Consider that Urban Meyer has won two national titles in the past three years in arguably the most competitive “amateur” sport in the country. University of Florida president Bernie Machem thinks that man should be top dog in terms of compensation. From the Orlando Sentinel:

“He should be [the SEC's highest-paid football coach],” Machen told the Orlando Sentinel at the SEC spring meetings. “He’s the best.”

LSU might prevent Meyer from this feat. Tigers Coach Les Miles is currently the SEC’s highest-paid coach at $3.751 million per year, and his contract includes an escalator clause that must keep him the conference’s top earner.

After Miles won the 2007 national title, his salary bettered Alabama’s Nick Saban ($3.75 million) by $1,000. If Meyer gets bumped to, say, $4 million per year from Florida, LSU might have to escalate Miles’ salary to $4.001 million — for five losses last season.

Meyer currently earns $3.25 million annually and is not asking for a raise. Sounds like The Powers That Be may be fearful of Meyer leaving for South Bend, as has been speculated by, oh, everyone. But this might be the best way to unseat one of their chief rivals, especially if he has another mediocre season. Also underpaid, arguably, are the Florida football players themselves. But then again, they don’t have to put “being the shizzle” and “scoring copious amounts of co-ed ass” on their 1040s, either. That’s good, because Obama’s taxing the hell out of that this year.