I’m definitely in the school that appearing on an All-SEC list after the season ends is a helluva lot more relevant than showing up on a preseason list, but I thought it might be fun to compare Phil Steele’s preseason All-SEC player list with that of the coaches (or, more accurately, the coaches’ administrative assistants).
Keep in mind, the methodologies of the two differ. Steele breaks the lines and the defensive backfield down by position; the coaches don’t. Steele recognizes the prevalence of offenses deploying three wide receivers and defenses playing 3-4, which means that his teams have twelve slots to the coaches’ eleven. And, of course, the coaches recognize ties, which Steele won’t have.
Anyway, here’s how they look:
POSITION COACHES 1ST STEELE 1ST COACHES 2ND STEELE 2ND QB Mallett Mallett McElroy McElroy RB Locke Locke Demps Ealey RB Ingram Ingram Richardson Fannin WR Green Green Jeffrey Tolliver WR Jones D. Adams D. Adams J. Adams WR Jones Cobb TE Williams Williams Stocker Stocker OL Pouncey Pouncey Barkesdale Ben Jones OL Jones Jones Glenn Hines OL Johnson Johnson Sherrod Glenn OL Boling Boling Glenn Carpenter OL Ziemba Ziemba Carpenter Sherrod OL Pugh PR Norman Cobb Rainey Gilmore KR Locke Boykin Boykin Norman DL Matthews Matthews Ajiboye Lockett DL Powe Powe Walker Chapman DL Dareus Dareus Evans Hunter DL Nevis Nevis McPhee DL McPhee LB Bynes Houston Wright Marve LB Sheppard Sheppard Stevens Franklin LB Hightower Hightower Jones Bynes LB Marve Stevens Franklin Cornell DB Peterson Peterson Thorpe Thorpe DB Barron Barron Hill Jenkins DB Gilmore Gilmore Culliver Black DB Jenkins Hill Black Jackson K Walsh Walsh Sturgis Sturgis P Butler Butler Henry Henry
There’s a pretty fair amount of consistency between the two, but a few choices stand out. I don’t get the coaches picking Demps second team; either of Steele’s second team picks seem better choices. (It’s interesting how the coaches have bought into the Alabama running backs, omigawd! narrative, too.) On the other hand, the coaches get Jeffrey right. The two biggest questions for me are on defense: how do the coaches leave Lockett and Houston off?
What do y’all think?
Get The Picture 
I’m having a hard time understanding why Mario Fannin is a better second team choice in your mind than Demps. I know Auburn fans are real high on the “This is really the year he actually plays like we’ve been saying he would play for the past three seasons” narrative, but I don’t understand why a Georgia fan is buying into it. Demps at least has the numbers to back him up. Statistically, Fannin has actually gotten worse each year.
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You may be right. I just think Fannin’s more versatile. I also wonder how Demps does in a post-Tebow offense. Plus, he’s pretty useless as a receiver.
BTW, Fannin’s numbers aren’t worse each year if you include his receiving stats, which I think are relevant because of the way he was deployed last season.
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Fannin may be more versatile, but to date he has not been more productive. I do understand including his receiving numbers and it was short-sighted of me not to consider them, but even so, his stats don’t hold up. In total yards and scores from scrimmage, Fannin not only trails Demps (who scored more than twice as many TDs as Fannin), but there is something far more damning. Fannin trails another returning RB on his own team. Despite fighting injury and missing two full games and most of another, McCalebb outgained and outscored Fannin.
Just from my personal observation, Fannin is a good receiver for a running back, and he’s a good running back for a receiver, but he’s not excellent at either.
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Kicker A’s stats for 2009:
FGM: 22
FGA: 30
XPM: 44
XPA: 47
Kicker B’s stats for 2009:
FGM: 15
FGA: 16
XPM: 54
XPA: 54
Who’s better? Kicker A is Sturgis, Kicker B is Wes Byrum. Why is Byrum not getting any love?
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Call me a homer, but I expect big things out of Demps. His carries should go way up and he has a career average of 7.5 ypc. The big question I guess is how much having Tebow back there helped his game, and if Brantley can do enough (different things, of course) to loosen up some lanes for him.
That doesn’t mean he’s second team worthy, but I think Demps has proven he’s a good running back.
Now if only he could learn how to catch the swing pass.. hands of stone.
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I agree.
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C’mon. You gotta show Ingram/Richardson the love.
I can agree that most sports writers simply follow the pack, but this is not that much of a stretch.
Bama’s O-plan last year was to pound the rock and these two guys were key to that.
Have a good one,
BD
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Because Alabama’s running backs really are ‘owmigawd’!
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I posed the same question about Houston yesterday on Twitter. Isn’t Houston the statistical leader in sacks last year that is returning? Plus he did it missing games due to suspension to start the year.
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Houston = scratching head in disbelief.
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And pissed off bad I hope.
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