2011 Southeastern Conference football season explained

2011 Southeastern Conference football season
Color:	193980
Color Text:	white
League:	NCAA Division I FBS
Sport:	football
Pixels:	125px
Duration:	September 1, 2011 through January 9, 2012
No Of Teams:	12
Tv:	CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, FSN, CSS
Draft:	2012 NFL Draft
Draft Link:	2012 NFL Draft
Top Pick:	Trent Richardson (Alabama)
Picked By:	Cleveland Browns, 3rd overall
Season:	Regular season
Season Champs:	LSU
Conf1:	East
Conf1 Champ:	Georgia
Conf1 Runner-Up:	South Carolina
Conf2:	West
Conf2 Champ:	LSU
Conf2 Runner-Up:	Alabama
Finals:	SEC Championship Game
Finals Link:	2011 SEC Championship Game
Finals Champ:	LSU
Seasonslistnames:	Football
Prevseason Year:	2010
Nextseason Year:	2012

The 2011 Southeastern Conference football season began on Thursday, September 1, 2011 with Kentucky taking on Western Kentucky on ESPNU. The season concluded on January 9, 2012 as the Alabama Crimson Tide shut out LSU Tigers, 21–0 in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans to claim their 14th national championship in school history. It was also the final season for the SEC before Texas A&M and Missouri joined the conference from the Big 12 the following season.

Preseason

Florida head coach Urban Meyer retired in early December citing his health concerns and wanting to be around his family more.^[1] Meyer then joined ESPN as an analyst for its college football coverage during the 2011 season.^[2] In his place Florida hired Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp as the new head coach.^[3] Muschamp elected to bring in former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis as his offensive coordinator.^[3]

Vanderbilt interim head coach Robbie Caldwell had a tough year in 2010 with injuries and tough schedule, going 2–10.^[4] The school decided to search for a new coach to replace former head coach Bobby Johnson, who retired unexpectedly in July 2010.^[4] Vanderbilt hired Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin, and this is Franklin's first head coaching job.^[4]

LSU decided to part ways with offensive coordinator Gary Crowton because of a lack of offensive production the previous seasons.^[5] In his place LSU hired former Louisville head coach Steve Kragthorpe.^[6]

Kentucky added new schemes to its defense by adding former Cincinnati head coach Rick Minter as its co-defensive coordinator alongside Steve Brown.^[7]

2011 Pre-season Coaches All-SEC^[8]

First Team Offense! Position! Player! Class! Team

QB		So.	Georgia
RB		So.	South Carolina
RB		Jr.	Alabama
WR		Sr.	Arkansas
WR		Jr.	South Carolina
TE		Jr.	Georgia
OL		Sr.	Georgia
OL		Jr.	Alabama
OL		Sr.	Mississippi
OL		Jr.	Kentucky
C		Sr.	Alabama

First Team Defense! Position! Player! Class! Team

DL		Sr.	Arkansas
DL		Sr.	Alabama
DL		Sr.	Tennessee
DL		Jr.	South Carolina
LB		Jr.	Alabama
LB		Sr.	Vanderbilt
LB		Sr.	Kentucky
DB		Sr.	Alabama
DB		Jr.	South Carolina
DB		Jr.	Alabama
DB		Jr.	Louisiana State

First Team Special Teams! Position! Player! Class! Team

K		Sr.	Georgia
P		Sr.	Georgia
RS		Sr.	Georgia
All-purpose back		Sr.	Arkansas

Rankings

Legend

		Increase in ranking
		Decrease in ranking
		Not ranked previous week

See main article: 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings.

	(Pre) Aug 20	Sept. 6	Sept. 11	Sept. 18	Sept. 25	Oct. 2	Oct. 9	Oct. 16	Oct. 23	Oct. 30	Nov. 6	Nov. 13	Nov. 20	Nov. 27	Dec. 4	Final
Alabama	AP	2	3	2	3	3	2	2	2	2	2	4	3	2	2	2	1
	C	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	2	2	4	3	2	2	2	1
	BCS	Not released							2	2	2	3	3	2	2	2
Arkansas	AP	15	14	14	14	18	10	10	10	8	8	8	6	3	7	6	5
	C	14	13	13	12	18	12	11	10	8	8	8	6	3	10	7	5
	BCS	Not released							9	10	7	8	6	3	8	6
Auburn	AP	23	NR	21	NR	NR	15	24	19	NR	25	24	NR	NR
	C	19	22	19	NR	NR	23	NR	23	NR	NR	25	NR	NR
	BCS	Not released							20	23	22	20	24	24	NR	25
Florida	AP	22	18	16	15	12	17	NR
	C	23	18	17	15	12	18	NR
	BCS	Not released
Georgia	AP	19	NR						25	22	18	14	13	13	12	18	19
	C	22	NR							21	20	16	15	14	14	18	20
	BCS	Not released								22	18	15	14	13	14	16
Kentucky	AP
	C
	BCS	Not released
LSU	AP	4	2	3	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2
	C	4	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2
	BCS	Not released							1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Mississippi State	AP	20	16	25	NR
	C	20	17	25	NR
	BCS	Not released
Ole Miss	AP
	C
	BCS	Not released
South Carolina	AP	12	12	10	12	10	18	15	14	14	10	15	14	14	14	10	9
	C	12	12	11	10	9	14	13	12	14	10	15	14	13	13	9	8
	BCS	Not released							14	13	9	13	12	12	12	9
Tennessee	AP
	C
	BCS	Not released
Vanderbilt	AP
	C
	BCS	Not released

Regular season

Index to colors and formatting
SEC member won
SEC member lost
SEC teams in bold

All times Eastern time.

Rankings reflect that of the AP poll for that week until week eight when the BCS rankings will be used.

Week One

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
September 1	8:00 pm	No. 20 Mississippi State				W 59–14	33,990	^[9]
September 1	9:15 pm	Kentucky				W 14–3	24,599	^[10]
September 3	12:00 pm		No. 23 Auburn			W 42–38	85,245	^[11]
September 3	12:21 pm		No. 2 Alabama			W 48–7	101,821	^[12]
September 3	4:45 pm		Mississippi		ESPN	L 14–13	55,124	^[13]
September 3	6:00 pm		Tennessee			W 42–16	94,661	^[14]
September 3	7:00 pm		No. 15 Arkansas		PPV	W 51–7	70,607	^[15]
September 3	7:00 pm		No. 22 Florida		ESPNU	W 41–3	88,708	^[16]
September 3	7:00 pm		No. 12 South Carolina		FSN	W 56–37	58,272	^[17]
September 3	7:00 pm		Vanderbilt			W 45–14	27,599	^[18]
September 3	8:00 pm		No. 4 LSU			W 40–27	87,711	^[19]
September 3	8:00 pm		No. 19 Georgia	Georgia Dome • Atlanta (Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game)	ESPN	L 35–21	73,614	^[20]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Vick Ballard	Mississippi State	Tyrann Mathieu	LSU	Joe Adams	Arkansas
Reference:^[21]

Week Two

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
September 10	12:00 pm		Kentucky		ESPNU	W 27–13	58,022	^[22]
September 10	12:20 pm	No. 16 Mississippi State	Auburn	Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama	SEC Network	AU 41–34	87,451	^[23]
September 10	2:30 pm	No. 3 Alabama			ABC	W 27–11	107,846	^[24]
September 10	3:30 pm		Tennessee	Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, Tennessee	ESPN2	W 45–23	94,207	^[25]
September 10	4:30 pm	No. 12 South Carolina	Georgia		ESPN	SC 45–42	92,746	^[26]
September 10	7:00 pm		No. 14 Arkansas		ESPNU	W 52–3	52,606	^[27]
September 10	7:00 pm		No. 18 Florida	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida	FSN South	W 39–0	87,473	^[28]
September 10	7:00 pm		Ole Miss	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi	PPV	W 42–24	58,504	^[29]
September 10	7:30 pm		Vanderbilt	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee	CSS	W 24–21	32,119	^[30]
September 10	8:00 pm		No. 2 LSU		PPV	W 49–3	92,405	^[31]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Tyler Bray	Tennessee	Mark Barron	Alabama	Melvin Ingram	South Carolina
Reference:^[32]

Week Three

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
September 15	8:00 pm	No. 3 LSU	No. 25 Mississippi State		ESPN	LSU 19–6	56,924	^[33]
September 17	12:00 pm	No. 21 Auburn			ESPN	L 38–24	82,000	^[34]
September 17	12:21 pm	Ole Miss	Vanderbilt	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee	SEC Network	VU 30–7	34,579	^[35]
September 17	1:00 pm		Georgia	Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia	PPV	W 59–0	91,946	^[36]
September 17	3:30 pm	Tennessee	No. 16 Florida	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida	CBS	FL 33–23	90,744	^[37]
September 17	6:00 pm		No. 11 South Carolina		ESPN2	W 24–21	78,807	^[38]
September 17	7:00 pm		Kentucky	Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky	ESPNU	L 24–17	68,170	^[39]
September 17	7:30 pm		No. 14 Arkansas	Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, Arkansas		W 38–28	69,861	^[40]
September 17	7:30 pm		No. 2 Alabama	Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama		W 41–0	101,821	^[41]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Chris Rainey Marcus Lattimore	Florida South Carolina	Trey Wilson	Vanderbilt	Caleb Sturgis	Florida
Reference:^[42]

Week Four

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
September 24	12:30 pm	Georgia	Ole Miss	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi	SEC Network	UGA 27–13	58,032	^[43]
September 24	3:30 pm	No. 14 Arkansas	No. 3 Alabama	Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	CBS	ALA 38–14	101,821	^[44]
September 24	7:00 pm	No. 15 Florida	Kentucky	Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky	ESPN	FLA 48–10	65,134	^[45]
September 24	7:00 pm	Vanderbilt	No. 12 South Carolina	Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina	ESPN	SCAR 21–3	77,015	^[46]
September 24	7:00 pm	Florida Atlantic	Auburn	Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama	FSN	W 30–14	82,249	^[47]
September 24	7:00 pm		Mississippi State	Davis–Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi	ESPNU	W 26–10	55,116	^[48]
September 24	8:00 pm	No. 2 LSU			ABC	W 47–21	62,056	^[49]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Trent Richardson	Alabama	Melvin Ingram	South Carolina	Brad Wing	LSU
Reference:^[50]

Week Five

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
October 1	12:00 pm	Mississippi State	Georgia	Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia	FS South	UGA 24–10	92,746	^[51]
October 1	12:00 pm		No. 18 Arkansas	Cowboys Stadium • Arlington, Texas	ESPN	W 42–38	69,838	^[52]
October 1	12:21 pm	Kentucky	No. 1 LSU	Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana	SEC Network	LSU 35–7	92,660	^[53]
October 1	12:30 pm		Tennessee	Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, Tennessee	CSS	W 41–10	87,758	^[54]
October 1	3:30 pm	Auburn	No. 10 South Carolina	Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina	CBS	AU 16–13	81,767	^[55]
October 1	8:00 pm	No. 3 Alabama	No. 12 Florida	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida	CBS	ALA 38–10	90,888	^[56]
October 1	9:15 pm	Ole Miss			ESPN2	W 38–28	32,063	^[57]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Tyler Wilson Jarius Wright	Arkansas	Melvin Ingram	South Carolina	Steven Clark	Auburn
Reference:^[58]

Week Six

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
October 8	12:00 pm	Mississippi State	UAB		FS South	W 21–3	28,351	^[59]
October 8	12:21 pm	Kentucky	No. 18 South Carolina	Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina	SEC Network	SCAR 54–3	75,838	^[60]
October 8	3:30 pm	No. 17 Florida	No. 1 LSU	Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana	CBS	LSU 41–11	93,022	^[61]
October 8	7:00 pm	No. 15 Auburn	No. 10 Arkansas	Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, Arkansas	ESPN	ARK 38–14	74,191	^[62]
October 8	7:00 pm	Georgia	Tennessee	Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, Tennessee	ESPN2	UGA 20–12	102,455	^[63]
October 8	7:00 pm	Vanderbilt	No. 2 Alabama	Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	ESPNU	ALA 34–0	101,821	^[64]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Connor Shaw	South Carolina	Mike Gilliard	Georgia	Blair Walsh	Georgia
Reference:^[65]

Week Seven

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
October 15	12:21 pm	No. 15 South Carolina	Mississippi State	Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi	SEC Network	SCAR 14–12	55,418	^[66]
October 15	3:30 pm	No. 1 LSU	Tennessee	Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, Tennessee	CBS	LSU 38–7	101,822	^[67]
October 15	6:00 pm	No. 2 Alabama	Ole Miss	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi	ESPN2	ALA 52–7	61,792	^[68]
October 15	7:00 pm	Florida	No. 24 Auburn	Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama	ESPN	AUB 17–6	87,451	^[69]
October 15	7:00 pm	Georgia	Vanderbilt	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee	FS South	UGA 33–28	36,640	^[70]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Trent Richardson	Alabama	Corey Lemonier D. J. Swearinger	Auburn South Carolina	Steven Clark	Auburn
Reference:^[71]

Week Eight

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
October 22	12:00 pm		Kentucky	Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky	ESPNU	W 38–14	54,098	^[72]
October 22	12:21 pm	No. 10 Arkansas	Ole Miss	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi	SEC Network	ARK 29–24	57,951	^[73]
October 22	3:30 pm	No. 19 Auburn	No. 1 LSU	Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana	CBS	LSU 45–10	93,098	^[74]
October 22	7:00 pm		Vanderbilt	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee	ESPNU	W 44–21	32,210	^[75]
October 22	7:15 pm	Tennessee	No. 2 Alabama	Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	ESPN2	ALA 37–6	101,821	^[76]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Dennis Johnson	Arkansas	Dont'a Hightower	Alabama	Brad Wing	LSU
Reference:^[77]

Week Nine

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
October 29	12:21 pm	No. 10 Arkansas	Vanderbilt	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee	SEC Network	ARK 31–28	33,247	^[78]
October 29	3:30 pm	No. 22 Georgia	Florida		CBS	UGA 24–20	84,524	^[79]
October 29	7:00 pm	Ole Miss	No. 23 Auburn	Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama	ESPNU	AUB 41–23	85,347	^[80]
October 29	7:00 pm	Mississippi State	Kentucky	Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky	FS South	MSU 28–16	57,891	^[81]
October 29	7:15 pm	No. 13 South Carolina	Tennessee	Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, Tennessee	ESPN	SCAR 14–3	96,655	^[82]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Michael Dyer	Auburn	Jerry Franklin Jarvis Jones	Arkansas Georgia	Zach Hocker	Arkansas
Reference:^[83]

Week Ten

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
November 5	12:21 pm	Vanderbilt	Florida	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida	SEC Network	FLA 26–21	90,144	^[84]
November 5	12:30 pm		No. 18 Georgia	Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia	CSS	W 63–16	92,746	^[85]
November 5	3:30 pm	Ole Miss	Kentucky	Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky	ESPNU	UK 30–13	56,882	^[86]
November 5	7:00 pm		Tennessee	Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, Tennessee	FS South	W 24–0	88,211	^[87]
November 5	7:15 pm	No. 9 South Carolina	No. 7 Arkansas	Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, Arkansas	ESPN	ARK 44–28	73,804	^[88]
November 5	7:30 pm		Mississippi State	Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi	CSS	W 55–17	55,096	^[89]
November 5	8:00 pm	No. 1 LSU	No. 2 Alabama	Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	CBS	LSU 9–6 (OT)	101,821	^[90]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Jeff Demps	Florida	Eric Reid	LSU	Dennis Johnson	Arkansas
Reference:

Week Eleven

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
November 12	12:00 pm	Florida	No. 13 South Carolina	Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina	CBS	SCAR 17–12	80,250	^[91]
November 12	12:21 pm	Kentucky	Vanderbilt	Commodore Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee	SEC Network	VU 38–8	33,718	^[92]
November 12	3:30 pm	No. 20 Auburn	No. 15 Georgia	Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia	CBS	UGA 45–7	92,746	^[93]
November 12	6:00 pm	Tennessee	No. 8 Arkansas	Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, Arkansas	ESPN2	ARK 49–7	72,103	^[94]
November 12	7:00 pm	Western Kentucky	No. 1 LSU	Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana	ESPNU	W 42–9	92,917	^[95]
November 12	7:30 pm		Ole Miss	Vaught-Hemigway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi	CSS	L 7–27	44,123	^[96]
November 12	8:00 pm	No. 3 Alabama	Mississippi State	Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi	ESPN	ALA 24–7	57,871	^[97]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Zac Stacy	Vanderbilt	Dont'a Hightower	Alabama	Joe Adams	Arkansas
Reference:

Week Twelve

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
November 19	12:00 pm		No. 12 South Carolina	Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina	PPV	W 41–20	76,816	^[98]
November 19	12:21 pm	Kentucky	No. 14 Georgia	Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia	SEC Network	UGA 19–10	92,746	^[99]
November 19	1:00 pm	Samford	No. 24 Auburn	Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama	PPV	W 45–7	84,842	^[100]
November 19	1:00 pm		Florida	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida	PPV	W 54–32	84,674	^[101]
November 19	1:07 pm	Georgia Southern	No. 3 Alabama	Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Alabama	PPV	W 45–21	101,821	^[102]
November 19	3:30 pm	Mississippi State	No. 6 Arkansas	War Memorial Stadium • Little Rock, Arkansas	CBS	ARK 44–17	55,761	^[103]
November 19	7:00 pm	No. 1 LSU	Ole Miss	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Mississippi	ESPN	LSU 52–3	59,877	^[104]
November 19	7:00 pm	Vanderbilt	Tennessee	Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, Tennessee	ESPNU	Tenn 27–21 (OT)	91,367	^[105]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Tyler Wilson	Arkansas	Ron Brooks Danny Trevathan	LSU Kentucky	Blair Walsh	Georgia
Reference:

Week Thirteen

Date	Time	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Broadcast	Result	Attendance	Reference
November 25	3:30 pm	No. 3 Arkansas	No. 1 LSU	Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, Louisiana	CBS	LSU 41–17	93,108	^[106]
November 26	12:00 pm	No. 13 Georgia		Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia	ESPN	W 31–17	54,925	^[107]
November 26	12:21 pm	Tennessee	Kentucky	Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, Kentucky	SEC Network	UK 10–7	59,855	^[108]
November 26	3:30 pm	No. 2 Alabama	No. 24 Auburn	Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama	CBS	ALA 42–14	87,451	^[109]
November 26	3:30 pm	Vanderbilt			ESPNU	W 41–7	28,020	^[110]
November 26	7:00 pm		Florida	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida	ESPN2	L 21–7	90,798	^[111]
November 26	7:00 pm	Ole Miss	Mississippi State	Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi	ESPNU	MSU 31–3	55,270	^[112]
November 26	7:45 pm	No. 17 Clemson	No. 12 South Carolina	Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina	ESPN	W 34–13	83,442	^[113]

Players of the week:

Offensive		Defensive		Special teams
Player	Team	Player	Team	Player	Team
Trent Richardson Connor Shaw	Alabama South Carolina	Tyrann Mathieu	LSU	Ryan Tydlacka	Kentucky
Reference:^[114]

Week Fourteen/SEC Championship

SEC vs. AQ conference and BCS-buster opponents

NOTE:. Games with a * next to the home team represent a neutral site game

Date	Visitor	Home	Significance	Winning Team
September 3	Boise State	Georgia*	Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta	Boise State
September 3	Oregon	LSU*	Cowboys Classic in Arlington, Texas	LSU
September 10	Alabama	Penn State	Alabama–Penn State football rivalry	Alabama
September 10	Cincinnati	Tennessee		Tennessee
September 10	Connecticut	Vanderbilt		Vanderbilt
September 17	Auburn	Clemson	Auburn–Clemson football rivalry	Clemson
September 17	Louisville	Kentucky	Governor's Cup	Louisville
September 24	LSU	West Virginia		LSU
October 1	Texas A&M	Arkansas*	Southwest Classic in Arlington, Texas	Arkansas
November 26	Florida State	Florida	Florida–Florida State football rivalry	Florida State
November 26	Georgia	Georgia Tech	Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate	Georgia
November 26	Clemson	South Carolina	Battle of the Palmetto State	South Carolina
November 26	Vanderbilt	Wake Forest		Vanderbilt

Home attendance

Team	Stadium	Capacity	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3	Game 4	Game 5	Game 6	Game 7	Game 8	Total	Average	% of Capacity
Alabama	Bryant–Denny Stadium	101,821	101,821	101,821	101,821	101,821	101,821	101,821	101,821		712,747	101,821	100%
Arkansas	Razorback Stadium	72,000	70,607	52,606	69,861	74,191	73,804	72,103	55,761		468,933	72,120	100.15%
Auburn	Jordan–Hare Stadium	87,451	85,245	87,451	82,249	87,451	85,347	84,842	87,451		600,036	85,719	98.02%
Florida	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium	88,548	88,708	87,473	90,744	90,888	90,144	84,674	90,798		623,429	89,061	100.58%
Georgia	Sanford Stadium	92,746	92,746	91,946	92,746	92,746	92,746	92,746			555,676	92,612	99.86%
Kentucky	Commonwealth Stadium	67,606	58,022	68,170	65,134	54,098	57,891	56,882	59,855		420,052	60,007	88.76%
LSU	Tiger Stadium	92,542	92,405	92,660	93,022	93,098	92,917	93,108			557,210	92,868	100.35%
Mississippi State	Davis Wade	55,082	56,924	55,116	55,418	55,096	57,871	55,270			335,695	55,949	101.57%
Ole Miss	Vaught–Hemingway	60,580	55,124	58,504	58,042	61,792	57,951	44,123	59,877		395,413	56,488	93.25%
South Carolina	Williams-Brice Stadium	80,250	78,807	77,015	81,767	75,838	80,250	76,816	83,442		553,935	79,134	98.61%
Tennessee	Neyland Stadium	102,455	94,661	94,207	87,758	102,455	101,822	96,655	88,211	91,367	757,136	94,642	92.37%
Vanderbilt	Vanderbilt Stadium	39,790	27,599	32,119	34,579	36,640	32,210	33,247	33,718		230,112	32,873	82.62%

Games played at Arkansas' secondary home stadium War Memorial Stadium, capacity: 54,120.

Attendance was 84,524 for the Georgia vs. Florida game in Jacksonville

Bowl games

SEC Bowl Games
Pick	Game	Date	Location/Time*	Television	Winner^+	Score	Loser^+	Score	Payout (US$) per team
BCS No. 1 vs. No. 2	2012 BCS National Championship Game	Jan. 9, 2012	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans	ESPN	2 Alabama	21	1 LSU	0	$21,200,000
2.	Capital One Bowl	Jan. 2, 2012	Citrus Bowl Orlando, Florida 1:00 pm	ESPN	10 South Carolina	30	No. 21 Nebraska	13	$4,250,000
3.	Outback Bowl	Jan. 2, 2012	Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida 1:00 pm	ABC	No. 12 Michigan State	33	No. 18 Georgia	30	$3,400,000
4.	AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic	Jan. 6, 2012	Cowboys Stadium Arlington, Texas 8:00 pm	FOX	No. 7 Arkansas	29	No. 11 Kansas State	16	$6,750,000
5.	Chick-fil-A Bowl	Dec. 31, 2011	Georgia Dome Atlanta 7:30 pm	ESPN	Auburn	43	Virginia	24	$3,350,000
6.	Gator Bowl	Jan. 2, 2012	EverBank Field Jacksonville, Florida 1:30 pm	ESPN2	Florida	24	Ohio State	17	$2,250,000
7.	Autozone Liberty Bowl	Dec. 31, 2011	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee 3:30 pm	ESPN	Cincinnati	31	Vanderbilt	24	$1,350,000
8.	Franklin Music City Bowl	Dec. 30, 2011	LP Field Nashville, Tennessee 6:40 pm	ESPN	Mississippi State	23	Wake Forest	17	$1,700,000
Time given is Eastern Time (UTC-5). ^+SEC team is bolded. Rankings are AP.

Per BCS selection rules, no more than two teams from a conference may be selected, regardless of whether they are automatic qualifiers or at-large selections, unless two non-champions from the same conference are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the final BCS Standings. As the SEC champion Louisiana State was the top-ranked team in the BCS poll, the Sugar Bowl was prohibited from selecting an SEC representative for the 2011–12 season.

Post-season awards and honors

All-SEC

The following players were named by the AP All-SEC team:^[116]

Position	Player	Class	Team
First Team Offense
QB	Tyler Wilson	Jr.	Arkansas
RB	Trent Richardson	Jr.	Alabama
RB	Michael Dyer	So.	Auburn
WR	Jarius Wright	Sr.	Arkansas
WR	Da'Rick Rogers	So.	Tennessee
TE	Orson Charles	Jr.	Georgia
OL	Will Blackwell	Sr.	LSU
OL	Cordy Glenn	Sr.	Georgia
OL	Barrett Jones	So.	Alabama
OL	Rokevious Watkins	Sr.	South Carolina
C	William Vlachos	Sr.	Alabama
First Team Defense
DL	Melvin Ingram	Sr.	South Carolina
DL	Fletcher Cox	Jr.	Mississippi State
DL	Malik Jackson	Sr.	Tennessee
DL	Sam Montgomery	So.	LSU
LB	Jarvis Jones	So.	Georgia
LB	Danny Trevathan	Sr.	Kentucky
LB	Courtney Upshaw	Sr.	Alabama
DB	Tyrann Mathieu	So.	LSU
DB	Morris Claiborne	Jr.	LSU
DB	Mark Barron	Sr.	Alabama
DB	Bacarri Rambo	Jr.	Georgia
First Team Special Teams
K	Caleb Sturgis	Jr.	Florida
P	Brad Wing	Fr.	LSU
AP	Joe Adams	Sr.	Arkansas

All-Americans

See main article: 2011 College Football All-America Team.

Running back

• Trent Richardson, Alabama (AFCA-Coaches)

Defensive end

• Melvin Ingram, South Carolina (AFCA-Coaches)

Tight end

• Orson Charles, Georgia (AFCA-Coaches)

Linebacker

• Dont'a Hightower, Alabama (AFCA-Coaches)
• Jarvis Jones, Georgia (AFCA-Coaches)

Offensive guard

• Barrett Jones, Alabama (AFCA-Coaches)

Secondary

• Mark Barron, Alabama (AFCA-Coaches)
• Morris Claiborne, LSU (AFCA-Coaches)
• DeQuan Menzie, Alabama (AFCA-Coaches)

National award winners

The following SEC players listed below have been named to the national award semifinalist and finalist lists.

Notes and References

1. News: Meyer should have left last season . Pat . Forde . ESPN . December 8, 2010 . September 14, 2011.
2. News: Urban Meyer joining ESPN as analyst . ESPN.com News Services . ESPN . January 31, 2011 . September 14, 2011.
3. News: Muschamp hires Weis and two others . Robbie . Andreu . The Gainesville Sun . January 6, 2011 . September 14, 2011.
4. News: James Franklin takes over at Vandy . Associated Press . ESPN . December 17, 2010 . September 14, 2011.
5. News: LSU coordinator Gary Crowton leaving for 'good situation at Maryland' . Jim . Kleinpeter . The Times-Picayune . January 14, 2011 . September 14, 2011.
6. News: LSU turns to Steve Kragthorpe to get offense moving . Jim . Kleinpeter . The Times-Picayune . January 21, 2011 . September 14, 2011.
7. News: Kentucky defenders passing co-defensive coordinator Rick Minter's 'class' . Kyle . Tucker . The Courier-Journal . August 31, 2011 . September 14, 2011.
8. News: Coaches' preseason All-SEC football teams announced . Andy . Bitter . Ledger-Enquirer . July 15, 2011 . September 14, 2011.
9. Web site: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Memphis Tigers – Box Score – September 01, 2011 . ESPN . September 3, 2011.
10. Web site: Kentucky Wildcats vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers – Box Score – September 01, 2011 . ESPN . September 3, 2011.
11. Web site: Utah State Aggies vs. Auburn Tigers – Box Score – September 03, 2011 . ESPN . September 3, 2011.
12. Web site: Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Alabama Crimson Tide – Box Score – September 03, 2011 . ESPN . September 3, 2011.
13. Web site: BYU Cougars vs. Ole Miss Rebels – Box Score – September 03, 2011 . ESPN . September 4, 2011.
14. Web site: Montana Grizzlies vs. Tennessee Volunteers – Box Score – September 03, 2011 . ESPN . September 4, 2011.
15. Web site: Missouri State Bears vs. Arkansas Razorbacks – Box Score – September 03, 2011 . ESPN . September 4, 2011.
16. Web site: Florida Atlantic Owls vs. Florida Gators – Box Score – September 03, 2011 . ESPN . September 4, 2011.
17. Web site: East Carolina Pirates vs. South Carolina Gamecocks – Box Score – September 03, 2011 . ESPN . September 4, 2011.
18. Web site: Elon Phoenix vs. Vanderbilt Commodores – Box Score – September 03, 2011 . ESPN . September 4, 2011.
19. Web site: Oregon Ducks vs. LSU Tigers – Box Score – September 03, 2011 . ESPN . September 4, 2011.
20. Web site: Boise State Broncos vs. Georgia Bulldogs – Box Score – September 03, 2011 . ESPN . September 4, 2011.
21. Web site: SEC Football Players Of The Week for games of September 1–3 . SECdigitalnetwork.com . September 7, 2011.
22. Web site: Central Michigan Chippewas vs. Kentucky Wildcats – Box Score – September 10, 2011 . ESPN . September 13, 2011.
23. Web site: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Auburn Tigers – Box Score – September 10, 2011 . ESPN . September 13, 2011.
24. Web site: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Penn State Nittany Lions – Box Score – September 10, 2011 . ESPN . September 13, 2011.
25. Web site: Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Tennessee Volunteers – Box Score – September 10, 2011 . ESPN . September 13, 2011.
26. Web site: South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Georgia Bulldogs – Box Score – September 10, 2011 . ESPN . September 13, 2011.
27. Web site: New Mexico Lobos vs. Arkansas Razorbacks – Box Score – September 10, 2011 . ESPN . September 13, 2011.
28. Web site: UAB Blazers vs. Florida Gators – Box Score – September 10, 2011 . ESPN . September 13, 2011.
29. Web site: Southern Illinois Salukis vs. Ole Miss Rebels – Box Score – September 10, 2011 . ESPN . September 13, 2011.
30. Web site: Connecticut Huskies vs. Vanderbilt Rebels – Box Score – September 10, 2011 . ESPN . September 13, 2011.
31. Web site: Northwestern State Demons vs. LSU Tigers – Box Score – September 10, 2011 . ESPN . September 13, 2011.
32. Web site: SEC Football Players Of The Week for games of September 10 . SECdigitalnetwork.com . September 13, 2011.
33. Web site: LSU Tigers vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs – Box Score – September 15, 2011 . ESPN . September 16, 2011.
34. Web site: Auburn Tigers vs. Clemson Tigers – Box Score – September 17, 2011 . ESPN . September 19, 2011.
35. Web site: Ole Miss Rebels vs. Vanderbilt Commodores – Box Score – September 17, 2011 . ESPN . September 19, 2011.
36. Web site: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. Georgia Bulldogs – Box Score – September 17, 2011 . ESPN . September 19, 2011.
37. Web site: Tennessee Volunteers vs. Florida Gators – Box Score – September 17, 2011 . ESPN . September 19, 2011.
38. Web site: Navy Midshipmen vs. South Carolina Gamecocks – Box Score – September 17, 2011 . ESPN . September 19, 2011.
39. Web site: Louisville Cardinals vs. Kentucky Wildcats – Box Score – September 17, 2011 . ESPN . September 19, 2011.
40. Web site: Troy Trojans vs. Arkansas Razorbacks – Box Score – September 17, 2011 . ESPN . September 19, 2011.
41. Web site: North Texas Mean Green vs. Alabama Crimson Tide – Box Score – September 17, 2011 . ESPN . September 19, 2011.
42. Web site: SEC Football Players Of The Week for games of September 17 . SECdigitalnetwork.com . September 19, 2011.
43. Web site: Georgia Bulldogs vs. Ole Miss Rebels – Box Score – September 24, 2011 . ESPN . September 26, 2011.
44. Web site: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Alabama Crimson Tide – Box Score – September 24, 2011 . ESPN . September 26, 2011.
45. Web site: Florida Gators vs. Kentucky Wildcats – Box Score – September 24, 2011 . ESPN . September 26, 2011.
46. Web site: Vanderbilt Commodores vs. South Carolina Gamecocks – Box Score – September 24, 2011 . ESPN . September 26, 2011.
47. Web site: Florida Atlantic Owls vs. Auburn Tigers – Box Score – September 24, 2011 . ESPN . September 26, 2011.
48. Web site: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs – Box Score – September 24, 2011 . ESPN . September 26, 2011.
49. Web site: LSU Tigers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers – Box Score – September 24, 2011 . ESPN . September 26, 2011.
50. Web site: SEC Football Players Of The Week for games of September 24 . SECdigitalnetwork.com . September 26, 2011.
51. Web site: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Georgia Bulldogs – Box Score – October 1, 2011 . ESPN . October 2, 2011.
52. Web site: Texas A&M Aggies vs. Arkansas Razorbacks – Box Score – October 1, 2011 . ESPN . October 2, 2011.
53. Web site: Kentucky Wildcats vs. LSU Tigers – Box Score – October 1, 2011 . ESPN . October 2, 2011.
54. Web site: Buffalo Bulls vs. Tennessee Volunteers – Box Score – October 1, 2011 . ESPN . October 2, 2011.
55. Web site: Auburn Tigers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks – Box Score – October 1, 2011 . ESPN . October 2, 2011.
56. Web site: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Florida Gators – Box Score – October 1, 2011 . ESPN . October 2, 2011.
57. Web site: Ole Miss Rebels vs. Fresno State Bulldogs – Box Score – October 1, 2011 . ESPN . October 2, 2011.
58. Web site: SEC Football Players Of The Week for games of October 1 . SECdigitalnetwork.com . October 4, 2011.
59. Web site: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. UAB Blazers Box Score . ESPN. October 8, 2011.
60. Web site: Kentucky Wildcats vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Box Score. ESPN. October 8, 2011.
61. Web site: Florida Gators vs. LSU Tigers Box Score. ESPN. October 8, 2011.
62. Web site: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Auburn Tigers Box Score. ESPN. October 8, 2011.
63. Web site: Tennessee Volunteers vs. Georgia Bulldogs Box Score. ESPN. October 8, 2011.
64. Web site: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Box Score. ESPN. October 8, 2011.
65. Web site: SEC players of the week . October 10, 2011 . ESPN . October 10, 2011.
66. Web site: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Box Score . ESPN. October 15, 2011 . October 15, 2011.
67. Web site: Tennessee Volunteers vs. LSU Tigers Box Score . ESPN. October 15, 2011 . October 15, 2011.
68. Web site: Ole Miss Rebels vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Box Score . ESPN. October 15, 2011 . October 15, 2011.
69. Web site: Auburn Tigers vs. Florida Gators Box Score . ESPN. October 15, 2011 . October 15, 2011.
70. Web site: Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Georgia Bulldogs Box Score . ESPN. October 15, 2011 . October 15, 2011.
71. Web site: SEC Football Players Of The Week for games of October 15 . SECdigitalnetwork.com . October 17, 2011.
72. Web site: Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs. Kentucky Wildcats Box Score . ESPN. October 22, 2011 . October 23, 2011.
73. Web site: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Ole Miss Rebels Box Score . ESPN. October 22, 2011 . October 23, 2011.
74. Web site: LSU Tigers vs. Auburn Tigers Box Score . ESPN. October 22, 2011 . October 23, 2011.
75. Web site: Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Army Black Knights Box Score . ESPN. October 22, 2011 . October 23, 2011.
76. Web site: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Tennessee Volunteers Box Score . ESPN. October 22, 2011 . October 23, 2011.
77. Web site: SEC players of the week. October 24, 2011.
78. Web site: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Box Score . ESPN . October 29, 2011 . October 30, 2011.
79. Web site: Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators Box Score . ESPN . October 29, 2011 . October 30, 2011.
80. Web site: Ole Miss Rebels vs. Auburn Tigers Box Score . ESPN . October 29, 2011 . October 30, 2011.
81. Web site: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Kentucky Wildcats Box Score . ESPN . October 29, 2011 . October 30, 2011.
82. Web site: South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Tennessee Volunteers Box Score . ESPN . October 29, 2011 . October 30, 2011.
83. Web site: SEC Football Players Of The Week for games of October 29 . SECdigitalnetwork.com . November 1, 2011.
84. Web site: Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Florida Gators Box Score . ESPN . November 5, 2011 . November 5, 2011.
85. Web site: New Mexico State Aggies vs. Georgia Bulldogs Box Score . ESPN . November 5, 2011 . November 5, 2011.
86. Web site: Ole Miss Rebels vs. Kentucky Wildcats Box Score . ESPN . November 5, 2011 . November 5, 2011.
87. Web site: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. Tennessee Volunteers Box Score . ESPN . November 5, 2011 . November 5, 2011.
88. Web site: South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Arkansas Razorbacks Box Score . ESPN . November 5, 2011 . November 5, 2011.
89. Web site: Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs Box Score . ESPN . November 5, 2011 . November 5, 2011.
90. Web site: LSU Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Box Score . ESPN . November 5, 2011 . November 5, 2011.
91. Web site: Florida Gators vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Box Score . ESPN . November 12, 2011 . November 12, 2011.
92. Web site: Kentucky Wildcats vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Box Score . ESPN . November 12, 2011 . November 12, 2011.
93. Web site: Auburn Tigers vs. Georgia Bulldogs Box Score . ESPN . November 12, 2011 . November 12, 2011.
94. Web site: Tennessee Volunteers vs. Arkansas Razorbacks Box Score . ESPN . November 12, 2011 . November 12, 2011.
95. Web site: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. LSU Tigers Box Score . ESPN . November 12, 2011 . November 12, 2011.
96. Web site: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. Ole Miss Rebels Box Score . ESPN . November 12, 2011 . November 12, 2011.
97. Web site: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs Box Score . ESPN . November 12, 2011 . November 12, 2011.
98. Web site: The Citadel Bulldogs vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Box Score . ESPN . November 19, 2011 . November 19, 2011.
99. Web site: Kentucky Wildcats vs. Georgia Bulldogs Box Score . ESPN . November 19, 2011 . November 19, 2011.
100. Web site: Samford Bulldogs vs. Auburn Tigers Box Score . ESPN . November 19, 2011 . November 19, 2011.
101. Web site: Furman Paladins vs. Florida Gators Box Score . ESPN . November 19, 2011 . November 19, 2011.
102. Web site: Georgia Southern Eagles vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Box Score . ESPN . November 19, 2011 . November 19, 2011.
103. Web site: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Arkansas Razorbacks Box Score . ESPN . November 19, 2011 . November 19, 2011.
104. Web site: LSU Tigers vs. Ole Miss Rebels Box Score . ESPN . November 19, 2011 . November 19, 2011.
105. Web site: Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Tennessee Volunteers Box Score. ESPN . November 19, 2011 . November 19, 2011.
106. Web site: Arkansas Razorbacks vs. LSU Tigers Box Score . ESPN . November 25, 2011 . December 22, 2011.
107. Web site: Georgia Bulldogs vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Box Score . ESPN . November 26, 2011 . December 22, 2011.
108. Web site: Tennessee Volunteers vs. Kentucky Wildcats Box Score . ESPN . November 26, 2011 . December 22, 2011.
109. Web site: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Auburn Tigers Box Score . ESPN . November 26, 2011 . December 22, 2011.
110. Web site: Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Box Score . ESPN . November 26, 2011 . December 22, 2011.
111. Web site: Florida State Seminoles vs. Florida Gators Box Score . ESPN . November 26, 2011 . December 22, 2011.
112. Web site: Ole Miss Rebels vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs Box Score . ESPN . November 26, 2011 . December 22, 2011.
113. Web site: Clemson Tigers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Box Score . ESPN . November 26, 2011 . December 22, 2011.
114. Web site: Richardson, Vlachos get SEC Players of the Week nod . cbs42.com . November 28, 2011 . December 22, 2011 . https://archive.today/20120730041646/http://www.cbs42.com/sports/story/Richardson-Vlachos-get-SEC-Players-of-the-Week-nod/d5po_cs-xEWpmyjhTOTWxg.cspx . July 30, 2012 . dead . mdy-all .
115. Web site: Georgia Bulldogs vs. LSU Tigers Box Score . ESPN . December 3, 2011 . December 22, 2011.
116. Web site: AP Names 2011 All-SEC Football Team. SECSports.com. December 5, 2011.