You might have wondered if the SEC was overrated after Cal defeated Tennessee by two touchdowns in the season opener. You might have wondered even more after Cal finished 6-6.
And you really might have wondered if the league was overrated when Alabama lost to Louisiana-Monroe.
But you shouldn't still be wondering. Never mind the bumps along the way. The SEC ended the regular season on a familiar roll, again distinguishing itself as the nation's premier football conference.
The roll continued Saturday night.
Florida sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy, and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden was the runner-up for the most prestigious individual award in college sports. Moreover, it's an award that often has eluded the SEC's best players.
Tebow had a couple of things going for him. First, he's the best player in college football; second, he didn't have to compete with a strong Big Ten candidate, which ESPN and ABC would have promoted with a passion.
Tebow didn't just win the award. He became the first sophomore to win it. Not even Georgia's Herschel Walker did that.
Tebow isn't the only SEC player to be honored this month.
LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey received the Bronco Nagurski Award, which goes to the nation's best defensive player. McFadden repeated as the winner of the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the nation's best running back.
You could make a strong argument that Tebow, McFadden and Dorsey are the three best players in the country. If Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin could stay healthy, he might be in the same elite class.
Tebow and Harvin will return next season, and they will be joined by dynamic young players like Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno, who made first-team All-SEC as a redshirt freshman; Tennessee freshman strong safety Eric Berry, who made second-team All-SEC; and Florida's Major Wright, who is another freshman strong safety with All-American potential.
Moreover, the SEC is loaded with outstanding young offensive linemen.
Four of the conference's ranked teams - Florida, Georgia, UT and Auburn - all should be better in 2008. Despite losing some of its best players, LSU still should be a preseason top-10 team.
Nonetheless, 2007 will be a tough act to follow.
LSU will play Ohio State for the national championship on Jan. 7. Three SEC teams are ranked in the top 10. Six are ranked in the top 25. Nine teams qualified for bowls.
The bowl pairings should further brighten SEC commissioner Mike Slive's holidays. Three of the SEC's top four teams will be matched against teams from the Big Ten, which, despite Ohio State qualifying for the national championship game, had a sub-par year. Also, Georgia, will play WAC-champion Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. All four of those SEC teams - LSU, Tennessee, Florida and Georgia - are favored, including two by double digits.
If bowl games break the conference's way, LSU and Georgia could finish first and second, respectively. Tebow and McFadden already have finished one-two for the Heisman.
And nobody is chanting "overrated" in the direction of the SEC.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.
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Comments » 37
newtonrail writes:
Come on TCHA (Coach Haters Anonymous). Tell us how Fulmer will be out coached and Tenn. lose, etc. Then be sure to go to a meeting. Have a Merry Christmas.
jcherrie#219531 writes:
Tebow is a great player. Personally, I thought McFadden should have won the award. It's true that Tebow shredded the Vols defense and McFadden was essentially a non-factor. But McFadden is Arkansas. Florida would have beat us with their backup QB. McFadden has been simply terrific and if he played on Florida you would have seen a different vote.
dfreeman writes:
I agree with you jcherrie, Tebow had an excellent cast!! "Run D.M.C." did everything in spite of the team he played with!!! If Tebow was a junior/senior, he has every right to win that award!! The Heisman people just negated everytime they said they COULDN'T vote for someone because they were a freshman/sophomore!! I better never hear that phooey ever again!! The "HEISMAN" people better try and figure out what they want that "award" to stand for!! My vote would have been for Darren hands down....... but then again people like john adams that take their tissue and Jergans lotion to bed with a Tebow pic always have that kind of choice don't they!! John, you have one/two more years of your mancrush to continue!! ENJOY!!!!
abrown#232236 writes:
I really like McFadden, and Arkansas is nothing without him -- he carried that team. Were I a voter, it would have been a tough vote. That said, Tebow usually played great, and never played poorly. He mad great plays, great decisions. The knock that he was not a passer was QUICKLY dispelled. While I despise the uniform he wears (and that is tough to look past), as a player he is phenomenal. On half his runs, he is the one dishing out the punishment -- and averaging 16 carries per game -- he is certainly tough. I've watched alot of football, and I've never seen anything quite like him. He probably really is the most consistent, outstanding performer in college football this year.
murrayvol writes:
Well, hallelujah and amen!
The SEC finally passed Ohio St. & Notre Dame.
ElizabethtonvolnNC writes:
You said it abrown: "the most consistent, outstanding, performer in college football this year". I hate the GAY-tors but, DMC disappeared in some games including the one against us.
On another note, I don't want to hear about how dominant the SEC is vs the BIG 10 until this conference starts showing up....they were 2-1 against us last year, 8-6 over the last 5 and 10-10 over the last 10 years or at least according to my BIG 10 buddy. I hate the BIG 10!! They always seem ready to play us and Auburn always gets beat by Less-consin or we lose to Joe Pa. WTF?!
The match-ups definitely favor the SEC this year so we had better take care of business...espcially against the "Them"!
DroopyDrawers writes:
Good job Adams!
All I wanted to hear about was Tebow & Florida.
Great job!
Now goodbye!
gohawks1 writes:
Glad to see the SEC looking good at the heisman awards this year. Congrats to Tebow and McFadden. One is a heisman winner, and the other will be a big money contract winner. It's all good...
And speaking of the Big Ten Conference - they can't even count. Maybe they aren't including Minnesota as a member this year, since they went something like 1-11.
It will be interesting to see if the BIG TENELEVEN Conference wins any bowl games.
Colliervol writes:
Tebow had a great season but I still think McFadden is the best player in the country. Having said that though, that award has nothing to do with that subject anyway. (Charles Woodson and Gino Torretta anyone?) Mostly who gets the most media hype.
As far as mentioning Alabama and California's records, Mr. Adams and others tend to overlook the obvious (and you might include the Vols in this category). Some teams get worse as a season progresses and some get better. I tend to think that the UT team that faced LSU was a good bit better than the team that got pasted by Cal and Bama and I believe, if they played now, the outcomes would be a little different. But that's just an opinion.
murrayvol writes:
I agree with you Collier but as you said "that's just an opinion." It's not an option. Hope we don't take so long to get better next year.
Basketball_Jones writes:
This award was Tebow's hands down. McFadden had 2 games this year where he was a no-show, Tevow was consistant all year (duh 51 TD's). I find it actually very funny that he won the Heisman and Florida has won a NC under Meyer. Just 3 years ago on this very website, Vol fans laughed at the notion of Meyers spread offense even working in the SEC (3-0 vs UT and 1 National Championship). In that time 3 team have played for the NC and 2 have won it with the spread option attack (Texas, Florida and Ohio State) this year LSU runs a similar offense and is playing for the NC. The last 2 (should have been 3) Heisman winners have come from a spread formation offense (V. Young (shoulda), Troy Smith and Tim Tebow. All those UT Orange naysayers about this offense were wrong. As far as Tebow, we heard UT fans and players talk about how Tebow would never make it through an entire season and what he would go through and how he wouldn't do squat. Well 1 Heisman Trophy later, everyone is eating crow. Face it Vol fans it 2007 almost 2008 and our program is playing in the 80's, look at teams like Oregon whom would more than likely been in the NC game had Dixon not gone down. This is an offense that is here to stay and we either get passed by or we adapt and get our own running QB. The G-Gun worked in the SEC Championship game and should be inserted next year. Florida is only getting better and we might be in trouble with 2 unproven QB's at the helm next year. Congrats Tim Tebow, take it easy on the Big Orange next year
arkyvol writes:
i'm not knocking tebow, but he's got two more seasons to collect the honor. mcfadden's career is over, as is the last chance for the heisman to add one of the truly great players to its list. surprised i am not, as merit has less to do with winning than the favor of the espn talking heads. if teams made up of the winners had to face teams made up of those who should have won, i wonder...
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Congrats, Tebow. You earned it. However it was not necessary to hang 59 on us to get it. I was ready for you to mention us in your acceptance speech.
Show a little more class in 2008 and settle for 49. Just joshin', 39 would be okay. Now Tebow, I know you lost some games, but our beloved Vols did too. MacFadden was amazing. I couldn't join the chorus dissing him after our win because I noticed he had well over a 100 against us.You've kind of got to tip your hat to achievement regardless of what color uniform they wear. Good year, Gator.
Colliervol writes:
Good points heelsfan but a couple of other small points to remember. Last year, Chris Leak led them to that title and I don't think I'd call him a QB in the mold of Tebow. (It wasn't a true spread offense.) Despite having the-genius-that-is-Urban Meyer on the sidelines and despite having Super Tim the Heisman winner at QB, Florida still managed to find a way to lose three games in conference play. I'll give Tebow credit. He is a great talent and he had a great season and I really like the kid. But they still lost three games and finished behind UT and Georgia in the standings. Even though UT didn't do it, three teams figured it out long enough to beat them.
burntorangeVOLffle writes:
Ohio St did not run a a spread offense last year. Troy Smith was a drop back passer. And FLs defense got them to the NC game last year not the offense. Their speed won he game.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Nothing is wrong with our Pro style offensive system when executed properly. See the UGA game or even the opening drive of the last 5 games this year (all went for scores). There must be reason every team in the NFL uses a variation of it. USC runs an offense very similar to ours and they are a perennial top ten pick.
The Spread is a and can be exciting to watch, BUT teams running it lose just as many games as teams running pro style offenses. It can be shut down. See WVA vs S.FL and FL vs. Auburn.
burntorangeVOLffle writes:
I meant to say "The Spread is a FAD...."
Basketball_Jones writes:
Smith ran that offense 70% of the time out of the shotgun. The only reason he became the starter was the previous year vs Texas the starter wasn't getting it done and Smith came in and kept the game close with his legs. As for Florida last year, Tebow came in to run the ball and everyone from here to Japan knew this and yet he couldn't be stopped. Leak also ran the same offense even though he threw more. Face it, this boring phooey Tennessee runs is old news.
VolunteerTroy_24 writes:
Eric Berry 4 Heisman 2008!
Lets start a movement now. The kid is as talented as any player in the league. He has the skills and looks better than Woodson did when he won it.
Eric Berry 2008....make it 2 sophomores in a row
invisiblekid writes:
As great as McFadden is, and I do think he is the better player, it's impossible to overlook the numbers Tebow put up. The ONLY player in NCAA history to go 20+ in TD passes and rushing TD's, his rushing TD total alone was more than anyone had scored in the SEC. Those stats are what won him the award and I believe it's hard to argue against the choice.
Personally, I could care less about the Heisman (like most on here I suspect) and didn't bother watching the show last night. The thing that really bothers me though is the prospect of the Vols facing Tebow again next year. I think the Vols can close the gap but, unless someone steps out of the shadows or they recruit 3 or 4 more like Eric Berry, I just don't see us matching up well against the Gators the next couple of years.
hueypilot writes:
Tebow is great and apparently a fine young man, but if you live here in the district where he went to high school, you are just about overexposed to Tim Tebow. Enough already. I'd like to see us wipe that S off his chest, but I don't know if we'll be able.
footballrules writes:
Vols will never beat flordia!!...untill fulmer is gone!!
CoverOrange writes:
Anybody remember the trip to Miami a few years ago? The year after we were whipped at home by them? Don't count us out yet.
invisiblekid writes:
I remember the 10-6 game where Winslow made a fool of himself WD40plusVol but, unfortunately, Tebow isn't Brock Berlin.
fullbackless writes:
Tebow should win the heisman just for being so handsome. ;)
pdhuff#552644 writes:
wd40 boy, do I remember it! My daughter, who lives in Coral Springs lured my down there for this one. Got to park at a nice guy's yard for $20.00 (not bad) and he'd even opened the armored door to the bathroom for us. Talk about an old stadium. The highlite was puffing up the ramp, rounding a corner and seeing the Miller Lite sign. After exclaiming, "there is a God", we bought several of the plastic bottles. A friendly gendarme explained that since the city of Miami owned the Orange bowl concessions, they served beer. Man, at a college game.
After getting used to the wham-boozi music and Miller Lite, we proceded to hold the Hurricanes w/o a TD for the lst time in methinks over a 100 games or so. What an experience. Needed to use the man's armored door to the bathroom before we left. Don't have many of those experiences anymore. Go Vols.
leedsvol2007 writes:
Its like choosing between a ribeye and a porterhouse.
I wish they were both Vols!
dfreeman writes:
The Heisman people just threw out that arguement they had every year about not being able to vote for someone because they were an underclassmen!! They seriously need to sit back and decide what they want this heisman trophy to be about. As for 97, well... we all know what that was about!! We'll never see a Tennessee player win the Heisman. I thought Mcfadden deserved that award over Tebow. Tebow clearly had the best year in football, but Mcfadden did what he did playing for Arkansas!! Put Mcfadden on the Florida football team and he wins it last year and this year!! The Heisman will never be a credible award for me at any rate, so it doesn't really matter!!
Singaporehillbilly writes:
TDTN-All the talk about Fulmer's body parts, you really do have a man crush on the coach.
Singaporehillbilly writes:
TDTN- I will as soon as you go back to your bama board and quit lusting after our coach.
TommyJack writes:
hiresanders: Been gone a few days...see that you're still ill.
TeeBag was the logical choice. His class standing should never have been an issue.
redmanvol writes:
The heisman is a big joke anyway. It is just a big publicity contest run by espn. I think they showed a spotlight about tebow on every episode but they never showed the infamous joiner kiss. The award is tainted now that is has recruited a fruitcake into the fraternity. But I am sure woodson likes that. He lost three games. If he was a true playmaker he would have found ways to win. Forget tebow, florida, espn, and the heisman. I hope michigan stomps the gators. That would show how big a joke the heisman is.
jobrando#216494 writes:
I dont care if Tebow gets a million Heisman's I just dont want to see him laughing and playing to the very end of another 59-20 slaughter of the VOLS. When Tebow comes to Knoxville in 2008 I hope to see the same depressed expression he had during the Kentucky, Georgia and Auburn games this year.
Singaporehillbilly writes:
TDTN-It is clear from your infatuation with Coach Fulmer that you are definitely someone I nor any other male should turn their back on. Go play with your boys in bama.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
jwraymond- good post, it will always be a meaningless award until someone from Tenn wins it. And that won't happen anytime soon. I could never diss a player that hung 59 on us.
vol_in_lsu_land writes:
Tebow WILL NOT be the big deal next year that he was this year.
Next year they will have more offensive weapons so the wealth will be spread around more evenly. This will have the effect of making Florida a more formidable foe but less one dimensional so Tebow won't get all the credit. But no matter how good Florida was this year or will be next year, the lopsidedness of a 59 point score wouldn't happen again if we played them today. Tennessee discovered some awesome freshman talent that will carry this team into a top 10 BCS bowl finish next year...I trust that this talent was just not yet prepared earlier in the season but boys look out! Next year will be special and this is the first time since the Manning/Tee Martin era that I had this kind of feeling about the Vols.
Tebow deserved this trophy no doubt...I maybe think seniority should have factored (McFadden) but maybe Tebow won't get another chance because of the system he plays in. don't know.
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
adams' tebow mancrush comes full circle
gohawks1 writes:
No new articles in three days? What's up with that? I guess the paparazzi can't find Tebow, so there's nothing new to write about.....
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