SEC POWER POLL RESULTS: FINAL
1. Alabama Crimson Tide, 96 points (8 first-place votes)
2. LSU Tigers, 88
3. Arkansas Razorbacks, 80
4. South Carolina Gamecocks, 72
5. Georgia Bulldogs, 64
6. Auburn Tigers, 56
7. Florida Gators, 47
8. Mississippi St. Bulldogs, 39
9. Vanderbilt Commodores, 34
10. Kentucky Wildcats, 23
11. Tennessee Volunteers, 17
12. Mississippi Rebels, 8
We didn't have a ton of voter participation -- which isn't all that unusual for the last poll, particularly when the results are so obvious. The first six and the last place on the ballot were all unanimous. Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee all took all but one of the votes for their respective places in the poll. That's about as close to a mindmeld as you're going to get among cranky voters.
Speaking of voters -- your last comments on 2011?
ALABAMA
Ordinarily I roll my eyes whenever people start talking breathlessly about how this team or that player might be "the best ever!" not even 48 hours removed from the end of the season, but I'm thinking this defense will look just as staggeringly good to us even after we've all had a chance to calm down and collect our thoughts on the 2011 season. Or 10 or 20 years from now.--SB Nation Atlanta
ARKANSAS
It is a measure of how good the top two teams in the conference were this season that the Hogs could get smacked around by both and still finish as high in the polls as they did.--Get the Picture
AUBURN
Tigers were a classic fringe top 25 team that we may never know how good they really were since their schedule was so tough.--The ACC & SEC Blog
FLORIDA
When examining the respective records of Mississippi State and Florida, I realized that Dan Mullen and Will Muschamp both have been a part of a lot of Gator victories; one, as an assistant coach in Gainesville ... the other, as a player and assistant coach at other SEC schools. As the head coach in the Swamp? Not so much.--Dawg Sports
GEORGIA
You know how they throw out the high score and the low score in the Olympics? How ‘bout if we do that with the Red and Black's first two games and their last two games? ‘Cause then the Bulldogs would have had a really good season! As it is, though, ten wins, a division crown, and a cooler coach's chair will suffice.--Dawg Sports
KENTUCKY
If I am Joker Philips when the first criticism comes I remind fans of breaking the losing streak against Tennessee.--The ACC & SEC Blog
LSU
Now we know what Saban meant when he said the Tigers were "probably" the best team in the country. --Get the Picture
MISSISSIPPI
Ole Miss is so bad, it went out and hired a Batman villain just because he bears a physical resemblance to Gary Patterson.--Dawg Sports
MISSISSIPPI STATE
MSU played Alabama and LSU closer than Arkansas did. That and five bucks will get you that mocha latte from Starbucks you've been craving.--Get the Picture
SOUTH CAROLINA
Favorite description heard about USC's season is this was the year that USC was not just a team in the SEC but played as a SEC team. Proved 2010 was not a fluke.--Leftover Hot Dog
TENNESSEE
UT football is like a soap opera and we all want to see the next episode. --Leftover Hot Dog
VANDERBILT
Say what you want about James Franklin -- he's either a charismatic young coach who pulled off a near-impossible job in Nashville or a poster child for little-man syndrome -- but a lot of teams are going to enter the 2012 season worried sick about having to play the Commodores. And they probably should be. --SB Nation Atlanta