ESPN College Football

Now that the NFL draft is over, I thought it'd be fun to take a look at how last year's first-round predictions turned out.

Shortly after the 2010 NFL draft, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay predicted the SEC would have eight selections in the first round in his first 2011 mock draft . He ended up being pretty close as the SEC had 10 players go in the first round.

He also had Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck going first, which probably would have been the case if he had decided to enter the draft. Instead, he opted to stay in school and Auburn's Cam Newton was taken by the Carolina Panthers with the first pick.

McShay was close with his Marcell Dareus pick. He wrote that the Alabama defensive tackle would go second to the St. Louis Rams, but Dareus went third to the Buffalo Bills.

He also had Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallet going 15th to the San Francisco 49ers and Ole Miss defensive tackle Jerrell Powe landing with the Denver Broncos at No. 13. Mallett was taken by the New England Patriots in the third round, while Powe was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in sixth.

Making these predictions isn't easy, so it's pretty impressive that he was able to predict six of his eight players to go in the first round.

Here's what McShay predicted in 2010:

• No. 2, St. Louis Rams: Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
• No. 7, New England Patriots: Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green
• No. 13, Denver Broncos: Ole Miss defensive tackle Jerrell Powe
• No. 15, San Francisco 49ers: Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett
• No. 19, New York Giants: Alabama running back Mark Ingram
• No. 24, Cincinnati Bengals: Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones
• No. 27, Baltimore Ravens: LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson
• No. 31, Indianapolis Colts: Florida offensive guard/center Mike Pouncey

And here's how the first round turned out:

• No. 1, Carolina Panthers: Auburn quarterback Cam Newton
• No. 3, Buffalo Bills: Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
• No. 4, Cincinnati Bengals: Georgia receiver A.J. Green
• No. 5, Arizona Cardinals: LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson
• No. 6, Atlanta Falcons: Alabama receiver Julio Jones
• No. 13, Detroit Lions: Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley
• No. 15, Miami Dolphins: Florida offensive guard/center Mike Pouncey
• No. 25, Seattle Seahawks: Alabama offensive guard James Carpenter
• No. 28, New Orleans Saints: Alabama running back Mark Ingram
• No. 32, Green Bay Packers: Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod

The first round of the 2011 NFL draft on Thursday night had a definitive SEC flavor to it.

It opened with an SEC player being selected and then closed several hours later with an SEC player being selected.

All told, there were 10 players from the SEC taken in the first round, which was one shy of the league record set in 2007.

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was the No. 1 pick overall and went to the Carolina Panthers. It’s the third time in the past five drafts that the SEC has produced the top overall pick. Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford went No. 1 overall to the Detroit Lions in 2009, and LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell went No. 1 overall to the Oakland Raiders in 2007.

Here’s a quick rundown of the 10 SEC first-round selections:

• No. 1, Carolina Panthers – Auburn quarterback Cam Newton
• No. 3, Buffalo Bills – Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
• No. 4, Cincinnati Bengals – Georgia receiver A.J. Green
• No. 5, Arizona Cardinals – LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson
• No. 6, Atlanta Falcons – Alabama receiver Julio Jones
• No. 13, Detroit Lions – Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley
• No. 15, Miami Dolphins – Florida offensive guard/center Mike Pouncey
• No. 25, Seattle Seahawks – Alabama offensive guard James Carpenter
• No. 28, New Orleans Saints – Alabama running back Mark Ingram
• No. 32, Green Bay Packers – Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod

The SEC has had five picks in the top 20 of the first round five straight years now.

Newton became the eighth SEC quarterback to be drafted in the first round in the past 10 years.

One of the biggest surprises of the first round was Carpenter going 25^th to the Seahawks. Carpenter played left tackle at Alabama the past two seasons and was thought to be more of a second-round selection. But he helped himself at the Senior Bowl by showing that he could also play guard.

Fairley, the No. 5 prospect on ESPN analyst Mel Kiper’s Big Board, dropped to 13^th and was taken by the Lions. Fairley will be paired in Detroit with 2010 rookie of the year Ndamukong Suh.

Sherrod had to wait until the final pick of the first round to hear his name called. But in going 32^nd overall to the Packers, he ended a long drought for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs had gone 14 straight years without a first-round pick.

Alabama became the first team in the SEC to produce four first-round NFL draft selections since Auburn did it in 2005.

Over the past three years, Alabama has produced seven first-rounders, the most in the SEC. That’s after going eight years in a row without any first-round selections.

Nick Saban has now recruited and signed 15 players during his nine seasons as an SEC head coach who’ve gone on to become first-round selections. He was responsible for signing all nine of LSU’s first-round choices from 2004-09 and signed six of Alabama’s seven first-rounders over the past three years.

Tennessee was shut out of the first round for the first time since 2005. The Vols were the only team in the SEC that had produced a first-rounder each of the past five years prior to Thursday night’s festivities.

The draft resumes on Friday night with the second and third rounds.

Among those SEC players expected to get a call Friday are Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb, Georgia outside linebacker Justin Houston, Georgia inside linebacker Akeem Dent, Georgia offensive guard Clint Boling, LSU inside linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, Auburn offensive tackle Lee Ziemba, Florida offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert and Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker.

The South defeated the North 24-10 in the Senior Bowl on Saturday thanks to a pair of touchdown passes from Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder.

Here's a wrap-up from the Scouts Inc. guys on what former SEC players helped themselves and those who maybe didn't help themselves last week in Mobile, Ala.:

• Georgia offensive guard Clint Boling, Alabama offensive tackle/guard James Carpenter, LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker were among the players Todd McShay listed whose draft stock is on the rise coming out of the Senior Bowl. Boling and Stocker exceeded expectations, according to McShay.
• Specifically about Boling, the Scouts Inc. guys had this to say, "Boling has shown good inline power and nice awareness all week, especially in the open field where he has done a great job of adjusting on the move to cover up targets. He's made himself some money this week."
• Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod and Arkansas offensive tackle DeMarcus Love failed to improve their draft stock, according to the Scouts Inc. crew.
• Love's limitations athletically plagued him, according to the Scouts Inc. guys. He struggled with speed rushers and might have to transition to guard in the NFL. He appears to be a mid-round selection at this point.
• During the game, Sherrod did a nice job in pass protection. Despite his limitations with lateral agility, the Scouts Inc. crew thinks he has the frame strength and balance to become an effective right tackle in the NFL.
• Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy looked NFL-ready with his drops, mechanics and going through his progressions, but his lack of arm strength and overall tools will cause him to drop.
• Florida's Chas Henry established himself as the No. 2 punter in this draft class. His directional skills and how quickly he gets the punt off were what set him apart last week.
• LSU place-kicker Josh Jasper demonstrated good accuracy inside 40 yards, but wasn't as consistent on longer field goals. His hang time on kickoffs was good, but he was average to below average with his distance.

Some of what's making headlines around the SEC:

• Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee, who was in play for a couple of head-coaching jobs, is set to get a pay raise that will take his salary to $425,000 annually, reports The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
• Auburn commitments Tre Mason and Devaunte Sigler have big designs in helping the Tigers.
• Held in limbo by NCAA Clearinghouse issues, LSU running back commitment Kenny Hilliard enrolled in school Wednesday and will be able to participate in spring practice.
• Package deals are nothing new to recruiting in the SEC.
• Ohio State confirms that former Florida running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Stan Drayton has been hired to coach the Buckeyes' receivers.
• A.J. Green and Julio Jones are still at the head of the class, writes David Paschall of The Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Marc Weiszer of The Athens Banner-Herald updates the targets left on Georgia's recruiting board.
• Switching from tackle to guard this week at the Senior Bowl, Alabama's James Carpenter is earning plenty of praise.

The Scouts Inc. team of Todd McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl break down Day 3 of the Senior Bowl practices , and here are some of their thoughts on the SEC players in Mobile:

• One of McShay’s top performers was Georgia offensive lineman Clint Boling. The thinking going into this week by many was that Boling was probably a guard in the NFL, but McShay now thinks there’s a chance he could play right tackle. Either way, Boling has really helped himself. McShay said, “He has good balance as a blocker, is aggressive and physical, and just knows where he wants to go. He attacks pass-rushers, does a good job with hand placement, and for a guy who's not a great athlete, he's capable of sinking his hips and getting good leverage. The best part of his game is his strength. He's underrated in terms of his overall strength and power at the point of attack. I think out of all the offensive linemen, Boling had the best day today and has the looks of a guy would could be drafted on Day 2.”
• One of Weidl’s top performers was LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, who at 6-2 and 250 pounds has been impressive with his power and strength at the point of attack. Weidl said, “You see it when he's rushing off the edge in one-on-ones. He's shocking the blocker and knocking him back. He has shown good recognition skills and awareness dropping in coverage. The added weight might have hurt his range a little bit, but he still shows above-average range so it doesn't hurt him that much. We had concerns about him taking on and getting off blocks and we saw some of that today, but overall it was a good day for Sheppard.”
• Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy has shown good footwork and might be the most mechanically sound quarterback at the Senior Bowl, according to the Scouts Inc. guys. But arm strength has been a problem, making him someone who could go in the sixth or seventh round or possibly undrafted.
• Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker, who was singled out earlier in the week for his ability to catch the ball over the middle, has also been the best blocker among the tight ends.
• Alabama offensive lineman James Carpenter got a shout-out for having a good day against the likes of Clemson’s Jarvis Jenkins and Baylor’s Phil Taylor.
• Mississippi State linebacker Chris White struggled on Day 3. The Scouts Inc. crew are concerned about his range, and he’s limited in space. He also didn’t get off blocks real well, but they like his fight and effort.
• Alabama tight end/H-back Preston Dial made a couple of one-handed catches, and the Scouts Inc. crew think he may be a sleeper and a great value pick in the later rounds.

The Scouts Inc. crew of Todd McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl weigh in on Day 2 of the Senior Bowl practices and how some of the SEC guys fared:

• Muench’s top performer for the South was Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker, who showed good toughness and was able to wall off blockers. But Muench said catching the ball over the middle was where Stocker made his mark. He made a one-handed catch behind the linebackers and in front of the safeties. He took a big hit, but still held on. Muench likes how physical the 6-foot-5 Stocker is, the way he makes plays in traffic and uses his frame to shield linebackers and generally the way he works over the middle. Muench said Stocker caught everything Tuesday.
• Weidl’s top performer for the South was Georgia offensive tackle Clint Boling. Weidl said Boling projects as a guard, but lined up at tackle and did well during the one-on-one drills. Weidl said Boling moved his feet well, showed some athleticism on a screen play and also demonstrated good inline power and strength as a run-blocker. Weidl thinks Boling helped himself with a good overall showing on Tuesday with the way he held up at tackle.
• LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard has been impressive with his straight-line speed, especially for his size (6-3, 240 pounds), but takes too long to regain his momentum when he has to change directions quickly. He’s quicker than he is fast.
• Auburn’s Lee Ziemba had some issues lining up inside at guard. Bending at the knees was a problem, which affected his pad level.
• Arkansas’ D.J. Williams has been impressive with the way he’s caught the ball and has also showcased his athleticism, but the Scouts Inc. crew thinks he’s probably more of a fullback than a tight end in the NFL.
• Weidl said Alabama offensive tackle James Carpenter showed good feet in pass sets.
• Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod was beaten by Texas A&M outside linebacker Von Miller on an outside-in double move during a one-on-one pass-rushing drill.
• Sherrod’s wingspan was measured at 83 7/8 inches, the longest of any player at the Senior Bowl. His arms were measured at 35 ½ inches, which was also the longest. His hands were 11 inches, which was tied for second.
• Florida offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert (329 pounds), Arkansas offensive lineman DeMarcus Love (318 pounds) and Ziemba (317 pounds) are among the five heaviest players at the Senior Bowl.

Here’s a tentative list of the SEC players scheduled to play in the 2011 Senior Bowl. Players could be added and/or subtracted to this list as we get closer to the Jan. 29 game in Mobile, Ala.

ALABAMA

• Offensive tackle James Carpenter
• Tight end Preston Dial
• Quarterback Greg McElroy

ARKANSAS

• Offensive tackle DeMarcus Love
• Tight end D.J. Williams

AUBURN

• Linebacker Josh Bynes
• Offensive tackle Lee Ziemba

FLORIDA

• Safety Ahmad Black
• Punter Chas Henry
• Offensive guard Marcus Gilbert
• Center Mike Pouncey

GEORGIA

• Offensive tackle Clint Boling

KENTUCKY

• Running back Derrick Locke

LSU

• Defensive tackle Drake Nevis
• Linebacker Kelvin Sheppard

MISSISSIPPI STATE

• Defensive end Pernell McPhee
• Offensive tackle Derek Sherrod
• Linebacker K.J. Wright

OLE MISS

• Defensive tackle Jerrell Powe

TENNESSEE

• Tight end Luke Stocker

The watch list for the 2010 Rotary Lombardi Award is a pretty good indication that the SEC will be strong in the trenches this season.

The SEC placed 15 players on the list, including three from Alabama -- offensive tackle James Carpenter, defensive end Marcell Dareus and linebacker Dont'a Hightower.

The Rotary Lombardi Award goes to "down linemen, end-to-end, either on offense or defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, or linebackers who set up no farther than 5 yards deep from the line of scrimmage."

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was the 2009 winner.

Here's a look at the 15 SEC players who made the 2010 preseason watch list:

• Georgia offensive tackle Clint Boling
• Alabama offensive tackle James Carpenter
• Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus
• Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower
• Georgia outside linebacker Justin Houston
• Arkansas offensive tackle DeMarcus Love
• South Carolina defensive end Cliff Matthews
• Mississippi State defensive end Pernell McPhee
• Florida center Mike Pouncey
• Ole Miss nose tackle Jerrell Powe
• Auburn center Ryan Pugh
• South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders
• LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard
• Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod
• Auburn offensive tackle Lee Ziemba

The three most glaring guys missing from this list, in my opinion, are Vanderbilt linebacker Chris Marve, Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker and Ole Miss defensive end Kentrell Lockett.

The Football Writers Association of America on Monday published its preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defensive player) and the Outland Trophy (nation's top interior lineman). As expected, the SEC was well represented on both lists.

Here's a look:

BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY

• Alabama S Mark Barron
• Alabama DE Marcell Dareus
• South Carolina CB Stephon Gilmore
• Alabama LB Dont'a Hightower
• Georgia LB Justin Houston
• Florida CB Janoris Jenkins
• Vanderbilt LB Chris Marve
• South Carolina DE Cliff Matthews
• LSU CB Patrick Peterson
• Ole Miss DT Jerrell Powe
• LSU LB Kelvin Sheppard
• Auburn LB Craig Stevens

Note: LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey was the last SEC player to win the Nagurski Trophy, doing so in 2007. Dorsey and Georgia's Champ Bailey (1998) are the two Outland Trophy recipients from the SEC.

OUTLAND TROPHY

• Georgia T Clint Boling
• Alabama T James Carpenter
• Florida DT Omar Hunter
• Florida G Carl Johnson
• Alabama G Barrett Jones
• Georgia C Ben Jones
• Arkansas T DeMarcus Love
• LSU DT Drake Nevis
• Florida C Mike Pouncey
• Ole Miss DT Jerrell Powe
• Auburn T Lee Ziemba

Note: Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith was the last SEC player to win the Outland Trophy, doing so in 2008. Besides Smith, 10 others from the SEC have won the trophy.

The SEC is well represented on the preliminary watch list for the 2010 Rotary Lombardi Award.

There are 13 players from the SEC on the list, which will be updated prior to the start of the 2010 season.

Here are the SEC players making the cut:

• Clint Boling, OT, Georgia
• James Carpenter, OT, Alabama
• Marcell Dareus, DE, Alabama
• Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama
• Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia
• Cliff Matthews, DE, South Carolina
• Pernell McPhee, DE, Mississippi State
• Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida
• Jerrell Powe, DT, Ole Miss
• Ryan Pugh, C, Auburn
• Weslye Saunders, TE, South Carolina
• Kelvin Sheppard, LB, LSU
• Lee Ziemba, OT, Auburn

Just like a year ago, Alabama sophomore offensive guard Barrett Jones isn’t writing anything in stone.

He expects the Crimson Tide to do some experimenting in the offensive line, which could mean some shuffling. The idea is to get the best five linemen on the field.

And with All-America left guard Mike Johnson and right tackle Drew Davis both gone, Alabama is looking to fill a couple of spots.

The way the offensive line came together last season and jelled was one of the most important components in Alabama’s national championship run.

Jones, a freshman All-American last season, was back at his right guard spot last Friday when Alabama opened spring practice.

“I’ll play wherever they need me to play, and that’s the attitude of this whole team,” said Jones, who pointed out that the chemistry and discipline last season in the offensive line was about as good as it gets.

“We weren’t as talented as we were two years ago, but made so many fewer mental errors. We knew what we needed to do on every play.”

James Carpenter should be even better next season at left tackle. He was solid a year ago after coming over from junior college. William Vlachos returns at center, although he’s recovering from foot surgery this spring.

Johnson’s left guard spot is wide open, and there’s a chance the Tide could move some people around. At right tackle, Alfred McCullough, D.J. Fluker and Tyler Love are all working there.

One of the best things the Tide have going for them (again) is veteran offensive line coach Joe Pendry, who truly is one of the best in the business.

“Coach Pendry is great. It’s amazing the knowledge he has,” Jones said. “He always says to cover them up and make the defender make arm tackles, which really works well when you have the two amazing backs we did last season (Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson). They run through arm tackles.”

Having had a few days now to digest the 2009 bowl season, here’s a look at the All-SEC bowl team:

OFFENSE

QB Tim Tebow, Florida
Broke Vince Young’s record for total offense in a BCS bowl game with 533 yards in the Gators’ 51-24 rout of Cincinnati in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Completed 31 of 35 passes for a career-high 482 yards.

RB Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss
Was there a better player in the SEC the second half of the season? McCluster rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the AT&T Cotton Bowl win.

RB Mark Ingram, Alabama
Despite cramping up in the Citi BCS National Championship Game, the Heisman Trophy winner showed his grit and led the Crimson Tide with 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

WR Riley Cooper, Florida
Led the Gators’ offensive explosion in the Sugar Bowl with 181 receiving yards, including an 80-yard touchdown. Cooper averaged 25.9 yards on seven catches.

WR Brandon LaFell, LSU
The Tigers didn’t put up much offense, but LaFell had five catches for 87 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown. LaFell led all SEC players with 19 touchdown catches over the past two seasons.

TE Aaron Hernandez, Florida
His nine catches led all players in the Sugar Bowl, and he finished with 111 receiving yards. Hernandez opened the Gators’ scoring with a 7-yard touchdown catch.

OL John Jerry, Ole Miss
Helped clear the way for Ole Miss’ 193 rushing yards against an Oklahoma State defense that finished ranked 11^th nationally against the run.

OL James Carpenter, Alabama
Combined with Mike Johnson to make the key block that helped spring Trent Richardson on his 49-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of the Citi BCS National Championship Game.

OL Justin Anderson, Georgia
The Bulldogs were playing without starting right tackle Josh Davis, and Anderson came off the bench in the second half to help give a much-needed lift to the running game.

OL Mike Johnson, Alabama
The anchor of an Alabama offensive line that paved the way for both Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson to each rush for more than 100 yards against Texas’ vaunted defense.

C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida
Spent more than five hours at Tulane Hospital with kidney stones and had several IV’s, but didn’t miss the start and led the way for the Gators up front.

DEFENSE

DE Marcell Dareus, Alabama
Had the hit that knocked Texas quarterback Colt McCoy out of the game and also returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown right before halftime.

DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida
Came back strong from his suspension in the SEC championship game with two sacks in the Gators’ Sugar Bowl romp.

DT Geno Atkins, Georgia
Pressured Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson relentlessly. Atkins finished with a sack and also blocked a field goal attempt in the second quarter.

DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
A rock all season long in the middle for the Vols, Williams ended his career with nine tackles, including a half a sack in the 37-14 loss to Virgina Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

LB Patrick Trahan, Ole Miss
His 34-yard fumble return for a touchdown sealed the game for the Rebels with 3:12 remaining. Trahan also had an interception on Oklahoma State’s next possession.

LB Jerry Franklin, Arkansas
Finished with 10 tackles and had a third-quarter interception that turned the game around for the Hogs. East Carolina was leading 10-0, but Franklin intercepted a pass and returned it 31 yards to set up an Arkansas field goal.

LB Eric Norwood, South Carolina
Wrapped up a record-setting career at South Carolina by leading the Gamecocks with 10 tackles in their 20-7 loss to Connecticut in the Papajohns.com Bowl.

DB Walter McFadden, Auburn
Intercepted two passes in Auburn’s Outback Bowl win. McFadden’s first pick set up a touchdown, and he did the honors himself on the second one – returning it 100 yards for a touchdown.

DB Tramain Thomas, Arkansas
His 37-yard interception return for a touchdown tied the game in the third quarter. Thomas also tipped away a pass at the goal line in the final minutes that might have saved the game.

DB Kendrick Lewis, Ole Miss
Intercepted two passes in Ole Miss’ 21-7 Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma State. His big hit in the fourth quarter also forced the fumble that Patrick Trahan returned 34 yards for a touchdown to break the game open.

DB Chad Jones, LSU
Did a little bit of everything in his final game at LSU. Led the Tigers with eight tackles, including one for loss, while also forcing a fumble, breaking up a pass and blocking a kick.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K Alex Tejada, Arkansas
His 37-yard field goal in overtime was the difference in Arkansas’ 20-17 victory over East Carolina in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

P Spencer Lanning, South Carolina
In extremely cold conditions, Lanning punted seven times for a 42.3-yard average and had a long of 48 yards. He also doubles as the Gamecocks’ place-kicker.

KR Brandon Boykin, Georgia
Tied an SEC record with his third kickoff return for a touchdown this season, taking one back 81 yards to answer Texas A&M’s first touchdown.

ATLANTA – Rewind back to August when everybody was handicapping Alabama’s chances of being a player in this year’s SEC championship race.

There were concerns at quarterback, and there were concerns in the offensive line.

Imagine that, because quarterback and the offensive line were two of the best positions on the field Saturday in Alabama’s 32-13 pummeling of Florida in the SEC championship game.

The truth is there were a lot of stars for the Crimson Tide. They played a near-flawless game, committing just one penalty for 5 yards and not turning the ball over a single time.

But the way the Alabama offensive line took control of the game in the second half makes you wonder why everybody was fretting over those guys in the first place back in August.

After all, it was only a couple of All-Americans (Andre Smith and Antoine Caldwell) that the Crimson Tide lost off that star-studded line a year ago.

“We’ve come together during the season, and we’re all tight and close and I love these other four guys,” said redshirt freshman right guard Barrett Jones, one of three first-year starters on the offensive line. “We’ve always been confident. A lot of people doubted us, but we knew we could be just as good, if not better, than last year. That was our goal.

“Everybody was talking about the offensive line being a question. Our goal was to be better than last year, and that’s what we set out to do.”

It’s hard to argue with anything the Crimson Tide did up front Saturday. They mauled a Florida defense that hadn’t given up much of anything this season and rolled up 251 rushing yards. Quarterback Greg McElroy had plenty of time to throw most of the game and was only sacked once.

In the second half, it was obvious that Alabama was exerting its will against a Florida defense that lost its stinger.

“We never said, ‘OK, we’re ahead now,’ ” said senior left guard Mike Johnson, the veteran of the unit. “We just played the next play and kept pushing and did the things that had gotten us here.

“I didn’t even look up. I didn’t want to know what the score was.”

In addition to Jones, Alabama also plugged junior college newcomer James Carpenter in at left tackle and sophomore William Vlachos in at center. Senior Drew Davis was the other holdover at right tackle.

“We pushed from the beginning, from January on,” Johnson said. “We got James in here and filled that other guard spot with Barrett, and we just started jelling.

“We’ve come a long way, and you can see it now … 13-0 and we’re going to California.”

The Crimson Tide played well enough up front that sophomore running back Mark Ingram may have vaulted right back to the top of the Heisman Trophy picture.

All the ballots have to be in by Monday, but Ingram finished with 113 rushing yards and three touchdowns and also caught two passes for 76 yards.

He said there was one overriding mentality that the entire team played with Saturday.

“We just weren’t going to be denied and had the attitude that we were going to do whatever it took not to be denied, all our heart, all our soul, everything,” Ingram said. “We weren’t going to lose this game.”

As for the Heisman Trophy, he said his interest in winning it is for the Alabama people. Alabama has never had a Heisman winner.

“It would be great to represent them and maybe bring back a trophy for them,” Ingram said.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Some SEC links to munch on:

• Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes directs Auburn's offensive line down the right path with a healthy dose of toughness, writes Jay G. Tate of The Montgomery Advertiser.
• Chris Harry of The Orlando Sentinel has a terrific piece on former Florida quarterback John Reaves' struggle with alcohol and drug addiction. Reaves is the father of Layla Kiffin, wife of Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin.
• Florida is ready to match wits with coaching legend Monte Kiffin, writes Robbie Andreu of The Gainesville Sun.
• Lane Kiffin's offseason comments spice up the Florida-Tennessee rivalry, writes Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN.com.
• Comparisons to his Outland Trophy-winning predecessor, Andre Smith, don't bother Alabama left tackle James Carpenter.
• Despite being stricken with the flu in the opener, Ole Miss safety Johnny Brown shows that he belongs.
• LSU adds Louisiana-Monroe to its schedule for the 2010 season and moves the Southern Miss game to 2011.
• Cornerback Ramon Broadway and the Arkansas defense are seeing Green this week, as in A.J. Green, writes Robbie Neiswanger of The Morning News.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

A little SEC linkage for your Friday enjoyment:

• Steve Spurrier turns to his defense to save the day, writes Ron Morris of The State newspaper in Columbia.

• Ole Miss tight end Gerald Harris is fighting a hamstring injury and may not be able to play in Sunday's opener against Memphis.

• Florida freshman receiver Andre Debose won't play this season unless he's 100 percent healthy.

• Alabama's James Carpenter is a big man with big shoes to fill, replacing Andre Smith at left tackle.

• Having played just about everywhere during his football career, Mark Barron finds a home in Alabama's secondary.

• Georgia freshmen Orson Charles, Branden Smith and Marlon Brown are ready to make big debuts for the Bulldogs.

• After a bout with the flu, Brandon Taylor settles in as LSU"s starting strong safety.

• Walk-on Marcus Davis will get his first start at center Saturday for Kentucky. Jorge Gonzalez is suspended for this game.