Media picks Alabama to top Florida in SEC championship game
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Alabama is the media favorite to win the Southeastern Conference title while Florida is the pick to win the Eastern Division.
Alabama received 77 votes to win the championship game on Dec. 19 in Atlanta, while Georgia and LSU each were picked on seven ballots. The SEC released results of voting Wednesday from reporters covering the league.
The Gators edged Georgia 624 points to 613 in the East while Tennessee was picked to finish third.
Alabama was a lopsided pick in the West with 660 points topping LSU (489) and Auburn (488).
The Crimson Tide also led the way with 13 players on the Preseason All-SEC team, including eight first-teamers. LSU had 10 and Georgia nine.
The media has correctly picked the champion only seven times since 1992.
The media's preseason All-SEC teams:
OFFENSE
First-Team
QB — Kyle Trask, Florida
RB — Najee Harris, Alabama; Kylin Hill, Mississippi State
WR — DeVonta Smith, Alabama; Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
TE — Kyle Pitts, Florida
OL — Alex Leatherwood, Alabama; Trey Smith, Tennessee; Landon Dickerson, Alabama; Landon Young, Kentucky
C — Drake Jackson, Kentucky
Second-Team
QB — Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
RB —Rakeem Boyd, Arkansas; Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M
WR — George Pickens, Georgia; Terrace Marshall, LSU
TE — Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M
OL — Deonte Brown, Alabama; Darian Kinnard, Kentucky; Sadarius Hutcherson, South Carolina; Ed Ingram, LSU
C — Trey Hill, Georgia
Third-Team
QB — Mac Jones, Alabama
RB — Zamir White, Georgia; Larry Rountree, Missouri
WR — Seth Williams, Auburn; Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
TE — Arik Gilbert, LSU
OL — Austin Deculus, LSU; Brodarious Hamm, Auburn; Evan Neal, Alabama; Wanya Morris, Tennessee
C — Landon Dickerson, Alabama
DEFENSE
First-Team
DL — Big Kat Bryant, Auburn; LaBryan Ray, Alabama; Jordan Davis, Georgia; Malik Herring, Georgia
LB — Dylan Moses, Alabama; K.J. Britt, Auburn; Nick Bolton, Missouri
DB — Patrick Surtain II, Alabama; Derek Stingley Jr., LSU; Richard LeCounte, Georgia; DB - Jacoby Stevens, LSU
Second-Team
DL — Bobby Brown, Texas A&M; Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt; Kobie Whiteside, Missouri; Zachary Carter, Florida
LB — Henry To’o To’o, Tennessee; Monty Rice, Georgia; Jabril Cox, LSU
DB — Kaiir Elam, Florida; Eric Stokes, Georgia; Marco Wilson, Florida; Israel Mukuamu, South Carolina
Third-Team
DL — Aaron Sterling, South Carolina; Glen Logan, LSU; Josh Paschal, Kentucky; DJ Dale, Alabama
LB — Ventrell Miller, Florida; Erroll Thompson, Mississippi State; Boogie Watson, Kentucky
DB — Demani Richardson, Texas A&M; Smoke Monday, Auburn; Tyree Gillespie, Missouri. Christian Tutt, Auburn and Bryce Thompson, Tennessee (tie)
SPECIALISTS
First-Team
P — Max Duffy, Kentucky
PK — Brent Cimaglia, Tennessee
RS — Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
AP — Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
Second-Team
P — Jake Camarda, Georgia
PK — Cade York, LSU
RS — Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss
AP — Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
Third-Team
P — Zach Von Rosenberg, LSU
PK — Anders Carlson, Auburn
RS — Derek Stingley Jr., LSU
AP — Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss