SEC Preseason Superlatives

The Keystone Light

Bro of the SEC(Stephen Garcia Garcia Award):

Tyler Bray, Tennessee: Tyler Bray has the poise and talent to be one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC. Apparently, he also possesses the poise and "hot dogging" to be the life of the party. During the summer, Bray was linked to a vandalism incident, where vehicles were damaged by golf balls and empty beer bottles. If that wasn't enough, Bray took the party on the water. Over the fourth of July holidy, he was charged with a misdemeanor for reckless operation of a personal watercraft. According to Tennessee Wildlife, Bray was with a woman passenger and was playing chicken. That sounds like a Barbara Dooley Fourth of July celebration.

Haunt Your Dreams:

Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama:How good is Cyrus Kouandjio? The coaching staff moved the nation's best offensive lineman, Outland Trophy winner Barrett Jones, from left tackle to center to make room for Kouandjio. At 6'6" 311 pounds, he is the only 300 pounder that I have ever seen with a six pack. This guy will be a dominant force for the Tide, like previous left tackles: Andre Smith, James Carpenter, and Barrett Jones.

Best Comeback:

Knile Davis, Arkansas:After sitting out all last season due to a nasty ankle injury, Davis is adamant that he is 100%. If so, watch out SEC defenses. In 2010, I thought Knile Davis was the best running back in the SEC, accumulating over 1,600 total yards. The Razorbacks will rely on him to take some slack off the passing game, an area that suffered last season without his presence. If Davis truly is back to 2010 form, I predict that the Hogs will split 'Bama and LSU, and you'll hear his name amongst Heisman chatter.

The Ticket Seller (Best Offensive Player):

Aaron Murray, Georgia"We want to score 40-50 points or more per game." Those are lofty goals for Murray and the Georgia offense. Coming off a school record 35 touchdown passes, Murray is hoping his second season in the no-huddle offense will eclipse last season's stats. It doesn't hurt having 5 of your top 6 receiving targets returning. If the young offensive line jells, Murray will have all the tools to lead his Dawgs to Miami.

Shrinking the Field (Best Defensive Player):

Jadaveon Clowney, South Carolina:Clowney is a NFL star playing against inferior talent. At 6'6", 260 pounds, he is often compared to Julius Peppers. As a backup last season, Clowney had 12 tackles for a loss and eight sacks. This year he is a starter and a miss match for the majority of offensive lineman. Oh yeah, in addition to defensive end, Spurrier announced that Clowney may see some snaps at middle linebacker.

Best Newcomer:

TJ Yeldon, Alabama:Last year, Yeldon was rated as one of the best high school running backs in the country. In April, Yeldon was named MVP of the A-day spring game, where he racked up nearly 180 total yards. Given the history of Eddie Lacy's nagging injuries, Yeldon may be called upon to have a bigger freshman role than that of Mark Ingram or Trent Richardson.

Coach of the Year:

Dan Mullen,Mississippi State:The more I look at State's schedule, the more I see a minimum of eight wins. If Dan Mullen can beat Auburn and/or Arkansas (both at home), the Bulldogs have a great chance of getting 10 wins. If Mullen gets to 10 wins, he will have done so in the toughest conference with less talent than other double digit teams. The result will be Mullen as the hottest commodity for coaching vacancies.

Darkhorse:

Florida Gators:Florida may have the nastiest defensive front seven in the country, anchored by Jon Bostic, Sharrif Floyd, and the Chucky wielding Dominique Easley. Running back Mike Gillislee will be one of the surprise stories in the SEC in this season. If Jacoby Brissett or Jeff Driskel can get a handle on Brent Pease's offense, the Gators could find themselves in Atlanta the first week of December.

SEC Champions:

LSU Tigers over Georgia Bulldogs:In a rematch from last season's SEC Championship, the Tigers and Bulldogs will once again meet in Atlanta for what could be a play-in game for the BCS National Championship. With a year of experience, the Bulldogs will not concede the Georgia Dome like last season. However, a late fourth quarter touchdown by LSU will be the difference, making the Bayou Bengals the first team to win back-to-back SEC titles since 1998.