Well, this got a little awkward.
Alabama's ability to win 11 consecutive games against Southeastern Conference opposition and nail down the top seed in the upcoming College Football Playoff has resulted in senior receiver DeVonta Smith and redshirt junior quarterback Mac Jones being the chief choices for this season's Heisman Trophy. The same program hasn't produced the top two Heisman finishers since 1945, when Army fullback Doc Blanchard received more votes than Cadets running back Glenn Davis.
The 2020 Heisman Trophy finalists will be revealed Thursday night on ESPN, with the winner being announced via a virtual ceremony Jan. 5.
"We're only guaranteed one more game," Smith said Tuesday afternoon, "and I'm more focused on that than an award."
When asked if he's annoyed by the amount of Heisman-related questions he's fielding, Smith said, "Most definitely."
Smith has racked up 98 receptions for 1,511 yards and 17 touchdowns entering Alabama's New Year's Day matchup with fourth-seeded Notre Dame in a Rose Bowl relocated to Arlington, Texas. He leads all receivers nationally by more than 300 yards and also had an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown earlier this month at Arkansas.
A receiver hasn't won the Heisman Trophy since Michigan's Desmond Howard in 1991, but Smith is the betting favorite and on Tuesday topped Jones and Crimson Tide running back Najee Harris as the SEC Offensive Player of the Year as voted on by league coaches.
"I can't do anything without my teammates," Smith said. "I can't do anything without the offensive line blocking for Mac and for Mac getting me the ball and for Najee and our running backs running the ball to set up the pass. I can't do anything without any of them."
Smith, Jones and Alabama junior cornerback Patrick Surtain II were each asked about the Heisman Trophy race during a Zoom call Tuesday.
"We don't really think about awards," said Jones, the nation's leader in passing efficiency (202.3) who has 32 touchdown passes and just four interceptions. "Our main goals were to come in here and be leaders and win a national championship. That other stuff always takes care of itself.
"If you look back on it, we're right where we want to be, and we can't overlook the opportunity that we have."
When asked why Jones should win the Heisman, Smith said, "He's the leader of the offense. He controls everything." When asked why Smith should win it, Jones said, "He's the most electric player in college football and he means the most to us here at Alabama. You can watch the games and see that."
Once it became Surtain's turn, he said, "I believe they both deserve it."
Surtain was named Tuesday as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, with Jones earning SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Nick Saban the Coach of the Year. Saban also was voted top coach by his peers in 2008, 2009 and 2016, when the Crimson Tide went to the playoff with a 13-0 record and Auburn went to the Sugar Bowl as the league's next highest-ranked team with an 8-4 mark.
The Jacobs Trophy, which goes to the top offensive lineman in the SEC, was a tie between Alabama left tackle Alex Leatherwood and Crimson Tide center Landon Dickerson. Jones, Smith, Harris, Surtain, Leatherwood and Dickerson were joined on the All-SEC first team by offensive lineman Deonte Brown, defensive lineman Christian Barmore and linebacker Dylan Moses.
"Our players have contributed to their consistency in performance by staying focused on the right things amid a lot of abnormal things," Saban said. "You've got to give them a lot of credit for their resiliency and their ability to overcome adversity and maintain consistency in what has been a year full of disruptions."
Though Alabama accounted for most of the league's individual winners, the Crimson Tide didn't pull a clean sweep. Georgia punter Jake Camarda was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, while SEC Freshman of the Year was a tie between Auburn running back Tank Bigsby and Missouri quarterback Connor Bazelak.
Auburn also had the top league freshman last year with quarterback Bo Nix.
Camarda was one of three Georgia players to earn SEC first-team honors, joining offensive lineman Ben Cleveland and safety Richard LeCounte. Tennessee's lone first- or second-team representative was offensive lineman Trey Smith, who was a first-team pick.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.
COACHES' ALL SEC TEAMS
FIRST TEAMOFFENSETEKyle Pitts, FloridaOLAlex Leatherwood, AlabamaLandon Young, KentuckyBen Cleveland, GeorgiaTrey Smith, Tennessee*Deonte Brown, Alabama*CLandon Dickerson, AlabamaWRDeVonta Smith, AlabamaElijah Moore, Ole MissQBMac Jones, AlabamaRBNajee Harris, AlabamaIsaiah Spiller, Texas A&MAPKadarius Toney, FloridaDEFENSEDLChristian Barmore, AlabamaKingsley Enagbare, South CarolinaTrajan Jeffcoat, MissouriBobby Brown III, Texas A&MLBNick Bolton, MissouriDylan Moses, AlabamaGrant Morgan, ArkansasDBPatrick Surtain II, AlabamaKaiir Elam, FloridaRichard LeCounte, GeorgiaDerek Stingley, LSUSPECIAL TEAMSPKCade York, LSUPJake Camarda, GeorgiaRSKadarius Toney, FloridaSECOND TEAMOFFENSETEJalen Wydermyer, Texas A&MOLDarian Kinnard, KentuckyKenyon Green, Texas A&MDan Moore Jr., Texas A&MCarson Green, Texas A&MCDrake Jackson, KentuckyWRKadarius Toney, FloridaTreylon Burks, ArkansasQBKyle Trask, FloridaRBKevin Harris, South CarolinaLarry Rountree, MissouriAPJerrion Ealy, Ole MissDEFENSEDLBig Kat Bryant, AuburnJordan Davis, GeorgiaDayo Odeyingbo, VanderbiltAli Gaye, LSULBAzeez Ojulari, GeorgiaBumper Pool, ArkansasChristopher Allen, AlabamaDBEric Stokes, GeorgiaMalachi Moore, AlabamaJalen Catalon, ArkansasJaycee Horn, South CarolinaSPECIAL TEAMSPKAnders Carlson, AuburnPZach Von Rosenberg, LSURSJaylen Waddle, AlabamaFRESHMAN ALL-SECOFFENSETEArik Gilbert, LSU*Hudson Henry, Arkansas*OLWarren McClendon, GeorgiaJavion Cohen, AlabamaBrady Latham, ArkansasCharles Cross, Mississippi StateWRKayshon Boutte, LSUJaden Walley, Mississippi StateQBConnor Bazelak, MissouriRBTank Bigsby, AuburnKendall Milton, GeorgiaAPTank Bigsby, AuburnDEFENSEDLColby Wooden, AuburnJalen Carter, GeorgiaBJ Ojulari, LSUMcKinnley Jackson, Texas A&MLBWill Anderson Jr., AlabamaJ.J. Weaver, KentuckyMohamed Kaba, South CarolinaDBMalachi Moore, AlabamaEli Ricks, LSUJalen Catalon, ArkansasEmmanuel Forbes, Mississippi StateSPECIAL TEAMSPKHarrison Mevis, MissouriPKai Kroeger, South CarolinaRSKayshon Boutte, LSU(* - Ties )