By Adam Abramson
After hours of looking at stat sheets, my own notes and countless other Web sites for hours, I've put together my All-American teams.
Yes, teams. I think there should be two teams because there's too many snubs without.
I'll also have freshman teams coming down the pipe. But the big elephant in the room I must tackle is the bowl preview.
Have a look. Praise me for my picks, rip me for my omissions.
First team
QB - Tim Tebow, Florida (SO)
RB - Darren McFadden, Arkansas (JR)
RB - Kevin Smith, Central Florida (JR)
WR - Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech (FR)
WR - Davone Bass, Hawaii (JR)
TE - Travis Beckum, Wisconsin (JR)
OT - Jake Long, Michigan (SR)
OT - Sam Baker, Southern California (SR)
C - Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas (JR)
OG - Duke Robinson, Oklahoma (JR)
OG - Anthony Collins, Kansas (JR)
DE - Chris Long, Virginia (SR)
DT - Glenn Dorsey, Louisiana State (SR)
DT - Sedrick Ellis, Southern California (SR)
DE - Vernon Gholston, Ohio State (SR)
LB - James Laurinaitis, Ohio State (JR)
LB - Dan Connor, Penn State (SR)
LB - Xavier Adibi, Virginia Tech (SR)
CB - Antoine Cason, Arizona (SR)
CB - Aqib Talib, Kansas (JR)
S - Taylor Mays, Southern California (SO)
S - Craig Steltz, Louisiana State (SO)
K - Thomas Weber, Arizona State (FR)
P- Kevin Huber, Cincinnati (JR)
AP- Felix Jones, Arkansas (JR)
Click below for Second Team
Second Team
QB - Colt Brennan, Hawaii (SR)
RB - Jonathan Stewart, Oregon (JR)
RB - Jamaal Charles, Texas (JR)
WR - Jordy Nelson, Kansas State (SR)
WR - James Hardy, Indiana (JR)
TE - Fred Davis, Southern California (SR)
OT - Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh (SR)
OT - Ryan Clady, Boise State (JR)
C - Steve Justice, Wake Forest (SR)
OG - Robert Felton, Arkansas (SR)
OG - Roy Schuening, Oregon State (SR)
DE - George Selvie, South Florida (SO)
DT - Keilen Dykes, West Virginia (SR)
DT - Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina (SR)
DE - Greg Middleton, Indiana (SO)
LB - Curtis Lofton, Oklahoma (JR)
LB - Jordon Dizon, Colorado (SR)
LB - J Leman, Illinois (SR)
CB - Macho Harris, Virginia Tech (JR)
CB - Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech (JR)
S - Chris Horton, UCLA (SR)
S - Jamie Silva, Boston College (SR)
K - Taylor Mehlhaff, Wisconsin (SR)
P - Durant Brooks, Georgia Tech (SR)
AP - Jeremy Maclin, Missouri (FR)
Comments (9)
Adam, I know these things are arbitrary, but I just get an itchy twitchy feeling that Dennis Dixon's name is not here somewhere. I know he got hurt and the whole story, but...and I am not even sure you can argue Tebow or Brennan, still...
Agree with Paul. I'm still sad Dixon wasn't an invite to the Heisman. I'd also argue Sean Lee should be in the mix somewhere.
But Adam, this list made me cry. Jordy Nelson is from Kansas State, not Kansas. C'mon, give a little love.
furnk...haha, I don't now how I did that. Fixed now. And I might be the only person on earth to not have him on first team. I can't explain my hating ways, they just are...
Paul, furnk...Second team quarterback and both tight ends were the toughest to decide. Both of you know how much I thought of Dixon's season. Like I said, it wasn't easy. If I had to make this list again today, I very well could put him first team simply based on the fact they are hopeless without him this season...
Adam
First time, long time. I don't know how many Wisconsin games you watched this year, but to consider Travis Beckum a TE is a stretch. I know he is listed there, but more often than not he was not lined up on the line. I'd rather you give it to someone like Davis that might have actually done some blocking this year....
Okay, seriously Adam - you don't have Ray Rice as a RB on the 1st or 2nd team? What flaws do you see in Ray that the Sporting News, Walter Camp, and Doak Walker people didn't? I'm assuming he makes your third team. : )
Stuck -- You're right. That's why I wrestled with the TE spot so much. I look back and I realize that the biggest snub on my lists was Martin Rucker. In addition to being a manchild, he had more catches and touchdowns than Beckum.
If anyone wasn't able to watch Wisconsin this year (I saw them twice and listened on the radio once), you'll see Beckum in the slot and split out very often. And the numbers show. He had eight fewer catches than Rucker, but 145 more yards. You're right, Stuck, two different players. I did drop the ball on leaving Rucker off.
Desert - Rice was a tough omission considering he was third in every major rushing category this season (more yards and touchdowns than McFadden). On that second team, I think Charles has to stay. He is probably the most overlooked player in the country this season. As for Stewart, Rice probably earns a spot over him and it's very plausible to say I snubbed Rice. Nobody can say I have an East Coast bias anymore (...alright, maybe that's a little bit of a stretch, but you have to say I was better about it this year).
Like I said, these things are arbitrary. Some folks like blondes, some of us like redheads...
I'd like to see what the defense would look like if you went with a 3-4 defense instead of a 4-3.
Roy Schuening is going to make somebody one damn fine lineman one of these days. He's durable with a capital "D".