There are two coaches in the SEC that are head-and-shoulders above the rest when it comes to winning percentage versus ranked teams. Without looking at the stats before, you can probably name them.

What may or may not be somewhat surprising to note is that there are only three coaches in the SEC with winning records against ranked opponents. Without peeking at the data below, could you name the third one?

Here’s perhaps the biggest eyebrow-raiser of all: Seven coaches in all (that doesn’t include first-year head coaches Kirby Smart and Barry Odom) have lost at least two-thirds of their games against ranked opponents. Granted a vast majority of those losses have come to fellow SEC teams. Still, it doesn’t sound good when trying to convince an outlier that this is the best conference in the country.

Here’s a look at every current head coach in the SEC and their record versus ranked opponents:

Head coaching records vs. ranked teams (opponents ranked at time of game)

  • Nick Saban (Alabama, LSU, Michigan State, Toledo): 64-37; .634
  • Les Miles (Oklahoma State, LSU): 44-26; .629
  • Kevin Sumlin (Houston, Texas A&M): 13-12; .520
  • Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss): 10-12; .454
  • Gus Malzahn (Arkansas State, Auburn): 9-11; .450
  • Bret Bielema (Wisconsin, Arkansas): 14-28; .333
  • Will Muschamp (Florida, now South Carolina): 5-13; .278
  • Butch Jones (Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Tennessee): 3-18; .143
  • Jim McElwain (Colorado State, Florida): 1-6; .143
  • Dan Mullen (Mississippi State): 4-29; .121
  • Mark Stoops (Kentucky): 1-8; .111
  • Kirby Smart (Georgia): 0-0; .000
  • Barry Odom (Missouri): 0-0; .000
  • Derek Mason (Vanderbilt): 0-8; .000