HOOVER, Ala. — Sportswriters who cover the SEC picked Georgia to finish second in the East Division and selected nine Bulldogs for the all-conference team, in voting released Friday.
Six Georgia players were named first-team All-SEC, including sophomore quaterback Aaron Murray, junior tight end Orson Charles, senior offensive tackle Cordy Glenn, senior placekicker Blair Walsh, senior punter Drew Butler and senior kick returner Brandon Boykin.
Senior center Ben Jones, senior defensive end DeAngelo Tyson and Boykin were named to the second team. No UGA players were picked for the third team.
Alabama was the overwhelming choice to win the overall championship, getting 98 points to finish ahead of LSU (29), Arkansas (18), South Carolina (14), Georgia (4), Florida (2) and Ole Miss (2).
The Gamecocks received 114 votes to win the East while Georgia had the second-most, with 38. Florida got 12 votes.
Alabama was the West selection, by a 111-30 margin over LSU. Arkansas was picked by 23 writers.
Take the results with a grain of salt. The sportswriters have picked the winner correctly only four times since SEC expansion in 1992.
This fact has not escaped Alabama coach Nick Saban.
“Well, it means nothing, basically,” Saban said of his team being the overwhelming favorite to win the league. “I’m not a prognosticator. I can’t do that. I don’t understand how y’all do it. We’re just interested in playing to our capabilities.”
Jeffery gets most votes
The leading vote-getter among players was South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, with 152 votes. According to the SEC, that is the third highest total in history behind Alabama’s Mark Ingram (165) and Dont’a Hightower (158), both from last year. Jeffery becomes the first wide receiver to get the most votes since Florida’s Jabar Gaffney in 2001.
Tough questions
LSU received what was deemed a generous ruling by the NCAA infractions committee when the school was placed on one year’s probation Tuesday, but the Tigers’ compliance issues apparently aren’t over.
Coach Les Miles was asked Friday how well he knows Willie Lyles, the owner of a Houston-based recruiting video service. Oregon’s involvement with Lyles got that program in hot water with the NCAA.
“I’m prohibited from commenting on Willie Lyles,” Miles said. “All I can say is we look for video wherever we can find it.”
Later it was learned that wide receiver Russell Shepherd, who was a late scratch as one of the SEC Media Days participants, had to remain in Baton Rouge to answer questions his off-campus housing arrangements.
“I don’t know the specifics of that,” Miles said. “He just had to handle some things that needed to be resolved.”
Mettenberger still No. 2
Former Georgia player Zach Mettenberger remains the backup quarterback at LSU. “I love Zach; he’s a great guy,” said LSU center T-Bob Hebert, a senior from Norcross. “It’s almost too early to tell because we’ve only played spring ball, but as of now I really feel Jordan [Jefferson] is the leader of this team, and he’s going to be our guy.” Mile said the same thing.
Saban on rivalry
One of the dozens of Alabama fans packed in the small hotel entrance lobby waiting for the chance to get an autograph was wearing a white-and-crimson T-shirt that said on the front, “I Hate Auburn.” Saban was not amused.
“I would tell him it’s not personal, and that’s not the way we should respect our opponents,” Saban said of the man in the T-shirt. “We want all our fans to have a level and standard of class in terms of how we represent our institution and state.”
Slinging mud
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen had already raised the intensity in the Egg Bowl rivalry by beating Ole Miss in each of his first two years. Then he had billboards erected on state lines that say “Welcome to Our State.”
Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt doesn’t think much of it.
“Have you checked recruiting?” Nutt said to a reporter who asked him about the billboards. “We had the best recruiting in the state of Mississippi. It doesn’t affect us. ... Using valuable energy on something like that is a waste of time.”
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