Best coach in the SEC?

Glenn Guilbeau is now an AP Voter, and decided to kick it off yesterday by ranking the SEC Coaches. I actually have little gripe with the rankings. Spurrier has to go first, with Saban or Urban Meyer second. Beyond that it's tough to argue against Phil Fulmer and Mark Richt, so I'd legitimately have Les ranked sixth if I ranked 'em. I'm not sure it's entirely awful that Guilbeau's got Houston Nutt ranked ahead of Les; I think it's wrong, because I think Nutt is a boob, but I guess there's decent evidence of the same from ole Les. And everything Guilbeau says about Les Miles is rather spot on. I mean, we did have national championship talent (4 first-rounders this year), were eliminated fairly early on last year, and were just plain sloppy much of 2005 before Georgia put it all to rest in the SEC Championship Game.

Where I do have a problem with Guilbeau, and a rather large one at that, is his constant need to goad the LSU faithful by implying that we're all a bunch of idiot rednecks who ignore the facts and inexplicably manage to wade through life purely on the emotional highs and lows of purple-and-gold-colored glasses. To wit:

This isn't the first time Guilbeau's taken it upon himself to let the world know that he is the sole voice of reason and literacy that exists within the confines of the state of Louisiana. Saying that LSU fans don't respect what Saban did for us is sheer lunacy. Sure, there's a helluva lot of hatred for the guy now, and it's completely valid to say those emotions are unnecessary. I for one would agree with that. But I understand where those who are put off by Saban now are coming from. Still though: insinuating that we've all forgotten that Saban took us to a national championship, after inheriting a team that in his first year (2000) lost its homecoming game to the University of Alabama at Birmingham? That's absurd, plain and simple. EVERYONE remembers that. And EVERYONE is eternally grateful for that title.

So Glenn: why do you keep stoking these fires that simply do not exist?

I think it's high time someone does Mr. Guilbeau the courtesy of educating him that, just like many other schools, LSU certainly has its share of knuckleheads. But he's doing a mighty big disservice to Louisiana State University, its alumni, and its fans, by using his pulpit to portray us as a bunch of backwoods hicks incapable of carrying a decent football discussion. Just do your job, Glenn, and cover LSU football impartially and without that galactically annoying aloof tone of yours. I've mentioned in the past that you're capable of quite coherent thought in putting together a decent article; perhaps you should stick to that successful routine?

Wouldn't hurt.