The SEC Media Days are in full effect and, aside from the excellent coverage courtesy of SB Nation’s NCAA Football crew, the 2011 SEC Preseason Poll is probably the biggest thing to come out of the annual affair. Fans of Alabama and South Carolina should be extra excited.
2011 SEC Preseason Poll: Alabama, South Carolina Picked To Win Divisions
Alabama was the runaway pick to win the SEC’s Western Division, taking 111 of the 167 total votes, but it gets even better for fans of the Crimson Tide. Alabama was also picked to be SEC Champions, picking up 98 first place votes as the best team in the SEC as opposed to just 29 for second place LSU.
The SEC’s Eastern Division winners are projected to be the Gamecocks as the Steve Spurrier led team picked up 114 first place votes. Unfortunately, voters foresee the Eastern Division being the weaker division as South Carolina placed fourth in the overall SEC Champion voting totals behind Alabama, LSU and Arkansas.
Georgia, Florida and Ole Miss rounded out the teams receiving votes as the conference’s champion.
The voters also put together the Preseason All-SEC Team with LSU defensive back Morris Claiborne receiving 163 of the 167 votes, earning the honor of being the top vote-getter.
First-Team skill position players included Georgia's Aaron Murray at quarterback, South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore and Alabama's Trent Richardson at running back and wide receivers Aishon Jeffery of South Carolina and Akrkansas' Greg Childs. 'Bama O-lineman Barrett Jones received the most votes of any of the offensive linemen.
On the defensive side of the football, Alabama took five of the 11 positions available on the Defensive First-Team led by linebackers Dont`a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw. Lineman Josh Chapman and defensive backs Mark Barron and Robert Lester round out the Tide's First-Team selections.
Preseason polls are pretty difficult to predict, but if nothing else, this is just another beautiful reminder that football season is creeping closer by the day.
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