Awards time

The Southeastern Conference won’t name its players and coach of the year until after the regular season.
So, short of steaming open the envelope, intercepting the official results before their announcement and bringing them to you early on the blog, we can always try the next best thing.
Guessing.
Here’s how the postseason awards ought to look:

Offensive player of the year:

Tim Tebow, sophomore quarterback, Florida
Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden, who has topped the 1,400-yard mark, might well be the best player in the country, but he doesn’t mean quite as much to the Razorbacks as Tebow means to the Gators.
Without a serious threat at tailback, Tebow IS Florida’s running game. He’s bowled over opposing defenders for 718 yards and 19 touchdowns despite playing the latter part of the season with a sore right shoulder. He’s not too shabby throwing the ball either, as evidenced by his 67.8 percent completion rate, 23-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 2,532 yards will attest.
The only real knock against Tebow would be the Gators' three losses, which are more easily attributable to a suspect defense.
As for Tebow's other selling points, consider his cult-like following. On the Web, at TimTebowfacts.com, there are colorful but dubious claims about the extent of his powers a la Chuck Norris.
Among the claims are:
‘‘Tim Tebow can't finish a 'color by numbers' because his markers are filled with the blood of FSU players. Unfortunately, all blood is dark red.’’
And ...
‘‘Tim Tebow has the greatest Poker-Face of all time. He won the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite holding only a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoloy card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game UNO.’’

Defensive player of the year:

Glenn Dorsey, senior defensive tackle, LSU
It’s rare that a defensive tackle gets this kind of love, but Dorsey was a viable Heisman Trophy candidate for most of the season. Name another SEC defender who affects offensive gameplans and performance to such an extent. On a given pass play, Dorsey is likely to draw the attention of the center, an offensive guard and a running back left in the backfield to pass-block. He chokes up the middle of the field, occupies an inordinate amount of blockers and makes plays with quickness that belies his 6-2, 300-pound frame.
So far, 11.5 of his 53 tackles have been for lost yardage. He also shares the team lead with six quarterback sacks, a surprisingly high total for a down lineman.
It’s no wonder Auburn chop blocked him back in October. It might be the only way to stop him.

Newcomer of the year:

Knowshon Moreno, redshirt freshman tailback, Georgia
Moreno, who started the year sharing carries with Thomas Brown and Kregg Lumpkin, has established himself as the most dependable component of Georgia's newly potent offense.
He will undoubtedly find himself among the early leaders for the 2008 Heisman Trophy based on how he's performed in big games this year. He gashed Florida for 188 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries and shredded Auburn for 101 yards and two scores on 22 carries. In the last four games, Moreno has piled up 642 yards — an average of 160.5 yards per outing.
In his No. 24 jersey, the 5-foot-11, 207-pounder strongly resembles former Auburn star Carnell Williams. The season numbers -- 200 carries, 1,104 yards, 11 touchdowns -- are comparable to what Williams did for Auburn in 2004.

Coach of the year:

Sylvester Croom, Mississippi State
Croom inherited a horrible situation when he accepted the Mississippi State program. He took over a probation-strapped program with limited resources and recruiting presence, but the Bulldogs are bowl-eligible now for the first time since 2000.
The Bulldogs don’t play aesthetically pleasing football at all. Freshman quarterback Wesley Carroll isn't dynamic, but has been effective managing games, while defensive end Titus Brown is an absolute freak.
Mississippi State won at Auburn, knocked off a formerly-14th ranked Kentucky team on the road and clubbed 21st-ranked Alabama last weekend by forcing turnovers, controlling the line of scrimmage, pounding the run and playing good defense.
In doing so, Croom has proven that it's possible to win at Mississippi State without cheating.