Trott, Coleman tabbed for SEC Media Days

Seventy-two days remain until Auburn kicks off the Gene Chizik era against Louisiana Tech.

Significantly less remain until the proverbial SEC football world comes to Birmingham for SEC Media Days. FYI, they’re set for July 22-24 at the Wynfrey Hotel. You’re not invited unless you can snag a fancy schmancy press pass. Sorry.

Chizik will be there, of course, along with the rest of the SEC’s coaches. That was a given. Today, though, the SEC announced its tentative list of players who will make the trip to the Magic City.

Your Auburn Tigers will be represented by tight end Tommy Trott and defensive end Antonio Coleman. Trott, to some, may be a surprise, considering he hasn’t put up big numbers in his time with the Tigers and is coming off a gruesome knee injury. But who else are you going to pick from that offense? And you’re barking up the wrong tree if you thought Chizik would bring one of his quarterbacks.

Here’s the cumulative list. We didn’t dig up the tidbits. Credit goes to the SEC for that.

ALABAMA

OL Mike Johnson (6-6, 305, Sr.)
***1st Team All-America by Pro Football Weekly in 2008
***Second-Team All-SEC and two-time SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.
***Returning two-year starter on the offensive line.

LB Rolando McClain (6-4, 249, Jr.)
***Third-team All-America in 2008
***First-team All-SEC and finalist for Butkus Award in 2008.
***95 total stops last season with 12 behind the line of scrimmage.

ARKANSAS

DT Malcolm Sheppard (6-2, 280, Sr.)
***2nd Team All-SEC by Coaches and AP in 2008. 
***Returning two-year starter at defensive tackle.
***Had 68 stops with 14.5 behind the line last year, including 6.5 sacks.

TE D.J. Williams (6-2, 251, Jr.)
***Led team with 61 receptions, 723 receiving yards and three TD catches.
***Only returning Mackey Award semifinalist from last year.
***First-team All-SEC by AP and 2nd team by league’s coaches.

AUBURN

TE Tommy Trott (6-5, 237, Sr.)
***Had 20 catches for 201 yards last season.
***SEC All-Freshman Team in 2006.
***Has 34 career catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns.

DE Antonio Coleman (6-3, 257, Sr.)
***Had 46 total tackles with team-high 10.5 behind the line of scrimmage.
***Also had team-high 6 sacks and 13 quarterback pressures.
***1st team All-SEC in 2008.

FLORIDA

QB Tim Tebow (6-3, 235, Sr.)
***2008 Maxwell Award Winner and 2007 Heisman Trophy Winner.
***Winner of Manning Award and Wuerffel Trophy in 2008.
***SEC Offensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2008.
***First-team CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America in 2008.

LB Brandon Spikes (6-3, 243, Jr.)
***Finalist for Nagurski Award in 2008 as well as Bednarik & Lombardi Award semifinalist.
***First-team All-America and first-team All-SEC.
***Led Gators with 93 total tackles last season with 8 sacks and 4 interceptions.

GEORGIA

QB Joe Cox (6-1, 210, Sr.)
***Has appeared in 13 games in his career with one start.
***Has completed 33-of-58 passes for 432 yards with 5 TDs and one interception.
***Sporting News College Football Player of the Week vs. Colorado in 2006.

DT Jeff Owens (6-3, 306, Sr.)
***Suffered season-ending knee injury in first quarter of season opener in 2008.
***Two-year starter having appeared in 39 career games.
***Has 70 total tackles, with nine behind the line, including 3.5 sacks.

KENTUCKY

OT Zipp Duncan (6-5, 290, Sr.)
***Two-year returning starter for the Wildcats.
***UK offensive line led the SEC in least sacks allowed in 2008 (13 in 13 games).
***Prior to finding a home on the offensive line in 2007, played at defensive end and tight end.

CB Trevard Lindley (6-0, 175, Sr.)
***Earned third-team All-American honors as a sophomore and was a second-team selection as a junior.
***Led the SEC in total passes defended per game with four interceptions and 11 breakups in 2008.
***Has current streak of 28 consecutive starts.

LSU

OT Ciron Black (6-5, 325, Sr.)     
***2008 Second-Team All-SEC (SEC Coaches, AP) and 2007 Second-Team All-SEC (SEC Coaches)
***2006 Third-Team Freshman All-American (Sporting News) and Freshman All-SEC (SEC Coaches)
***Three-year returning starter with current streak of 40 consecutive starts.

LB Jacob Cutrera (6-4, 236, Sr.)
***First-year starter for the Tigers.
***Has seen action in 35 career games, starting five, and has 91 career tackles with 5.5 for losses.
***2006 Third-Team Freshman All-America (Sporting News)

OLE MISS

QB Jevan Snead (6-3, 215, Jr.)
***3rd Team All-SEC by Phil Steele and 2nd Team by AP last season.
***Completed 184-of-327 passes for 2,762 yards with 26 TDs and 13 INTs last season.   
***2nd in the SEC in TD passes and third in yards per game last season.

DE Greg Hardy (6-4, 265, Sr.)
***Third-team All-America by Rivals.com last season.
***2nd-Team All-SEC by league’s coaches and honorable mention by AP last season.
***Has 32.5 tackles for losses, including 21.5 sacks, in 31 career games.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

OT Derek Sherrod (6-7, 310, Jr.)
***Started the final 10 games of the 2008 campaign after missing the first two with an injury.
***Played in 11 contests in 2007 as a true freshman.

LB K.J. Wright (6-3, 226, Jr.)
***2nd on the team in tackles last season with 72, including nine for losses.
***Had season high 10 stops against LSU and nine against Arkansas.
***Has played in 22 straight games for the Bulldogs.

SOUTH CAROLINA

WR Moe Brown (6-0, 183, Sr.)
***Has 52 career catches for 633 yards and 1 touchdown, playing in 37 career games with 10 starts.
***Last season, had 30 grabs for 391 yards and a score.
***Had career high seven catches for 130 yards and a TD last season vs. Georgia.

LB Eric Norwood (6-1, 252, Sr.)
***Two-time 1st-team All-SEC selection.
***Has 174 career tackles with 43 behind the line, including 22 sacks.
***Had 75 tackles, 14.5 for losses with nine sacks last season.

TENNESSEE

SAF Eric Berry (5-11, 195, So.)
***2008 unanimous first-team All-America and All-SEC selection.
***SEC Defensive Player of the Year by league’s coaches in 2008.
***Led nation in interception return yards and tied for national lead in interceptions last season.
***Has already broken SEC career interception return yardage record.

TB Montario Hardesty (6-0, 212, Sr.)
***Second on Vols last season with 76 rushes for 271 yards.  Led Vols with six rushing TDs.
***Had season best 12 carries for 66 yards against UCLA.
***Has rushed for 1,046 career yards and 13 TDs.

VANDERBILT

C Bradley Vierling (6-3, 294, Sr.)
***Junior offensive co-captain last season.
***Has played in 34 career games and started every game last season.
***Serves on team’s leadership council.

CB Myron Lewis (6-2, 205, Sr.)
***Has 129 career tackles with eight behind the line, six interceptions and 18 pass deflections.
***Has started 25 consecutive games coming in to 2009 season.
***Had 76 tackles with seven for losses and five interceptions last season.
***Last minute interception preserved Music City Bowl win against Boston College.

What hit the cutting room floor in our chat with Will Herring

In today’s version of the Opelika-Auburn News, fishwrap edition, we took a look at the camp former Auburn Tiger/current Seattle Seahawk Will Herring and a bunch of prominent Opelika High grads are holding this Saturday.

This is the fifth year for the Back to the Dawghouse Football Camp and it’s appeared to gain steam every year.

We chatted with Herring on our cellular telephone for a while yesterday. Not all of what he had to say made the newspaper story. Here are some juicy extras.

What’s it like coming back to Opelika?
It’s always great coming home and being around family and being around friends. I was born in Opelika, grew up here. It’s always a great time to come back and catch up. It’s just home. I’m really enjoying my time in Seattle, the organization is great. But I feel like this is home and will always be home. This is where it will be when we’re not tied up with football.

Where’s the first place you go when you get here?
The first place is Chik-fil-A because they don’t have any west of the Mississippi. They sure don’t have any in Seattle. We hit up Chik-fil-A and Jim Bobs and any Southern style foods. Besides that, spending time with family.

You love Gene Chizik, right?
I love Chizik. He’s an unbelievable coach when I was there. I’ve talked to him quite a few times since he’s gotten the job and he inspires anybody that’s played for him that knows what kind of guy and what kind of coach he is. I’m excited about the season and the things to come.

What was your reaction when he got hired?
I was pumped. That’s about the easiest way to sum it up. I was extremely pumped and excited. Unbelievable guy and an unbelievable coach. Couldn’t have found a better guy.

Is he different behind the scenes?
Anybody that hasn’t played for the guy doesn’t know what goes on at the practice field, what happens in the locker room and before the game as far as preparing against the offense in being a D-coordinator. Little things like that. You wouldn’t know it unless you’ve been there in the locker room with the guy. Having been there and seeing him up close and personal, I’ve never played for a better coach.

2009 Previews: Michigan State

We go to everyone’s favorite “Don’t call us little brother” school in Michigan State for Preview No. 9. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, in no particular order, will run daily through Aug. 22.

Michigan State actually has a lot of similarities to a team we’ve already previewed in North Carolina.

Both are big schools with a lot of resources that should be a bigger player on the national stage, the two played each other for the national title in basketball just a few months ago and both were in a sorry state for much of this decade.

Much like Butch Davis has turned things around in Chapel Hill, so has Mark Dantonio in East Lansing.

The Spartans went 9-4 last season, taking Georgia down to the wire in the artist formerly known as the Citrus Bowl. This year, the potential is there for even better things, but it won’t be easy.

The defense is, for all intents and purposes, in fairly good shape. Eight starters are back from a unit that wasn’t particularly good, but not bad either in 2008 (58th overall).

The linebacking corps would appear to be the strength, led in the middle by Greg Jones, who only had 127 tackles last season. Two starters are back on the line and three in the secondary, but they’ve got to replace an All-Big 10 performer at safety in Otis Wiley.

The offense, however, features a few more question marks.

From a talent standpoint, the Spartans probably haven’t been this good since Nick Saban was roaming the sidelines. But there’s not a ton of experience, and the wide receivers are still pretty shaky.

MSU must replace Brian Hoyer at quarterback, and will likely do so with a two-quarterback platoon to begin the season. Auburn fans should know well how shaky a proposition that can be. Sophomores Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol are both touted as being potentially pretty good, but I’ve seen too many situations like this destroy good quarterbacks to feel real good about it.

They also have to replace just 97 percent of their rushing offense now that Javon Ringer is peddling his wares in the NFL. They have a very deep stable of backs, but they’ll also be running behind a rebuilt offensive line.

With this many question marks it’s tough to predict really big things for Sparty, but the schedule is pretty favorable.

Here it is:

Sept. 5: Montana State
Next

Sept. 12: Central Michigan
Dealing with the Chippewas and Tebow-lite Dan LeFevour is never easy, and Sparty of old would have almost definitely lost this game. But they should be OK here.

Sept. 19: at Notre Dame
The Irish are maing their way back to being an above-average football team, but I’d look for MSU to extend its streak to seven straight wins in South Bend.

Sept. 26: at Wisconsin
Brett Bielema may already be fighting for his job by this point.

Oct. 3: Michigan
As weird as this is to say (at least with the certainty I’m saying it), yes, the Spartans should make it two in a row over the Wolverines.

Oct. 10: at Illinois
If MSU is 5-0 heading into this game, it’s a perfect trap.

Oct. 17: Northwestern
Another game Sparty of old would choke away, but probably a win under Dantonio.

Oct. 24: Iowa
Probably the biggest game of the season. Difference between a trip to Tampa and a trip to San Antonio likely on the line.

Oct. 31: at Minnesota
The Gophers are finally opening an on-campus stadium this year, and their fans should be amped up for a late-October tilt against a good team.

Nov. 7: Western Michigan
The late season guarantee game throw-in has proved dangerous for a few teams (Alabama in 07, Illinois last year just off the top of my head), but MSU should be OK here.

Nov. 14: at Purdue
Only real danger here is if MSU is looking ahead.

Nov. 21: Penn State
I’ve been trying to find a potential loss for the Nittany Lions other than Ohio State, and this one would pretty much have to be it.

So there you go. If the offense just magically becomes good, this team could be a conference title contender. Since magic isn’t real, I’ll put them down for another 9-3 season.

AU-WVU slated for primetime

Auburn and West Virginia are headed back to primetime. This time, of course, it will be on your standard football Saturday.

ESPN announced today that the Sept. 19 rematch between the Tigers and Mountaineers at Jordan-Hare Stadium will air at 6:45 p.m. CST on either ESPN or ESPN2.

Chalk it up as three of Auburn’s 12 games having set-ish times and the first official beat writer deadline nightmare on the schedule. The Nov. 27 Iron Bowl is set for 1:30 p.m. and will air on CBS. The Tigers’ homecoming game against Furman doesn’t have a set time, but you can usually bank on that being a day game.

Remember when these two teams played last year in what was expected to be a premier Thursday-night matchup? Well, it didn’t turn out that way, with both teams facing unexpected hurdles. But it sure was competitive—for the first half, at least.

Auburn, playing in the unfriendly Morgantown atmosphere, blazed out to a 17-3 lead only to see it evaporate. The Mountaineers scored 31 unanswered points and racked up 445 yards of offense to crush the Tigers, 34-17.

(Photo credit: AP)

2009 Previews: Arizona State

We go to one of the top party schools in the country for Preview No. 8, Arizona State. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, in no particular order, will run daily through Aug. 22.

Arizona State was a pretty big disappointment in 2008.

Coming off a 10-3 season that could have pretty easily been even better, expectations were high in the desert.

The Sun Devils flatlined in a big way, however, getting upset by UNLV at home in the third week of the season and never recovered. They finished 5-7.

From an overall talent standpoint, this team might actually be better in Captain Wanderlust Dennis Erickson’s third season, but they are very, very young and very, very inexperienced.

Gone is oft-sacked quarterback Rudy Carpenter and his 43 career starts, and in will step either senior Danny Sullivan or sophomore Samson Szakacsy (I don’t know how to say that either). Sullivan completed only 34 percent of his passes in spot duty last season, and here’s what Athlon has to say about Sullivan (direct quote)

“Sullivan isn’t particularly mobile or accurate, but he does have a strong arm.“

A ringing endorsement! Although, in fairness, that kind of skill set has worked just fine for some people.

All this uncertainty could pretty easily lead to 6-8 true freshman Brock Osweiler being thrown into duty. And a true freshman behind the disaster that has been the Sun Devil line doesn’t exactly scream big season.

Three starters and seven lettermen are back in that group, but if you watched Carpenter getting peeled off the turf like the rest of us did the last few seasons you know that’s not exactly reason for optimism.

And, the Sun Devils don’t really have a No. 1 option at running back or wide receiver.

In short, they’re probably not going to be very good offensively this year.

The defense, however, should be pretty good. Six starters are back from a unit that ranked 44th in the country last year, and Erickson has recruited pretty heavily on that side of the ball. The defense should be good enough to keep them competitive.

With a ton of breaks this could be a big season, but all signs point to mediocrity.

Here’s the schedule:

Sept. 5: Idaho State
Next

Sept. 12: Louisiana-Monroe
The Warhindians, as I like to call them, aren’t the horrific team we’ve come to know and love (ask Alabama, or Chris Todd and Kodi Burns). But they’re still pretty bad.

Sept. 26: at Georgia
I’m not high on Georgia at all but these Sun Devils aren’t going to waltz into Sanford Stadium and win. The 2007 version might have.

Oct. 3: Oregon State
A tough outing to begin conference play. Big measuring stick game.

Oct. 10: at Washington State
The Cougs are a long way from being even a mediocre football team again.

Oct. 17: Washington
So are the Huskies.

Oct. 24: at Stanford
Must-win road game. The Fightin’ Harbaughs are on the move.

Oct. 31: California
First of two big conference home games in which they’ll get killed.

Nov. 7: USC
No. 2.

Nov. 14: at Oregon
Huge game for both teams. Probably will determine bowl eligibility for at least one, and maybe both.

Nov. 21: at UCLA
Another big road game. Their toughest games aren’t on the road, but the games against the teams they’re most evenly matched with are.

Nov. 28: Arizona
The Wildcats finally are moving under Black Sheep Stoops.

If things go really well, they might win seven or eight games. Far more likely is a 6-6 season.