Bruins land four on Rivals All-America team
Check it out guys,
Alterraun Verner was named first-team All-American by Rivals.com. I believe that's his first All-America honors this year, if I remember correctly. Certainly the first first team.
Here's my question...
*Updated with Oklahoma, because I'm an idiot.
Gerald McCoy got the first-team defensive tackle spot with 31 tackles, 14.5 TFL and five sacks. Price had 43 tackles, 22.5 TFL and seven sacks. I understand that Oklahoma might have had a marginally more difficult schedule, but how do Price's overwhelming stats not give him the edge? I just don't get it. Sorry to ramble.
I've got some theories...
Once Reggie Carter was named first team all Pac-10, all bets are off regarding questioning whose deserving or not.
Am I the only one who read "Bruins land four..Rivals..." and assumed Slick Rick scored another big time recruit?
Actually, according to Sagarin (and everywhere else I've read), UCLA has a much tougher schedule than Texas. Per Sagarin, UCLA has a SOS of 11 while Texas has a SOS of 49. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt09.htm?loc=interstitialskip
In the rankings I've seen, UCLA has hovered in the 7-15 range, while Texas is in the 49-62 range.
Awards are neat.
Haha, Toby. Of course you didn't deserve the Heisman over a guy who had vastly inferior statistics throughout the season and was less dominating, not to mention the 2nd or 3rd best player on his team. Pshhh. (sarcasm, people)
ATV is one of my favorite Bruins of the last decade. I'm not so sure this season is 1st team AA worthy, but certainly he should be mentioned in the top-10 of 2009 CBs. I'm really happy that even if the NFL doesn't work out, he'll probably end up teaching applied calculus at Harvard or something. Just an incredible guy.
As for Brian Price. Nobody doubts that Suh is the best DT this year (and possibly the best in the last 10 years). But ignoring that exception, AA polls will always look first to a very good player on a top-5 team before an incredible player on a 6-6 team. I'm not surprised that McCoy got the nod, and while he is a good player (not trying to diss him), Brian Price is significantly better - not just statistically, but skill-wise as well. BP is a little undersized (height), which will probably keep him in the mid-late first round, whereas McCoy will go in the top 10, if not top 5 of the draft. However, five years from now, Brian Price will prove to be among the very best athletes coming out of this draft.
Love the early morning posts Jon! Keep up the good work!
Gerald McCoy plays for Oklahoma.
@UCLAVES - There are 4 total bruins listed as Nth-team all americans, but only one first-teamer.
Maybe Jon's thinking about Colt Mccoy frm Texas, Gerald Mccoy is indeed frm Oklahoma.
SI got it right...Price first team, Moore second team, Kai honorable mention
Forbath should be more than an honorable mention. SI really screwed up the K position. All of the top kickers this year were honorable mentions