With SEC Media Days behind us, we can now officially begin to look ahead to the 2015 season. After a couple of down years for the SEC, the conference once again heads into the season with a lot of questions. Despite the many questions, the conference is as wide open as it has ever been. Alabama and Auburn appear to be the favorites, but the gap between them and the rest of the league isn't as significant as it has been in the past, as many teams appear to be on the rise. With the number of quality teams in the league, could this be the year that that the SEC beats itself out of National Championship contention? Without further ado, I will unveil my (probably wrong) predictions for the SEC.

East

1. Tennessee

It might sound premature to some, but the Tennessee program is ready to win now. Butch Jones and the Volunteers return a league leading 18 starters along with yet another stellar recruiting class. Among those returning starters is quarterback, Joshua Dobbs, who appears ready to become a star in the league. Dobbs will have a talented receiving corps to throw to highlighted by Marquez North, who will return from a injury that ended his season in 2014. Questions remain along the offensive line, but improvement should be expected among the group. The defense must replace middle linebacker A.J. Johnson, but the Vols have enough experience returning to help ease this loss. The schedule looks extremely tough, but the experience at quarterback gives the Vols the edge over the rest of the East.

2. Georgia

For yet another season, Georgia is the media favorite to win the East. With the return of Nick Chubb, who is probably the best running back in the country, this is completely understandable. Along with Nick Chubb, Georgia will also return four starters on the offensive line. However, Georgia must find a new quarterback. Sophomore Brice Ramsey appears to be the front-runner for the position and will have the misfortunate of throwing to receiving corps that features only one true playmaker in Malcom Mitchell, who has been injury-prone throughout his career. The defense, under coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, returns eight starters from a unit that struggled at times last year. The bad news for Georgia is that they host Alabama and face road trips to Tennessee and Auburn. With Georgia's history in big games, it's difficult to see the Bulldogs winning any of those games. So, in other words, Georgia will pull another Georgia this year.

3. Florida

Jim McElwain faces some big challenges in his first year at Florida. The Gators's offense has been putrid over the last few years and still has a lack of talent on that side of the ball. The offensive line is very thin, and there aren't many true playmakers, but quarterback Treon Harris showed some promise last year and gained some valuable experience. The Gators also return running back Kelvin Taylor. Unlike the offense, the defense has been strong over the last few season, and the Gators still have a lot of talent on that side of the ball. The secondary returns every starter from last season, including Vernon Hargreaves III. The front seven is thin in some places, but five-star defensive end CeCe Jefferson should help what will still be a very good defense. Florida should show some improvement this year and seven wins would probably be good enough to grab the third spot in the East.

4. South Carolina

The Gamecocks suffered a pretty bad season last year when compared to prior seasons under Steve Spurrier. Unfortunately for the still fiery Spurrier, things don't look much brighter this season. The Gamecocks lost seven starters on offense from last year's team, including quarterback Dylan Thompson and running back Mike Davis. Fortunately, star receiver Pharaoh Cooper will return, which should make things easier for whoever wins the quarterback battle. The defense returns seven starters from a unit that was terrible last year. Expect Spurrier to find a way to win six games this year, but it appears that his best years with the Gamecocks are behind him.

5. Missouri

Missouri has been a pleasant surprise since joining the SEC. They have managed to win the East twice in the last two seasons as underdogs. It seems foolish to discount the Tigers this year after the success of the past season, but it looks like the Tigers will really struggle this year. Quarterback Maty Mauk returns, but he looked far from great in his past season as a starter. To make matters worse, the receiving corps is very inexperienced. The offensive line returns some experience so the run game should be better, but it is hard to see this offense being very good. The defense will also likely take a step back after losing first-round pick Shane Ray, leaving a very inexperienced defensive line. The secondary returns three starters so all hope isn't lost for the Tigers. Gary Pinkel has done a remarkable job, but this looks like a rebuilding year for the Tigers.

6. Kentucky

After a 5-1 start to the season last year, it appeared that Mark Stoops had the Wildcats ready to make some noise in the SEC. However, the Wildcats went on to lose the last six games of the year and miss a bowl game for yet another season. On offense, Kentucky brings back most of their talent from last season. Quarterback Patrick Knowles will be back, along with running backs Stanley Williams and Jojo Kemp. The Wildcats also return four starters on the offensive line. On defense, the Wildcats will struggle to replace defense end Bud Depree. There are also some holes in the secondary. Kentucky should once again flirt with a bowl appearance, but they will in all likelihood find themselves on the outside looking in again this season.

7. Vanderbilt

Derek Mason struggled mightily in his first season with the Commodores and there is little reason to expect things will improve this year. The Commodores were terrible on offense last year scoring only nine touchdowns in SEC play. They could never find an answer at quarterback last season and there is no clear cut choice for the position this season. One bright spot for the Commodores on offense is that they return four starters on the offense line. The Commodores will likely struggle on defense again, as there are question marks for each unit. Expect the Commodores to barely surpass their win total from last year, but only because there are four cupcake games on the schedule.

West

1. Alabama

Alabama once again enters this season with high expectations after the last two seasons have ended in disappointment. The Crimson Tide lost a lot from last years team, especially on the offensive side of the ball, but Tide fans shouldn't worry because Nick Saban has shown that the Tide doesn't rebuild, they reload. Alabama must find a new starting quarterback, but this isn't too concerning considering 'Bama has found a way to win with every quarterback that has played under Saban. All Saban asks from his quarterbacks are to manage the game and protect the football. Amari Cooper is gone, but the receiving corps is still very talented. The real question the Tide must figure out is how to replace three starters from an offensive line that wasn't very good last year. This year's defense for the Tide looks poised to be the best under Saban since the 2011 team that smothered opposing offenses. The front seven is one of the deepest and most talented units in the nation as Bama could rotate as many as 10 linemen along the defensive front. The secondary struggled at times last year and must replace Landon Collins at safety, but all four projected starters have some experience. That experience should lead a cut down in mental errors and overall improvement from the secondary. The bad news for 'Bama is that the schedule is brutal. 'Bama faces a four-game stretch of Georgia, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Tennessee. That's not to mention LSU or the road trip to Auburn. The Iron Bowl will likely once again decide the West and have major playoff implications.

2. Auburn

This appears to be Gus Malzahn's most talented team under his tenure at Auburn. The offense will once again be the strength of the team as receiver Duke Williams returns along with a wealth of talent at the skill positions. Jeremy Johnson looks like an NFL quarterback and he already has game experience. Expect the passing game to thrive under Johnson, especially with the talent around him. However, Auburn will miss the running ability of Nick Marshall. It was Marshall's ability to run that really made Auburn's offense scary in the previous years. Jeremy Johnson is no statue in the pocket, but he won't be able to bring the same dynamic to the offense that Marshall did. With the addition of Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator and a healthy Carl Lawson, the defense should show some improvement. The Tigers also have experience back at linebacker with the return of Cassanova McKinzey and Kris Frost. However, it is reasonable to question just how much improvement is possible when considering the amount of time the defense will spend on the field due to lightening pace of the Auburn offense. The Tigers do have the advantage of hosting this year's Iron Bowl, which should be a true toss-up as the teams look evenly matched.

3. Texas A&M

The Aggies have made some noise in the SEC the past few seasons, but they haven't been able to truly contend for the conference championship. That could change this season as the Aggies return a talented offense and an improving defense. Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray will compete for the right to throw to talented receivers Speedy Noil and Josh Reynolds. The addition of former LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis should help the defense improve dramatically. Myles Garrett, who broke the SEC record for most sacks as a freshman, returns along with a host of other starters.Truthfully, with the talent that A&M has on offense, the defense merely needs to be average for the Aggies to compete in the West. The Aggies will also benefit from getting to play both Alabama and Auburn at home. Don't be surprised if the Aggies come out of one those games with a win.

4. LSU

By LSU's standards, last season was pretty bad. The main reason the Tigers struggled last season is because of poor quarterback play, and it appears to still be a issue entering this season as neither Anthony Jennings or Brandon Harris were able to win the job in the spring. The good news is that the Tigers have plenty of talent around the quarterback position. Running back Leonard Fournette is one of the best players in the country and leading receivers Travin Dural and Malchi Duprre also return. The Tigers also return three starters along the offensive line. Even with the loss of John Chavis, the Tiger defense should once again be very good. LSU will boast one of the best secondaries in the league, and some talented incoming recruits should help strengthen a front seven that struggled at times last year. If LSU can get competent play from the quarterback position, they can return to being one of the elite teams in the nation.

5. Arkansas

There is no doubt that the Razorback program is on the rise. Arkansas only went 7-6 last year, but they competed in every game they played in and had Alabama on the ropes before the Crimson Tide managed to escape Fayetteville with the victory. Two-year starting quarterback Brandon Allen is back along with star running backs Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins. Williams and Collins will have the privilege of running behind another massive offensive line. Arkansas has experience returning in key positions from last season's surprisingly good defense. The bad news for the Razorbacks is that eight wins will probably only be good enough for the fifth spot in a ultra-competive West. Arkansa is likely still a year away from truly competing for the division crown.

6. Ole Miss

Ole Miss is coming off what started off as a great season only to end with a embarrassing blowout loss at the hands of TCU. The offense returns all five staters along the offensive line, but must replace quarterback Bo Wallace. Whoever wins the quarterback battle will have the luxury of a healthy Laquon Treadwell returning. The problem is that the Ole Miss offense was never very good last year and having a new starting quarterback likely won't help things. The defense has some holes to feel, but the return of Robert Nkemdiche should help the front seven pick up the some of the slack for the secondary. Unfortunately, the Rebels probably peaked last year and will likely struggle with a difficult schedule.

7. Mississippi State

Like the "school up north," Mississippi State got off to a tremendous start and even spent some time at the top of the rankings last season. But, after the loss to Alabama, the Bulldogs fizzled out with losses to Ole Miss and Georgia Tech. Unfortunately, this season looks to follow the pattern of the last few games of the previous season as the Bulldogs return the fewest starters in the SEC. Quarterback Dak Prescott and leading receiver De'Runnya Wilson are back, but there is little experience outside those two on offense. The offensive line was especially decimated. The defense must replace seven starters, including Benardrick McKinney, the leader and best player on last year's defense. Even with Dak Prescott returning, the losses from last year's team will prove too much for the Bulldogs to overcome.