(14-11): Chilling comfortably
14. HUGH FREEZE, OLE MISS
In his fourth season in Oxford Hugh Freeze has taken the Ole Miss football program to new heights in
the modern era of college football. Freeze is the best head coach Ole Miss has had since the legendary
Johnny Vaught and could be just on the verge of taking Rebel football into a new, second golden age
of SEC championships and national championships. Just this past Saturday Freeze pulled off what has
been nearly impossible for every Rebel coach to do and that was to beat Alabama in back to back seasons.
The Ole Miss football team is loaded with enormous talent and depth and next spring's NFL draft will hear
many Ole Miss players called in the first three rounds easily. The Rebels are No.3 in the nation and a very
serious SEC, national championship contender. The program is embarking on legendary times.
13. JIM MCELWAIN, FLORIDA
McElwain has been good so far for the Florida Gators. Granted it wasn't an impressive win at Kentucky
this past Saturday but for the first year head coach in Gainesville he is 3-0 and enjoying a nice honeymoon
period with the Gator nation. A lot of folks thought the hire was a little underwhelming at first but so far
he's given Florida fans offense and points something they've always enjoyed since the Spurrier days.
The team still has quality defensive players from the Muschamp era and will face traditional rival Tennessee
this upcoming Saturday. A win against the Vols will only add more confidence and belief in his rebuilding job
in Gainesville.
12. KEVIN SUMLIN, TEXAS A&M
The newness of joining the SEC has worn off and Texas A&M doesn't have a Johnny football anymore.
But Kyle Allen is becoming a great SEC quarterback in his own right and so far the Aggies are 3-0 this year.
Sumlin came under some heat last season after losses to Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Alabama but a upset
at Auburn last season has carried positive momentum over into 2015. Kyle Allen is leading the Aggie offense
and new DC John Chavis has the defense heading in the right direction. A quality non-conference win over
Arizona State has been good as well. A&M has a chance to move to 4-0 with a game against struggling
Arkansas.
11. GARY PINKEL, MISSOURI
He's slipped the last two weeks with very unimpressive wins against Arkansas State and Connecticut
against two lower tier FCS programs that are decent albeit…but still two teams Missouri should beat more
convincingly considering the Tigers have been the SEC east champions the past two seasons. Despite
the lackluster efforts recently Pinkel is sitting comfortably in Columbia with the fanbase. The Tigers thrive
on not getting any respect from fellow SEC fan bases and this season should be no different. Missouri for the
third year in a row will be a contender in the east. Missouri is one of the most under appreciated schools in
the SEC and overlooked quite a bit by a lot of other fan bases.
(10-7): Sitting steady and upright on middle ground
10. NICK SABAN, ALABAMA
Its a little odd you put a head coach who has won 4 national championships (3 at Alabama, 1 at LSU)
in this category but when you coach at a program like Alabama with sky-high expectations every single
year this is what happens. The grumblings that the dynasty is slowly in decline became a bit louder
with Alabama's loss to Ole Miss…a program that many Alabama fans view historically as an easy
win. That's not the case anymore with the Ole Miss program taking the kings throne from the Tide
in the west. Saban's age, desire and drive will start to come under more scrutiny and Alabama fans
will grow a bit more uncomfortable with just being great and not being the absolute best team in America hands
down. Since the Kick 6 at Auburn in 2013…the Tide have lost to (Auburn-13, Oklahoma-14, Ole Miss-14, Ohio State-15, Ole Miss-15). That would be ok for most programs to lose 5 games in that time span but its not good enough for Alabama.
09. MARK RICHT, GEORGIA
Richt has been here and done that many times it seems. Georgia starts off good and has promise
to win the East. Such is the case this season so far. Beating Spurrier and South Carolina will always
please the Georgia fanbase and the Dawgs did it very convincingly this past Saturday. There's still a lot to
prove in 2015 and Georgia needs to avoid the usual unexpected loss that derails its SEC East title hopes.
Richt has gotten the reputation as a good coach but not an elite one. He can silence a lot of critics by
not only getting to Atlanta this year but winning an outright league title and becoming a national title contender
in the process. A national title would set him up for life in Athens and permanently silence the grumblers.
08. LES MILES, LSU
Its early for Les Miles but he's got LSU off to a 2-0 start and leading the SEC West early in 2015. There
are still major hurdles for LSU to overcome in 2015 with Ole Miss, Alabama, Texas A&M left and east opponents South Carolina and Florida. LSU's non-conference schedule is very easy so the Tigers along with
Ole Miss, Alabama and A&M have to be considered the west favorites to win the division. Fournette is sitting
atop the Heisman race right now and LSU has the potential to win the SEC and national titles in 2015. He's
sitting this low because its been a few years since the Tigers were at an elite level and have slipped back into
mediocrity ground. That could easily be reversed if LSU emerges as a title threat this season which so far
appears to be the case.
7. DAN MULLEN, MISSISSIPPI STATE
There's a feeling outside of Starkville MS that Mullen has plateaued at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs
recruit decently but a notch below Ole Miss, Alabama, LSU, Georgia and other SEC top-tier programs.
Still for one of the historically worst SEC programs Mullen has been a great coach and led the Bulldogs
to a No.1 ranking in the polls last season and barely missing out on an SEC West title. The Bulldogs had
a great chance a few weeks ago to jump out ahead in the west standings but came up short with a loss to
LSU. That's symbolic of the MSU program coming up just a bit short. Still you can never count MSU out
and they always have an outside shot at being a contender in the West. Mullen is great at taking above
average talent and making them better.
(6-4): Sitting on a hard, warm bench with no back
6. BUTCH JONES, TENNESSEE
It may seem a bit unfair to put him here but Butch Jones seems to have the Tennessee program stuck a bit
in neutral. The Vols are better with Jones now in charge but not at the elite level the Vol nation will demand
the football program to be at…Expectations got too high in the off-season with a bowl win over Iowa and the Vols could have garnered a higher status with a win over Oklahoma. But they blew it and took out the frustration on a cupcake this past Saturday. That doesn't really do anything to change the disappointment with the OU loss. However a win over Florida would help Butch Jones out a lot because there is nothing like beating
the Gators which gives pleasure to the Big Orange nation.
5. MARK STOOPS, KENTUCKY
Again a bit unfair to put Stoops this high but somebody's got to be in this spot. Kentucky fell off a cliff
halfway through last season and blew a wonderful opportunity to end its long, long losing streak to the
Florida Gators. With a good quarterback in Patrick Towles the Wildcats failed to beat the Gators while
the Florida program is down and rebuilding. Blowing opportunities like that can cost head coaches in
the SEC and that could be the case with Stoops. Still Kentucky has a decent team with a good quarterback
and can rally this season to go back to a respectable bowl game. Best case scenario the Cats have
an outside shot at winning the East with some breaks along the way.
4. GUS MALZHAN, AUBURN
So far into 2015 this is the SEC's disappointment. QB Jeremy Johnson has looked downright
awful in three games so far. Malzhan has quickly climbed up into the warm seat category and
its been an unexpected surprise. LSU hammered Auburn this past Saturday and now the Auburn
nation has quickly become disgusted and mad with the QB situation. An embarrassing win over
FCS opponent Jacksonville State quickly threw the 2015 season into a tailspin for Auburn. It was
a game that could have easily gone into the loss column for the Tigers. It quickly put Malzhan into
the heat and scrutiny of the Auburn nation. However for Auburn and Malzhan its still very early
into the season and the Tigers can turn things around with a win over MSU this Saturday. A QB
change might help out if they want to accomplish that.
(3-2): A HOT SEAT ON A CAR HOOD ON A SUMMER DAY….
3. BRET BILEIMA, ARKANSAS
The head hog has been smelling like a hog lately and he doesn't smell good. With an embarrassing loss
to MAC opponent Toledo and a beating from Big XII foe Texas Tech…the hype and optimism from the preseason has quickly evaporated and been replaced by a sense of falling back into the frustration of losing
game after game prior to last season's late success. In defense of him just like Malzhan its early in 2015
and the Hogs can get back on track with an upset win over Texas A&M this Saturday.
2. DEREK MASON, VANDERBILT
Poor Derek Mason. Did he know what he was getting into at Vanderbilt or is he just not head coaching
material. In his defense he has improved the Vanderbilt defense but that's very small potatoes given the
talent he has in the cupboard in Nashville. It won't get any easier with a game at No.3 Ole Miss Saturday.
An opening season loss to Western Kentucky made many laugh around the country. Its only year two for him in Nashville. Beating Austin Peay may have been the last victory for quite a while for him and the Dores.
(1): THE HOT SEAT WITH FIRE UNDERNEATH IT…..
STEVE SPURRIER, SOUTH CAROLINA
Who remembers SEC Media Days 2012? Spurrier joked around and said he'd love to play Ole Miss.
Well..well…well my how things have changed radically in the SEC. Ole Miss and Hugh Freeze would
love to play you HBC. South Carolina has become hot, hot garbage and Gamecock nation has been
talking about who there next head coach will be after Spurrier. Losing to Kentucky quickly pushed
him off the cliff and getting drilled by Georgia only added insult to injury. Spurrier's age will quickly
come back into the spotlight and recruiting and perception are already suffering….
14. HUGH FREEZE, OLE MISS
In his fourth season in Oxford Hugh Freeze has taken the Ole Miss football program to new heights in
the modern era of college football. Freeze is the best head coach Ole Miss has had since the legendary
Johnny Vaught and could be just on the verge of taking Rebel football into a new, second golden age
of SEC championships and national championships. Just this past Saturday Freeze pulled off what has
been nearly impossible for every Rebel coach to do and that was to beat Alabama in back to back seasons.
The Ole Miss football team is loaded with enormous talent and depth and next spring's NFL draft will hear
many Ole Miss players called in the first three rounds easily. The Rebels are No.3 in the nation and a very
serious SEC, national championship contender. The program is embarking on legendary times.
13. JIM MCELWAIN, FLORIDA
McElwain has been good so far for the Florida Gators. Granted it wasn't an impressive win at Kentucky
this past Saturday but for the first year head coach in Gainesville he is 3-0 and enjoying a nice honeymoon
period with the Gator nation. A lot of folks thought the hire was a little underwhelming at first but so far
he's given Florida fans offense and points something they've always enjoyed since the Spurrier days.
The team still has quality defensive players from the Muschamp era and will face traditional rival Tennessee
this upcoming Saturday. A win against the Vols will only add more confidence and belief in his rebuilding job
in Gainesville.
12. KEVIN SUMLIN, TEXAS A&M
The newness of joining the SEC has worn off and Texas A&M doesn't have a Johnny football anymore.
But Kyle Allen is becoming a great SEC quarterback in his own right and so far the Aggies are 3-0 this year.
Sumlin came under some heat last season after losses to Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Alabama but a upset
at Auburn last season has carried positive momentum over into 2015. Kyle Allen is leading the Aggie offense
and new DC John Chavis has the defense heading in the right direction. A quality non-conference win over
Arizona State has been good as well. A&M has a chance to move to 4-0 with a game against struggling
Arkansas.
11. GARY PINKEL, MISSOURI
He's slipped the last two weeks with very unimpressive wins against Arkansas State and Connecticut
against two lower tier FCS programs that are decent albeit…but still two teams Missouri should beat more
convincingly considering the Tigers have been the SEC east champions the past two seasons. Despite
the lackluster efforts recently Pinkel is sitting comfortably in Columbia with the fanbase. The Tigers thrive
on not getting any respect from fellow SEC fan bases and this season should be no different. Missouri for the
third year in a row will be a contender in the east. Missouri is one of the most under appreciated schools in
the SEC and overlooked quite a bit by a lot of other fan bases.
(10-7): Sitting steady and upright on middle ground
10. NICK SABAN, ALABAMA
Its a little odd you put a head coach who has won 4 national championships (3 at Alabama, 1 at LSU)
in this category but when you coach at a program like Alabama with sky-high expectations every single
year this is what happens. The grumblings that the dynasty is slowly in decline became a bit louder
with Alabama's loss to Ole Miss…a program that many Alabama fans view historically as an easy
win. That's not the case anymore with the Ole Miss program taking the kings throne from the Tide
in the west. Saban's age, desire and drive will start to come under more scrutiny and Alabama fans
will grow a bit more uncomfortable with just being great and not being the absolute best team in America hands
down. Since the Kick 6 at Auburn in 2013…the Tide have lost to (Auburn-13, Oklahoma-14, Ole Miss-14, Ohio State-15, Ole Miss-15). That would be ok for most programs to lose 5 games in that time span but its not good enough for Alabama.
09. MARK RICHT, GEORGIA
Richt has been here and done that many times it seems. Georgia starts off good and has promise
to win the East. Such is the case this season so far. Beating Spurrier and South Carolina will always
please the Georgia fanbase and the Dawgs did it very convincingly this past Saturday. There's still a lot to
prove in 2015 and Georgia needs to avoid the usual unexpected loss that derails its SEC East title hopes.
Richt has gotten the reputation as a good coach but not an elite one. He can silence a lot of critics by
not only getting to Atlanta this year but winning an outright league title and becoming a national title contender
in the process. A national title would set him up for life in Athens and permanently silence the grumblers.
08. LES MILES, LSU
Its early for Les Miles but he's got LSU off to a 2-0 start and leading the SEC West early in 2015. There
are still major hurdles for LSU to overcome in 2015 with Ole Miss, Alabama, Texas A&M left and east opponents South Carolina and Florida. LSU's non-conference schedule is very easy so the Tigers along with
Ole Miss, Alabama and A&M have to be considered the west favorites to win the division. Fournette is sitting
atop the Heisman race right now and LSU has the potential to win the SEC and national titles in 2015. He's
sitting this low because its been a few years since the Tigers were at an elite level and have slipped back into
mediocrity ground. That could easily be reversed if LSU emerges as a title threat this season which so far
appears to be the case.
7. DAN MULLEN, MISSISSIPPI STATE
There's a feeling outside of Starkville MS that Mullen has plateaued at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs
recruit decently but a notch below Ole Miss, Alabama, LSU, Georgia and other SEC top-tier programs.
Still for one of the historically worst SEC programs Mullen has been a great coach and led the Bulldogs
to a No.1 ranking in the polls last season and barely missing out on an SEC West title. The Bulldogs had
a great chance a few weeks ago to jump out ahead in the west standings but came up short with a loss to
LSU. That's symbolic of the MSU program coming up just a bit short. Still you can never count MSU out
and they always have an outside shot at being a contender in the West. Mullen is great at taking above
average talent and making them better.
(6-4): Sitting on a hard, warm bench with no back
6. BUTCH JONES, TENNESSEE
It may seem a bit unfair to put him here but Butch Jones seems to have the Tennessee program stuck a bit
in neutral. The Vols are better with Jones now in charge but not at the elite level the Vol nation will demand
the football program to be at…Expectations got too high in the off-season with a bowl win over Iowa and the Vols could have garnered a higher status with a win over Oklahoma. But they blew it and took out the frustration on a cupcake this past Saturday. That doesn't really do anything to change the disappointment with the OU loss. However a win over Florida would help Butch Jones out a lot because there is nothing like beating
the Gators which gives pleasure to the Big Orange nation.
5. MARK STOOPS, KENTUCKY
Again a bit unfair to put Stoops this high but somebody's got to be in this spot. Kentucky fell off a cliff
halfway through last season and blew a wonderful opportunity to end its long, long losing streak to the
Florida Gators. With a good quarterback in Patrick Towles the Wildcats failed to beat the Gators while
the Florida program is down and rebuilding. Blowing opportunities like that can cost head coaches in
the SEC and that could be the case with Stoops. Still Kentucky has a decent team with a good quarterback
and can rally this season to go back to a respectable bowl game. Best case scenario the Cats have
an outside shot at winning the East with some breaks along the way.
4. GUS MALZHAN, AUBURN
So far into 2015 this is the SEC's disappointment. QB Jeremy Johnson has looked downright
awful in three games so far. Malzhan has quickly climbed up into the warm seat category and
its been an unexpected surprise. LSU hammered Auburn this past Saturday and now the Auburn
nation has quickly become disgusted and mad with the QB situation. An embarrassing win over
FCS opponent Jacksonville State quickly threw the 2015 season into a tailspin for Auburn. It was
a game that could have easily gone into the loss column for the Tigers. It quickly put Malzhan into
the heat and scrutiny of the Auburn nation. However for Auburn and Malzhan its still very early
into the season and the Tigers can turn things around with a win over MSU this Saturday. A QB
change might help out if they want to accomplish that.
(3-2): A HOT SEAT ON A CAR HOOD ON A SUMMER DAY….
3. BRET BILEIMA, ARKANSAS
The head hog has been smelling like a hog lately and he doesn't smell good. With an embarrassing loss
to MAC opponent Toledo and a beating from Big XII foe Texas Tech…the hype and optimism from the preseason has quickly evaporated and been replaced by a sense of falling back into the frustration of losing
game after game prior to last season's late success. In defense of him just like Malzhan its early in 2015
and the Hogs can get back on track with an upset win over Texas A&M this Saturday.
2. DEREK MASON, VANDERBILT
Poor Derek Mason. Did he know what he was getting into at Vanderbilt or is he just not head coaching
material. In his defense he has improved the Vanderbilt defense but that's very small potatoes given the
talent he has in the cupboard in Nashville. It won't get any easier with a game at No.3 Ole Miss Saturday.
An opening season loss to Western Kentucky made many laugh around the country. Its only year two for him in Nashville. Beating Austin Peay may have been the last victory for quite a while for him and the Dores.
(1): THE HOT SEAT WITH FIRE UNDERNEATH IT…..
STEVE SPURRIER, SOUTH CAROLINA
Who remembers SEC Media Days 2012? Spurrier joked around and said he'd love to play Ole Miss.
Well..well…well my how things have changed radically in the SEC. Ole Miss and Hugh Freeze would
love to play you HBC. South Carolina has become hot, hot garbage and Gamecock nation has been
talking about who there next head coach will be after Spurrier. Losing to Kentucky quickly pushed
him off the cliff and getting drilled by Georgia only added insult to injury. Spurrier's age will quickly
come back into the spotlight and recruiting and perception are already suffering….
