{"id":4577,"date":"2016-12-10T08:00:43","date_gmt":"2016-12-10T13:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordoncollegefootball.com\/?p=4577"},"modified":"2016-12-12T16:37:50","modified_gmt":"2016-12-12T21:37:50","slug":"taking-down-the-tide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2016\/12\/10\/taking-down-the-tide\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking Down The Tide: Alabama vs. All-SEC"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been a down year for the SEC<\/strong>; no one can deny that. The team in Tuscaloosa<\/strong> is the only one that carried the proverbial weight for the conference. Alabama<\/strong> began the season ranked at number one and never faltered, now making their third straight appearance in the College Football Playoff.<\/strong> They’re\u00a0the only team that can say that. They\u2019re also the only team that doesn\u2019t know what it\u2019s like to not<\/em> play in the CFP since its inception.<\/p>\n

While the Tide have rolled in 2016, the rest of the SEC has\u2026well\u2026clogged. Every other SEC team finished with at least four losses, and your eyes have to travel 13 spots south to find the next SEC tenant (Auburn<\/strong>) in the top 25 rankings.<\/p>\n

The gigantic gap between Alabama and the rest of the league got the Last Word on College Football team thinking, \u201cCan anybody beat Alabama?\u201d Now before your mind starts wandering to any team in Ohio,<\/strong> the Pacific Northwest<\/strong>, or the upstate of South Carolina<\/strong> to answer that question, we decided to make it interesting.<\/p>\n

There may not be any other great teams in the SEC this year, but there are still plenty of great players. Instead of picking one team already recruited and playing together (where\u2019s the fun in that?), we decided to compile our own list of 2016 SEC greats on all teams not named Alabama to try and take down the Tide.<\/p>\n

Taking Down The Tide: Alabama vs. All-SEC<\/h2>\n

This list is compiled of the players who are the best match against Alabama\u2019s current team and players. Our list includes 19 players from the SEC West<\/strong> and 12 players from the SEC East<\/strong>. The team most represented is the team that gave Bama the most trouble this year: LSU<\/strong>. The Tigers<\/strong> lead the way with five representatives, followed by Texas A&M<\/strong> and Arkansas<\/strong> with four. After that, Auburn and Florida<\/strong> boast three, while Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina<\/strong> and Vanderbilt<\/strong> follow up with two each. Georgia<\/strong> and Mississippi State<\/strong> bring up the rear with one representative each, and only one team was shut out.<\/p>\n

No\u2026we don\u2019t hate Kentucky<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Team:<\/h1>\n

Coaches: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0(Tim Laurent)<\/em><\/h3>\n

Head Coach: Hugh Freeze<\/strong> (Ole Miss)
\nOC: Dan Werner<\/strong> (Ole Miss)
\nDC: Dave Aranda<\/strong> (LSU)
\nAssistant: Jim McElwain<\/strong> (Florida)
\nAssistant: Kirby Smart<\/strong> (Georgia)<\/p>\n

Alabama has struggled against Ole Miss in recent years, losing two of their last three games against the Rebels.<\/strong> So naturally, our five-man coaching staff will feature two men who roam the Rebel sideline\u2026one of which is head coach Hugh Freeze. While Freeze\u2019s team had a difficult time winning games this year, he holds a 2-3 record against Alabama. He’s the only SEC coach who can say he\u2019s beaten the Tide more than once.<\/p>\n

As for our offensive coordinator, we welcome fellow Ole Miss coach Dan Werner. Werner was recently\u00a0let go as\u00a0the co-offensive coordinator at Ole Miss. His offense put up 43 points against Alabama\u2019s vaunted defense, the most points, by 13, that Alabama gave up all year. Werner coached Chad Kelly<\/a> to over 2,700 passing yards and stud tight end Evan Engram<\/a> to over 900 receiving yards and eight touchdowns (more on them later).<\/p>\n

On the defensive side, first year coordinator Dave Aranda gets the nod to try and stop Bama\u2019s offense. Aranda\u2019s nasty LSU defense gave up only ten points to Alabama in their match-up\u00a0on November 5th. This\u00a0was Alabama\u2019s lowest scoring output of the year by 20 points; Alabama scored at least 30 points in every other game.<\/p>\n

As for our assistants, Florida\u2019s Jim McElwain and Georgia\u2019s Kirby Smart round out the staff. McElwain served as Nick Saban\u2019s<\/strong> OC from 2008 to 2011 before departing to become head coach at Colorado State<\/strong>. Kirby Smart was Saban\u2019s DC from 2008 to 2015 before being named the head coach at Georgia. With McElwain and Smart each working together under Saban and being well established coaches in their own right, we believe it\u2019s time for these students to surpass the teacher.<\/p>\n

Quarterbacks:
\n(David Schwartz)<\/em><\/h3>\n

Chad Kelly (Ole Miss)
\nAustin Allen<\/strong><\/a> (Arkansas)<\/p>\n

Even though he was officially announced out for the year with a torn ACL about a month ago, Chad Kelly (Ole Miss) still played enough this year to still make this team. Had he played a full season, he would\u2019ve well thrown for over 3,500 yards and 25 touchdown passes. The main reason why he\u2019s the starter over Austin Allen (Arkansas) is because he actually plays well against Alabama. Last season, Kelly and Ole Miss were the only team to beat Alabama. This season, Ole Miss lost to Alabama 48-43 after blowing a 24-3 lead. Aside from getting stripped by Tim Williams<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> which led to a \u201cfumble recovery\u201d by Jonathan Allen<\/strong><\/a> for a 75-yard touchdown, Kelly went 26-40 in that game, throwing for 421 yards and three touchdown passes.<\/p>\n

Allen had multiple turnovers against Alabama. His numbers were decent (25-48, 400 yards, three touchdowns), but he also threw three interceptions to Minkah Fitzpatrick<\/strong><\/a> and endured a costly strip sack by Da\u2019Shawn Hand<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0which led to Tim Williams’ return fumble recovery for a touchdown. Both quarterbacks have the skill set and receivers to score against Alabama, but this defense has been getting better every week since the Arkansas game. If you commit a turnover against this defense, you might as well call the game over. That\u2019s exactly why both Ole Miss and Arkansas lost in their respective games against Alabama.<\/p>\n

Running Backs:
\n(Tim Laurent)<\/em><\/h3>\n

Leonard Fournette<\/strong><\/a> (LSU)
\nNick Chubb<\/strong><\/a> (Georgia)
\nRawleigh Williams III<\/strong><\/a> (Arkansas)<\/p>\n

One thing the SEC was not short on this year was respectable running backs. Our three selections for our non-Bama SEC All-Star team offer a good mixture of speed, power, and experience. Leonard Fournette is a surefire first-round draft pick and is regarded as one of the best backs entering the NFL<\/strong>. He’s\u00a0struggled to put up good numbers against Alabama, but his sheer physical power and speed is necessary to succeed in the physical-type play the Tide bring on the defense.<\/p>\n

Nick Chubb has turned himself into a dynamic running back as well. He’s commonly in the conversation when discussing the best in the SEC backfield. In his one game against Alabama (a 38-10 loss in 2015), Chubb rushed for 146 yards on 20 carries, and a touchdown.<\/p>\n

No other running back in the league this year though can boast the same as Rawleigh Williams III. Williams was the only running back this year to rush for over 1,300 yards. He ran for 12 TD’s and averaged almost six yards per carry. His breakout year earns him the nod to join the roster.<\/p>\n

Receivers:
\n(Tim Laurent)<\/em><\/h3>\n

J\u2019Mon Moore<\/a><\/strong> (Missouri)
\nJosh Malone<\/a><\/strong> (Tennessee)
\nChristian Kirk<\/a><\/strong> (Texas A&M)
\nFred Ross<\/a><\/strong> (Mississippi St.)<\/p>\n

If our non-Bama team is going to beat Alabama, they\u00a0have to be able to produce effectively on offense. Chad Kelly and Austin Allen are good quarterbacks, but they\u2019ve got to have reliable receivers to throw to, and with our four selections, where do we start?<\/em> How about with the numbers one, four, five, and seven? These numbers represent where our four receivers rank in terms of reception yards in the SEC.<\/p>\n

J\u2019Mon Moore, while not on a great team, flourished with the potential-filled arm of Drew Lock<\/strong><\/a> throwing him the football. He finished with 1,012 yards and eight TDs (the only SEC player to go over the millennium mark). His shiftiness, and speed should create problems for the Bama DB’s.<\/p>\n

Fred Ross ranks fourth in reception yards in the SEC. His 873 reception yards and 12 TD’s are what make him an offensive force to be reckoned with for any defense. The senior receiver finished the season averaging almost six receptions per game and nearly 73 reception yards per game.<\/p>\n

Fifth on the SEC reception yards list and our third receiver is Tennessee\u2019s stud receiver, Josh Malone. The junior posted career highs in receptions (45), receiving yards (852) and TD’s (10) in 2016. Malone also had a good showing against this very Bama defense. He caught five balls for 61 yards in their match-up on October 15th.<\/p>\n

Last, but certainly not anywhere close to least, is Christian Kirk. Not only did Kirk lead the SEC in receptions (77) and receptions per game (6.4), he\u2019s also had success against Alabama. Only a sophomore, Kirk had seven catches for 90 yards last year in his freshman campaign and nine catches for 58 yards this year against Alabama, including this impressive TD:<\/p>\n

\n

.@AggieFootball<\/a> QB Trevor Knight throws an absolute DIME to Christian Kirk to take the lead. https:\/\/t.co\/BhXcsexKGe<\/a><\/p>\n

— CBS Sports College Football \ud83c\udfc8 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 22, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n