We’ll finally get to see Jadeveon Clowney and Johnny Manziel on the same field if South Carolina and Texas A&M make it to the SEC Championship Game in December.
Based on the preseason predictions from the media, at least, that’s not going to happen.
Alabama has been picked with 182 out of 243 voters to win the SEC this season. Georgia finished second with 38 votes to win the SEC, followed by 18 for South Carolina, Texas A&M with four, and LSU with one. Not coincidentally, the Tide and the Bulldogs are projected by the media to win the West and East divisions, respectively, putting the two in a rematch from the 2012 SEC championship game.
For what it’s worth, the media has picked the SEC champion incorrectly 17 out of the last 21 times.
Here’s how the preseason standings shook out (first-place votes in parentheses):
SEC Champion
Alabama – 182
Georgia – 38
South Carolina – 18
Texas A&M – 4
LSU – 1
EAST
Georgia (149) – 1570
South Carolina (75) – 1474
Florida (19) – 1300
Vanderbilt – 858
Tennessee – 694
Missouri – 577
Kentucky – 331
WEST
Alabama (225) – 1681
Texas A&M (11) – 1333
LSU (7) – 1324
Ole Miss – 883
Auburn – 579
Mississippi State – 516
Arkansas – 488
The media also named their first, second and third All-SEC teams. Manziel is the SEC’s first-team quarterback, with Clowney highlighting the media’s pick for first-team defense. The Tide have seven first-team All-SEC selections followed by Florida and LSU with three. You can see the second and third teams, as well as the voting breakdown, on the SEC’s website HERE.
First-Team Offense
QB – Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (119)
RB – T.J. Yeldon, Alabama (221)
RB – Todd Gurley, Georgia (206)
WR – Amari Cooper, Alabama (194)
WR – Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt (106)
TE – Arthur Lynch, Georgia (148)
OL – Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama (193)
OL – Jake Matthews, Texas A&M (176)
OL – Anthony Steen, Alabama (109)
OL – Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State (88)
C – Travis Swanson, Arkansas (92)
First-Team Defense
DL – Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (223)
DL – Dominique Easley, Florida (162)
DL – Anthony Johnson, LSU (127)
DL – Chris Smith, Arkansas (56)
LB – C.J. Mosley, Alabama (231)
LB – A.J. Johnson, Tennessee (107)
LB – Denzel Nkemdiche, Ole Miss (94)
DB – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama (203)
DB – Craig Loston, LSU (135)
DB – Loucheiz Purifoy, Florida (117)
DB – Deion Belue, Alabama (77)
First-Team Specialists
P – Kyle Christy, Florida (108)
PK – Carey Spear, Vanderbilt (100)
RS – Odell Beckham Jr., LSU (74)
AP – Bruce Ellington, South Carolina (69)
