Alabama Football: Media picks Vandy over Auburn to win championship

In Friday’s SEC Media Poll, Alabama Football was picked to be the best team in the SEC West.

Having nothing to do with Alabama football, a quick disclaimer is needed for what follows. This is not a misleading post. However, some of what the post is about, is quite misleading, despite being factual.

On Friday assembled media in Nashville did extra work. They produced a poll for each of the SEC’s divisions. Not surprisingly, Georgia was picked first in the East. Alabama was picked first in the SEC West, followed by LSU. The media also selected All-SEC Teams and in a separate vote, predicted the 2023 SEC Champion.

There were 291 points calculated in the prediction for the 2023 SEC Champion. Georgia, Alabama and LSU received a total of 274 points. The Bulldogs far outpaced the Crimson Tide with 181 points, to Alabama’s 62. LSU received 31 points.

Now the misleading part. Tennessee and Vanderbilt tied at No. 4 to win the 2023 SEC Championship, each with five points. Trailing the state of Tennessee pair at two votes each were Arkansas and Auburn. Three more SEC teams gained a single vote each; Texas A&M, Mississippi State and South Carolina.

It is safe to assume the teams earning five or fewer votes received them from their beat reporters. Some of the choices probably qualify as ‘homer’ decisions from favorable media members. Vanderbilt is unlikely to be favored in any SEC game.

Oddities in voting are not rare in SEC Media Polls. Also, it is common for the SEC Media Polls to be wrong in predicting the SEC Champion. The track record in SEC Media Poll predictions is not good. In 31 efforts to predict the SEC Champion, going back to 1992, the preseason prediction has been correct only nine times.

Alabama Football and All-SEC

Selections were also made by the media for three All-SEC teams. Fifteen Alabama Crimson Tide players were selected for 16 spots on the three teams.

All-SEC First Team Offense

• QB – Jayden Daniels, LSU
• RB – Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss
• RB – Raheim Sanders, Arkansas
• WR – Ladd McConkey, Georgia
• WR – Malik Nabers, LSU
• TE – Brock Bowers, Georgia
• OL – JC Latham, Alabama
• OL – Amarius Mims, Georgia
• OL – Tate Ratledge, Georgia
• OL – Will Campbell, LSU
• C – Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

All-SEC First Team Defense

• DL – Mekhi Wingo, LSU
• DL – Mykel Williams, Georgia
• DL – Maason Smith, LSU
• DL – Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia
• LB – Dallas Turner, Alabama
• LB – Harold Perkins, LSU
• LB – Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia
• DB – Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
• DB – Malaki Starks, Georgia
• DB – Kamari Lassiter, Georgia
• DB – Javon Bullard, Georgia

All-SEC First Team Specialists

• P – Kai Kroeger, South Carolina
• PK – Will Reichard, Alabama
• LS – Kneeland Hibbett, Alabama
• KOS – Mitch Jeter, South Carolina
• RS – Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
• AP – Ainias Smith, Texas A&M

Six Alabama football players were picked for All-SEC Second Teams. They were Jase McClellan, Ja’Cory Brooks, Tyler Booker, Seth McLaughlin, Justin Eboigbe, and Malachi Moore. On All-SEC Third Teams from the Crimson Tide were Jermaine Burton, Tim Smith, and Chris Braswell.

The best thing about this week is it signifies the annual ‘talking season’ is close to being over. College football action is only five weeks away.