The assembled writers and broadcasters tabbed four Vols first-team all-conference – safety Eric Berry, tailback Arian Foster, linebacker Rico McCoy and guard Anthony Parker – but pegged UT to finish third in the Eastern Division.
Only Florida, with five, had more first-team all-league picks than the Big Orange. Oddly enough, though, no Vols were named to the second-team All-SEC squad.
Media overwhelmingly projected Florida to win the SEC title. The Gators got 36 of a possible 70 votes. SEC East rival Georgia picked up 16 votes and Auburn 13. National champ LSU got just one vote, as did Tennessee and Ole Miss.
Florida was an equally resounding pick to win the Eastern Division title, getting 45 votes to Georgia's 23. Tennessee picked up the other two. South Carolina, Kentucky and Vanderbilt were pegged 4-5-6.
Auburn was a popular pick in the West, perhaps due in part to the fact more writers from Alabama attend the Birmingham-based meetings than from any other state. The Tigers garnered 48 votes to LSU's 21. Alabama was pegged third, followed by Ole Miss (which got one first-place vote), Mississippi State and Arkansas.
Auburn placed nine players on either the first- or second-team All-SEC list. LSU had eight. Five each showed up from Bama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Surprisingly, there were no unanimous All-SEC picks. Most surprising of all, 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida got just 64 of a possible 70 votes as the all-league quarterback.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC OFFENSE
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
TE Cornelius Ingram (56) Florida 6-4 223 Sr. Hawthorne, Fla.
OL Andre Smith (64) Alabama 6-5 340 Jr. Birmingham, Ala.
OL Michael Oher (64) Ole Miss 6-5 318 Sr. Memphis, Tenn.
OL Anthony Parker (56) Tennessee 6-3 305 Sr. Jonesboro, Ga.
OL Herman Johnson (45) LSU 6-7 351 Sr. Olla, La.
C
Jonathan Luigs (58) Arkansas 6-4 314 Sr. Little Rock, Ark.
WR Percy Harvin (68) Florida 5-11 178 Jr. Virginia Beach, Va.
WR Kenny McKinley (46) S. Carolina 6-0 182 Sr. Mableton, Ga.
QB Tim Tebow (64) Florida 6-3 232 Jr. Jacksonville, Fla.
RB Knowshon Moreno (68) Georgia 5-11 207 So. Belford, N.J.
RB Arian Foster (50) Tennessee 6-1 215 Sr. San Diego, Calif.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC DEFENSE
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
DL Greg Hardy (53) Ole Miss 6-4 265 Jr. Millington, Tenn.
DL Tyson Jackson (52) LSU 6-5 292 Sr. Edgard, La.
DL Sen'Derrick Marks (45) Auburn 6-1 288 Jr. Mobile, Ala.
LB Brandon Spikes (65) Florida 6-3 245 Jr. Shelby, N.C.
LB Rico McCoy (46) Tennessee 6-1 215 Jr. Washington, D.C.
LB Jasper Brinkley (41) S. Carolina 6-2 275 Sr. Thomson, Ga.
LB #Darry Beckwith (40) LSU 6-1 232 Sr. Baton Rouge, La.
LB #
Dannell Ellerbe (40) Georgia 6-1 232 Sr. Hamlet, N.C.
DB Derek Pegues (60) Miss. State 5-10 196 Sr. Batesville, Miss.
DB Eric Berry (56) Tennessee 5-11 195 So. Fairburn, Ga.
DB D.J. Moore (46) Vanderbilt 5-10 182 Jr. Spartanburg, S.C.
DB Rashad Johnson (43) Alabama 6-0 187 Sr. Sulligent, Ala.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC SPECIAL TEAMS
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
PK Colt David (41) LSU 5-9 175 Sr. Grapevine, Texas
P
Ryan Shoemaker (40) Auburn 6-0 192 So. Birmingham, Ala.
RS Brandon James (35) Florida 5-6 179 Jr. St. Augustine, Fla.
DIVISIONAL RACE PROJECTIONS
Eastern Division
School Votes
1. Florida (45) 98
2. Georgia (23) 121
3. Tennessee (2) 222
4. South Carolina 266
5. Kentucky 356
6. Vanderbilt 407
Western Division
1. Auburn (48) 99
2. LSU (21) 120
3. Alabama 228
4. Mississippi State 299
5. Ole Miss (1) 338
6. Arkansas 386