After three years and three consecutive national championships, the SEC has one heck of a resume to hang their hat on.  However, all that bling serves as a shield toward a pretty awkward couple of issues: the league only runs two deep at the top right now and fantasy players tail off in a hurry down south of the Mason Dixon.  Attrition caused its own mess, so …now what?  Now we have a couple of guys who are impact players, a few guys who could be, and then a heck of a lot of hope.

Big arm, big body, big-time coach - yes, Arkansas' Ryan Mallett looks like the real fantasy deal (Icon SMI)

At least we have trophies…

QUARTERBACK
1.  Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2.  Cam Newton, Auburn
3.  John Brantley, Florida
4.  Jeremiah Masoli, Ole Miss

Let’s start with the obvious: Ryan Mallett is as close to a fantasy QB beast the SEC is likely to get for the near future.  He has a system designed to maximize his talents, he has a quality crop of WRs, and he’ll get the opportunities.  After that …. yikes.  Sure, Stephen Garcia is still floating around, and Greg McElroy is a great real-life QB, but they have systemic issues – McElroy isn’t in an offense that lets him pass enough, and Garcia is going to be yanked out of at least 3-4 games (plus is still playing behind a swinging gate of an offensive line).

Instead, we’re left with what systems are likely to produce.  Newton, Brantley, and Masoli are all untested in SEC play, excepting Newton’s garbage time as a Gator his freshman year.  However, they’re all in systems that can maximize their talents (and to be brutally frank, I flipped their order a few times writing this).  For now, I trust Newton more than either of the two guys ranked below him.  Brantley has all the tools, but after what happened to Florida’s offense under Steve Addazio last year, I’m a bit gunshy.  Masoli by all rights should be going to an offense that will let him run – Matt Jones in 2004 as a good example of Masoli’s potential – but there’s the simple matter of, well, not trusting that Houston Nutt has any idea how to coach QBs.  At all.  Couple that with Ole Miss breaking in three new guys on the line and there are some red flags here, even with Masoli’s production last season.

Don’t get me wrong – Newton, Brantley, and Masoli all have a chance to be the best fantasy QB in the SEC.  But in the absence of any history, we’re left to fall back on what we’ve seen guys like them do, and the production potential of those three guys doesn’t outweigh what we already know about Mallett.

On to the feature backs… Read the rest of this entry →

Michigan’s loss was surely Arkansas’ gain….

Most are familiar with the story of Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett, our Fantasy College Blitz – SEC Fantasy Player of the Year….how he started out at Michigan (starting some games as a true freshman), and left the program after a coaching change in Ann Arbor that contrasted to the style of play Mallett was familiar with.

Fortunately, another school was in the process of a coaching change….bringing in a coach (Bobby Petrino) with an offense suited to Mallett’s ability and talent.

Woooo Pig Soooie….a new Arkansas Razorback legend was born.

Mallett (photo, thanks IconSMI), a sophomore from Texarkana, TX (Texas HS), won our SEC FPOY honor by throwing for nearly 3200 yards and 28 TDs….also adding 2 rushing TDs (stats quoted are through November 21st games).

Joining Mallett on the SEC All-Fantasy Team are…. Read the rest of this entry →

Reprinted with permission from HeismanPundit.com.

Mark Ingram wins the 75th Heisman Trophy. (HeismanPundit.com)

In the closest race in Heisman history, Mark Ingram, sophomore running back from Alabama, has won the 2009 Heisman Trophy.

Ingram edged Stanford’s Toby Gerhart by just 28 total points, 1,304 to 1,276.   He’s the first Crimson Tide player–and the third-straight sophomore–to win the the trophy.

“I’m a little overwhelmed right now,” said Ingram upon receiving the award.  “I’m honored to be Alabama’s first Heisman winner.”

Ingram won four of the six Heisman regions:  the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the South and the Midwest (where he was born).  Gerhart won the West, while Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh won the Southwest.

Final Order of Finish, with total points

1. Mark Ingram, 1,304 points

2. Toby Gerhart, 1,276 points

3. Colt McCoy, 1,145 points

4. Ndamukong Suh, 815 points

5. Tim Tebow, 390 points

6. C.J. Spiller, 223 points

7. Kellen Moore, 100 points

8. Case Keenum, 37 points

9. Mardy Gilyard, 23 points

10. Golden Tate, 21 points

The race for the 2009 Heisman Trophy was a seminal one in the award’s history.

What started out as a battle royale between three star quarterbacks ended up as the tighest race ever between two running backs who were mere afterthoughts heading into the season. Read the rest of this entry →

The final HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll of the season is in and Alabama running back Mark Ingram is the leader following his 113-yard rushing performance against No. 1 Florida in the SEC title game. Ingram grabbed five first-place votes and totaled 48 points to retake the top spot back from Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.

Alabama soph RB Mark Ingram seized his Heisman moment (Icon SMI)

“I moved Ingram to the top of my ballot around mid-season, and nothing has made me change my mind,” said one voter. “What he did Saturday against a quality Florida defense was my final validation.”

The vote by the weekly panel of 13 Heisman voters was hardly a slam dunk for the sophomore running back, however, and the race appears to be very muddled going into Saturday’s Heisman ceremony.  Stanford’s Toby Gerhart (41 points, 2 first-place votes), Texas’ McCoy (37 points, 1 first-place vote) and Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh (35 points, 3 first-place votes) all garnered significant support.  A total of six different players received first-place votes, tying the poll’s season high.

Voter commentary reflected the split:

“It’s long past time Heisman voters abandon their traditional, restrictive criteria and award the “most outstanding player,” regardless of position. Suh was hands down the most dominant player in the country on either side of the ball, and his performance in the Big 12 title game firmly solidified his stature. ”

“C.J. Spiller may be more exciting and Toby Gerhart more punishing, but no running back has been more effective against a tougher schedule than Ingram.”

“Golden Tate is as outstanding as he is underrated. Why he isn’t getting more Heisman love is beyond me.  He should not be penalized because his team stunk.”

“Toby Gerhart was consistently excellent this season. He never had a bad game. Stanford’s four losses or his lack of playing on the final weekend should not be held against him.”

Regardless of the outcome, some sort of history is sure to be made on Saturday.  Ingram could become Alabama’s first Heisman winner or runner up, while McCoy could become the first Heisman runner up to come back and win the award since Herschel Walker did it in 1982.  Meanwhile, Gerhart would be the first non-USC winner from the Pac-10 since 1970 and Suh would be the first pure defensive player to win.

Read the rest of this entry →

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How’s a little Heisman intrigue splashed in with the de facto college football National Championship game sound for this Saturday?

Alabama DT Terrence "Mount" Cody thinks his Crimson Tide squad is #1. (Icon SMI)

For the second year running, #1 plays #2 not in the BCS National Championship Game, but in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. It is must see TV for all college football fans – support your favorite team (or if suffering from Tebow Fatigue like most of the nation root for Alabama) and support your local eatery and get out of the house and enjoy what looks to be a battle of the Irresistible Force (Tim Tebow) against the Immovable Object (Terrance Cody).

I still think Colt McCoy gets the Heisman Trophy, but even I cannot deny that the SEC Bowl presents a great chance for either Mark Ingram (my #2) and Tim Tebow (my #4) to create many Heisman moments.

Quick tidbits of the national ranks

there are many other points where this is a matchup of Number One or Number Two

• Bama Rush D #2 (77ypga) vs. Gator Rush O #6 (236ypg)
• Bama Rush O #13 (213ypg)vs. Gator Rush D #8 (90ypga)
• Bama Scoring D #2 vs. Gator Scoring O #10
• Bama D yds/play #2 (3.87) vs. Gator O yds/play #7 (6.77)

Analysis, matchups and questions to ponder after the break.

Read the rest of this entry →