SEC: Dennis Johnson
Our look at the SEC's most productive returning players in 2012 continues with a look at the league's top returning kickoff returners.
Past producers:
The SEC returns seven of the top 10 kick returners from 2011. The top three returners are back, so kickers beware. However, the ball will now be moved forward five yards to the 35-yard line for kickoffs, meaning returns should occur less often. But that also means they'll now be more important. We're going by average per return. Note: To qualify, a player must have at least one return per team's games played. This is one of the most exciting plays in football and here's a look at the SEC's top returner:
Tre Mason, RB, Auburn: He returned 24 kicks for an average of 26.4 yards per return, had a long of 97 yards and recorded a touchdown. Mason dealt with being in a crowded backfield by making a name for himself in the return game during the first half of the season. He did most of his damage in the first two weeks, grabbing 10 returns for 348 yards and had a touchdown in the season opener against Utah State. He saw his production dip as the season went on because of injuries and his fumbling issues. He eventually lost his job, but could he make a comeback for his crown in 2012?
The SEC returns six more of the top kickoff returners in 2012:
Andre Debose, WR, Florida: He returned 19 kicks for an average of 26.1 yards per return, had a long of 99 yards and registered one touchdown.
Dennis Johnson, RB, Arkansas: He returned 18 kicks for an average of 25.6 yards per return, had a long of 98 yards and registered one touchdown.
Tobias Singleton, RB, Ole Miss: He returned 21 kicks for an average of 24.6 yards per return and had a long of 47 yards.
Andre Hal, CB, Vanderbilt: He returned 31 kicks for an average of 23.8 yards per return, had a long of 96 yards and registered one touchdown.
Devrin Young, RB, Tennessee: He returned 27 kicks for an average of 23.3 yards per return and had a long of 67 yards.
Bruce Ellington, WR, South Carolina: He returned 20 kicks for an average of 23.2 yards and had a long of 45 yards.
With kickoffs being moved up, we might see even less in the kick return game this fall. We could also see a new winner for this category if Mason doesn't get his job back. And with the amount of production he'll have on offense, his returns might get cut short anyway. Keep an eye on Mason's teammates, Onterio McCalebb and Quan Bray. McCalebb averaged 30.1 yards per return and had a touchdown on just 11 returns, while Bray averaged 24.2 on 10 returns.
Johnson has always been very dangerous in the return game. He entered the 2011 season as the SEC's active leader for career kickoff return yards and total return yards with 2,014 and he added 461 last fall. Johnson will likely have more steam to work with this fall with Knile Davis eating into his carries at running back. That will make him even tougher to stop in the return game and counting him out of the race for the return crown is just silly.
Debose was named the nation’s top kick returner by the College Football Performance Awards in 2010, but has always had some issues with his decision-making in the return game. Still, there's no doubting his speed when he finds a hole. When he's focused, he's exciting to watch, but he's yet to keep his focus for an entire season as a returner.
LaDarius Perkins will have more responsibility in Mississippi State's offense, but he was sometimes fun to watch in the return game.
Missouri receiver T.J. Moe averaged 23.3 yards on 26 kicks, but didn't return a kick longer than 49 yards. Still, he's shifty enough and has the vision to make a run at this thing.
Past producers:
The SEC returns seven of the top 10 kick returners from 2011. The top three returners are back, so kickers beware. However, the ball will now be moved forward five yards to the 35-yard line for kickoffs, meaning returns should occur less often. But that also means they'll now be more important. We're going by average per return. Note: To qualify, a player must have at least one return per team's games played. This is one of the most exciting plays in football and here's a look at the SEC's top returner:
Tre Mason, RB, Auburn: He returned 24 kicks for an average of 26.4 yards per return, had a long of 97 yards and recorded a touchdown. Mason dealt with being in a crowded backfield by making a name for himself in the return game during the first half of the season. He did most of his damage in the first two weeks, grabbing 10 returns for 348 yards and had a touchdown in the season opener against Utah State. He saw his production dip as the season went on because of injuries and his fumbling issues. He eventually lost his job, but could he make a comeback for his crown in 2012?
The SEC returns six more of the top kickoff returners in 2012:
Andre Debose, WR, Florida: He returned 19 kicks for an average of 26.1 yards per return, had a long of 99 yards and registered one touchdown.
Dennis Johnson, RB, Arkansas: He returned 18 kicks for an average of 25.6 yards per return, had a long of 98 yards and registered one touchdown.
Tobias Singleton, RB, Ole Miss: He returned 21 kicks for an average of 24.6 yards per return and had a long of 47 yards.
Andre Hal, CB, Vanderbilt: He returned 31 kicks for an average of 23.8 yards per return, had a long of 96 yards and registered one touchdown.
Devrin Young, RB, Tennessee: He returned 27 kicks for an average of 23.3 yards per return and had a long of 67 yards.
Bruce Ellington, WR, South Carolina: He returned 20 kicks for an average of 23.2 yards and had a long of 45 yards.
With kickoffs being moved up, we might see even less in the kick return game this fall. We could also see a new winner for this category if Mason doesn't get his job back. And with the amount of production he'll have on offense, his returns might get cut short anyway. Keep an eye on Mason's teammates, Onterio McCalebb and Quan Bray. McCalebb averaged 30.1 yards per return and had a touchdown on just 11 returns, while Bray averaged 24.2 on 10 returns.
Johnson has always been very dangerous in the return game. He entered the 2011 season as the SEC's active leader for career kickoff return yards and total return yards with 2,014 and he added 461 last fall. Johnson will likely have more steam to work with this fall with Knile Davis eating into his carries at running back. That will make him even tougher to stop in the return game and counting him out of the race for the return crown is just silly.
Debose was named the nation’s top kick returner by the College Football Performance Awards in 2010, but has always had some issues with his decision-making in the return game. Still, there's no doubting his speed when he finds a hole. When he's focused, he's exciting to watch, but he's yet to keep his focus for an entire season as a returner.
LaDarius Perkins will have more responsibility in Mississippi State's offense, but he was sometimes fun to watch in the return game.
Missouri receiver T.J. Moe averaged 23.3 yards on 26 kicks, but didn't return a kick longer than 49 yards. Still, he's shifty enough and has the vision to make a run at this thing.
You ask for people to write into the mailbag and there's no hint of hesitation.
The mailbag is back this week and we were bombarded with questions. The pages went on for a while, so I'm sorry if I couldn't get to all of them. Keep them coming, though, because there's always next week.
Let's get to this week's questions:
Ethan in Cullman, Ala., writes: With the recent dominance of Alabama and Coach Saban do you see Auburn and Chizik really being relevant nationally? I realize they have recruited fairly well but I think we all know without Cameron Newton the 2010 Auburn Team was a 6-7 7-5 football team and in all honesty I don't see them improving their win-losses as long as Gene Chizik is the head coach. Take away the 14-0 season and Chizik has a total record of 21-29 as a collegiate head coach. Lets just be honest in the world of college football everything runs through Tuscaloosa, Alabama and I don't see that changing anytime soon. RTR (:
Edward Aschoff: Man, Auburn fans will love you now. I'm sure the Christmas cards are being written as we speak. While I don't see Auburn surpassing Alabama this season, or really next season, I don't think Auburn is going to fall off the map without Newton. Like you wrote, Chizik has recruited well and the team he has now is pretty young. It's going to take more time for this team to crawl back up the SEC standings, but I don't think it's going to take years and years. Auburn has the young talent to challenge some teams in the West this year. Yes, even Alabama. I'm one of the few still on the Auburn bandwagon. I see improvement on the offensive line, quarterback Kiehl Frazier really came along stronger this spring with Scot Loeffler's help and the defense can only get better after a lousy 2011 showing. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Auburn made more news nationally in 2013.
Jmathews in Weslaco, Texas, writes: Do you think Kevin Sumlin is going to surprise some teams this year with his offensive plan?
Edward Aschoff: It's a little unorthodox by SEC standards, for sure, but I'm not sure if SEC defenses will be confused by that air game. Sumlin and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will have to run the ball more in order to catch some defenses off guard. I know that flashy passing game was fun at Houston, but you have to run the ball to survive in the SEC. Balance will be key because we all know that Sumlin is going to want to throw the ball as much as he can. I don't think we'll truly see what all Sumlin wants to do because he's working with such young quarterbacks. That will restrict a lot of it and could make Christine Michael that much more important at running back. Once Sumlin has the right pieces in place then you'll see some offenses have to plan differently. For now, I think it's a work in progress.
Jimmy in Pikeville, Ky., writes: Do you believe that Joker Phillips will be able to get the Kentucky Wildcats back to a bowl game this season?
Edward Aschoff: Phillips thinks he's found more offensive playmakers this spring, with youngsters such as Demarco Robinson, Daryl Collins and Ronnie Shields stepping up, and that's huge for the Wildcats. They didn't have many at all last year and that was a main reason Kentucky's offense was so bad. But we still need to see what those players can do against SEC competition in October. And a consistent quarterback has to step up. Maxwell Smith has the lead, but the race isn't over. The schedule is going to be tough for the Wildcats, as well. I think Kentucky needs to sweep nonconference play to ensure a bowl birth. That means beating Louisville to start the season. The Louisville loss was a big one for the Cats last year and right now, Louisville is still a better team. Getting those four nonconference wins will go a long way for Kentucky.
Reed in Beijing, China, writes: Ex-pat hog fan here in Beijing. I wanted to get your opinion on how Arkansas will split carries between Ronnie Wingo, Knile Davis, and Dennis Johnson this year. Also, who besides Cobi Hamilton do you think will step up to fill the void at receiver?
Edward Aschoff: If Davis is healthy, he'll get the majority of the carries. I don't think there's any debate there. He is in another league compared to the other backs. After that, I think Arkansas goes Johnson then Wingo. Johnson came on during the second half of the season, while Wingo was inconsistent in my opinion. As for receiver, I think Marquel Wade could have a big year, along with tight end Chris Gragg. Wade is a very good athlete and the coaches loved what he did in practice last year. He's someone who has that dynamic feel in the offense and can make big plays. Gragg is big, athletic and tough. Tyler Wilson will key in on him a bunch this fall. He's probably the top returning tight end in the league.
Ryan in Anaheim, Calif., writes: Is it safe to say that Vanderbilt will have one of the best offenses in the SEC this year? Returning Rodgers, Stacy, Matthews, and Boyd, while also getting Norman back and explosive freshman in Kimbrow. The only weakness I see is the O-line which will be inexperienced, but will that hold them back that much?
Edward Aschoff: That line barely got through spring practice, so it's a problem. Injuries and numbers really hurt the line. The good news is that six true freshmen will be on campus this summer. The bad news is that they are true freshmen. Jordan Rodgers still has to be more comfortable in the pocket. He can be really sporadic at times and coach James Franklin knows it. If he can't improve on the mental side, this offense will struggle. Brian Kimbrow is someone who can be used all over the field, so that will really benefit this offense. The other playmakers you mentioned are solid, no question, but there are some good offenses to battle near the top, such as Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.
Kyle in Gainesville, Fla., writes: The Gators haven't had many people drafted in the past two years, but next year will be much better. Who do you think could be drafted in the top 2 rounds next year? Bostic, Jenkins, Powell, Easley, Floyd, Elam, Nixon, Debose, and Reed are all guys I think can if they have a big year.
Edward Aschoff: Well, if Ronald Powell doesn't come back from his knee injury don't count on him heading to the draft. NFL scouts love Dominique Easley's potential. He's so strong and athletic and just pounds his way through offensive lines. He did suffer that knee injury, so his health will be monitored closely. Elam will compete to be the top safety in the SEC, but his name hasn't been thrown out as much as someone like Eric Reid. Jelani Jenkins is someone scouts like because of his speed and strength. He isn't the biggest linebacker, but he's extremely smart and that will help him a lot. Jon Bostic is getting some attention and a big year will boost his stock for sure. Xavier Nixon has to improve on a bad 2011 and Andre Debose and Jordan Reed have to be more consistent. Of all of them, I think Easley and Jenkins are Florida's top pro prospects.
Brad in Longview, Texas, writes: If you could take one player from the SEC, outside of a QB, who would it be?
Edward Aschoff: Last year, the answer was easy: Trent Richardson. This year, it's a little more difficult. I don't think I'd go with another offensive player, so I'm going to go with Georgia's Jarvis Jones. He was one of the best players in the nation last year and was the SEC's top defensive player, after getting 13.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. He's a superb athlete, has tremendous speed and has a relentless attitude. He's also a great leader. He commands respect in the locker room and on the field. It's hard to find a better linebacker out there.
The mailbag is back this week and we were bombarded with questions. The pages went on for a while, so I'm sorry if I couldn't get to all of them. Keep them coming, though, because there's always next week.
Let's get to this week's questions:
Ethan in Cullman, Ala., writes: With the recent dominance of Alabama and Coach Saban do you see Auburn and Chizik really being relevant nationally? I realize they have recruited fairly well but I think we all know without Cameron Newton the 2010 Auburn Team was a 6-7 7-5 football team and in all honesty I don't see them improving their win-losses as long as Gene Chizik is the head coach. Take away the 14-0 season and Chizik has a total record of 21-29 as a collegiate head coach. Lets just be honest in the world of college football everything runs through Tuscaloosa, Alabama and I don't see that changing anytime soon. RTR (:
Edward Aschoff: Man, Auburn fans will love you now. I'm sure the Christmas cards are being written as we speak. While I don't see Auburn surpassing Alabama this season, or really next season, I don't think Auburn is going to fall off the map without Newton. Like you wrote, Chizik has recruited well and the team he has now is pretty young. It's going to take more time for this team to crawl back up the SEC standings, but I don't think it's going to take years and years. Auburn has the young talent to challenge some teams in the West this year. Yes, even Alabama. I'm one of the few still on the Auburn bandwagon. I see improvement on the offensive line, quarterback Kiehl Frazier really came along stronger this spring with Scot Loeffler's help and the defense can only get better after a lousy 2011 showing. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Auburn made more news nationally in 2013.
Jmathews in Weslaco, Texas, writes: Do you think Kevin Sumlin is going to surprise some teams this year with his offensive plan?
Edward Aschoff: It's a little unorthodox by SEC standards, for sure, but I'm not sure if SEC defenses will be confused by that air game. Sumlin and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will have to run the ball more in order to catch some defenses off guard. I know that flashy passing game was fun at Houston, but you have to run the ball to survive in the SEC. Balance will be key because we all know that Sumlin is going to want to throw the ball as much as he can. I don't think we'll truly see what all Sumlin wants to do because he's working with such young quarterbacks. That will restrict a lot of it and could make Christine Michael that much more important at running back. Once Sumlin has the right pieces in place then you'll see some offenses have to plan differently. For now, I think it's a work in progress.
Jimmy in Pikeville, Ky., writes: Do you believe that Joker Phillips will be able to get the Kentucky Wildcats back to a bowl game this season?
Edward Aschoff: Phillips thinks he's found more offensive playmakers this spring, with youngsters such as Demarco Robinson, Daryl Collins and Ronnie Shields stepping up, and that's huge for the Wildcats. They didn't have many at all last year and that was a main reason Kentucky's offense was so bad. But we still need to see what those players can do against SEC competition in October. And a consistent quarterback has to step up. Maxwell Smith has the lead, but the race isn't over. The schedule is going to be tough for the Wildcats, as well. I think Kentucky needs to sweep nonconference play to ensure a bowl birth. That means beating Louisville to start the season. The Louisville loss was a big one for the Cats last year and right now, Louisville is still a better team. Getting those four nonconference wins will go a long way for Kentucky.
Reed in Beijing, China, writes: Ex-pat hog fan here in Beijing. I wanted to get your opinion on how Arkansas will split carries between Ronnie Wingo, Knile Davis, and Dennis Johnson this year. Also, who besides Cobi Hamilton do you think will step up to fill the void at receiver?
Edward Aschoff: If Davis is healthy, he'll get the majority of the carries. I don't think there's any debate there. He is in another league compared to the other backs. After that, I think Arkansas goes Johnson then Wingo. Johnson came on during the second half of the season, while Wingo was inconsistent in my opinion. As for receiver, I think Marquel Wade could have a big year, along with tight end Chris Gragg. Wade is a very good athlete and the coaches loved what he did in practice last year. He's someone who has that dynamic feel in the offense and can make big plays. Gragg is big, athletic and tough. Tyler Wilson will key in on him a bunch this fall. He's probably the top returning tight end in the league.
Ryan in Anaheim, Calif., writes: Is it safe to say that Vanderbilt will have one of the best offenses in the SEC this year? Returning Rodgers, Stacy, Matthews, and Boyd, while also getting Norman back and explosive freshman in Kimbrow. The only weakness I see is the O-line which will be inexperienced, but will that hold them back that much?
Edward Aschoff: That line barely got through spring practice, so it's a problem. Injuries and numbers really hurt the line. The good news is that six true freshmen will be on campus this summer. The bad news is that they are true freshmen. Jordan Rodgers still has to be more comfortable in the pocket. He can be really sporadic at times and coach James Franklin knows it. If he can't improve on the mental side, this offense will struggle. Brian Kimbrow is someone who can be used all over the field, so that will really benefit this offense. The other playmakers you mentioned are solid, no question, but there are some good offenses to battle near the top, such as Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.
Kyle in Gainesville, Fla., writes: The Gators haven't had many people drafted in the past two years, but next year will be much better. Who do you think could be drafted in the top 2 rounds next year? Bostic, Jenkins, Powell, Easley, Floyd, Elam, Nixon, Debose, and Reed are all guys I think can if they have a big year.
Edward Aschoff: Well, if Ronald Powell doesn't come back from his knee injury don't count on him heading to the draft. NFL scouts love Dominique Easley's potential. He's so strong and athletic and just pounds his way through offensive lines. He did suffer that knee injury, so his health will be monitored closely. Elam will compete to be the top safety in the SEC, but his name hasn't been thrown out as much as someone like Eric Reid. Jelani Jenkins is someone scouts like because of his speed and strength. He isn't the biggest linebacker, but he's extremely smart and that will help him a lot. Jon Bostic is getting some attention and a big year will boost his stock for sure. Xavier Nixon has to improve on a bad 2011 and Andre Debose and Jordan Reed have to be more consistent. Of all of them, I think Easley and Jenkins are Florida's top pro prospects.
Brad in Longview, Texas, writes: If you could take one player from the SEC, outside of a QB, who would it be?
Edward Aschoff: Last year, the answer was easy: Trent Richardson. This year, it's a little more difficult. I don't think I'd go with another offensive player, so I'm going to go with Georgia's Jarvis Jones. He was one of the best players in the nation last year and was the SEC's top defensive player, after getting 13.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. He's a superb athlete, has tremendous speed and has a relentless attitude. He's also a great leader. He commands respect in the locker room and on the field. It's hard to find a better linebacker out there.
A record 45,250 showed up to watch Arkansas' Red team defeat the White 65-0 in Saturday's Red-White Spring Game in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Coaching controversy didn't stop Arkansas fans coming out in full force, and it didn't stop the Razorbacks from being focused or putting on quite the offensive show.
Quarterback Tyler Wilson didn't hold back at all, as he completed 31 of 41 passes for 467 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his touchdowns went to tight end Chris Gragg. One was for a 6-yard score early in the first quarter, while the second was a 60-yard score that came with 19 seconds left in the first quarter. Gragg finished the game with nine catches for 130 yards.
Wilson's top receiving target was rising senior Cobi Hamilton, who ended the day with 11 catches for 156 yards. Marquel Wade was third on the Red team in receiving, catching six passes for 136 yards and a touchdown.
Running back Knile Davis was held out of the game, giving Ronnie Wingo Jr. and Dennis Johnson the limelight. Wingo had a game-high 88 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries, while Johnson carried the ball 12 times for 71 yards and another score.
As for the White team, Brandon Mitchell led the way with 72 passing yards on 8 of 13 passing. He also took snaps with the Red team, passing for 30 yards and a 15-yard touchdown to Wade early in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Keante Minor led the White team with 53 yards on six receptions.
Defensively, White team linebacker Robert Atiga recorded a game-high 12 tackles. Teammates Houston Pruitt and Alan Turner both finished with 11 tackles. Defensive ends Trey Flowers and Chris Smith each registered two sacks for the Red team. Cornerback Kaelon Kelleybrew led the Red team with five tackles and also grabbed the only interception in the game, which he returned for 44 yards.
For more on Arkansas' spring game go to the school's official website.
Coaching controversy didn't stop Arkansas fans coming out in full force, and it didn't stop the Razorbacks from being focused or putting on quite the offensive show.
Quarterback Tyler Wilson didn't hold back at all, as he completed 31 of 41 passes for 467 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his touchdowns went to tight end Chris Gragg. One was for a 6-yard score early in the first quarter, while the second was a 60-yard score that came with 19 seconds left in the first quarter. Gragg finished the game with nine catches for 130 yards.
Wilson's top receiving target was rising senior Cobi Hamilton, who ended the day with 11 catches for 156 yards. Marquel Wade was third on the Red team in receiving, catching six passes for 136 yards and a touchdown.
Running back Knile Davis was held out of the game, giving Ronnie Wingo Jr. and Dennis Johnson the limelight. Wingo had a game-high 88 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries, while Johnson carried the ball 12 times for 71 yards and another score.
As for the White team, Brandon Mitchell led the way with 72 passing yards on 8 of 13 passing. He also took snaps with the Red team, passing for 30 yards and a 15-yard touchdown to Wade early in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Keante Minor led the White team with 53 yards on six receptions.
Defensively, White team linebacker Robert Atiga recorded a game-high 12 tackles. Teammates Houston Pruitt and Alan Turner both finished with 11 tackles. Defensive ends Trey Flowers and Chris Smith each registered two sacks for the Red team. Cornerback Kaelon Kelleybrew led the Red team with five tackles and also grabbed the only interception in the game, which he returned for 44 yards.
For more on Arkansas' spring game go to the school's official website.
There was an air of restlessness in the chat room today. The Arkansas and Tennessee fans are convinced that I hate them. Not true on either count. But, hey, it will be another group of fans next week.
Here's a snapshot of what you missed:
Bill: Ed wouldn't answer this question honestly. Will you? Why do you hate Arkansas?
Chris Low: What makes you think that I hate Arkansas? In fact, I have a great relationship with all the people at Arkansas, from Jeff Long, to Bobby Petrino, to their staff in sports information and the players such as Tyler Wilson, Knile Davis and past guys like Jake Bequette. If I rank the Hogs lower than you think they should be or don't pick them in a certain game certainly doesn't mean that I hate them. The best environment I've been to for a game in the last two or three years was the Alabama-Arkansas game in Fayetteville in 2010. I look forward to coming back!
Concerned Tennessee Fan: I heard a rumor that UT is suing ESPN over your lack of positive articles about the Vols. Is there any truth to this at all? Seems silly, to me.
Chris Low: Yep, I have a team of attorneys handling the case for me, and I'm talking high-priced attorneys.
Wayne in Florida: I'm positive you won't answer this, Chris, but I will try anyway. You said Alabama was FOURTH in RB stables, not feature back but STABLE meaning all the running backs combined behind South Carolina and Arkansas. Please explain this. Outside of Knile Davis and Marcus Lattimore, those two don't have a stable and they proved it last year.
Chris Low: Just off the top of my head, I would say that's about right -- maybe third or fourth. LSU would be my top choice in terms of overall running backs. Arkansas would be second. Davis, if he's healthy, is one of the best in the country. Also, go back and look at what Dennis Johnson did last year. Ronnie Wingo is a mighty talented third option. Lattimore, like Davis, is one of the best out there, but Wilds was one of the best freshmen in the league last season for South Carolina. Again, I think Alabama would be right there at either third or fourth. Lacy is very good. Fowler is more of a power back, and Hart sounds like he's the real deal, but hasn't played yet.
Bill in Chattanooga, Tenn.: What is the deal with your top 25 players list? How could you leave Da'Rick Rogers from Tennessee off the list while putting Alshon Jeffery from South Carolina on it?
Chris Low: It was a close call. Rogers caught nine TD passes and Jeffery caught eight TD passes. But in SEC games, Jeffery caught five TD passes and Rogers three. Plus, Jeffery made the play in the bowl game with the big TD catch to turn that game around and send South Carolina on its way to a win. Rogers had more overall catches and yards, I'll grant you, but Jeffery meant more to his team. Rogers brooded much of the year and was a divisive force at times. He was a complete no-show in the Kentucky game. In short, he had good numbers, but didn't have the overall impact that Jeffery did on his team. That said, when you do a list like this, there are always going to be players that are deserving who are left off, especially in the SEC.
Anthony in Columbus, Ga.: Thoughts on Crowell for next season?
Chris Low: I think he will mature from his freshman to sophomore season. He also needs to get mentally tougher, and he should. His teammates have gone to bat for him, and that's a good sign. If these things happen, he has all the physical tools to be a 1,200-yard rusher. He's a better runner between the tackles than he's given credit for and has great moves. I just want to see him be more of a gamer in the fourth quarter.
Here's a snapshot of what you missed:
Bill: Ed wouldn't answer this question honestly. Will you? Why do you hate Arkansas?
Chris Low: What makes you think that I hate Arkansas? In fact, I have a great relationship with all the people at Arkansas, from Jeff Long, to Bobby Petrino, to their staff in sports information and the players such as Tyler Wilson, Knile Davis and past guys like Jake Bequette. If I rank the Hogs lower than you think they should be or don't pick them in a certain game certainly doesn't mean that I hate them. The best environment I've been to for a game in the last two or three years was the Alabama-Arkansas game in Fayetteville in 2010. I look forward to coming back!
Concerned Tennessee Fan: I heard a rumor that UT is suing ESPN over your lack of positive articles about the Vols. Is there any truth to this at all? Seems silly, to me.
Chris Low: Yep, I have a team of attorneys handling the case for me, and I'm talking high-priced attorneys.
Wayne in Florida: I'm positive you won't answer this, Chris, but I will try anyway. You said Alabama was FOURTH in RB stables, not feature back but STABLE meaning all the running backs combined behind South Carolina and Arkansas. Please explain this. Outside of Knile Davis and Marcus Lattimore, those two don't have a stable and they proved it last year.
Chris Low: Just off the top of my head, I would say that's about right -- maybe third or fourth. LSU would be my top choice in terms of overall running backs. Arkansas would be second. Davis, if he's healthy, is one of the best in the country. Also, go back and look at what Dennis Johnson did last year. Ronnie Wingo is a mighty talented third option. Lattimore, like Davis, is one of the best out there, but Wilds was one of the best freshmen in the league last season for South Carolina. Again, I think Alabama would be right there at either third or fourth. Lacy is very good. Fowler is more of a power back, and Hart sounds like he's the real deal, but hasn't played yet.
Bill in Chattanooga, Tenn.: What is the deal with your top 25 players list? How could you leave Da'Rick Rogers from Tennessee off the list while putting Alshon Jeffery from South Carolina on it?
Chris Low: It was a close call. Rogers caught nine TD passes and Jeffery caught eight TD passes. But in SEC games, Jeffery caught five TD passes and Rogers three. Plus, Jeffery made the play in the bowl game with the big TD catch to turn that game around and send South Carolina on its way to a win. Rogers had more overall catches and yards, I'll grant you, but Jeffery meant more to his team. Rogers brooded much of the year and was a divisive force at times. He was a complete no-show in the Kentucky game. In short, he had good numbers, but didn't have the overall impact that Jeffery did on his team. That said, when you do a list like this, there are always going to be players that are deserving who are left off, especially in the SEC.
Anthony in Columbus, Ga.: Thoughts on Crowell for next season?
Chris Low: I think he will mature from his freshman to sophomore season. He also needs to get mentally tougher, and he should. His teammates have gone to bat for him, and that's a good sign. If these things happen, he has all the physical tools to be a 1,200-yard rusher. He's a better runner between the tackles than he's given credit for and has great moves. I just want to see him be more of a gamer in the fourth quarter.
SEC postseason position rankings: ST
February, 10, 2012
Feb 10
4:00
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
We've come to the end of our postseason position rankings. Special teams don't get a ton of credit when things go right, but we all know how much grief they get when things go wrong. Just look at all those shanks we saw from kickers last season.
Fortunately, there are other aspects of special teams that involve more exciting plays, like returns that can change the dynamic of a game or are just really easy on the eyes (just take a look at what Joe Adams did to Tennessee last fall).
You can see how we ranked the SEC's special teams units before the season here.
Here are our final rankings:
1. LSU: All-American punter Brad Wing averaged 44.4 yards per kick, had 20 punts of 50-plus yards and pinned 27 kicks inside the opposing 20-yard line. His long of 73 yards completely changed LSU's first game with Alabama. Tyrann Mathieu had two clutch punt returns for touchdowns against Arkansas and Georgia at the end of the season and was fifth nationally averaging 15.6 yards per return. Morris Claiborne also returned a kickoff for a touchdown and averaged 25.1 yards per return. Opponents averaged 3.7 yards per punt return and just 20 yards per kickoff against LSU. Drew Alleman led the SEC in field goal percentage (88.9), hitting 16-of-18 kicks.
2. Arkansas: Adams was one of the best punt returners in the country, averaging 16.9 yards per return and taking four to the house for scores. The Hogs were just as dangerous on kickoffs, as Dennis Johnson and Marquel Wade both returned kicks for touchdowns and ranked in the top five in the SEC in return average. Zach Hocker hit 21-of-27 kicks and led all kickers by averaging 9.1 points per game. Dylan Breeding led the SEC in punting (45.3) and downed 16 inside the 20. Arkansas was one of the best in the SEC in kickoff coverage, but did allow two punt returns to go for scores in the two biggest games of the season.
3. Auburn: Auburn had Onterio McCalebb and Tre Mason take kickoffs back for touchdowns, as the Tigers led the SEC in kickoff return average (24.7) and also in kickoff coverage. Auburn wasn't great returning punts, but punter Steven Clark was a Ray Guy Award finalist and pinned 33 punts inside the 20. Cody Parkey ranked sixth in the league in field-goal kicking, connecting on 13-of-18 kicks (72.2).
4. Florida: Even without Urban Meyer running the show, the Gators were still pretty successful in this department. Florida was first in the SEC and tied for sixth nationally with six blocked kicks. Two punt blocks went for touchdowns. Caleb Sturgis was a Lou Groza Award finalist, hitting 22-of-26 field goals, including three from 50-plus yards. Florida was also solid in kickoff coverage and got kickoff touchdowns of their own from Andre Debose, who was third in the league in return average, and Jeff Demps. Florida averaged 7.2 yards per punt return and averaged 39.8 yards per punt.
5. Ole Miss: If not for special teams, Ole Miss would have been even worse in 2011. Tyler Campbell averaged 43.6 yards per punt on his 72 attempts and pinned 28 inside the 20. The Rebels also had two different players -- Nickolas Brassell and Jeff Scott -- return punts for touchdowns and Ole Miss was near the top of the league in kickoff coverage and had a net punting average of 38 yards. Bryson Rose also hit nine of his 11 field-goal attempts.
6. Vanderbilt: It was a mixed bag for the Commodores when it came to special teams. Vanderbilt was second in the league in opponent punt return average (3.9), but allowed a touchdown, and gave up another touchdown on kickoff coverage. Vanderbilt also blocked two kicks. Missed field goals haunted Vanderbilt, as the Commodores missed two in the six-point loss to Tennessee and one at the end of regulation in a three-point loss to Arkansas. Andre Hal logged a kickoff touchdown, but Vandy was 11th in the league in punt return average.
7. Alabama: Before the national championship game, Alabama's field-goal kicking game received a ton of criticism, especially for the four misses in the 9-6 loss to LSU. But Jeremy Shelley redeemed the unit by hitting 5-of-7 in the rematch. Alabama's kickers missed 13 kicks. Marquis Maze only had 12 kickoff returns, but averaged 28.5 yards per return, was third in the SEC in punt return average (13.2) and had that nifty touchdown against Arkansas. However, Alabama was 11th in the league in kickoff coverage and 10th in punt average.
8. Kentucky: Punter Ryan Tydlacka was fourth in the league in punting (43.6), had 20 punts of 50-plus yards and had 19 of his punts downed inside the 20. Craig McIntosh connected on 12-of-14 field-goal attempts (.857). Kentucky was in the middle of the pack in kickoff coverage. The Wildcats weren't so good at returning kicks, ranking 11th in the SEC in kickoff returns and last in punt returns, averaging 1.8 yards per return.
9. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs were last in the league in kickoff returns and were the only team to average fewer than 20 yards a return. The Bulldogs were better on punts, getting touchdowns from Chad Bumphis and Johnthan Banks, and ranked fifth in the league in punt return average. Punter Baker Swedenburg ranked seventh in punting and pinned 19 punts inside the 20. Derek DePasquale hit 12-of-18 field goals.
10. Tennessee: The Vols didn't record any special teams touchdowns, but were fifth in the league in kickoff returns and seventh in punt returns. As far as defending returns, Tennessee allowed just 18.1 yards per return, but was 10th in punt return coverage and gave up a touchdown. Michael Palardy hit of nine of his 14 field-goal attempts and punter Matt Darr was 10th in the SEC in punt average (38.1).
11. South Carolina: The Gamecocks struggled in the kicking game, but did have a bright spot in Ace Sanders recording a touchdown on a punt return and South Carolina blocked two kicks. However, South Carolina was seventh and eighth in the SEC in kickoff and punt returns, respectively. South Carolina was last in kickoff coverage and gave up a touchdown. Jay Wooten missed four field goals and three extra points, while punter Joey Scribner-Howard was ninth in the SEC in punting, averaging 38.9 yards per punt.
12. Georgia: Outside of Brandon Boykin's 92-yard touchdown return in the Outback Bowl, his 22.4-yard average on kick returns and Drew Butler's 44.2 yards per punt, Georgia didn't do much at all on special teams. The group that was supposed to be first in the league allowed two kickoffs and punts to go for touchdowns and allowed a fake punt for a touchdown against South Carolina. Blair Walsh entered the season as one of the nation's top kickers, but hit just 21-of-35 kicks, including missing two in overtime in the bowl loss to Michigan State.
Fortunately, there are other aspects of special teams that involve more exciting plays, like returns that can change the dynamic of a game or are just really easy on the eyes (just take a look at what Joe Adams did to Tennessee last fall).
You can see how we ranked the SEC's special teams units before the season here.
Here are our final rankings:
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/John BazemoreTyrann Mathieu's punt return for a touchdown against Georgia turned the momentum in the game.
AP Photo/John BazemoreTyrann Mathieu's punt return for a touchdown against Georgia turned the momentum in the game.2. Arkansas: Adams was one of the best punt returners in the country, averaging 16.9 yards per return and taking four to the house for scores. The Hogs were just as dangerous on kickoffs, as Dennis Johnson and Marquel Wade both returned kicks for touchdowns and ranked in the top five in the SEC in return average. Zach Hocker hit 21-of-27 kicks and led all kickers by averaging 9.1 points per game. Dylan Breeding led the SEC in punting (45.3) and downed 16 inside the 20. Arkansas was one of the best in the SEC in kickoff coverage, but did allow two punt returns to go for scores in the two biggest games of the season.
3. Auburn: Auburn had Onterio McCalebb and Tre Mason take kickoffs back for touchdowns, as the Tigers led the SEC in kickoff return average (24.7) and also in kickoff coverage. Auburn wasn't great returning punts, but punter Steven Clark was a Ray Guy Award finalist and pinned 33 punts inside the 20. Cody Parkey ranked sixth in the league in field-goal kicking, connecting on 13-of-18 kicks (72.2).
4. Florida: Even without Urban Meyer running the show, the Gators were still pretty successful in this department. Florida was first in the SEC and tied for sixth nationally with six blocked kicks. Two punt blocks went for touchdowns. Caleb Sturgis was a Lou Groza Award finalist, hitting 22-of-26 field goals, including three from 50-plus yards. Florida was also solid in kickoff coverage and got kickoff touchdowns of their own from Andre Debose, who was third in the league in return average, and Jeff Demps. Florida averaged 7.2 yards per punt return and averaged 39.8 yards per punt.
5. Ole Miss: If not for special teams, Ole Miss would have been even worse in 2011. Tyler Campbell averaged 43.6 yards per punt on his 72 attempts and pinned 28 inside the 20. The Rebels also had two different players -- Nickolas Brassell and Jeff Scott -- return punts for touchdowns and Ole Miss was near the top of the league in kickoff coverage and had a net punting average of 38 yards. Bryson Rose also hit nine of his 11 field-goal attempts.
6. Vanderbilt: It was a mixed bag for the Commodores when it came to special teams. Vanderbilt was second in the league in opponent punt return average (3.9), but allowed a touchdown, and gave up another touchdown on kickoff coverage. Vanderbilt also blocked two kicks. Missed field goals haunted Vanderbilt, as the Commodores missed two in the six-point loss to Tennessee and one at the end of regulation in a three-point loss to Arkansas. Andre Hal logged a kickoff touchdown, but Vandy was 11th in the league in punt return average.
7. Alabama: Before the national championship game, Alabama's field-goal kicking game received a ton of criticism, especially for the four misses in the 9-6 loss to LSU. But Jeremy Shelley redeemed the unit by hitting 5-of-7 in the rematch. Alabama's kickers missed 13 kicks. Marquis Maze only had 12 kickoff returns, but averaged 28.5 yards per return, was third in the SEC in punt return average (13.2) and had that nifty touchdown against Arkansas. However, Alabama was 11th in the league in kickoff coverage and 10th in punt average.
8. Kentucky: Punter Ryan Tydlacka was fourth in the league in punting (43.6), had 20 punts of 50-plus yards and had 19 of his punts downed inside the 20. Craig McIntosh connected on 12-of-14 field-goal attempts (.857). Kentucky was in the middle of the pack in kickoff coverage. The Wildcats weren't so good at returning kicks, ranking 11th in the SEC in kickoff returns and last in punt returns, averaging 1.8 yards per return.
9. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs were last in the league in kickoff returns and were the only team to average fewer than 20 yards a return. The Bulldogs were better on punts, getting touchdowns from Chad Bumphis and Johnthan Banks, and ranked fifth in the league in punt return average. Punter Baker Swedenburg ranked seventh in punting and pinned 19 punts inside the 20. Derek DePasquale hit 12-of-18 field goals.
10. Tennessee: The Vols didn't record any special teams touchdowns, but were fifth in the league in kickoff returns and seventh in punt returns. As far as defending returns, Tennessee allowed just 18.1 yards per return, but was 10th in punt return coverage and gave up a touchdown. Michael Palardy hit of nine of his 14 field-goal attempts and punter Matt Darr was 10th in the SEC in punt average (38.1).
11. South Carolina: The Gamecocks struggled in the kicking game, but did have a bright spot in Ace Sanders recording a touchdown on a punt return and South Carolina blocked two kicks. However, South Carolina was seventh and eighth in the SEC in kickoff and punt returns, respectively. South Carolina was last in kickoff coverage and gave up a touchdown. Jay Wooten missed four field goals and three extra points, while punter Joey Scribner-Howard was ninth in the SEC in punting, averaging 38.9 yards per punt.
12. Georgia: Outside of Brandon Boykin's 92-yard touchdown return in the Outback Bowl, his 22.4-yard average on kick returns and Drew Butler's 44.2 yards per punt, Georgia didn't do much at all on special teams. The group that was supposed to be first in the league allowed two kickoffs and punts to go for touchdowns and allowed a fake punt for a touchdown against South Carolina. Blair Walsh entered the season as one of the nation's top kickers, but hit just 21-of-35 kicks, including missing two in overtime in the bowl loss to Michigan State.
Another look at some SEC season notes
January, 24, 2012
Jan 24
11:00
AM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
Even as we turn our attention to the 2012 football season, there's always time to check back with the past from time to time.
The SEC released its last set of notes from the 2011 season this week, so we thought we'd take a look at some of the interesting facts and figures from the previous season.
For starters, how about a look at the SEC players of the week?
Week 1 (Games of Sept. 1-3): Offense - Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State; Defense - Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU; Special Teams - Joe Adams, WR/RS, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Rokevious Watkins, OT, South Carolina; Co-Defensive Lineman - Jaye Howard, DT, Florida; Luke McDermott, DT, Kentucky; Co-Freshman - Trey Depriest, LB, Alabama; Tre Mason, RB/RS, Auburn.
Week 2 (Games of Sept. 10): Offense - Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee; Defense - Mark Barron, S, Alabama; Special Teams - Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina; Offensive Lineman - Alvin Bailey, OG, Arkansas; Defensive Lineman - Rob Lohr, DT, Vanderbilt; Co-Freshman - Josh Clemons, RB, Kentucky; Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia.
Week 3 (Games of Sept. 15-17): Co-Offense - Chris Rainey, RB, Florida; Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina; Defense -Trey Wilson, DB, Vanderbilt; Special Teams - Caleb Sturgis, PK, Florida; Offensive Lineman - Wesley Johnson, C, Vanderbilt; Defensive Lineman - Bennie Logan, DT, LSU; Freshman- Odell Beckham, WR, LSU.
Week 4 (Games of Sept. 24): Offense - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama; Defense -Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina; Special Teams - Brad Wing, P, LSU; Offensive Lineman - Barrett Jones, OT, Alabama; Defensive Lineman - Jaye Howard, DT, Florida; Freshman- Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia.
Week 5 (Games of Oct. 1): Co-Offense - Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas; Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas; Defense - Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina; Special Teams - Steven Clark, P, Auburn; Offensive Lineman - William Vlachos, C, Alabama; Defensive Lineman - Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU; Freshman - Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia..
Week 6 (Games of Oct. 8): Offense - Connor Shaw, QB, South Carolina; Defense - Mike Gilliard, ILB, Georgia; Special Teams - Blair Walsh, PK, Georgia; Offensive Lineman - Will Blackwell, OG, LSU; Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Freshman - Tevin Mitchel, CB, Arkansas.
Week 7 (Games of Oct. 15): Offense - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama; Co-Defense - Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn; D.J. Swearinger, FS, South Carolina; Special Teams - Steven Clark, P, Auburn; Offensive Lineman - Chris Faulk, OT, LSU; Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Co-Freshman - Bruce Ellington, WR, South Carolina; Ray Drew, OLB, Georgia.
Week 8 (Games of Oct. 22): Offense - Dennis Johnson, RB, Arkansas; Defense - Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama; Special Teams - Brad Wing, P, LSU; Offensive Lineman - Ryan Seymour, OG, Vanderbilt; Defensive Lineman - Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU; Freshman - A.J. Johnson, LB, Tennessee.
Week 9 (Games of Oct. 29): Offense - Michael Dyer, RB, Auburn; Co-Defense - Jerry Franklin, LB, Arkansas; Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia; Special Teams - Zach Hocker, K, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia; Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Freshman - Brandon Wilds, RB, South Carolina.
Week 10 (Games of Nov. 5): Offense - Jeff Demps, RB, Florida; Defense - Eric Reid, S, LSU; Special Teams - Dennis Johnson, RS/RB, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Ben Jones, C, Georgia; Co-Defensive Lineman - Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas; Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU; Freshman - Maxwell Smith, QB, Kentucky.
Week 11 (Games of Nov. 12): Offense - Zac Stacy, RB, Vanderbilt; Defense - Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama; Special Teams - Joe Adams, WR/RS, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Ben Jones, C, Georgia; Defensive Lineman - Travian Robertson, DT, South Carolina; Freshman - Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia.
Week 12 (Games of Nov. 19): Offense - Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas; Co-Defense - Ron Brooks, DB, LSU; Danny Trevathan, LB, Kentucky; Special Teams - Blair Walsh, PK, Georgia; Offensive Lineman - Will Blackwell, OG, LSU; Co-Defensive Lineman - Malik Jackson, DT, Tennessee; Abry Jones, DE, Georgia; Freshman - Curt Maggitt, LB, Tennessee.
Week 13 (Games of Nov. 25-26): Co-Offense - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama; Connor Shaw, QB, South Carolina; Defense - Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU; Special Teams - Ryan Tydlacka, P, Kentucky; Co-Offensive Lineman - Kyle Fischer, OT, Vanderbilt; William Vlachos, C, Alabama; Co-Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Garrison Smith, DE, Georgia; Freshman - Kenny Hilliard, RB, LSU.
SEC Championship Game MVP: Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU
BCS (Yes, the SEC has won six straight)
The SEC released its last set of notes from the 2011 season this week, so we thought we'd take a look at some of the interesting facts and figures from the previous season.
For starters, how about a look at the SEC players of the week?
Week 1 (Games of Sept. 1-3): Offense - Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State; Defense - Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU; Special Teams - Joe Adams, WR/RS, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Rokevious Watkins, OT, South Carolina; Co-Defensive Lineman - Jaye Howard, DT, Florida; Luke McDermott, DT, Kentucky; Co-Freshman - Trey Depriest, LB, Alabama; Tre Mason, RB/RS, Auburn.
Week 2 (Games of Sept. 10): Offense - Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee; Defense - Mark Barron, S, Alabama; Special Teams - Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina; Offensive Lineman - Alvin Bailey, OG, Arkansas; Defensive Lineman - Rob Lohr, DT, Vanderbilt; Co-Freshman - Josh Clemons, RB, Kentucky; Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia.
Week 3 (Games of Sept. 15-17): Co-Offense - Chris Rainey, RB, Florida; Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina; Defense -Trey Wilson, DB, Vanderbilt; Special Teams - Caleb Sturgis, PK, Florida; Offensive Lineman - Wesley Johnson, C, Vanderbilt; Defensive Lineman - Bennie Logan, DT, LSU; Freshman- Odell Beckham, WR, LSU.
Week 4 (Games of Sept. 24): Offense - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama; Defense -Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina; Special Teams - Brad Wing, P, LSU; Offensive Lineman - Barrett Jones, OT, Alabama; Defensive Lineman - Jaye Howard, DT, Florida; Freshman- Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia.
Week 5 (Games of Oct. 1): Co-Offense - Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas; Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas; Defense - Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina; Special Teams - Steven Clark, P, Auburn; Offensive Lineman - William Vlachos, C, Alabama; Defensive Lineman - Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU; Freshman - Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia..
Week 6 (Games of Oct. 8): Offense - Connor Shaw, QB, South Carolina; Defense - Mike Gilliard, ILB, Georgia; Special Teams - Blair Walsh, PK, Georgia; Offensive Lineman - Will Blackwell, OG, LSU; Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Freshman - Tevin Mitchel, CB, Arkansas.
Week 7 (Games of Oct. 15): Offense - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama; Co-Defense - Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn; D.J. Swearinger, FS, South Carolina; Special Teams - Steven Clark, P, Auburn; Offensive Lineman - Chris Faulk, OT, LSU; Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Co-Freshman - Bruce Ellington, WR, South Carolina; Ray Drew, OLB, Georgia.
Week 8 (Games of Oct. 22): Offense - Dennis Johnson, RB, Arkansas; Defense - Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama; Special Teams - Brad Wing, P, LSU; Offensive Lineman - Ryan Seymour, OG, Vanderbilt; Defensive Lineman - Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU; Freshman - A.J. Johnson, LB, Tennessee.
Week 9 (Games of Oct. 29): Offense - Michael Dyer, RB, Auburn; Co-Defense - Jerry Franklin, LB, Arkansas; Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia; Special Teams - Zach Hocker, K, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia; Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Freshman - Brandon Wilds, RB, South Carolina.
Week 10 (Games of Nov. 5): Offense - Jeff Demps, RB, Florida; Defense - Eric Reid, S, LSU; Special Teams - Dennis Johnson, RS/RB, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Ben Jones, C, Georgia; Co-Defensive Lineman - Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas; Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU; Freshman - Maxwell Smith, QB, Kentucky.
Week 11 (Games of Nov. 12): Offense - Zac Stacy, RB, Vanderbilt; Defense - Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama; Special Teams - Joe Adams, WR/RS, Arkansas; Offensive Lineman - Ben Jones, C, Georgia; Defensive Lineman - Travian Robertson, DT, South Carolina; Freshman - Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia.
Week 12 (Games of Nov. 19): Offense - Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas; Co-Defense - Ron Brooks, DB, LSU; Danny Trevathan, LB, Kentucky; Special Teams - Blair Walsh, PK, Georgia; Offensive Lineman - Will Blackwell, OG, LSU; Co-Defensive Lineman - Malik Jackson, DT, Tennessee; Abry Jones, DE, Georgia; Freshman - Curt Maggitt, LB, Tennessee.
Week 13 (Games of Nov. 25-26): Co-Offense - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama; Connor Shaw, QB, South Carolina; Defense - Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU; Special Teams - Ryan Tydlacka, P, Kentucky; Co-Offensive Lineman - Kyle Fischer, OT, Vanderbilt; William Vlachos, C, Alabama; Co-Defensive Lineman - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State; Garrison Smith, DE, Georgia; Freshman - Kenny Hilliard, RB, LSU.
SEC Championship Game MVP: Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU
BCS (Yes, the SEC has won six straight)
- Since 2006, more than half of the slots in the BCS National Championship Game have been taken by SEC teams (7 of 12). The Big Ten and the Big 12 have two each and the Pac-12 has one.
- An SEC team has led or tied for the lead at the end of 20 of the last 24 quarters of BCS National Championship Game play.
- Since 2006, an SEC team has been ranked first in the weekly BCS standings in 26 of the 48 weeks, with four different teams holding the top spot. Florida was first for seven weeks, Alabama for six weeks, Auburn for three and LSU for 10 weeks, including all eight polls of this season.
- The SEC has had more teams ranked in the BCS standings for the most times than any other conference since 2006. The league has had 11 of its 12 teams ranked at one time or another since 2006 for a total of 238 times. The SEC breakdown: LSU (45), Alabama (35), Florida (33), Auburn (29), Georgia (23), Arkansas (23), South Carolina (21), Tennessee (14), Mississippi State (8), Kentucky (4) and Ole Miss (3).
- Since 2006, the SEC has posted a 9-3 record in BCS bowl games, more wins and a higher winning percentage (.750) than any other conference. The win total equals that of the next two highest conferences.
- Since 2006, the SEC has accrued more bowl wins (36) and appearances (55) than any other conference. The conference’s .655 bowl winning percentage is third behind the Big East (23-10, .697) and Mountain West (20-9, .690) during that time.
- In January bowl games, the SEC is 22-10 (.688) against nonconference competition. Since 2008, the league is 16-6 (.727) against nonconference opponents in January bowls.
- In seven 2011-12 bowl games against nonconference teams, SEC defenses held opponents to less than its scoring average in five of those games. One of the two other games were in overtime (Michigan State-Georgia) and the other was Auburn holding Virginia to 24 points, when the Cavaliers season average was 23.2 points per game.
- Over the last five seasons, Alabama owns the SEC's best winning percentage with a 50-12 record (.806). LSU has the most wins with 53, while Vanderbilt owns the league's lowest winning percentage (.355). LSU owns the best winning percentage over the last 10 years (.795) with a 105-27.
- SEC teams were 20-28 on the road against SEC opponents last season. Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt failed to win on the road against conference opponents.
- LSU led the SEC with a touchdown efficiency on drives of 34.8. Alabama led in scoring efficiency (46.8). Ole Miss was last in scoring efficiency (20.1) and Kentucky was last in touchdown efficiency (13.2).
- LSU led the SEC with 129 fourth-quarter points and a fourth-quarter scoring margin of plus-95. Ole Miss was last with 41 points and a scoring margin of -36.
- Arkansas led the SEC in yards per scoring drive (61.9).
Knile Davis officially returning to Arkansas
January, 10, 2012
Jan 10
3:50
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
Arkansas might be losing three NFL wide receivers in 2012, but that blow will be softened by the return of running back Knile Davis.
The junior announced his intention to return to Arkansas in a release through the school Tuesday.
“I have made the decision to return to the University of Arkansas for the 2012 season as I am determined to help this program accomplish the goals we have set in place," Davis said. "My injury was unfortunate, but I feel I have worked extremely hard for the opportunity to lead the Razorbacks on the field."
Davis was supposed to be one of the top backs not just in the SEC but in the nation. With his combination of strength and speed, he figured to be one of the most complete backs in the league and probably would have been a top running back prospect in the 2012 NFL draft.
However, Davis suffered a season-ending ankle injury during fall camp. With Davis out of the lineup, Arkansas failed to create a consistent rushing game for the first part of the season. Dennis Johnson ended up being the Razorbacks' lead back, but he was never the runner that Davis was.
In 2010, Davis rushed for 1,322 yards, the most by a running back in the SEC and the fourth-highest single-season total in Arkansas history, and 13 rushing touchdowns. The most impressive thing about Davis in 2010 was probably how well he played in the second half of the season.
In his final seven games, Davis rushed for more than 150 yards four times and averaged 146.8 yards a game in the process.
Without Davis, Arkansas ranked 80th nationally in rushing, averaging 137.4 yards a game.
Having Davis back not only gives Arkansas an elite rusher in its backfield but it will help to make this offense even more balanced. Quarterback Tyler Wilson won't have the three proven, veteran wide receivers he was accustomed to using last season at his disposal, so feeding Davis the ball will help take the pressure off of the passing game.
Also, don't expect Davis to be very rusty in 2012. He might not have suited up for the 2011 season, but that doesn't mean he wasn't working out. There was even chatter about Davis possibly playing at the end of the season. Keeping him away from the field late was probably the best decision coach Bobby Petrino could have made concerning Davis.
He should be more than ready for his senior season in Fayetteville.
"I can’t wait for another season with them and my teammates in 2012," Davis said.
The junior announced his intention to return to Arkansas in a release through the school Tuesday.
“I have made the decision to return to the University of Arkansas for the 2012 season as I am determined to help this program accomplish the goals we have set in place," Davis said. "My injury was unfortunate, but I feel I have worked extremely hard for the opportunity to lead the Razorbacks on the field."
Davis was supposed to be one of the top backs not just in the SEC but in the nation. With his combination of strength and speed, he figured to be one of the most complete backs in the league and probably would have been a top running back prospect in the 2012 NFL draft.
However, Davis suffered a season-ending ankle injury during fall camp. With Davis out of the lineup, Arkansas failed to create a consistent rushing game for the first part of the season. Dennis Johnson ended up being the Razorbacks' lead back, but he was never the runner that Davis was.
In 2010, Davis rushed for 1,322 yards, the most by a running back in the SEC and the fourth-highest single-season total in Arkansas history, and 13 rushing touchdowns. The most impressive thing about Davis in 2010 was probably how well he played in the second half of the season.
In his final seven games, Davis rushed for more than 150 yards four times and averaged 146.8 yards a game in the process.
Without Davis, Arkansas ranked 80th nationally in rushing, averaging 137.4 yards a game.
Having Davis back not only gives Arkansas an elite rusher in its backfield but it will help to make this offense even more balanced. Quarterback Tyler Wilson won't have the three proven, veteran wide receivers he was accustomed to using last season at his disposal, so feeding Davis the ball will help take the pressure off of the passing game.
Also, don't expect Davis to be very rusty in 2012. He might not have suited up for the 2011 season, but that doesn't mean he wasn't working out. There was even chatter about Davis possibly playing at the end of the season. Keeping him away from the field late was probably the best decision coach Bobby Petrino could have made concerning Davis.
He should be more than ready for his senior season in Fayetteville.
"I can’t wait for another season with them and my teammates in 2012," Davis said.
Cotton Bowl: Three keys for Arkansas
January, 6, 2012
Jan 6
10:30
AM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
Here are three keys for Arkansas in its AT&T Cotton Bowl showdown with Kansas State:
Contain Collin Klein: The Razorbacks weren't great at stopping the run this season and Klein knows how to frustrate defenses with his legs. Kansas State's quarterback threw for just 1,745 yards, but he rushed for 1,099 yards and led the Big 12 with 26 rushing touchdowns. Arkansas finished the regular season ranking ninth in the SEC in rushing, allowing 174.3 yards per game. Making sure Klein doesn't extend plays with his legs will be crucial for Arkansas' defense.
Get the running game going: While the Razorbacks' defense will need to contain Kansas State's best runner, Arkansas must also get its running game going. The Hogs' running game was inconsistent for the first part of the year, but seemed to come together in the second half of the season. In order for Arkansas' offense to truly produce, it has to be balanced with the rush and the pass. Pounding the ball with Dennis Johnson will be key, as it should help to wear down that pretty solid Kansas State rushing defense and will definitely open up Arkansas' passing game with stud quarterback Tyler Wilson.
Avoid a slow start: The Razorbacks seemed to get too comfortable during the midpoint of the season and had a knack for falling behind early. That can't happen today. Kansas State has had a wonderful year under coach Bill Snyder and chances are that the Wildcats aren't going to relinquish much of any lead the Hogs give them as they try to end the year on a special note. Arkansas needs to come out fast and put its foot on the Wildcats' throat early if it can.
Contain Collin Klein: The Razorbacks weren't great at stopping the run this season and Klein knows how to frustrate defenses with his legs. Kansas State's quarterback threw for just 1,745 yards, but he rushed for 1,099 yards and led the Big 12 with 26 rushing touchdowns. Arkansas finished the regular season ranking ninth in the SEC in rushing, allowing 174.3 yards per game. Making sure Klein doesn't extend plays with his legs will be crucial for Arkansas' defense.
Get the running game going: While the Razorbacks' defense will need to contain Kansas State's best runner, Arkansas must also get its running game going. The Hogs' running game was inconsistent for the first part of the year, but seemed to come together in the second half of the season. In order for Arkansas' offense to truly produce, it has to be balanced with the rush and the pass. Pounding the ball with Dennis Johnson will be key, as it should help to wear down that pretty solid Kansas State rushing defense and will definitely open up Arkansas' passing game with stud quarterback Tyler Wilson.
Avoid a slow start: The Razorbacks seemed to get too comfortable during the midpoint of the season and had a knack for falling behind early. That can't happen today. Kansas State has had a wonderful year under coach Bill Snyder and chances are that the Wildcats aren't going to relinquish much of any lead the Hogs give them as they try to end the year on a special note. Arkansas needs to come out fast and put its foot on the Wildcats' throat early if it can.
Arkansas was in the BCS hunt right up until the very end of the regular season, but fell short after a trip to Baton Rouge, La.:
OFFENSE: A
Coach Bobby Petrino has shown throughout his coaching career that he knows a little bit about how to run an offense. The Razorbacks brought in new quarterback Tyler Wilson, who was equipped with four future NFL wide receivers, and led the SEC in total offense. Wilson led the SEC in passing, averaging 285.2 yards per game, and he also had 22 passing touchdowns. Wilson was very efficient for the Razorbacks, completing 63 percent of his passes and tossing just six interceptions. Jarius Wright and Joe Adams ranked in the top 10 in the SEC in receiving, with Wright leading the league with 93.5 yards per game and 11 touchdowns. Arkansas worked with a pretty inexperienced offensive line, but it was a line that grew as the season progressed. That growth became more evident in the running game. The Hogs started the season being very inconsistent running the ball and couldn't find a true number one to replace the injured Knile Davis. Following Week 6, Arkansas' running game gained more consistency and found a leader in Dennis Johnson, who led Arkansas with 637 yards. Arkansas' offense would have been even better with Davis in the lineup. He was arguably the most complete back in the league, but missed the season with an ankle injury.
DEFENSE: C
This was supposed to be Petrino's best Arkansas defense, but the Hogs fell well below expectations. Injuries did pile up, but Arkansas' lack of depth became a glaring issue throughout the year. Arkansas allowed 31.8 points against ranked opponents. Against SEC opponents, the Razorbacks allowed 24.6 points per game. While Arkansas won 10 games, the defense ranked ninth or worse in the SEC in scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense and passing defense. Opponents averaged nearly 19 first downs per game against Arkansas and converted almost 38 percent of their third-down conversions. There were some solid individual performances for the Hogs, as linebacker Jerry Franklin led Arkansas in tackles (93) for the fourth straight year and ranked sixth in the SEC. Defensive end Jake Bequette overcame injury to record eight sacks in just nine games. Linebacker Alonzo Highsmith enjoyed a solid first year in Fayetteville with 10.5 tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A
Adams showed why he's such a dynamic athlete by becoming the human highlight reel on punt returns, including his scintillating 60-yard return for a score against Tennessee. He had three touchdowns on returns, and tied for first in the league with 16.2 yards per return. Johnson and Marquel Wade made Arkansas' kickoff team very dangerous. Both ranked in the top 5 in return average and combined for two touchdowns. Zach Hocker led SEC kickers with 8.9 points per game, and hit 18 field goals and 53 extra points. Dylan Breeding led the SEC with 45.2 yards per punt and downed 14 inside opponents' 20-yard lines. Arkansas also ranked third in the league in kickoff coverage.
COACHING: A-
Petrino had the Hogs in the thick of the BCS hunt yet again in 2011. A win over LSU at the end of the year might have put the Hogs on a path toward the national championship. His team overcame a flurry of injuries to grab double-digit wins for the second straight season. It's no shocker that offensive coordinator Garrick McGee was lured away to become the head coach at UAB after another season of directing Arkansas' offense. The Hogs ranked 26th nationally in offense, averaging 445.8 yards per game. Where Arkansas fell short was on defense. Arkansas was supposed to turn the corner there, but never did during the season and was pushed around by Alabama and LSU. Former defensive coordinator Will Robinson resigned at the end of the regular season.
OFFENSE: A
Coach Bobby Petrino has shown throughout his coaching career that he knows a little bit about how to run an offense. The Razorbacks brought in new quarterback Tyler Wilson, who was equipped with four future NFL wide receivers, and led the SEC in total offense. Wilson led the SEC in passing, averaging 285.2 yards per game, and he also had 22 passing touchdowns. Wilson was very efficient for the Razorbacks, completing 63 percent of his passes and tossing just six interceptions. Jarius Wright and Joe Adams ranked in the top 10 in the SEC in receiving, with Wright leading the league with 93.5 yards per game and 11 touchdowns. Arkansas worked with a pretty inexperienced offensive line, but it was a line that grew as the season progressed. That growth became more evident in the running game. The Hogs started the season being very inconsistent running the ball and couldn't find a true number one to replace the injured Knile Davis. Following Week 6, Arkansas' running game gained more consistency and found a leader in Dennis Johnson, who led Arkansas with 637 yards. Arkansas' offense would have been even better with Davis in the lineup. He was arguably the most complete back in the league, but missed the season with an ankle injury.
DEFENSE: C
This was supposed to be Petrino's best Arkansas defense, but the Hogs fell well below expectations. Injuries did pile up, but Arkansas' lack of depth became a glaring issue throughout the year. Arkansas allowed 31.8 points against ranked opponents. Against SEC opponents, the Razorbacks allowed 24.6 points per game. While Arkansas won 10 games, the defense ranked ninth or worse in the SEC in scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense and passing defense. Opponents averaged nearly 19 first downs per game against Arkansas and converted almost 38 percent of their third-down conversions. There were some solid individual performances for the Hogs, as linebacker Jerry Franklin led Arkansas in tackles (93) for the fourth straight year and ranked sixth in the SEC. Defensive end Jake Bequette overcame injury to record eight sacks in just nine games. Linebacker Alonzo Highsmith enjoyed a solid first year in Fayetteville with 10.5 tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A
Adams showed why he's such a dynamic athlete by becoming the human highlight reel on punt returns, including his scintillating 60-yard return for a score against Tennessee. He had three touchdowns on returns, and tied for first in the league with 16.2 yards per return. Johnson and Marquel Wade made Arkansas' kickoff team very dangerous. Both ranked in the top 5 in return average and combined for two touchdowns. Zach Hocker led SEC kickers with 8.9 points per game, and hit 18 field goals and 53 extra points. Dylan Breeding led the SEC with 45.2 yards per punt and downed 14 inside opponents' 20-yard lines. Arkansas also ranked third in the league in kickoff coverage.
COACHING: A-
Petrino had the Hogs in the thick of the BCS hunt yet again in 2011. A win over LSU at the end of the year might have put the Hogs on a path toward the national championship. His team overcame a flurry of injuries to grab double-digit wins for the second straight season. It's no shocker that offensive coordinator Garrick McGee was lured away to become the head coach at UAB after another season of directing Arkansas' offense. The Hogs ranked 26th nationally in offense, averaging 445.8 yards per game. Where Arkansas fell short was on defense. Arkansas was supposed to turn the corner there, but never did during the season and was pushed around by Alabama and LSU. Former defensive coordinator Will Robinson resigned at the end of the regular season.
SEC fantasy challenge championship
November, 29, 2011
11/29/11
3:30
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
It's all over, folks.
The veteran has fallen to the rookie.
In one last game for fantasy nerd supremacy, my Young Guns pulled off the 133-108 victory against Over the Hill in last week's championship game.
It was a tough season, but it made my team and me stronger. We overcame a tough losing streak to trump the overconfident Chris Low. He mocked me by not setting his lineup at times ... and still won. But it eventually caught up with him for a couple of weeks.
Last weekend, we had our lineups fully set and ready, but the Young Guns were just too strong.
Our leading scorer was Vanderbilt running back Zac Stacy (36), who ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns in that blowout win over Wake Forest. Aaron Murray's four-touchdown day against Georgia Tech helped his 28-point day and LSU's defensive performance against Arkansas was good enough for 20 points.
Chris' leading scorers were South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw (36), Alabama running back Trent Richardson (26) and Alabama's defense (15). Richardson might have etched his name onto the Heisman Trophy with his 203-yard rushing performance against Auburn, but it just wasn't enough to push Chris' team over the top.
When we actually gave our rosters our full attention, we had a lot of fun with our fantasy teams. It got pretty exciting there at the end and it helped me take my mind off of my awful NFL fantasy team, which is currently winless and hasn't been updated since Week 5.
It also gives me the added confidence I need going to the bowl season as we continue our SEC game predictions. The Kid has some life!
Here's how the championship game turned out:
YOUNG GUNS
QB: Jordan Rodgers (139 yds, 1 TD; 90 rushing yds) -- 18
QB: Aaron Murray (252 yds, 4 TDs; 22 rushing yds) -- 28
RB: Zac Stacy (184, 3 TDs) -- 36
RB: Dennis Johnson (31 yds) -- 3
WR: Jarius Wright (27 yds, 1 TD) -- 8
WR: Rueben Randle (134 yds) -- 13
DEF: LSU (17 pts, 1 TD, 5 sacks, 1 INT, 2 Fums, Win) -- 20
K: Georgia (1 FG, 4 XPs) -- 7
TOTAL: 133
OVER THE HILL
QB: Tyler Wilson (207 yds, 1 TD; -17 rushing yds) -- 12
QB: Connor Shaw (210 yds, 3 TDs; 107 rushing yds, 1 TD) -- 36
RB: Trent Richardson (203 yds; 5 receiving yds, 1 TD) -- 26
RB: Spencer Ware (36 yds, 1 TD; 8 receiving yds) -- 9
WR: Da'Rick Rogers (38 yds; 11 rushing yds -- 4
WR: Joe Adams (35 yds) -- 3
DEF: Alabama (14 pts, 1 TD, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 fum, Win) -- 15
K: Ole Miss (1 FG) -- 3
TOTAL: 108
The veteran has fallen to the rookie.
In one last game for fantasy nerd supremacy, my Young Guns pulled off the 133-108 victory against Over the Hill in last week's championship game.
It was a tough season, but it made my team and me stronger. We overcame a tough losing streak to trump the overconfident Chris Low. He mocked me by not setting his lineup at times ... and still won. But it eventually caught up with him for a couple of weeks.
Last weekend, we had our lineups fully set and ready, but the Young Guns were just too strong.
Our leading scorer was Vanderbilt running back Zac Stacy (36), who ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns in that blowout win over Wake Forest. Aaron Murray's four-touchdown day against Georgia Tech helped his 28-point day and LSU's defensive performance against Arkansas was good enough for 20 points.
Chris' leading scorers were South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw (36), Alabama running back Trent Richardson (26) and Alabama's defense (15). Richardson might have etched his name onto the Heisman Trophy with his 203-yard rushing performance against Auburn, but it just wasn't enough to push Chris' team over the top.
When we actually gave our rosters our full attention, we had a lot of fun with our fantasy teams. It got pretty exciting there at the end and it helped me take my mind off of my awful NFL fantasy team, which is currently winless and hasn't been updated since Week 5.
It also gives me the added confidence I need going to the bowl season as we continue our SEC game predictions. The Kid has some life!
Here's how the championship game turned out:
YOUNG GUNS
QB: Jordan Rodgers (139 yds, 1 TD; 90 rushing yds) -- 18
QB: Aaron Murray (252 yds, 4 TDs; 22 rushing yds) -- 28
RB: Zac Stacy (184, 3 TDs) -- 36
RB: Dennis Johnson (31 yds) -- 3
WR: Jarius Wright (27 yds, 1 TD) -- 8
WR: Rueben Randle (134 yds) -- 13
DEF: LSU (17 pts, 1 TD, 5 sacks, 1 INT, 2 Fums, Win) -- 20
K: Georgia (1 FG, 4 XPs) -- 7
TOTAL: 133
OVER THE HILL
QB: Tyler Wilson (207 yds, 1 TD; -17 rushing yds) -- 12
QB: Connor Shaw (210 yds, 3 TDs; 107 rushing yds, 1 TD) -- 36
RB: Trent Richardson (203 yds; 5 receiving yds, 1 TD) -- 26
RB: Spencer Ware (36 yds, 1 TD; 8 receiving yds) -- 9
WR: Da'Rick Rogers (38 yds; 11 rushing yds -- 4
WR: Joe Adams (35 yds) -- 3
DEF: Alabama (14 pts, 1 TD, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 fum, Win) -- 15
K: Ole Miss (1 FG) -- 3
TOTAL: 108
It is officially championship week here on the SEC blog.
After a valiant comeback by the Young Guns, Over the Hill pulled off a clutch victory in our ESPN College Football Challenge by getting a 133-103 win last week in a must-win situation.
Chris' team went off last week thanks to 35-point performances by Alabama running back Trent Richardson and South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw. It didn't hurt that Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson dropped 365 yards and three touchdowns for another 26 points.
My leading point-scorer was LSU's defense, which racked up 27 points after stomping Ole Miss. It was a down week for my quarterbacks, but Auburn running back Michael Dyer came back strong with 21 points.
We're both tied with identical 6-6 records, so this weekend has the championship feel to it. And for that, we're making lineup changes so that we can get the best out of this weekend as possible.
Chris is dropping Georgia running back Isaiah Crowell, who just can't stay healthy, for LSU's Spencer Ware. He's also dropping South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery for Tennessee's Da'Rick Rogers, who has been on a tear.
For me, I'm dropping Dyer because of the Alabama defense matchup and will pick up Vanderbilt's Zac Stacy. He's been solid lately, and Wake Forest is giving up 151 rushing yards a game and has allowed 16 rushing touchdowns.
A lot of bragging rights are on the line right now, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bitter about the picks. A win in fantasy could give me some much-needed momentum heading into bowl season.
Here's what last week looked like:
OVER THE HILL
QB: Tyler Wilson (365 yds, 3 TDs) -- 26
QB: Connor Shaw (217 yds, 3 TDs; 91 rushing yds, 1 TD) -- 35
RB: Trent Richardson (175 yds, 2 TDs; 4 receiving yds, 1 TD) -- 35
RB: Isaiah Crowell (11 yds) -- 1
WR: Alshon Jeffery (81 yds, 1 TD) -- 14
WR: Joe Adams (27 yds, 1 TD) -- 9
DEF: Alabama (21 pts, Win) -- 10
K: Ole Miss (1 FG) -- 3
TOTAL: 133
YOUNG GUNS
QB: Jordan Rodgers (193 yds, 1 TD) -- 11
QB: Aaron Murray (161 yds, 1 TD; 11 rushing yds) -- 11
RB: Michael Dyer (157 yds, 1 TD) -- 21
RB: Dennis Johnson (98 yds) -- 9
WR: Jarius Wright (96 yds) -- 9
WR: Rueben Randle (22 yds) -- 2
DEF: LSU (3 pts, 2 TDs, 3 sacks, 1 INT, Win) -- 27
K: Georgia (4 FGs, 1 XPs) -- 13
TOTAL: 103
After a valiant comeback by the Young Guns, Over the Hill pulled off a clutch victory in our ESPN College Football Challenge by getting a 133-103 win last week in a must-win situation.
Chris' team went off last week thanks to 35-point performances by Alabama running back Trent Richardson and South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw. It didn't hurt that Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson dropped 365 yards and three touchdowns for another 26 points.
My leading point-scorer was LSU's defense, which racked up 27 points after stomping Ole Miss. It was a down week for my quarterbacks, but Auburn running back Michael Dyer came back strong with 21 points.
We're both tied with identical 6-6 records, so this weekend has the championship feel to it. And for that, we're making lineup changes so that we can get the best out of this weekend as possible.
Chris is dropping Georgia running back Isaiah Crowell, who just can't stay healthy, for LSU's Spencer Ware. He's also dropping South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery for Tennessee's Da'Rick Rogers, who has been on a tear.
For me, I'm dropping Dyer because of the Alabama defense matchup and will pick up Vanderbilt's Zac Stacy. He's been solid lately, and Wake Forest is giving up 151 rushing yards a game and has allowed 16 rushing touchdowns.
A lot of bragging rights are on the line right now, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bitter about the picks. A win in fantasy could give me some much-needed momentum heading into bowl season.
Here's what last week looked like:
OVER THE HILL
QB: Tyler Wilson (365 yds, 3 TDs) -- 26
QB: Connor Shaw (217 yds, 3 TDs; 91 rushing yds, 1 TD) -- 35
RB: Trent Richardson (175 yds, 2 TDs; 4 receiving yds, 1 TD) -- 35
RB: Isaiah Crowell (11 yds) -- 1
WR: Alshon Jeffery (81 yds, 1 TD) -- 14
WR: Joe Adams (27 yds, 1 TD) -- 9
DEF: Alabama (21 pts, Win) -- 10
K: Ole Miss (1 FG) -- 3
TOTAL: 133
YOUNG GUNS
QB: Jordan Rodgers (193 yds, 1 TD) -- 11
QB: Aaron Murray (161 yds, 1 TD; 11 rushing yds) -- 11
RB: Michael Dyer (157 yds, 1 TD) -- 21
RB: Dennis Johnson (98 yds) -- 9
WR: Jarius Wright (96 yds) -- 9
WR: Rueben Randle (22 yds) -- 2
DEF: LSU (3 pts, 2 TDs, 3 sacks, 1 INT, Win) -- 27
K: Georgia (4 FGs, 1 XPs) -- 13
TOTAL: 103
As it turns out, the weekend was a productive one for the SEC, even if there were more than a few shaky performances around the league against lesser opponents.
Here’s a look at what we learned in Week 12:
1. BCS takes on SEC flavor: Brad Edwards, ESPN’s BCS standings guru, is projecting that the top three teams in the newest BCS standings that come out Sunday night will be No. 1 LSU, No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Arkansas. In other words, it might as well be an SEC world. The losses over the weekend by Oklahoma State, Oregon and Oklahoma cleared the path more than ever for two SEC teams to meet in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game and extend the league’s streak to six straight national titles. And at this point, it’s just about impossible to come up with a scenario that doesn’t include at least one SEC team in the national title game when you look at the entire BCS picture after this weekend. LSU obviously controls its own destiny. But, really, so does Alabama. In fact, if the Crimson Tide can win comfortably over Auburn next Saturday, they might be in the best shape of anybody, especially if LSU wins Friday over Arkansas. That’s because Alabama would just about be a lock at that point for one of the top two spots in the final BCS standings and wouldn’t have to risk anything in the SEC championship game. Yes, it sounds crazy, but that’s the way it looks right now. As for Arkansas, the Hogs are going to have a difficult time making it to the SEC championship game unless Alabama loses to Auburn or looks shaky in winning over Auburn and drops in the polls. Even so, Arkansas could also settle into that No. 2 spot in the final BCS standings just by winning at LSU next Friday and not going to the SEC championship game. The only team really lurking at this point that could possibly break up the SEC stranglehold is Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are strong in the computers, but they also still have to play Oklahoma on Dec. 3. It was a wild weekend, for sure, but the jockeying these last two weeks could be even wilder.
2. Arkansas is on top of its game: For the third straight week, Arkansas blew out an opponent, which suggests that the Hogs are as ready as they’ll ever be to go into Baton Rouge next week and take down No. 1 LSU. Junior quarterback Tyler Wilson is spreading the football around, and Jarius Wright and Joe Adams are the kind of game-breakers who can soften up any defense. The Hogs have been outstanding in special teams and are playing more consistently on defense. This is also a different team than the one that was battered 38-14 at Alabama back in September. For one, the Hogs are healthier. Senior defensive end Jake Bequette is back in the lineup and playing great. He didn’t play at all against Alabama with a hamstring injury. Senior defensive end Tenarius Wright is also back after breaking his arm in the Alabama game, while junior running back Dennis Johnson has added a different dimension to the running game after being slowed by hamstring problems to open the season. What the Hogs still have to prove is that they can win a big game on the road. Take a look at their home performances this season, and take a look at their performances away from home. There’s been a noticeable difference.
3. Vanderbilt is still Vanderbilt: There’s no need to take offense, Vanderbilt fans. We’re not talking about the way the Commodores play, because they’ve come miles under first-year coach James Franklin. We’re talking about all the screwy calls that have seemed to go against Vanderbilt over the years. There’s another one to add to the vault after Saturday’s 27-21 loss to Tennessee in overtime, although Vanderbilt was its own worst enemy in a lot of ways. The Commodores threw three costly interceptions and committed a horrid clipping penalty that nullified a pass play down to the Tennessee 1-yard line. But the officials’ gaffe in overtime was the clincher. An official blew Eric Gordon’s interception return for a touchdown dead because he incorrectly thought that Gordon’s knee had touched the ground. By rule, the play is not reviewable, according to SEC coordinator of officials Steve Shaw, because a whistle was blown. The Vols should have been given the ball at the 25 for their possession in overtime. But Gordon continued running for a 90-yard touchdown on the play. The officials did allow it to go to the booth for a review, and the call on the field was overturned, giving the Vols the winning touchdown and adding to the Commodores’ misery of late calls that haven’t gone their way.
4. Ole Miss has shut it down: Actually, the Rebels shut it down a while back. It’s rarely a pretty sight when a lame-duck coach finishes out the season, and it’s only gotten worse ever since Ole Miss announced that Houston Nutt wouldn’t be back next season. No. 1 LSU obliterated Ole Miss 52-3 on Saturday night in Nutt’s final game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and it could have been 72-3 had the Tigers wanted it to be. The Rebels have now lost 13 straight SEC games dating back to last season, and their loss Saturday came a week after losing 27-7 at home to Louisiana Tech. The end can’t get here soon enough for the Rebels, who also had to deal with some off-the-field stuff this week when quarterback Randall Mackey, running back Jeff Scott and receiver Korvic Neat were suspended for the game for violating team rules. Ole Miss (2-9, 0-7) tries to avoid its first 10-loss season in school history next week at arch-rival Mississippi State.
5. Oozing with linebackers: Who’s the best linebacker in the SEC? Better yet, how do you pick just three linebackers for first-team, All-SEC honors in 2011? Alabama’s Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw are both great players, while Georgia’s Jarvis Jones will receive a lot of support for defensive player of the year honors. Kentucky’s Danny Trevathan isn’t just a stats machine. He had 17 more tackles Saturday in the loss to Georgia and just gets better every week. And that’s not even mentioning Arkansas’ Jerry Franklin, Florida’s Jon Bostic, Vanderbilt’s Chris Marve, Mississippi State’s Cameron Lawrence and Auburn’s Eltoro Freeman.
Here’s a look at what we learned in Week 12:
1. BCS takes on SEC flavor: Brad Edwards, ESPN’s BCS standings guru, is projecting that the top three teams in the newest BCS standings that come out Sunday night will be No. 1 LSU, No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Arkansas. In other words, it might as well be an SEC world. The losses over the weekend by Oklahoma State, Oregon and Oklahoma cleared the path more than ever for two SEC teams to meet in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game and extend the league’s streak to six straight national titles. And at this point, it’s just about impossible to come up with a scenario that doesn’t include at least one SEC team in the national title game when you look at the entire BCS picture after this weekend. LSU obviously controls its own destiny. But, really, so does Alabama. In fact, if the Crimson Tide can win comfortably over Auburn next Saturday, they might be in the best shape of anybody, especially if LSU wins Friday over Arkansas. That’s because Alabama would just about be a lock at that point for one of the top two spots in the final BCS standings and wouldn’t have to risk anything in the SEC championship game. Yes, it sounds crazy, but that’s the way it looks right now. As for Arkansas, the Hogs are going to have a difficult time making it to the SEC championship game unless Alabama loses to Auburn or looks shaky in winning over Auburn and drops in the polls. Even so, Arkansas could also settle into that No. 2 spot in the final BCS standings just by winning at LSU next Friday and not going to the SEC championship game. The only team really lurking at this point that could possibly break up the SEC stranglehold is Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are strong in the computers, but they also still have to play Oklahoma on Dec. 3. It was a wild weekend, for sure, but the jockeying these last two weeks could be even wilder.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Danny JohnstonTyler Wilson continues to spread the ball around as eight different players caught passes on Saturday.
AP Photo/Danny JohnstonTyler Wilson continues to spread the ball around as eight different players caught passes on Saturday.3. Vanderbilt is still Vanderbilt: There’s no need to take offense, Vanderbilt fans. We’re not talking about the way the Commodores play, because they’ve come miles under first-year coach James Franklin. We’re talking about all the screwy calls that have seemed to go against Vanderbilt over the years. There’s another one to add to the vault after Saturday’s 27-21 loss to Tennessee in overtime, although Vanderbilt was its own worst enemy in a lot of ways. The Commodores threw three costly interceptions and committed a horrid clipping penalty that nullified a pass play down to the Tennessee 1-yard line. But the officials’ gaffe in overtime was the clincher. An official blew Eric Gordon’s interception return for a touchdown dead because he incorrectly thought that Gordon’s knee had touched the ground. By rule, the play is not reviewable, according to SEC coordinator of officials Steve Shaw, because a whistle was blown. The Vols should have been given the ball at the 25 for their possession in overtime. But Gordon continued running for a 90-yard touchdown on the play. The officials did allow it to go to the booth for a review, and the call on the field was overturned, giving the Vols the winning touchdown and adding to the Commodores’ misery of late calls that haven’t gone their way.
4. Ole Miss has shut it down: Actually, the Rebels shut it down a while back. It’s rarely a pretty sight when a lame-duck coach finishes out the season, and it’s only gotten worse ever since Ole Miss announced that Houston Nutt wouldn’t be back next season. No. 1 LSU obliterated Ole Miss 52-3 on Saturday night in Nutt’s final game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and it could have been 72-3 had the Tigers wanted it to be. The Rebels have now lost 13 straight SEC games dating back to last season, and their loss Saturday came a week after losing 27-7 at home to Louisiana Tech. The end can’t get here soon enough for the Rebels, who also had to deal with some off-the-field stuff this week when quarterback Randall Mackey, running back Jeff Scott and receiver Korvic Neat were suspended for the game for violating team rules. Ole Miss (2-9, 0-7) tries to avoid its first 10-loss season in school history next week at arch-rival Mississippi State.
5. Oozing with linebackers: Who’s the best linebacker in the SEC? Better yet, how do you pick just three linebackers for first-team, All-SEC honors in 2011? Alabama’s Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw are both great players, while Georgia’s Jarvis Jones will receive a lot of support for defensive player of the year honors. Kentucky’s Danny Trevathan isn’t just a stats machine. He had 17 more tackles Saturday in the loss to Georgia and just gets better every week. And that’s not even mentioning Arkansas’ Jerry Franklin, Florida’s Jon Bostic, Vanderbilt’s Chris Marve, Mississippi State’s Cameron Lawrence and Auburn’s Eltoro Freeman.
Wilson picking apart Bulldogs' secondary
November, 19, 2011
11/19/11
5:44
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
The excitement around the matchup between Arkansas' passing game and Mississippi State's secondary certainly hasn't lived up to its billing so far.
Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson had 267 passing yards and two touchdowns at the half, as Arkansas leads 24-10.
If not for a Wilson fumble that was returned 52 yards by Fletcher Cox and couple of other miscues by Arkansas' offense, this score might be a lot worse.
As good as Mississippi State's secondary is, Wilson has tossed the ball around with relative ease. It also helped that Dennis Johnson had 72 rushing yards at the half.
Arkansas apparently hasn't been bitten by the slow bug creeping into SEC lockers around the South today.
Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson had 267 passing yards and two touchdowns at the half, as Arkansas leads 24-10.
If not for a Wilson fumble that was returned 52 yards by Fletcher Cox and couple of other miscues by Arkansas' offense, this score might be a lot worse.
As good as Mississippi State's secondary is, Wilson has tossed the ball around with relative ease. It also helped that Dennis Johnson had 72 rushing yards at the half.
Arkansas apparently hasn't been bitten by the slow bug creeping into SEC lockers around the South today.
We have a new leader in our SEC fantasy challenge.
Chris held a strong lead for most of the season, but thanks to a five-game winning streak the Young Guns have officially taken the lead with a 6-5 record. Over the Hill is now 5-6.
It was an exciting week for the challenge as the Young Guns won 124-115.
Chris might have watched Joe Adams deliver the play of the year on his sizzling punt return against Tennessee, but I had the fortune of watching his teammate, running back Dennis Johnson, steal the show with a 25-point effort for the Young Guns. Also, Aaron Murray's 26 points from four passing touchdowns weren't too bad, either.
Chris had his bright spots with Trent Richardson registering 20 points and Connor Shaw getting 23, despite having just 81 passing yards. Those rushing touchdowns are crucial.
What keeps holding Chris back is the lack of production from Alshon Jeffery. He is getting swallowed up by defenses, and had another one-point performance with just 17 yards on two catches against Florida.
Chris could make some lineup changes this week, but I'm more than content with the guys I have on my team. A win this week for the Young Guns clinches the fantasy title.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel pretty confident about my chances.
Here's what last week looked like:
YOUNG GUNS
QB: Jordan Rodgers (207 yds, 2 TDs; 29 rushing yds) -- 18
QB: Aaron Murray (224, 4 TDs; 21 rushing yards) -- 26
RB: Michael Dyer (48 yds) -- 4
RB: Dennis Johnson (97 yds, 2 TDs; 43 receiving yds) -- 25
WR: Jarius Wright (94 yds, 1 TD) -- 15
WR: Rueben Randle (76 yds, 1 TD) -- 13
DEF: LSU (9 pts, 1 TD, 3 sacks, 1 INT, Win) -- 14
K: Georgia (1 FG, 6 XP) -- 9
TOTAL: 124
OVER THE HILL
QB: Tyler Wilson (224 yds, 3 TDs) -- 20
QB: Connor Shaw (81 yds; 88 rushing yds, 2 TDs) -- 23
RB: Trent Richardson (127 yds, 1 TD; 26 receiving yds) -- 20
RB: Isaiah Crowell (131 yds, 1 TD) -- 19
WR: Alshon Jeffery (17 yds) -- 1
WR: Joe Adams (52 yds, 1 TD, 1 return TD) -- 17
DEF: Alabama (7 pts, 5 sack, Win -- 14
K: Ole Miss (1 XP) -- 1
TOTAL: 115
Chris held a strong lead for most of the season, but thanks to a five-game winning streak the Young Guns have officially taken the lead with a 6-5 record. Over the Hill is now 5-6.
It was an exciting week for the challenge as the Young Guns won 124-115.
Chris might have watched Joe Adams deliver the play of the year on his sizzling punt return against Tennessee, but I had the fortune of watching his teammate, running back Dennis Johnson, steal the show with a 25-point effort for the Young Guns. Also, Aaron Murray's 26 points from four passing touchdowns weren't too bad, either.
Chris had his bright spots with Trent Richardson registering 20 points and Connor Shaw getting 23, despite having just 81 passing yards. Those rushing touchdowns are crucial.
What keeps holding Chris back is the lack of production from Alshon Jeffery. He is getting swallowed up by defenses, and had another one-point performance with just 17 yards on two catches against Florida.
Chris could make some lineup changes this week, but I'm more than content with the guys I have on my team. A win this week for the Young Guns clinches the fantasy title.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel pretty confident about my chances.
Here's what last week looked like:
YOUNG GUNS
QB: Jordan Rodgers (207 yds, 2 TDs; 29 rushing yds) -- 18
QB: Aaron Murray (224, 4 TDs; 21 rushing yards) -- 26
RB: Michael Dyer (48 yds) -- 4
RB: Dennis Johnson (97 yds, 2 TDs; 43 receiving yds) -- 25
WR: Jarius Wright (94 yds, 1 TD) -- 15
WR: Rueben Randle (76 yds, 1 TD) -- 13
DEF: LSU (9 pts, 1 TD, 3 sacks, 1 INT, Win) -- 14
K: Georgia (1 FG, 6 XP) -- 9
TOTAL: 124
OVER THE HILL
QB: Tyler Wilson (224 yds, 3 TDs) -- 20
QB: Connor Shaw (81 yds; 88 rushing yds, 2 TDs) -- 23
RB: Trent Richardson (127 yds, 1 TD; 26 receiving yds) -- 20
RB: Isaiah Crowell (131 yds, 1 TD) -- 19
WR: Alshon Jeffery (17 yds) -- 1
WR: Joe Adams (52 yds, 1 TD, 1 return TD) -- 17
DEF: Alabama (7 pts, 5 sack, Win -- 14
K: Ole Miss (1 XP) -- 1
TOTAL: 115
Linking our way around the league on a Friday:
- Michael Dyer is on the verge of more leaps in the Auburn record book.
- Despite an unproductive season, South Carolina is eyeing a 10-win season.
- Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell insists he's not playing favorites.
- Kentucky freshman quarterback Maxwell Smith continues his crash course against Georgia.
- It's been a painful season in more ways than one for Tennessee senior running back Tauren Poole.
- Ole Miss has a "long list" of candidates for its head coaching job.
- A healthy, red-hot Dennis Johnson returns to Little Rock for the Hogs.
- For Vanderbilt's James Franklin, the results speak for themselves, writes David Climer of the Tennessean.
- Georgia's Cordy Glenn hasn't talked much off the field, but he's come through loud and clear on the field.
- Taking a look at Florida's nonconference opponents through the 2016 season.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Chris Low
Low joined ESPN.com in 2007 after 10 years with The (Nashville) Tennessean covering the University of Tennessee and SEC. The Rock Hill, S.C., native lives with his wife in Knoxville and has three sons.
Edward Aschoff
Aschoff joined ESPN.com in 2011 after spending four years covering the University of Florida for The Gainesville Sun. He grew up in Oxford, Miss., before attending UF, graduating with a B.S. in journalism.
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