It’s a year of transition in the SEC West.

Six of the seven teams in the conference are breaking in a new coordinator for 2015, and more than half of the division has a quarterback situation that remains up in the air.

The division, as a result, seems a bit more open than in previous years. You can make an argument that, if things go exactly right, all seven teams could claim the divisional crown and head to Atlanta for the SEC championship game.

So, what does each team need in order to claim the SEC West? Some teams have longer odds than others, but if these things break right for each school, they could have a shot at winning the division.

Alabama

  1. Figure out which quarterback can keep the offense operating at least somewhat close to the level the team reached last year in terms of playbook mastery and decision making.
  2. Get solid production out of the running backs behind Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake, both of whom will be freshmen.
  3. Shore up the pass defense. Last year’s secondary gave up far too many big pass plays, and the safety rotation is still in flux due to some off-field issues this offseason.

Arkansas

  1. Brandon Allen must turn into one of the top passers in the SEC, and the Hogs must find some sort of vertical threat to complement the their rushing attack.
  2. Go at least 3-1 on the road against Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss and LSU (which will be tough), and sweep the home slate on the schedule.
  3. Develop as stout a defense against the run as last year. Several key contributors up front are gone, including Trey Flowers and Darius Philon, but the Razorbacks have more than enough depth along the line. The bigger question will be at linebacker, where Arkansas must replace Martrell Spaight, the SEC’s leading tackler a year ago.

Auburn

  1. Jeremy Johnson must live up to the hype. If he’s just average, Auburn’s offense won’t be nearly as potent as it needs to be.
  2. Will Muschamp gets enough out of his front seven, especially the pass rush, to mask the depth deficiencies in the defensive backfield.
  3. Win the rivalry showdowns with Alabama and Georgia. Those two games, along with the Georgia-Alabama meeting early in the season, are the most important of any SEC games this season, and if Auburn can take down two of its biggest rivals for the conference title, it spells good things for their chances of getting to Atlanta.

LSU

  1. Pick a quarterback between Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris and stick with him. The questions that surrounded the position last year were nearly as damaging as Jennings’ play.
  2. Go at least 3-1 against Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Winning the West with a loss is pretty common, but any more than that and LSU will have a hard time taking home the crown.
  3. Give Leonard Fournette at least 20 carries per game. The kid is perhaps the most talented running back in the nation, and he’s going to determine how far this offense can go. The defense will be just fine, and if Fournette continues to improve the offense might survive mediocre quarterback play.

Mississippi State

  1. Dak Prescott must have a Heisman-caliber season. If Mississippi State is going to repeat its success from last year, it will be because Prescott is even better than he was in 2014, even with less talent around him. It’s a long shot, just like MSU’s chances in the division, but if Prescott can pull it off, it will mean the Bulldogs are in contention.
  2. Replace the depth lost on defense. While Mississippi State won’t be as deep as last year, it has enough talent for Manny Diaz to craft a capable unit, and perhaps perform better against the pass. Diaz can thank Geoff Collins and his Psycho Defense for using a 22-man rotation last year, leaving MSU with plenty of experience on that side of the ball.
  3. Find the next Ben Beckwith to lead the offensive line. The front five was one of the biggest strengths of last year’s 10-win team, and it will have to be again this year despite replacing Beckwith, Dillon Day and Blaine Clausell. If one of the returning vets can step up and have an All-SEC season, it would go a long way.

Ole Miss

  1. Get solid play out of one of the trio of Chad Kelly, Ryan Buchanan and DeVante Kincade at quarterback. Only one of the three has to play well, but that player must play to the caliber of a successful SEC starter if Ole Miss is to capitalize on its wealth of talent at receiver.
  2. Find consistency on the offensive line, one of the worst in the SEC last year, and just as importantly stay healthy up front.
  3. Along with improving the offensive line, bring the running game up to par. While several tailbacks from last year have departed, Ole Miss has enough weapons that, behind a developing line, should be able to move the ball on the ground better than last year.

Texas A&M

  1. Make major strides on defense. Finishing anywhere close to the basement will doom Texas A&M, and John Chavis has to get his new defense into the top half of the league for the Aggies to have a chance.
  2. Balance a new-and-improved rushing attack — led by run-game coordinator Dave Christensen — with Jake Spavital’s high-octane passing offense. Greater balance on offense in the post-Johnny Football era will make a young A&M attack less predictable and thus more difficult to contain.
  3. Improve the offensive line. Last year’s group was often out of sync, despite the presence of future first-round pick Cedric Ogbuehi. Center Mike Matthews, who missed spring, will have to get the group on the same page this fall, and Germain Ifedi is in need of a career year.