensive line is trying to tackle Trent Richardson.
“After the (first) game, my neck was hurting, shoulders, everything,” Brockers said. “It’s like hitting a brick wall constantly. He gets the ball a lot, so you have to hit him a lot. You can’t know how solid he really is.
“We’ve got to get all 11 hats to the ball. You can’t take that dude down with one guy.”
Richardson rushed for 89 hard-earned yards on 23 carries in the first game against LSU and also caught five passes for 80 yards, but the Crimson Tide were stymied any time they moved inside the 30.
More on the BCS championship
For full coverage of the LSU-Alabama matchup in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game, check out the BCS championship home page.
More:
• BCS championship blog coverage
Monday on ESPN networks
All times Eastern
• 2 p.m.: The Experts: Allstate BCS National Championship Edition (ESPNU)
• 3 p.m.: College Football Live at the BCS (ESPN)
• 4 p.m.: BCS Countdown (ESPN2)
• 5 p.m.: BCS Countdown (ESPNU)
• 6 p.m.: College GameDay (ESPN)
• 8:30 p.m.: Allstate BCS National Championship: LSU vs. Alabama (ESPN)
Four different times back on Nov. 5, Alabama had a first-and-10 at the LSU 30 (or closer) only to be bogged down by a negative play on first down. Twice they lost yardage, once on a reverse to receiver Marquis Maze. They also had 5-yard penalty on a substitution infraction, and Maze’s pass out of the Wildcat formation was intercepted by LSU’s Eric Reid at the 1.
In overtime, the Crimson Tide had another 5-yard penalty on a substitution infraction with it second-and-1o at the 25.
“Everybody wants to talk about our kickers not making their field goals,” Richardson said. “Those were long field goals. We’re the ones who need to finish drives.”
Maze suggested that Alabama might have gotten too cute with a few of the trick plays and needs to do what it does best on offense and go right after the Tigers.
Of course, that’s easier said than done against an LSU defense that simply doesn’t give up many touchdowns, period, and specializes in knocking teams out of scoring position.
“Here’s the deal. If a couple of those things had worked, we would have been geniuses,” Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain said. “If we would have just run the ball inside, it would have been the other way. That’s the beauty of this sport. That’s the beauty of you guys (the media). You’ve got to have something to write about. You either make a great call or you don’t.
“Give them the credit on defense. They stopped us.”
1. LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers, who is 6-6, 306, has five inches and 12 pounds on Alabama center William Vlachos. In the Nov. 5 game, Brockers said, “It was funny, at first. I’m like, ‘Dang! He’s so short!’ He’s short but he’s got leverage all the time. I’m 6-6, he’s 6-1, 6-2, and he’s under my pads prett much every play. Sometimes he’s blocking me and I’m looking over him, like, ‘Oh my gosh! I’m getting blocked.’…I’ve just got to get my pads lower. It’s a struggle I’ve (had) playing d-tackle.”
2. Vlachos, on, Brockers: “He’s a great competitor. He’s a great player but he’s really a classy guy, too. I was able to talk to him after the game. I wished him the best. Obviously, I didn’t know I’d be seeing him again.” In the locker room after the 9-6 loss, Vlachos said, Alabama offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland “came over to us and said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a feeling that we’re going to be back with these guys. It took you a while to process that and let that sink in….We’re fortunate to be in this position.”
3. Scheduling must be an art. It can’t be a science, not judging by what the Pac-12 released Wednesday. Oregon and Stanford each play three home games before students arrive on campus in late September and only one home game in November. The Big 12 can’t put out a schedule because it doesn’t know if West Virginia is coming next season. The SEC has released only its league-game schedule. Realignment is one problem; another, as Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News pointed out, is that for leagues with championship games, 12 games must be squeezed into 13 Saturdays from Labor Day weekend to Thanksgiving. That leaves little wiggle room.
2. Vlachos, on, Brockers: “He’s a great competitor. He’s a great player but he’s really a classy guy, too. I was able to talk to him after the game. I wished him the best. Obviously, I didn’t know I’d be seeing him again.” In the locker room after the 9-6 loss, Vlachos said, Alabama offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland “came over to us and said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a feeling that we’re going to be back with these guys. It took you a while to process that and let that sink in….We’re fortunate to be in this position.”
3. Scheduling must be an art. It can’t be a science, not judging by what the Pac-12 released Wednesday. Oregon and Stanford each play three home games before students arrive on campus in late September and only one home game in November. The Big 12 can’t put out a schedule because it doesn’t know if West Virginia is coming next season. The SEC has released only its league-game schedule. Realignment is one problem; another, as Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News pointed out, is that for leagues with championship games, 12 games must be squeezed into 13 Saturdays from Labor Day weekend to Thanksgiving. That leaves little wiggle room.
McCarron is ready for prime time ... again
January, 5, 2012
Jan 5
9:07
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
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.”
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.
[+] Enlarge
Butch Dill/Getty Images"He's kind of fearless," Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones says of AJ McCarron, the Tide's first-year starting quarterback.
Butch Dill/Getty Images"He's kind of fearless," Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones says of AJ McCarron, the Tide's first-year starting quarterback.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.
More on the BCS championship
For full coverage of the LSU-Alabama matchup in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game, check out the BCS championship home page.
More:
• BCS championship blog coverage
Monday on ESPN networks
All times Eastern
• 2 p.m.: The Experts: Allstate BCS National Championship Edition (ESPNU)
• 3 p.m.: College Football Live at the BCS (ESPN)
• 4 p.m.: BCS Countdown (ESPN2)
• 5 p.m.: BCS Countdown (ESPNU)
• 6 p.m.: College GameDay (ESPN)
• 8:30 p.m.: Allstate BCS National Championship: LSU vs. Alabama (ESPN)
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.”
NEW ORLEANS -- Alabama senior center William Vlachos figures the Crimson Tide’s offense is probably boring to most people.
“They probably say we have exceptional players and that most people don’t and we can just kind of pound the ball on offense,” Vlachos said.
But when you examine a little closer, one of the best-kept secrets in the SEC this season was that Alabama was the only team in the league to average more than 200 rushing yards and more than 200 passing yards per game.
“I’m glad somebody took note,” joked outgoing Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, who will leave for the Colorado State head coaching job following the Allstate BCS National Championship Game.
“I’m proud of what we’ve done, and I know as an offensive coordinator that having a great defense is the best offense you can have. The way coach (Nick) Saban approaches it, from all three phases fitting together and not being selfish, that’s the one thing I enjoy the most that he does. Let’s figure out how to win the game.”
In that first contest between LSU and Alabama back on Nov. 5, the Crimson Tide just missed 200 passing yards (199). But they were held to 96 yards on the ground.
“We did some things well, but there were a lot of things we left out there on the field, just little things, where if you finish your block for a split-second, they’re not able to come off and get a hand on the running back,” Vlachos explained. “That’s something LSU does extremely well. They shed blockers late and get to the football.
"It’s up to us to execute and finish and hold that block for that extra second.”
McElwain said LSU was especially good at pressuring in that high red zone and knocking players out of position.
“We’ve got to score,” McElwain said. “That’s the bottom line, and yet, these guys don’t give up many scores. It’s a great challenge. We’re roll it out there and see what happens.”
McElwain, who clearly hasn't lost his sense of humor from being kept out of the end zone in the first game, said he's grateful that his dog, Clara Bell, was around when he got home later that night.
“She didn’t really know that we didn’t score. She was excited to see me when I got home and that did lift my spirits a little bit,” McElwain joked.
Asked what kind of dog Clara Bell was, McElwain referred to her as a 4 ½-pound hunting dog.
“She’s unbelievable and can go get you,” McElwain said. “She’s one of those that we saved from the pound that has a bunch of stuff in it. That’s probably like me, just a normal guy who happens to be at Alabama.”
McElwain grew emotional when he told his players last month that he was leaving for Colorado State. But he said wearing the two hats the past couple of weeks hasn’t been a hassle.
“I love our guys and put everything I can into those guys and realize I’m not coaching for anybody but those guys," McElwain said. "Obviously, this has been an unbelievable run, being at a place like the University of Alabama. Shoot, I grew up in Montana. This is amazing and something I’ll carry with me forever, these players."
“They probably say we have exceptional players and that most people don’t and we can just kind of pound the ball on offense,” Vlachos said.
But when you examine a little closer, one of the best-kept secrets in the SEC this season was that Alabama was the only team in the league to average more than 200 rushing yards and more than 200 passing yards per game.
[+] Enlarge
Derick E. Hingle/US PRESSWIRE"We've got to score," Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain said of the rematch with LSU. "That's the bottom line, and yet, these guys don't give up many scores."
Derick E. Hingle/US PRESSWIRE"We've got to score," Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain said of the rematch with LSU. "That's the bottom line, and yet, these guys don't give up many scores."“I’m proud of what we’ve done, and I know as an offensive coordinator that having a great defense is the best offense you can have. The way coach (Nick) Saban approaches it, from all three phases fitting together and not being selfish, that’s the one thing I enjoy the most that he does. Let’s figure out how to win the game.”
In that first contest between LSU and Alabama back on Nov. 5, the Crimson Tide just missed 200 passing yards (199). But they were held to 96 yards on the ground.
“We did some things well, but there were a lot of things we left out there on the field, just little things, where if you finish your block for a split-second, they’re not able to come off and get a hand on the running back,” Vlachos explained. “That’s something LSU does extremely well. They shed blockers late and get to the football.
"It’s up to us to execute and finish and hold that block for that extra second.”
McElwain said LSU was especially good at pressuring in that high red zone and knocking players out of position.
“We’ve got to score,” McElwain said. “That’s the bottom line, and yet, these guys don’t give up many scores. It’s a great challenge. We’re roll it out there and see what happens.”
McElwain, who clearly hasn't lost his sense of humor from being kept out of the end zone in the first game, said he's grateful that his dog, Clara Bell, was around when he got home later that night.
“She didn’t really know that we didn’t score. She was excited to see me when I got home and that did lift my spirits a little bit,” McElwain joked.
Asked what kind of dog Clara Bell was, McElwain referred to her as a 4 ½-pound hunting dog.
“She’s unbelievable and can go get you,” McElwain said. “She’s one of those that we saved from the pound that has a bunch of stuff in it. That’s probably like me, just a normal guy who happens to be at Alabama.”
McElwain grew emotional when he told his players last month that he was leaving for Colorado State. But he said wearing the two hats the past couple of weeks hasn’t been a hassle.
“I love our guys and put everything I can into those guys and realize I’m not coaching for anybody but those guys," McElwain said. "Obviously, this has been an unbelievable run, being at a place like the University of Alabama. Shoot, I grew up in Montana. This is amazing and something I’ll carry with me forever, these players."
Notes: Chavis gets emotional about UT
January, 5, 2012
Jan 5
7:34
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
NEW ORLEANS -- John Chavis isn’t afraid to admit that his exit from Tennessee was a low point in his life.
After spending 14 seasons as the Vols’ defensive coordinator, Chavis was let go when head coach Phil Fulmer was fired in 2008.
“I’d never been let go from a job before,” Chavis said Thursday. “That’s not fun for anybody.”
Derick E. Hingle/US PresswireJohn Chavis spent 14 seasons at Tennessee before being fired in 2008.What hurt the most was that Chavis was saying goodbye to people who had basically become family to him. As he briefly remembered those moments Thursday in front of the media huddled around him inside one of the ballrooms at the New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center, Chavis got choked up when talking about how much he cared for the players he worked with in Knoxville, Tenn.
“I love them, I really do,” Chavis said before pausing 13 seconds to regain his voice and wipe a few tears from his eyes. “That’s what keeps me going every day is the opportunity to coach great talent and great kids. When I quit feeling that way, then it’s time for somebody else to do it.”
For Chavis, coaching isn’t just about teaching players the proper form in the three technique. It’s about helping to instill life lessons that should carry over into life away from the football field.
Chavis, who has a reputation for being pretty hard on his players at times, showed a very vulnerable side, but also showed just how important leading in all phases of his players’ lives is to him.
“I want to be that example for them,” he said.
“I want to have a relationship with our players off the field as well as on the field.”
Honey Badger wearing 24
In a classic switch-a-roo, LSU cornerbacks Tyrann Mathieu and Tharold Simon switched jerseys in practice Thursday, leaving photographers eager to catch the REAL Honey Badger in action disappointed.
But while the switch was only temporarily, the number does hold some significance to Mathieu, who has truly honored the No. 7 jersey Patrick Peterson left.
The number 24 belongs to New York Jets corner Darrelle Revis, who is just as feared by quarterbacks in the NFL as Mathieu is in college football.
“He can take the best receiver out of the game,” Mathieu said of Revis.
So will “Revis Island” have to share time with “Honey Badger Island?"
“I wouldn’t go as far as saying that,” Mathieu said with a chuckle.
SEC quarterbacks would probably beg to differ.
Claiborne happy with his switch
Jim Thorpe Award winner Morris Claiborne wasn’t always destined for defensive greatness.
He actually began his LSU career as a wide receiver, after accounting for more than 2,000 all-purpose yards on offense and had 30 touchdowns as a senior at Shreveport, La./Fair Park.
But after some coaxing from Peterson, Claiborne began switching between receiver and defensive back before settling in the secondary a week into fall camp.
“One day when I went over, I loved it,” Claiborne said. “I felt like I was making plays over there and I decided to stay and the coaches were cool with it.”
They’re probably a little more than “cool with it” now.
Vlachos not fond of Big Easy memories
Alabama coach Nick Saban left his team with some sobering words about the Crimson Tide’s last trip to New Orleans when he said players wouldn’t remember what they did individually but how the game ended.
That game was a 31-17 loss to Utah in the Allstate Sugar Bowl after the 2008 season. It was a game in which Alabama really failed to show up and it’s something that still eats at players.
Senior center William Vlachos said things have certainly improved for the Tide since then, but there’s still some disgust that creeps up when he thinks about his last trip to the Crescent City.
“That was a long time ago. We’ve won a national championship since then, but it was certainly a disappointing experience,” he said. “As far as the city of New Orleans, for me, I don’t really have a positive outlook on New Orleans because of that.”
After spending 14 seasons as the Vols’ defensive coordinator, Chavis was let go when head coach Phil Fulmer was fired in 2008.
“I’d never been let go from a job before,” Chavis said Thursday. “That’s not fun for anybody.”
Derick E. Hingle/US PresswireJohn Chavis spent 14 seasons at Tennessee before being fired in 2008.“I love them, I really do,” Chavis said before pausing 13 seconds to regain his voice and wipe a few tears from his eyes. “That’s what keeps me going every day is the opportunity to coach great talent and great kids. When I quit feeling that way, then it’s time for somebody else to do it.”
For Chavis, coaching isn’t just about teaching players the proper form in the three technique. It’s about helping to instill life lessons that should carry over into life away from the football field.
Chavis, who has a reputation for being pretty hard on his players at times, showed a very vulnerable side, but also showed just how important leading in all phases of his players’ lives is to him.
“I want to be that example for them,” he said.
“I want to have a relationship with our players off the field as well as on the field.”
Honey Badger wearing 24
In a classic switch-a-roo, LSU cornerbacks Tyrann Mathieu and Tharold Simon switched jerseys in practice Thursday, leaving photographers eager to catch the REAL Honey Badger in action disappointed.
But while the switch was only temporarily, the number does hold some significance to Mathieu, who has truly honored the No. 7 jersey Patrick Peterson left.
The number 24 belongs to New York Jets corner Darrelle Revis, who is just as feared by quarterbacks in the NFL as Mathieu is in college football.
“He can take the best receiver out of the game,” Mathieu said of Revis.
So will “Revis Island” have to share time with “Honey Badger Island?"
“I wouldn’t go as far as saying that,” Mathieu said with a chuckle.
SEC quarterbacks would probably beg to differ.
Claiborne happy with his switch
Jim Thorpe Award winner Morris Claiborne wasn’t always destined for defensive greatness.
He actually began his LSU career as a wide receiver, after accounting for more than 2,000 all-purpose yards on offense and had 30 touchdowns as a senior at Shreveport, La./Fair Park.
But after some coaxing from Peterson, Claiborne began switching between receiver and defensive back before settling in the secondary a week into fall camp.
“One day when I went over, I loved it,” Claiborne said. “I felt like I was making plays over there and I decided to stay and the coaches were cool with it.”
They’re probably a little more than “cool with it” now.
Vlachos not fond of Big Easy memories
Alabama coach Nick Saban left his team with some sobering words about the Crimson Tide’s last trip to New Orleans when he said players wouldn’t remember what they did individually but how the game ended.
That game was a 31-17 loss to Utah in the Allstate Sugar Bowl after the 2008 season. It was a game in which Alabama really failed to show up and it’s something that still eats at players.
Senior center William Vlachos said things have certainly improved for the Tide since then, but there’s still some disgust that creeps up when he thinks about his last trip to the Crescent City.
“That was a long time ago. We’ve won a national championship since then, but it was certainly a disappointing experience,” he said. “As far as the city of New Orleans, for me, I don’t really have a positive outlook on New Orleans because of that.”
Turnover battle key for BCS title game
January, 5, 2012
Jan 5
12:28
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
There are many rules to live by in the game of football. But none might be more important than keeping the ball in the hands of your own players.
That rule becomes magnified come bowl season and it is absolutely critical in the national championship game.
SEC teams have held a 14-7 advantage in turnovers during their current five-game win streak in BCS title games. It only makes sense that with two SEC teams battling for national supremacy, winning that turnover battle will mean even more during Monday’s Allstate BCS National Championship Game between No. 1 LSU (13-0, 8-0) and No. 2 Alabama (11-1, 7-1).
“This is the biggest game that we’re all going to play in our lives, so we have to do everything to come out mistake-free,” LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle said.
Both teams were superb when it came to turnovers during the regular season. The Tigers dominated the turnover battle, leading the SEC with a turnover margin of plus-22, while Alabama was second only to LSU with 12 turnovers.
The Tigers have handed the ball over just eight times this season, with four coming on the road or at neutral sites. Alabama has just two turnovers away from home.
But two of Alabama’s 12 turnovers came against the Bayou Bengals during its heartbreaking 9-6 overtime loss back in November. Both were interceptions, and both had major impacts on the outcome.
“We’re looking to keep the ball in our own hands (this time),” Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones said.
Costly turnovers like the ones Alabama suffered against LSU are more devastating this time of year.
Alabama should already know that. Against Texas in the 2009 title game, the Longhorns turned the ball over five times in Alabama’s 37-21 win. Four of those were Garrett Gilbert interceptions and one was a Gilbert fumble. Gilbert’s first pick came in the second quarter, with the Longhorns driving deep in Alabama territory, while the second one was taken for a touchdown by Alabama’s Marcell Dareus to make it 24-6 late in the second quarter.
Gilbert’s third was the killer, as he was picked by Javier Arenas on Texas’ last chance to get back in the game.
A year earlier, Oklahoma threw away its chances at a national championship win over Florida with two Sam Bradford interceptions. One came inside the Gators’ 10-yard line right before the half, while the second totally changed the game when Florida safety Ahmad Black snatched Bradford’s throw away from a receiver at Florida’s 24-yard line with the Sooners driving in the fourth quarter.
Florida scored on the ensuing drive to put the game away with a 10-point lead.
With the defenses Alabama and LSU have, keeping the ball out of their hands will be a top priority for both offenses.
But it certainly won’t be easy for Alabama. LSU is a takeaway machine. The Tigers have recorded 30 thus far. It’s as if LSU’s defense feeds off turnovers in order to survive.
We saw how three turnovers crushed Georgia’s spirit in the SEC championship and how the game really got away from Arkansas with its three turnovers in Baton Rouge, La.
“We set out to operate in beating an opponent in the turnover margin. Period,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We snap it offensively, we want to return it to the huddle, we want to bring it back. Defensively, we work hard. We’re looking at strips, we’re looking at picks and the opportunity to get the ball back for our team.”
Monday will be about forcing the other team to make more mistakes. It can come with more pressure put on Alabama’s young quarterback in A.J. McCarron. It can come with Alabama forcing LSU’s up-and-down passer in Jordan Jefferson to make silly plays.
And it can always come when players try to do too much.
The bottom line is that turnovers usually determine any football game, and chances are they absolutely will determine who walks out of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome Monday with that coveted crystal trophy in hand.
“It can be huge because they’re a great team,” Alabama center William Vlachos said.
“This defense is one of the most exceptional defenses that I’ve ever played against. We can’t turn the ball over if we want to win.”
That rule becomes magnified come bowl season and it is absolutely critical in the national championship game.
SEC teams have held a 14-7 advantage in turnovers during their current five-game win streak in BCS title games. It only makes sense that with two SEC teams battling for national supremacy, winning that turnover battle will mean even more during Monday’s Allstate BCS National Championship Game between No. 1 LSU (13-0, 8-0) and No. 2 Alabama (11-1, 7-1).
“This is the biggest game that we’re all going to play in our lives, so we have to do everything to come out mistake-free,” LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle said.
[+] Enlarge
John David Mercer/US PRESSWIRELSU's Morris Claiborne pulled in one of the Tigers' two interceptions against Alabama in their first meeting.
John David Mercer/US PRESSWIRELSU's Morris Claiborne pulled in one of the Tigers' two interceptions against Alabama in their first meeting.The Tigers have handed the ball over just eight times this season, with four coming on the road or at neutral sites. Alabama has just two turnovers away from home.
But two of Alabama’s 12 turnovers came against the Bayou Bengals during its heartbreaking 9-6 overtime loss back in November. Both were interceptions, and both had major impacts on the outcome.
“We’re looking to keep the ball in our own hands (this time),” Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones said.
Costly turnovers like the ones Alabama suffered against LSU are more devastating this time of year.
Alabama should already know that. Against Texas in the 2009 title game, the Longhorns turned the ball over five times in Alabama’s 37-21 win. Four of those were Garrett Gilbert interceptions and one was a Gilbert fumble. Gilbert’s first pick came in the second quarter, with the Longhorns driving deep in Alabama territory, while the second one was taken for a touchdown by Alabama’s Marcell Dareus to make it 24-6 late in the second quarter.
Gilbert’s third was the killer, as he was picked by Javier Arenas on Texas’ last chance to get back in the game.
A year earlier, Oklahoma threw away its chances at a national championship win over Florida with two Sam Bradford interceptions. One came inside the Gators’ 10-yard line right before the half, while the second totally changed the game when Florida safety Ahmad Black snatched Bradford’s throw away from a receiver at Florida’s 24-yard line with the Sooners driving in the fourth quarter.
Florida scored on the ensuing drive to put the game away with a 10-point lead.
With the defenses Alabama and LSU have, keeping the ball out of their hands will be a top priority for both offenses.
But it certainly won’t be easy for Alabama. LSU is a takeaway machine. The Tigers have recorded 30 thus far. It’s as if LSU’s defense feeds off turnovers in order to survive.
We saw how three turnovers crushed Georgia’s spirit in the SEC championship and how the game really got away from Arkansas with its three turnovers in Baton Rouge, La.
“We set out to operate in beating an opponent in the turnover margin. Period,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We snap it offensively, we want to return it to the huddle, we want to bring it back. Defensively, we work hard. We’re looking at strips, we’re looking at picks and the opportunity to get the ball back for our team.”
Monday will be about forcing the other team to make more mistakes. It can come with more pressure put on Alabama’s young quarterback in A.J. McCarron. It can come with Alabama forcing LSU’s up-and-down passer in Jordan Jefferson to make silly plays.
And it can always come when players try to do too much.
The bottom line is that turnovers usually determine any football game, and chances are they absolutely will determine who walks out of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome Monday with that coveted crystal trophy in hand.
“It can be huge because they’re a great team,” Alabama center William Vlachos said.
“This defense is one of the most exceptional defenses that I’ve ever played against. We can’t turn the ball over if we want to win.”
Alabama players really didn’t have the layoff they expected.
With the SEC championship game out of reach, the Crimson Tide didn’t expect to hit the grind so early.
But that’s exactly what happened. The Tide started conditioning and training immediately after the Auburn game, senior center William Vlachos said.
“We haven’t really stopped,” Vlachos said. “Usually, we take a week off and we run a little bit, and then a little bit more, but we jumped right into it. We’re all in good shape right now.”
With the extra-long break before the Allstate BCS National Championship Game against No. 1 LSU (13-0, 8-0), Vlachos said conditioning has been turned up. There hasn’t been much down time for this team, and he thinks it’s a good thing because it should have this team more than ready for the Tigers in a couple of weeks.
But Vlachos said coach Nick Saban won’t make things too monotonous. He doesn’t want to over train and he won’t let this team get bored. In the past Vlachos said Saban would use every last ounce of the allotted practices and practice time leading up to the bowl game to pound the game plan into each and every player.
While that system has kept the Tide winning in the postseason, including a national championship in 2009, Saban doesn’t want to go overboard this time. He doesn’t want to wear out his team before what should be the most physical game of the year.
With LSU playing in the SEC championship game, the Tide has had a week more to train and stay out of game mode. But even with practice contact not quite being game contact, like the Tigers endured, Vlachos said that shouldn’t be much of an advantage. Both teams are too evenly matched for that, Vlachos said.
Vlachos does expect the more game-specific practices to be different from years past because Alabama really knows its opponent. This isn’t Texas or Michigan State, two teams the Crimson Tide had to meticulously watch every single regular-season game on just to gauge what type of teams they were. This is a conference foe.
It’s a team Alabama is more than familiar with and more than upset with. The Tigers ended Alabama’s hopes at an undefeated season. This is a team that won in Tuscaloosa and was better by a field goal.
While Vlachos has immense respect for the Tigers, he also believes the Tide did not execute at times that November loss.
“We moved the ball well between the 30 and the 30, but that’s not going to put points on the board,” Vlachos said. “The bottom line with that LSU defense is it’s great. There’s really not a weakness on that defense. But when you watch that game, it was about what we did in particular -- finishing blocks here, getting a couple of inches here, coming down with the pass near the end zone and not letting it get taken away from you. Just the little tiny stuff and that game’s a different ball game.”
With the SEC championship game out of reach, the Crimson Tide didn’t expect to hit the grind so early.
But that’s exactly what happened. The Tide started conditioning and training immediately after the Auburn game, senior center William Vlachos said.
[+] Enlarge
Greg McWilliams/Getty ImagesHow has Alabama's practice routine changed since the end of the season? "We haven't really stopped," center William Vlachos said.
Greg McWilliams/Getty ImagesHow has Alabama's practice routine changed since the end of the season? "We haven't really stopped," center William Vlachos said.With the extra-long break before the Allstate BCS National Championship Game against No. 1 LSU (13-0, 8-0), Vlachos said conditioning has been turned up. There hasn’t been much down time for this team, and he thinks it’s a good thing because it should have this team more than ready for the Tigers in a couple of weeks.
But Vlachos said coach Nick Saban won’t make things too monotonous. He doesn’t want to over train and he won’t let this team get bored. In the past Vlachos said Saban would use every last ounce of the allotted practices and practice time leading up to the bowl game to pound the game plan into each and every player.
While that system has kept the Tide winning in the postseason, including a national championship in 2009, Saban doesn’t want to go overboard this time. He doesn’t want to wear out his team before what should be the most physical game of the year.
With LSU playing in the SEC championship game, the Tide has had a week more to train and stay out of game mode. But even with practice contact not quite being game contact, like the Tigers endured, Vlachos said that shouldn’t be much of an advantage. Both teams are too evenly matched for that, Vlachos said.
Vlachos does expect the more game-specific practices to be different from years past because Alabama really knows its opponent. This isn’t Texas or Michigan State, two teams the Crimson Tide had to meticulously watch every single regular-season game on just to gauge what type of teams they were. This is a conference foe.
It’s a team Alabama is more than familiar with and more than upset with. The Tigers ended Alabama’s hopes at an undefeated season. This is a team that won in Tuscaloosa and was better by a field goal.
While Vlachos has immense respect for the Tigers, he also believes the Tide did not execute at times that November loss.
“We moved the ball well between the 30 and the 30, but that’s not going to put points on the board,” Vlachos said. “The bottom line with that LSU defense is it’s great. There’s really not a weakness on that defense. But when you watch that game, it was about what we did in particular -- finishing blocks here, getting a couple of inches here, coming down with the pass near the end zone and not letting it get taken away from you. Just the little tiny stuff and that game’s a different ball game.”
Alabama has four on Walter Camp team
December, 9, 2011
12/09/11
11:00
AM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
Alabama led the nation by placing four players on the 2011 Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America team.
Running back Trent Richardson, left tackle Barrett Jones, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and safety Mark Barron were all first-team selections.
LSU cornerbacks Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne were also first-team selections.
The SEC had eight players make Walter Camp first team. Here they are:
OFFENSE
The SEC also had seven players on the second team:
OFFENSE
Running back Trent Richardson, left tackle Barrett Jones, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and safety Mark Barron were all first-team selections.
LSU cornerbacks Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne were also first-team selections.
The SEC had eight players make Walter Camp first team. Here they are:
OFFENSE
- RB Trent Richardson, Alabama
- OL Barrett Jones, Alabama
- DL Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
- LB Dont’a Hightower, Alabama
- LB Jarvis Jones, Georgia
- DB Morris Claiborne, LSU
- DB Mark Barron, Alabama
- DB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
The SEC also had seven players on the second team:
OFFENSE
- TE Orson Charles, Georgia
- C William Vlachos, Alabama
- LB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
- DB Bacarri Rambo, Georgia
- DB Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt Sr. Elko, GA 6-0 188
- PK Caleb Sturgis, Florida
- KR Joe Adams, Arkansas
ESPN.com's 2011 All-SEC team
December, 9, 2011
12/09/11
10:30
AM ET
By
Edward Aschoff and
Chris Low | ESPN.com
Editor’s Note: Tune into the “AT&T ESPN All America Team Show” on Saturday (ABC, 1:30 p.m. ET) to see who ESPN’s writers and experts selected.
Constructing an all-conference team is never easy. There are always players you second-guess or just remember at the last minute.
The tough decisions have to be made and that means not everyone can make the team.
We just don't have enough room for hundreds of players.
We struggled with a couple of decisions, starting with the quarterback position. We gave the nod to Aaron Murray over Tyler Wilson. We understand that Wilson led the SEC in yards (3,422), but Murray did more with less. Wilson was working with four top-tier wide receivers, while Murray simply wasn't. He still led the SEC with 32 touchdown passes, threw 19 them in the last six games and led Georgia back to the SEC title game.
It was also hard to leave Zac Stacy off this list. Michael Dyer was Auburn's most valuable player, and that 7-5 record might not have been possible without him. He was second in the SEC in rushing (1,242) and was the only back besides Trent Richardson to average more than 100 yards in SEC games. But Stacy was great, too. He averaged a yard more per carry (5.7) than Dyer in SEC play, had more total touchdowns (13) and averaged 126 yards in each of his last six games.
We also decided to go with a 3-4 defense because we felt linebackers deserved a little more love this year.
Here's our team:
OFFENSE
TE - Orson Charles, Georgia
OL - Barrett Jones, Alabama
OL - Will Blackwell, LSU
OL - Cordy Glenn, Georgia
OL - Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina
C - William Vlachos, Alabama
WR - Jarius Wright, Arkansas
WR - Rueben Randle, LSU
QB – Aaron Murray, Georgia
RB – Trent Richardson, Alabama
RB – Michael Dyer, Auburn
AP - Chris Rainey, Florida
DEFENSE
DL - Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
DL - Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State
DL - Sam Montgomery, LSU
LB - Jarvis Jones, Georgia
LB - Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
LB - Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
LB - Danny Trevathan, Kentucky
DB - Morris Claiborne, LSU
DB - Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
DB - Mark Barron, Alabama
DB - Bacarri Rambo, Georgia
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Caleb Sturgis, Florida
P - Brad Wing, LSU
RS – Joe Adams, Arkansas
Constructing an all-conference team is never easy. There are always players you second-guess or just remember at the last minute.
The tough decisions have to be made and that means not everyone can make the team.
We just don't have enough room for hundreds of players.
We struggled with a couple of decisions, starting with the quarterback position. We gave the nod to Aaron Murray over Tyler Wilson. We understand that Wilson led the SEC in yards (3,422), but Murray did more with less. Wilson was working with four top-tier wide receivers, while Murray simply wasn't. He still led the SEC with 32 touchdown passes, threw 19 them in the last six games and led Georgia back to the SEC title game.
It was also hard to leave Zac Stacy off this list. Michael Dyer was Auburn's most valuable player, and that 7-5 record might not have been possible without him. He was second in the SEC in rushing (1,242) and was the only back besides Trent Richardson to average more than 100 yards in SEC games. But Stacy was great, too. He averaged a yard more per carry (5.7) than Dyer in SEC play, had more total touchdowns (13) and averaged 126 yards in each of his last six games.
We also decided to go with a 3-4 defense because we felt linebackers deserved a little more love this year.
Here's our team:
OFFENSE
TE - Orson Charles, Georgia
OL - Barrett Jones, Alabama
OL - Will Blackwell, LSU
OL - Cordy Glenn, Georgia
OL - Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina
C - William Vlachos, Alabama
WR - Jarius Wright, Arkansas
WR - Rueben Randle, LSU
QB – Aaron Murray, Georgia
RB – Trent Richardson, Alabama
RB – Michael Dyer, Auburn
AP - Chris Rainey, Florida
DEFENSE
DL - Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
DL - Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State
DL - Sam Montgomery, LSU
LB - Jarvis Jones, Georgia
LB - Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
LB - Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
LB - Danny Trevathan, Kentucky
DB - Morris Claiborne, LSU
DB - Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
DB - Mark Barron, Alabama
DB - Bacarri Rambo, Georgia
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Caleb Sturgis, Florida
P - Brad Wing, LSU
RS – Joe Adams, Arkansas
Video: Alabama's William Vlachos
November, 4, 2011
11/04/11
10:00
AM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Mark Schlabach talks to Alabama center William Vlachos about preparing for LSU, the Tide’s slow starts and more.
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