The SEC Power Poll is hosting an All-SEC poll. Here is a draft that reflects my first impressions--let me know what you think, and we may revise a bit if necessary.
Offense
QB: Ryan Mallett (Arkansas Razorbacks)
RB: Mark Ingram (Alabama Crimson Tide)
RB: Dexter McCluster (Ole Miss Rebels)
OG: Mike Johnson (Alabama Crimson Tide)
OG: Mike Pouncey (Florida Gators)
OT: Ciron Black (LSU Tigers)
OT: John Jerry (Ole Miss Rebels)
C: Maurkice Pouncey (Florida Gators)
TE: Aaron Hernandez (Florida Gators)
WR: A.J. Green (Georgia Bulldogs)
WR: Shay Hodge (Ole Miss Rebels)
Defense
DE: Cliff Matthews (South Carolina Gamecocks)
DE: Antonio Coleman (Auburn Tigers)
DT: Terrence Cody (Alabama Crimson Tide)
DT: Malcolm Sheppard (Arkansas Razorbacks)
LB: Eric Norwood (South Carolina Gamecocks)
LB: Rolando McClain (Alabama Crimson Tide)
LB: Rennie Curran (Georgia Bulldogs)
CB: Javier Arenas (Alabama Crimson Tide)
CB: Patrick Peterson (LSU Tigers)
S: Eric Berry (Tennessee Volunteers)
S: Joe Haden (Florida Gators)
Special Teams
PK: Blair Walsh (Georgia Bulldogs)
P: Drew Butler (Georgia Bulldogs)
RS: Javier Arenas (Alabama Crimson Tide)
You've got some explaining to do...
Many of these choices go without questions; nobody, for instance, will disagree with me about Mark Ingram, Rolando McClain, or Eric Berry. However, I do have a few bones to pick with conventional wisdom. Here's how I see such cases:
Ryan Mallett / Tim Tebow
As most people around here know, I'm a pretty big Tebow fan. The guy has had a great career, and although his sanctimonious, humble-but-really-not attitude can get to you sometimes, overall I don't have too many problems with him as a media phenomenon. It is what is. However, while I've been as guilty as anyone when it comes to giving Tebow confidence by inertia, I've come to believe it has to stop somewhere: Mallett was just better this year.
By the way, Ryan, if you're reading this, go to the NFL.
Dexter McCluster / Anthony Dixon
OK. I believe Anthony Dixon had a better year than McCluster at RB. However, I also believe that McCluster was one of the best and most valuable players in the SEC. I'm talking about on a par with Tebow, Ingram, you name it. So, I think we have to get him on the list somewhere. This is where I'm putting him. Unfortunately for him, McCluster was probably never used in the right way enough; this guy really was a minor Reggie-Bush-like talent.
Cliff Matthews / Carlos Dunlap
Dunlap is a jackass that showed his true colors when he signed with Florida instead of Sou...wait, when he drunkenly fell asleep at the wheel before the biggest SECCG ever. He failed his team. Despite his talent, that failure will always make him worse than Matthews in my mind.
Rennie Curran / Brandon Spikes
What can I say? I know it's surprising to see an UGA player on the defensive first team, but I think Curran is a great player. That might have something to do with his success against USC, but whatever. If this guy had a halfway decent DC, he'd be the talk of the nation. Spikes is a great player, but he's also a cog in a machine to some degree.
Well, that's a wrap on this draft. Let me know what you think.