The Alabama Crimson Tide won the conference, beating the previous season's conference and national championFlorida Gators, 32 to 13 in the SEC Championship game. Alabama then defeated the Big 12 champion Texas Longhorns in the National Championship game 37 to 21. Alabama led the conference with six consensus first-team All-SEC selections by both the AP and the coaches. Florida was second with five. Alabama featured four on defense, while Florida had four on offense.
Alabama running backMark Ingram II, a unanimous selection, won the Heisman Trophy[1][2] and was voted AP SEC Offensive Player of the Year.[3] Florida quarterbackTim Tebow was a unanimous selection of the conference coaches and was voted the coaches' SEC Offensive Player of the Year. Tebow, who won the Heisman as a sophomore in 2007,[4] was the preseason pick as the AP Offensive Player of the Year. Alabama linebackerRolando McClain, unanimous, was voted the AP Defensive Player of the Year[3] and won the Butkus Award given to the nation's top linebacker. TennesseesafetyEric Berry, a unanimous selection by AP, was the preseason pick as the AP Defensive Player of the Year and won the Thorpe award given to the nation's top defensive back. GeorgiapunterDrew Butler, a consensus selection, won the Ray Guy Award given to the nation's top punter. Berry, Butler, and Florida cornerbackJoe Haden were unanimous All-American selections. Ingram and McClain missed out on being unanimous All-Americans by one selector.