Auburn vs. Mississippi State
Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen watches the replay from the sidelines during the second half against Auburn Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)
I think we can all agree that Alabama's Nick Saban is the best head football coach in the SEC, and probably the best in the country
But who's second in the conference?
It's not really an easy decision. Just a few years ago, you had Les Miles, Mark Richt, Steve Spurrier and Gary Pinkel all in the league.
Now all of them are gone, replaced by less-experienced coaches. In fact, you can make the case that the SEC's "brain drain" is a big reason the conference has slipped in terms of national power and prestige in the last few years.
So who is second after Saban? Here's a short list, in alphabetical order:
Bret Bielema, Arkansas -- Bielema has multiple conference championships, just none in the SEC. He won three straight Big Ten titles at Wisconsin before leaving for the SEC, where's he found the sledding much tougher. Despite some high moments, Bielema's been a .500 coach in the SEC.
Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss -- Freeze is the only active SEC coach with multiple wins over Nick Saban, and one of the few who have beaten Alabama two straight years during Saban's tenure. Still, he's never even won the SEC West, and his team fell apart down the stretch in 2016.
Gus Malzahn, Auburn -- Malzahn is the only active SEC coach other than Saban with a conference title, and the only other one who has played for a national championship. Take out 2013, however, and his tenure at Auburn has been mostly mediocre. His offenses have also declined since early success.
Jim McElwain, Florida -- McElwain has led Florida to back-to-back SEC East titles, though it's debatable how much of that is that the Gators are good and how much is that the East is horrible. McElwain's offenses have been inconsistent, which is troubling given his reputation as a bright offensive mind.
Dan Mullen, Mississippi State -- No one in the SEC -- and perhaps in all of college football -- has done more with less than Mullen. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 in the country for several weeks in 2014, but took a step back in 2016 following the departure of all-everything quarterback Dak Prescott.
So who's your pick? Someone on this list or someone else entirely? (My pick is Mullen, but you're welcome to disagree with that).
I'll take your questions and comments on that or anything else on your mind beginning at 10 a.m.