HANAGRIFF: SEC Midseason Awards — Surprising Picks, Rising Stars and a Few Snubs
Halfway Hardware
For those of you binge watchers playing catchup, here's a recap of the SEC's first six weeks' worth of episodes.
Best game
Kentucky has had a pair of 2-pt conversion wins, and we may have seen the best two teams in the league slug it out in Tuscaloosa last Saturday, but I went with Red River.
Oklahoma 27 Texas 24
When the number one team in the country goes down on the last play of the game, you're already in the conversation. When it's in a rivalry game, add credit. When it's a huge rivalry game and the big underdog wins, go ahead and hand out the trophy.
But that wasn't all from Dallas. There was a blocked punt for a touchdown, a pick six, and the most famous quarterback in college football throwing three touchdown passes (2nd highest for him this season) and two interceptions (ties a career high).
Runner up: Georgia 20 Alabama 17
Looked like relief followed by elation for our...
Coach of the (half) year
The only undefeated team in the league still has the best coach. Kirby Smart's Bulldogs demolished their first five opponents, then erased the Alabama curse in Tuscaloosa. The defense is on pace to be mentioned with Georgia's best. The quarterback is tougher than doing calculus while blindfolded.
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The award for best job for a first-year coach belongs to Will Stein at Kentucky. The Wildcats have two SEC road wins, a top ten win as a big underdog, and a very respectable loss to Alabama on their resume.
He gets extra credit for two last play of the game wins. Little excitement along the way isn't a bad thing.
Even with road trips to two ranked teams, Kentucky is unlikely to be as big an underdog again as they were last Saturday.
Runner up: Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
If you are guilty, as I sometimes am, of forgetting about Missouri, we should all stop doing that. Drinkwitz has a really solid club, and if it weren't for a brutal remaining schedule, the playoffs would be a strong possibility. Put it this way, if Drinkwitz finds a way to match his 5-1 first half with a 5-1 second, he's SEC Coach of the Year going away.
MVP of the (half) year
Quarterback Kamario Taylor, Mississippi St.
The Bulldog signal caller leads the SEC in passing yards per game and touchdown passes. Throw in another 159 on the ground and Taylor has energized Mississippi St. like they haven't been since Dak Prescott led the Bulldogs all the way to the number one ranking a dozen years ago.
State has beaten Minnesota and South Carolina on the road, plus came from behind in the fourth quarter to beat Missouri in Starkville. The first two wins look a little better now than they did then.
The Missouri win looks a LOT better.
Taylor appeared somewhat compromised by a foot injury against Alabama. That injury may force him to miss some time moving forward, but in the first half of the season, nobody was more important to their team.
Runner up: Trinidad Chambliss by a whisker over Keelon Russell. Similar numbers, I took into account how much Chambliss had to do without Kewan Lacy.
Offensive player of the (half) year
This is where I cheat like the NFL awards do so I can recognize a non-QB.
DeSean Bishop, running back, Tennessee.
Next April, I would be in favor of hearing the words, "New Orleans Saints select" in front of his name.
He is behind Missouri's Jamal Roberts in rushing yards, and Florida's Jadan Baugh has more touchdowns, but Bishop has basically carried this Tennessee offense through three Power 4 wins. The Vols quarterback play has been spotty at best.
Yes, Texas shut him down, but that was the number one team at the time and oh, the quarterback play was not so good that day.
Runner up: Roberts, the league's leading rusher.
Defensive player of the (half) year
Colin Simmons, edge, Texas
In the Longhorns three most important games, Simmons recorded 10.5 TFL. He destroyed Tennessee with 5.5 sacks. At times, he was unblockable against Oklahoma. He had two TFL against Ohio St.
Runner up: Nicholas Rodriguez, LB, Missouri
The league leader in tackles by nearly two a game, he leads the third best run defense in the league, only four yards per contest behind Georgia and LSU.
Freshman of the (half) year
Kenny Darby, wide receiver, Kentucky
Darby leads all freshman in receiving yards by a wide margin, and they have been in important situations.
Darby scored the go-ahead touchdown at Texas A&M, led the team in receiving yards in both of their 35-34 wins, and had a key 3rd down reception that carried to the one-yard line in overtime of the game against LSU.
Runner up: Deuce Geralds, DT, LSU
Five sacks for a defensive tackle in a season is good. Five in half of a season is an All-SEC pace.
Five sacks for a freshman defensive tackle is scary for future Tiger opponents.
