Strange: No surprise Gators made it to Atlanta

If SEC football were available on the stock market, I hope you bought Alabama and Ole Miss big last summer.

If you gambled the 401K on Tennessee, LSU or Auburn, well, ouch. Sorry about that.

Another SEC regular season is in the books after yet another wild weekend. The lay of the land on the first day of December reveals surprises. Which, of course, is hardly surprising.

Back in July when the tribe convened in Hoover, Ala., for SEC Media Days, the folks who cover Georgia were asking a lot of questions with national championship implications. To their surprise, the media anointed Florida to win the league.

The Gators will win the league - it says here - but they have one slight obstacle remaining: No. 1-ranked, undefeated Alabama.

A projected Western Division duel between LSU and Auburn fizzled fast. Alabama stomped everybody on the way to Atlanta for Saturday's championship game.

The Crimson Tide, however, doesn't win the prize for most improvement in the SEC standings.

Nick Saban took Alabama from 4-4 to 8-0, a four-game swing. Houston Nutt resurrected Ole Miss from 0-8 to 5-3.

At the other end of the spectrum, LSU and Tennessee, last year's championship combatants, both skidded from 6-2 to 3-5.

Auburn also had a three-win swoon, from 5-3 in 2007 to 2-6.

At least Les Miles and Tommy Tuberville have their names on the office door. So far.

By Sunday afternoon, Lane Kiffin's photo had replaced Phillip Fulmer's on Tennessee's official Web site. That seemed unthinkable in July. Of course, so did Wyoming winning in Neyland Stadium.

The other newly unemployed coach is 2007's SEC coach of the year, Sylvester Croom. Mississippi State turned back into a pumpkin at 4-8.

Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson was the early favorite for 2008 coach of the year. Alas, after a 5-0 start, the Commodores gasped to the finish line 6-6. At least they're going bowling for the first time since any current players were born.

Most seasons, Houston Nutt would be coach-of-the-year material for the turn-around at Ole Miss. But what Saban has done at Alabama trumps all.

From 7-6 to 12-0. From the Independence Bowl to a BCS bowl. Maybe even to the BCS national championship game.

To play for a national title, the Tide has to first beat the team playing better than anyone from Hoboken to Honolulu. Sorry Oklahoma, that would be Florida.

That home-field loss to Ole Miss on Sept. 27 is unaccountable. Since then, no one has come within 30 points of the Gators.

As for Georgia, the red-hot team at the end of 2007, the Bulldogs are only mildly warm at the end of 2008. At 9-3, Georgia is one game off last year's pace going into bowl season.

The SEC offensive player of the year ought to be the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Tim Tebow, in fact, ought to win the Heisman again.

I'll take Tebow over any of the big-stat quarterbacks from the Big XII. He's still the most valuable player in college football.

The only guy who could make a case to take the SEC offensive player honor away from Tebow is his multi-threat teammate, Percy Harvin.

The defensive player of the year should come from one of the worst teams. There's no justice if Eric Berry is denied because of UT's nosedive.

As expected, Georgia's Knowshon Moreno was the best running back in the league.

The best freshmen played on the best teams. Georgia receiver A.J. Green slightly overshadowed Alabama receiver Julio Jones. Jeff Demps added juice to Florida.

On defense, Will Hill and Javoris Jenkins at Florida and Don'ta Hightower at Alabama made important contributions.

Finally, a prediction for 2009. That Alabama-Florida match coming up Saturday in Atlanta? You'll see a rematch next year.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strangem@knoxnews.com.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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