SEC Football: Disappointments and Surprises For 2010

The SEC generally proves year in and year out to have the strongest lineup from top to bottom of any conference in the FBS.  One of the primary reasons for this is the accumulation of talent in the SEC. 

In preseason polls, as many as 25 SEC players claimed either first or second honors in either all-conference or all-American teams. Some of those players, for various reasons, didn't live up to the hype, and some surprises came up the ranks to make a name for themselves. 

In 2010, three disappointments were Mark Ingram of Alabama, Mike Pouncey of Florida, and Jeremiah Masoli of Ole Miss. Three newcomer stars were Janoris Jenkins of Florida, Devin Taylor of South Carolina, and Marcus Lattimore, also of the Gamecocks.

Admittedly, when a player wins the Heisman Trophy while playing on a national championship team, just about anything in the following year tends to be a letdown.  The 5-10, 215-pound Ingram reached the pinnacle last year, and yes, felt low points this year. Last season, Ingram rushed for 1,542 yards and 15 touchdowns and added 322 receiving yards and three more touchdowns prior to the National Championship game. 

What he became known for during the year were "yards after contact", and this was staggering to see as he carried would-be tacklers or broke tackles repeatedly. In 2010, Ingram sustained an early knee injury, required surgery and missed the Crimson Tide's first two games.  Ingram also has a backfield mate in Trent Richardson that could be a starter and possible Heisman candidate on any other team in America. 

Ingram rushed for 816 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 252 receiving yards and one touchdown.  Like the next player, Mike Pouncey, the real effect may be around draft time in April of 2011.

Pouncey was moved from his normal position of guard to center, the position his brother held last year while winning the Rimington Trophy.  The move was not a smooth one, as Pouncey noticeably had issues in the first few games snapping to the shotgun the Florida spread offense requires and pulling in both directions almost simultaneously. 

The Gators had issues all year getting their desired offensive-line rotation in place, and it showed as the offense struggled.  While Pouncey should be a late first-round or early second-round pick in the NFL draft, he won't reach the spot (18th overall) his brother did in 2009.  This will probably equate to a loss of draft position and money to both Ingram and Pouncey.

The third in our list of disappointments in 2010 is Jeremiah Masoli of the Ole Miss Rebels.  Masoli was the starting quarterback for an Oregon team that went 10-2 in the regular season before playing Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.  In 2009, Masoli completed 177 of 305 passes for 2,147 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.  He also ran for 668 yards on 121 attempts and scored 13 touchdowns on the ground. 

After transferring to Ole Miss in a convoluted process,  Masoli had similar numbers in some aspects while working with less weapons than he had at Oregon.  However, it was typically in mop-up duty as the Rebels were trying to constantly play from behind.  In 2010, he completed 167 of 296 passes for 2039 yards for 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.  He also ran 121 times for 544 yards and six touchdowns. 

The big factor was that Ole Miss was 4-8 and won't go bowling this year.  Coach Houston Nutt brought Masoli in at Ole Miss to fill a void in experience and leadership.  It doesn't appear the experiment worked.

On the other side were some players that truly came up big in 2010 after being off the radar of most.  Janoris Jenkins of Florida stepped into some large shoes at cornerback for the Gators, by replacing All-American Joe Haden.  In stepping into this position, Jenkins was asked to shut down the primary receiver of each team Florida would play in a grueling SEC schedule.  He did just that. 

While he had just three interceptions in 2010, it was because opposing quarterbacks stopped throwing his way for fear of the possible "pick 6" that would occur with the smallest of mistakes made in his direction  Jenkins was also a very versatile performer as a punt returner.  Probably the biggest question at this point is whether or not Jenkins will be back in Gainesville next year.  His kind of talent is always needed in the pass-happy NFL and he will likely be a first-round draft pick.

South Carolina's Devin Taylor entered the season as a known entity for coach Steve Spurrier but by season's end, he was a mainstay and top performer earning First Team all-SEC at defensive end.  He had 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss prior to the SEC Championship game.  What can't be measured is the disruptive force he became, and the influence he had on SEC opponents.  All this as a sophomore, and he will continue to improve as his long frame fills in.

The most influential freshman in the SEC this year was Taylor's teammate Marcus Lattimore.  The 6-0, 218-pound Lattimore has burst on the scene this year like no other freshman has in the conference, becoming a workhorse in the running game and an exceptional receiver. 

Lattimore rushed for 1,198 yards on 248 attempts (4.83 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns, while catching 26 passes for 364 yards and another the touchdowns.  With 264 touches of the football, Lattimore didn't fumble once.  The intangibles that he represents for the Gamecocks offense are stability and another option for a unit that featured the up-and0down play of quarterback Stephen Garcia.

Before Lattimore's arrival in Columbia, Garcia was boom or bust directing the offense in any given game. With a balanced approach that featured Garcia throwing to wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey (first team all-SEC) and the running game with Lattimore, the Gamecocks played well enough to win the SEC East.  For his efforts, Lattimore was named SEC Freshman of the Year and First Team all-SEC.