So far this off-season, Phillip Fulmer has been a leading topic of conversation among many Vol fans. Often at issue is the fact that Fulmer has a less-than-stellar record against some of the top coaches in the conference, as outlined here after the Outback Bowl. The idea has also been batted around on several UT message boards, including a recent thread on Volquest asking if Fulmer supporters actually make up the minority.
And that's why I think the post "Ranking the SEC Coaches" at College Football Resource is pretty interesting. It's CFR's ranking of SEC coaches, prompted by a post at the blog Statistically Speaking, listing the resumes of SEC coaches and asking for feedback as to how they should be ranked. CFR, who is not a Vol fan (good lord, how he is not a Vol fan) has Fulmer ranked # 3 among the coaches in the league. Of Fulmer, CFR says:
So I ask you: is CFR's unbiased opinion more sober and clear-headed because he doesn't have a dog in the hunt? Or does his distance from the program shield his judgment from the problems that Vol fans see on a regular basis? Let us know in the comments below.