Florida's McElwain deserves SEC Coach of the Year (again) after winning East (again)

Jim McElwain is 13-3 in SEC play during his first two seasons at Florida

Florida won the SEC East on Saturday with an incredible goal-line stand at LSU, booking a spot in Atlanta to face Alabama for the second straight season. The Jim McElwain era has only lasted two dozen games, but if there's one thing you can count on, it's that these Gators will be as well-prepared as possible to win despite any roster deficiencies.

"All we do is end up back in Atlanta," McElwain told reporters after the game, referring to the SEC Championship Game. "Things aren't always pretty, but it's pretty this time of year in Atlanta."

Some voters choose their coach of the year by "who did the most with the least." If the SEC media applies this method to the 2016 ballot, there is no other option but McElwain.

Florida entered Saturday's game at LSU with enough disadvantages to think the Gators were all but cooked against a Tigers team surging under interim coach Ed Orgeron. Instead of hosting LSU earlier in the season, when they were much healthier, the Gators had to travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in late November down seven starters -- including their top three tacklers, starting quarterback and starting center -- because of injuries.

The 2015 team had a thin offensive line, lost a starting QB to suspension in the middle of the season, and still made it to the SEC Championship Game. After the season, McElwain was named SEC Coach of the Year.

This year's coaching job is even more impressive because it required McElwain to reconfigure the offense because of a change at the quarterback position and overcome tremendous losses on the defensive side of the ball.

For much of the McElwain era, the Gators have relied on a great defense. Saturday's win, especially getting it with a goal-line stand against a physical team like LSU with backups in the game, cemented Florida as more than a good defense. With a 13-3 record in SEC play, McElwain has made Florida the team to beat in the SEC East going forward.

It's possible that voters will reward Alabama's dominance and vote for Nick Saban, but it should really be Coach Mac taking home this award, especially after what he and the Gators have gone through this season.