SEC Football Head Coach rankings and early COTY

• No. 5 – Alabama, Nick Saban – Saban is, and always will be, the GOAT, but Alabama has slipped this season, even if only through two losses by a total of four points. Saban can be expected to lead a return to a Crimson Tide normal next season.
• No. 4 – Georgia, Kirby Smart – Ranking Smart above Saban is unpleasant. Two points are noteworthy. One is despite the NFL exodus from last season’s Bulldogs’ defense, Georgia is probably the nation’s best team. Even as CFB’s best, Georgia is not as good as last season.
• No. 3 – South Carolina, Shane Beamer – The Gamecocks were 7-6 last season with bad losses to Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Clemson. After destroying Tennessee on Saturday night, South Carolina is 7-4 and arguably one of the most improved SEC football teams.
• No. 2 – Vanderbilt, Clark Lea – The 5-6 Commodores have won two SEC games this season. In the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons, the Dores won a total of one SEC football game. Clark Lea has made great progress in two seasons. The opposite of Jimbo Fisher, Lea has done more with less than any other SEC football coach.
• No. 1 – LSU, Brian Kelly – LSU should not have been very good this season. There was so much roster turmoil following the Ed Orgeron debacle. Kelly has not made the Bengal Tigers great in one season, but they are better than good and headed to Atlanta.

As far as a COTY prediction, when the season is over it will be one of Kelly, Smart or Heupel. But if Vanderbilt can upset Tennessee, it should be Clark Lea.

Alabama football fans – ranking Nick Saban 5th was disappointing. To the extent Saban and the Tide are down, it is believed to be a blip rather than a trend.