Media picks LSU to repeat as SEC Champions – and that means absolutely nothing

Published July 20, 2012 - 10:08am

NEW: Discuss this topic in the Google+ community for SEC fans.

LSU was picked to repeat as SEC Champions to make it two in a row by members of the media yesterday on the last day of SEC Media Days 2012.

On paper, they are the best team entering 2012. They are full of talent and depth and have a nasty defense that attacks opposing teams’ offenses. Not to mention the Tigers finally look like they have a quarterback to open the deep threat to allow the running game to be even better.

But I don’t need to tell you that, because you know all that.

LSU received 129 total first place votes, with Alabama trailing the Tigers by 64 votes, with a total of 65.

And that means absolutely nothing. Why?

Besides the fact that preseason predictions are meaningless (but fun!), the media’s preseason pick hasn’t faired too well. Since 1992, the media’s predicted SEC Champion has won four times. That’s a dismal 20 percent of the time. Those four winners were Florida (’94, ’95, ’08) and LSU (’07)

Here is how the votes tallied up between the East and West and overall among the media members in attendance, including SDS:

SEC West:
1. LSU (139)
2. Alabama (72)
3. Arkansas (6)
4. Auburn (4)
5. Texas A&M
6. Mississippi State
7. Ole Miss (1)

SEC East:
1. Georgia (132)
2. South Carolina (72)
3. Florida (12)
4. Missouri (2)
5. Tennessee (4)
6. Vanderbilt
7. Kentucky

SEC Champion:
1. LSU (129)
2. Alabama (65)
3. Georgia (14)
4. South Carolina (6)
5. Arkansas (4)
6. Auburn (2)
7. Florida (1)
7. Ole Miss (1)

Complete first team All-SEC from media:

Offense
QB: Tyler Wilson, Arkansas (127)
RB: Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina (201)
RB: Knile Davis, Arkansas (118)
WR: Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee (106)
WR: Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas (67)
TE: Philip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn (158)
OL: D.J. Fluker, Alabama (171)
OL: Alex Hurst, LSU (125)
OL: Chance Warmack, Alabama (124)
OL: Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M (87)
C: Barrett Jones, Alabama (183)

Defense
DL: Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (140)
DL: Barkevious Mingo, LSU (126)
DL: Sam Montgomery, LSU (124)
DL: Corey Lemonier, Auburn (102)
MLB: Nico Johnson (84)
OLB: Jarvis Jones, Georgia (178)
OLB: Sean Porter, Texas A&M (81)
DB: Tyrann Mathieu, LSU (184)
DB: Eric Reid, LSU (142)
DB: Robert Lester, Alabama (131)
DB: Bacarri Rambo, Georgia (126)

Special Teams
K: Caleb Sturgis, Florida (127)
P: Brad Wing, LSU (153)
RS: Tyrann Mathieu, LSU (159)
AP: Dennis Johnson, Arkansas (86)

Tags: SECCGRematch