All-American Team
Here's my ballot for the Associated Press All-American team.
OFFENSE
First Team
QB – Colt Brennan, Hawaii
RB – Ian Johnson, Boise State
RB – Darren McFadden, Arkansas
WR – Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
WR – Jarett Dillard, Rice
TE – Jonny Harline, BYU
OT – Jake Long, Michigan
OT – Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
OT – Justin Blalock Texas
OT – Dan Mozes, West Virginia
OT – Sam Baker, USC
Second Team
QB – Troy Smith, Ohio State
RB – Ray Rice, Rutgers
RB – Steve Slaton, West Virginia
WR – Steve Smith, USC
WR – Jeff Samardzija Notre Dame
TE – Zach Miller, Arizona State
OT -- Arron Sears, Tennessee
OT – Steve Vallos, Wake Forest
OT – Ryan Kalil, USC
OT – Josh Beekman, Boston College
OT – Levi Brown, Penn State
DEFENSE
First Team
DL – Gaines Adams, Clemson
DL – Glenn Dorsey, LSU
DL -- Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State
DL -- Quentin Moses, Georgia
LB – Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma
LB – James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
LB -- Paul Posluszny, Penn State
DB – Daymeion Hughes, California
DB – Leon Hall, Michigan
DB – Aaron Ross, Texas
DB – Eric Weddle, Utah
Second Team
DL – LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
DL – Justin Hickman, UCLA
DL – Mkristo Bruce, Washington State
DL – Tim Crowder, Texas
LB – Patrick Willis, Mississippi
LB – Buster Davis, Florida State
LB – H.B. Blades, Pittsburgh
DB – Reggie Nelson, Florida
DB – Tom Zbikowski, Notre Dame
DB -- Mike Griffin, Texas
SPECIAL TEAMS
First Team
K – Justin Medlock, UCLA
P – Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
Ret – DeSean Jackson, California
Second Team
K -- Mason Crosby, Colorado
P -- Durant Brooks, Georgia Tech
Ret. – Ted Ginn, Ohio State
Quick Question, what criteria do you use to select O-linemen? I mean I wonder if you watch film of each team and then select after studying OL plays??? Do you just look at a pre-season list, do you look at what others said? just what is your criteria?
What an outrage! No Bruins on the first team Scott!
Didn't you know UCLA beat USC 13-9??? Oh, okay, our kicker is on the first team! Whoo hoo! If USC is such a dynasty how many 1st team kickers have they have since Pete Carroll?...ever? UCLA kickers are way better than USC kickers.
Special Teams:
UCLA - 1 Kicker
USC - 0 Kickers
Scoreboard Trojans.
Zbikowski had a really crappy year. Expectations were high, but he really didn't perform much. And Samardzija? I dunno, dude.
It is virtually impossible to make a truly informed decision considering every player in America, so I can't imagine any poster here claiming to know more than anyone else. I like your pick of Steve Smith (I have never seen the Rice player so I have no idea) over Jarrett. Dwayne is great, but doesn't always show up. When Jarrett does show up he is special.
No Dwayne Jarrett, or did I miss him somewhere? I don't have a problem in most of the other choices, although I would put Steve Smith in front of Jarrett Dillard.
Tom Zibikowski, all american? You must be joking...
I posted this earlier, but it hasn't shown up.
Scott,
You did not vote for Troy Smith because you said he was surrounded by a "constellation of stars." However, on your own ballot, Smith is the only Ohio State player on the first- or second-team offense. Ohio State has as many offensive All-Americans, in your estimation, as Hawai'i, yet you gave Brennan the nod on the grounds that Smith is surrounded by stars. I don't get it.
REALBruin - do you REALLY spend time on a USC board? Wow, that's pretty pathetic. I spend absolutely ZERO time on the Bruin boards and I would never even considering doing such.