I'll be voting in the SEC Power Poll this season (the committee is listed in the links box). The first exercise is ranking the league's coaches. Leave your comments, concerns or criticisms below. Also, I obviously put more weight into a coach's most recent record than his history.
SEC East
1. Mark Richt
2. Urban Meyer
This is not a reverse jinx. Coaches are judged by two things; winning and how much you get out of your players. Meyer may have a national championship but last season it was Richt who got the most out of his players. UGA looked terrible against South Carolina and Tennessee and had no business competing for an SEC title, much less a BCS game. But Richt was able to push the write buttons. He might be an Eddie Haskell, but he got his team to win. Meanwhile, Meyer spent much of last season apparently shocked he had a young team. He placed part of the blame of the Auburn loss on the offense not moving the ball on their final drive (as opposed to not moving the ball the entire first half) and the team did nothing to protect their young DBs for much of the season. Of course, if UGA chokes again this season, Richt loses any goodwill he earned this season.
3. Steve Spurrier: He still scares Georgia and Tennessee fans. Just imagine if he had the horses.
4. Phillip Fulmer: Tennessee is still a very good team, but they should be in the national title race every year.
5. Rich Brooks: He's made Kentucky relevant again, but can he keep it going?
6. Bobby Johnson: I think I'm a bright guy and yet I cannot tell you anything of note about Johnson's tenure other than banning curse words.
SEC West
1. Les Miles
2. Tommy Tuberville
I enjoy watching both of these guys because they both will do anything necessary to win. They do have their bad losses (USF at Auburn, Arkansas at LSU) but tremendous wins (Auburn at Florida, LSU vs. OSU). Miles gets the edge because he has a real national championship and is completely insane. Tuberville gives the sense that he was a used car dealer in a previous life.
3. Sylvester Croom: Mississippi State sucks. Yet they went to the Liberty Bowl and were extremely competitive. That's all CROOOOOOOM.
4. Nick Saban: Compared loss to Louisiana-Monroe to Pearl Harbor or 9/11. Instead of making insensitive historical references, next time Saban should prepare his team better. Also, CROOOOOOOMED.
5. Houston Nutt: Where Miles would push all in with an Ace-King suited and win the hand by pairing the King on the river, Nutt would push all in as he chases a Jack-high flush. Miles gambles from a position where he can win. Nutt gambles from anywhere.
6. Bobby Petrino: Does anyone have anything nice to say about him?
Overall
1. Richt
2. Meyer
3. Miles
4. Tuberville
5. Spurrier
6. Fulmer
7. Croom
8. Brooks
9. Saban
10. Nutt
11. Johnson
12. Petrino