Cue Outrage: Aaron Murray, Not Johnny Manziel, Is Preseason 1st Team All-SEC

Apr 6, 2013; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs red team quarterback Aaron Murray (11) runs out of the pocket past black team lineman Mike Thornton (96) during the Georgia Spring Day Game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Johnny Manziel set numerous records, torched defenses with his dual-threat abilities and became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.

SEC coaches’ response: yeah? What else you got?

The conference’s coaches selected Georgia Bulldogs senior Aaron Murray as its preseason 1 ^{Team All-SEC quarterback and not the Texas A&M lightning rod Manziel.}

Manziel may be the reigning Heisman winner, but Murray is on pace to set numerous SEC career records. He is also playing with a slightly more experienced offense than Manziel, including 1^st Team All-SEC nominee running back Todd Gurley.

All things considered, the selection of Murray over Manziel isn’t egregious. But then, when has logic prevailed against overreaction in the current landscape of debate embracing?

Prepare yourself for numerous dissections of this rather innocuous decision, predicated largely on autographs, Instagram and Twitter accounts and public appearances. In other words, virtually anything but football.

Regardless, Murray is coming off a junior season in which he threw for 36 touchdowns and over 3800 yards, all while completing a career high 64.5 percent of his attempts. He’s playing with arguably his best offense yet in 2013.

Murray and Manziel are the marquee names in an outstanding SEC quarterback class. Alabama senior A.J. McCarron is not far behind; if he’s behind at all.

The shame of it is, barring Georgia facing either Alabama or Texas A&M in the SEC championship game, we’ll only get to see McCarron and Manziel square off this season. Georgia avoids both the Aggies and Tide in the regular season.

Thus, determining which quarterback is best is a question that can only be answered through opinion. That’s not a debate I’m quite prepared to embrace.

Here is the complete rundown of the Coaches’ All-SEC Team, via SEC Digital Network:

OFFENSE

First-Team

QB – Aaron Murray, Georgia
RB – Todd Gurley, Georgia
RB – T.J. Yeldon, Alabama
WR – Amari Cooper, Alabama
WR – Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt
TE – Arthur Lynch, Georgia
OL – Jake Matthews, Texas A&M
OL – Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
OL – Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State
OL – Antonio Richardson, Tennessee
C – Travis Swanson, Arkansas

Second-Team

QB – Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
RB – LaDarius Perkins, Mississippi State
RB – Tre Mason, Auburn
WR – Mike Evans, Texas A&M
WR – Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss
TE – Rory Anderson, South Carolina
OL – Anthony Steen, Alabama
OL – Ja’Wuan James, Tennessee
OL – Wesley Johnson, Vanderbilt
OL – *A.J. Cann, South Carolina
OL – *Chris Burnette, Georgia
OL – *Zach Fulton, Tennessee
OL – *Jon Halapio, Florida
C – Reese Dismukes, Auburn

Third-Team

QB – AJ McCarron, Alabama
RB – Alfred Blue, LSU
RB – Keith Marshall, Georgia
WR – *Odell Beckham Jr., LSU
WR – *Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia
WR – *Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri
TE – *Brian Vogler, Alabama
TE – *C.J. Uzomah, Auburn
OL – La’el Collins, LSU
OL – David Hurd, Arkansas
OL – Justin Britt, Missouri
OL – Aaron Morris, Ole Miss
C – James Stone, Tennessee

DEFENSE

First-Team

DL – Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
DL – Dominique Easley, Florida
DL – Anthony Johnson, LSU
DL – Chris Smith, Arkansas
LB – C.J. Mosley, Alabama
LB – A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
LB – Denzel Nkemdiche, Ole Miss
DB – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama
DB – Craig Loston, LSU
DB – Andre Hal, Vanderbilt
DB – Loucheiz Purifoy, Florida

Second-Team

DL – Kelcy Quarles, South Carolina
DL – Daniel McCullers, Tennessee
DL – *Ed Stinson, Alabama
DL – *Xzavier Dickson, Alabama
DL – *Jeoffrey Pagan, Alabama
LB – Lamin Barrow, LSU
LB – Jordan Jenkins, Georgia
LB – Adrian Hubbard, Alabama
DB – Damian Swann, Georgia
DB – Marcus Roberson, Florida
DB – E.J. Gaines, Missouri
DB – Deion Belue, Alabama

Third-Team

DL – *Dee Ford, Auburn
DL – *C.J. Johnson, Ole Miss
DL – *Ronald Powell, Florida
DL – *Alvin Dupree, Kentucky
DL – *Denico Autry, Mississippi State
LB – Avery Williamson, Kentucky
LB – Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State
LB – *Ronald Powell, Florida
LB – *Trey DePriest, Alabama
DB – Deshazor Everett, Texas A&M
DB – Nickoe Whitley, Mississippi State
DB – Vinnie Sunseri, Alabama
DB – Charles Sawyer, Ole Miss

SPECIALISTS

First-Team

PK – Carey Spear, Vanderbilt
P – Kyle Christy, Florida
RS – Odell Beckham Jr., LSU
AP – Bruce Ellington, South Carolina

Second-Team

PK – Cody Parkey, Auburn
P – *Tyler Campbell, Ole Miss
P – *Cody Mandell, Alabama
P – *Steven Clark, Auburn
RS – Marcus Murphy, Missouri
AP – Odell Beckham Jr., LSU

Third-Team

PK – *Andrew Baggett, Missouri
PK – *Zach Hocker, Arkansas
P – Michael Palardy, Tennessee
RS – Bruce Ellington, South Carolina
AP – LaDarius Perkins, Mississippi State

* – Ties