VOLjlt
12-01-2005, 05:06 AM
I was reading the Forde-Yard Dash on ESPN.com and came across his "___ of the Year" picks for the SEC. Just wanted to see what everybody's thoughts were on his picks and if you had any other suggestions or ideas for these particular categories.
By Pat Forde
ESPN.com
Southeastern Conference
Coach of the Year: Steve Spurrier (22), South Carolina. You could make a case for Les Miles of LSU. You could make a case for Mike Shula of Alabama. You could make a case for Tommy Tuberville of Auburn. But none of those three stepped into a less promising season than the Head Ball Coach, who proceeded to remind everyone why he's a legend in this league.
Offensive Player of the Year: D.J. Shockley (23), Georgia. In a year of bad offense in the SEC, Shockley was the most important performer on a team that finished with a winning record. (You could make an argument for Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler or Mississippi State's Jerious Norwood, but The Dash prefers to stick with the winners.) With Shockley in the lineup, the Bulldogs were 9-1, with their lone loss by a single point. Without him, they were 0-1 and scored 10 points. Any questions?
Defensive Player of the Year: DeMeco Ryans (24), Alabama. A gentleman and a scholar, and a hellacious linebacker, too. Ryans was the leading tackler on a team held together for weeks at a time by its defense as the Tide sustained an improbable 9-0 run.
Bust of the Year: Tennessee. The warning signs were out in the winter and spring, as Volunteers players made police headquarters their unofficial offseason gathering spot. Then Phil Fulmer decided to jerk his quarterbacks around as though he were Spurrier Jr. Before long, the entire season had fallen apart. And the rest of the SEC felt zero sympathy for Big Orange.
Game of the Year: Auburn 31, Georgia 30. There were only nine lead changes in this game of huge stakes. It ended on a field goal by John Vaughn, who had missed five of them a few weeks earlier against LSU. There was some poetry in that conclusion.
Dope of the Year: The ref (25) who threw the excessive celebration flag on Vanderbilt freshman Earl Bennett for a micro-shimmy (elapsed time, approximately 1.25 seconds) after scoring a touchdown. That made the score 42-41, but the penalty prevented the Commodores from going for two and for the win right there. They lost in double overtime and, for the 23rd consecutive year, are not bowl eligible. Hope the ref feels good about his call.
By Pat Forde
ESPN.com
Southeastern Conference
Coach of the Year: Steve Spurrier (22), South Carolina. You could make a case for Les Miles of LSU. You could make a case for Mike Shula of Alabama. You could make a case for Tommy Tuberville of Auburn. But none of those three stepped into a less promising season than the Head Ball Coach, who proceeded to remind everyone why he's a legend in this league.
Offensive Player of the Year: D.J. Shockley (23), Georgia. In a year of bad offense in the SEC, Shockley was the most important performer on a team that finished with a winning record. (You could make an argument for Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler or Mississippi State's Jerious Norwood, but The Dash prefers to stick with the winners.) With Shockley in the lineup, the Bulldogs were 9-1, with their lone loss by a single point. Without him, they were 0-1 and scored 10 points. Any questions?
Defensive Player of the Year: DeMeco Ryans (24), Alabama. A gentleman and a scholar, and a hellacious linebacker, too. Ryans was the leading tackler on a team held together for weeks at a time by its defense as the Tide sustained an improbable 9-0 run.
Bust of the Year: Tennessee. The warning signs were out in the winter and spring, as Volunteers players made police headquarters their unofficial offseason gathering spot. Then Phil Fulmer decided to jerk his quarterbacks around as though he were Spurrier Jr. Before long, the entire season had fallen apart. And the rest of the SEC felt zero sympathy for Big Orange.
Game of the Year: Auburn 31, Georgia 30. There were only nine lead changes in this game of huge stakes. It ended on a field goal by John Vaughn, who had missed five of them a few weeks earlier against LSU. There was some poetry in that conclusion.
Dope of the Year: The ref (25) who threw the excessive celebration flag on Vanderbilt freshman Earl Bennett for a micro-shimmy (elapsed time, approximately 1.25 seconds) after scoring a touchdown. That made the score 42-41, but the penalty prevented the Commodores from going for two and for the win right there. They lost in double overtime and, for the 23rd consecutive year, are not bowl eligible. Hope the ref feels good about his call.