BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The LSU Fighting Tiger football team was the pick of the media to win the Southeastern Conference Western Division in the voting of assembled media here this week for league media day activities.
In addition, six LSU players were named to either the first or second teams of the preseason All-SEC teams selected by a group of 87 total voters.
The Tigers picked up 62 first-place votes and 121 total points in the voting done on a 1-2-3-4-5-6 points scale to easily outdistance the rest of the division. Auburn and Alabama both picked up 12 votes to win the division, but Auburn was voted second with 192 points, to Alabama’s 215 points. Arkansas with no first place votes was picked fourth with 377 points, while Ole Miss (one first place vote) was chosen fifth with 439 points followed by Mississippi State at 478.
The voters feel the Tigers will meet Tennessee in the SEC Championship game, Dec. 3, in Atlanta as the Vols, who meet the Tigers in Tiger Stadium on Sept. 24, were the choice to win the SEC Eastern Division.
Tennessee received 134 points and 49 first place votes, while Florida received 29 votes for the division title and 161 points. Georgia in third received the other nine first place votes and 202 points. South Carolina was fourth (347), with Vanderbilt (401) and Kentucky (492) the other two teams.
Tennessee was picked to win the overall SEC Championship with 37 votes followed by Florida with 21, LSU 16, Georgia 6, Auburn 4, Alabama 2 and Ole Miss 1.
Senior offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth was named to the first-team All-SEC offense as one of four offensive linemen chosen, while senior wide receiver Skyler Green was chosen as the first team Return Specialist and second team wide receiver. Alley Broussard, junior running back, was also chosen to the second team offense.
On defense, junior defensive back Laron Landry was a first team selection, while two senior defensive linemen, Claude Wroten and Kyle Williams earned second team honors at the position.
Here is the complete team and balloting as chosen by the voters at SEC Media Days (Number of votes in parenthesis — 87 total voters)
FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
Pos.
Name
School
Ht.
Wt.
Class
Hometown
TE
Leonard Pope (68)
Georgia
6-7
250
Jr.
Americus, Ga.
OL
Marcus McNeill (84)#
Auburn
6-9
337
Sr.
Decatur, Ga.
OL
Andrew Whitworth (68)
LSU
6-7
325
Sr.
West Monroe, La.
OL
Max Jean-Gilles (63)
Georgia
6-4
340
Sr.
Miami, Fla.
OL
Arron Sears (53)
Tennessee
6-4
338
Jr.
Russellville, Ala.
C
Mike Degory (78)
Florida
6-6
306
Sr.
Palm Bay, Fla.
WR
Courtney Taylor (55)
Auburn
6-2
204
Jr.
Carrollton, Ga.
WR
Chad Jackson (36)
Florida
6-1
202
Jr.
Hoover, Ala.
QB
Chris Leak (66)
Florida
6-0
195
Jr.
Charlotte, N.C.
RB
Gerald Riggs, Jr. (62)
Tennessee
6-0
217
Sr.
Chattanooga, Tenn.
RB
Jerious Norwood (57)
Miss. State
6-0
202
Sr.
Brandon, Miss.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — OFFENSE
Pos.
Name
School
Ht.
Wt.
Class
Hometown
TE
Cooper Wallace (11)
Auburn
6-4
265
Sr.
Nashville, Tenn.
OL
Tre’ Stallings (17)
Ole Miss
6-4
317
Sr.
Magnolia, Miss.
OL
Cody Douglas (11)
Tennessee
6-4
330
Sr.
LaMarque, Texas
OL
Randy Hand (7)
Florida
6-6
305
Sr.
Fort Myers, Fla.
OL
Zac Tubbs (6)
Arkansas
6-6
358
Sr.
Cullman, Ala.
C
JB Closner (8)
Alabama
6-4
290
Sr.
San Antonio, Texas
WR
Andre Caldwell (34)
Florida
6-1
195
Jr.
Tampa, Fla.
WR
Skyler Green (17)
LSU
5-10
195
Sr.
Westwego, La.
QB
Brodie Croyle (10)
Alabama
6-3
205
Sr.
Rainbow City, Ala.
QB
Jay Cutler (10)
Vanderbilt
6-4
225
Sr.
Santa Claus, Ind.
RB
Kenneth Darby (26)
Alabama
5-11
205
Jr.
Huntsville, Ala.
RB
Alley Broussard (18)
LSU
6-0
233
Jr.
Lafayette, La.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE
Pos.
Name
School
Ht.
Wt.
Class
Hometown
DL
Stanley McClover (61)
Auburn
6-3
247
Jr.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
DL
Jesse Mahelona (61)
Tennessee
6-2
297
Sr.
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
DL
Parys Haralson (27)
Tennessee
6-2
248
Sr.
Flora, Miss.
LB
DeMeco Ryans (76)
Alabama
6-2
232
Sr.
Bessemer, Ala.
LB
Travis Williams (61)
Auburn
6-1
207
Sr.
Columbia, S.C.
LB
Moses Osemwegie (60)
Vanderbilt
6-0
228
Sr.
Nashville, Tenn.
LB
Freddie Roach (34)
Alabama
6-2
239
Sr.
Killen, Ala.
DB
Jason Allen (77)
Tennessee
6-2
202
Sr.
Muscle Shoals, Ala.
DB
LaRon Landry (65)
LSU
6-2
187
Jr.
Ama, La.
DB
Roman Harper (65)
Alabama
6-1
197
Sr.
Prattville, Ala.
DB
Ko Simpson (52)
South Carolina
6-1
199
So.
Rock Hill, S.C.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — DEFENSE
Pos.
Name
School
Ht.
Wt.
Class
Hometown
DL
McKinley Boykin (21)
Ole Miss
6-2
285
Sr.
Bessemer, Ala.
DL
Claude Wroten (21)
LSU
6-3
293
Sr.
Bastrop, La.
DL
Kyle Williams (16)
LSU
6-2
295
Sr.
Ruston, La.
LB
Brandon Siler (27)
Florida
6-2
230
So.
Orlando, Fla.
LB
Kevin Simon (25)
Tennessee
5-11
234
Sr.
Walnut Creek, Calif.
LB
Omar Gaither (11)
Tennessee
6-2
230
Sr.
Charlotte, N.C.
LB
Earl Everett (9)
Florida
6-2
224
Jr.
Webster, Fla.
LB
Patrick Willis (9)
Ole Miss
6-2
230
Jr.
Bruceton, Miss.
DB
Greg Blue (20)
Georgia
6-2
214
Sr.
College Park, Ga.
DB
Charlie Peprah (15)
Alabama
5-11
193
Sr.
Plano, Texas
DB
Muhammad Abdullah (13)
Kentucky
6-0
205
Sr.
Folkston, Ga.
DB
Demetrice Webb (10)
Florida
5-11
190
Jr.
Jacksonville, Fla.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC — SPECIAL TEAMS
Pos.
Name
School
Ht.
Wt.
Class
Hometown
PK
John Vaughn (52)
Auburn
6-1
201
Jr.
Brentwood, Tenn.
P
Kody Bliss (46)
Auburn
5-11
177
Jr.
Brentwood, Tenn.
RS
Skyler Green (49)
LSU
5-10
195
Sr.
Westwego, La.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC — SPECIAL TEAMS
Pos.
Name
School
Ht.
Wt.
Class
Hometown
PK
James Wilhoit (15)
Tennessee
5-10
198
Jr.
Hendersonville, Tenn.
P
Eric Wilbur (30)
Florida
6-2
192
Jr.
Winter Park, Fla.
RS
Tyrone Prothro (23)
Alabama
5-8
176
Jr.
Heflin, Ala.
SEC PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
SEC Champion – Tennessee (37), Florida (21), LSU (16), Georgia (6), Auburn (4), Alabama (2), Ole Miss (1).
Team
First-Place Votes
Points
Eastern Division
1. Tennessee
49
134
2. Florida
29
161
3. Georgia
9
202
4. South Carolina
347
5. Vanderbilt
401
6. Kentucky
492
Western Division
1. LSU
62
121
2. Auburn
12
192
3. Alabama
12
215
4. Arkansas
377
5. Ole Miss
1
439
6. Mississippi State
478