Now that we’ve had time to digest National Signing Day and spring practice, is your team trending up, down or staying afloat heading into the 2015 season?

Alabama: EVEN — Crimson Tide fans would’ve liked to have seen better play at the quarterback spot during spring ball, but Nick Saban’s not pressing the panic button considering Alabama had this same issue this time last season. Loaded with talent and still licking their wounds from an ill-fated College Football Playoff appearance, the defending SEC champs enter 2015 as preseason favorites until a worthy adversary knocks them off the throne.

Auburn: UP — A bunch of Badgers running wild in Central Florida didn’t sit well with Gus Malzahn after last year’s bowl season ended with Auburn’s fourth loss in its final five games. He wanted to see a more physical group this spring and Will Muschamp was hired to help with that. The Tigers looked awfully good offensively with Jeremy Johnson at quarterback in Saturday’s spring game and based on the personnel they have returning, should be one of the favorites to win a league championship this season — emphasis on should considering the treacherous schedule.

Arkansas: UP — For the first time in several years, Razorbacks across the country have something to look forward to heading into Bret Bielema’s third season. Here’s a physical team — led by a veteran quarterback, two 1,000-yard rushers and talent on defense — with extreme confidence coming off a dominant bowl performance against Texas. Arkansas is a win over Auburn or Alabama away from competing for first in the Western Division and this season could be the year the Razorbacks complete the full turnaround.

Florida: EVEN — It can’t get much worse in Gainesville last November when Will Muschamp was fired following a tough-to-stomach loss to South Carolina. The ensuing hire of Jim McElwain wasn’t a sure-fire home run, but the alumni base and powers that be seem confident Jeremy Foley picked the right guy for the job. A slew of injuries kept Florida’s spring practice relatively uneventful, but the quarterback battle’s an intriguing storyline. A projected middle-of-the-road Eastern Division finisher, times have been better at Florida.

Georgia: UP — We often refer to ‘roster grading’ when projecting national favorites coming out of spring, a term that often separates the above-average squads from the title contenders. Georgia has it, arguably the SEC’s most complete collection of players on both sides of the football. The Bulldogs are second to none at linebacker, boast a Heisman candidate in Nick Chubb and can already pencil in at least eight wins with a favorable schedule (by SEC standards). If Mark Richt squanders this opportunity in front of a hungry fanbase, he’ll have some explaining to do.

Kentucky: DOWN — Patrick Towles isn’t a shoo-in to retain his job at quarterback and the Wildcats have issues in the trenches. How’s that for an offseason summation? Since opening the 2014 season a promising 5-1, Kentucky’s taken two steps back in Mark Stoops’ restoration project in Lexington, falling off the face of the proverbial college football Earth with six straight losses to squander a bowl bid. The Wildcats do have skill players worthy of mention, but until this team starts to control the line of scrimmage on a regular basis, struggling to reach the .500 mark is the norm.

LSU: EVEN — The offseason was particularly eventful for the Tigers who unexpectedly lost their longtime defensive coordinator and were on the wrong end of a couple National Signing Day battles for top recruits. LSU still managed to haul in the third-best class in the SEC (according to 247Sports’ Composite) and appear equipped, at least at the skill positions, to make a run in 2015. Leonard Fournette’s as good as it gets in the backfield and the Tigers’ secondary should be one of the nation’s best this fall. Cam Cameron has an interesting decision to make in August between Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris. Choosing the correct starter under center could be the difference in an average or elite season.

Mississippi: EVEN — We want to see how the quarterback situation plays out before labeling the Rebels a serious threat in the SEC, but you can’t overlook that defense, one of the nation’s strongest units returning this season. Ole Miss has turned the page on its bowl debacle and is hoping to overcome the loss of several players in leadership roles, notably Bo Wallace, Senquez Golson and Cody Prewitt. Hugh Freeze believes he is building a program with sustainability in Oxford and the Rebels’ upward trajectory over the past two seasons suggests that he’s correct in that assertion.

Mississippi State: UP — Those outside Starkville don’t seem convinced that Dan Mullen’s squad can post another 10-win season in 2015, but the 100 or so players in the locker room are extremely confident this year’s group will turn heads. Heisman candidate Dak Prescott is the SEC’s top returning quarterback and judging by his performance in the spring game over the weekend, has fully developed into a dynamic threat through the air and on the ground. We knew he had wheels, but if his arm becomes a weapon then Mississippi State’s offense could be one of college football’s best.

Missouri: UP — Fanfare rarely shows up in Missouri during the spring, but the Tigers made waves in February with a noteworthy recruiting haul, the most impressive in Gary Pinkel’s tenure. Highlighted by five-star tackle Terry Beckner and four-star quarterback Drew Lock, Mizzou welcomed a nationally-ranked class of 23 players who will raise the bar in due time. The two-time defending Eastern Division champs said goodbye to a pair of dominant pass rushers for the second straight season, but All-American candidate Harold Brantley and a host of other returning starters on defense give this team a reason to celebrate.

South Carolina: DOWN — Steve Spurrier’s well-documented ‘2-3 more years’ remark concerning his future in Columbia all but butchered a once elite 2015 signing class and there are questions at several key positions heading into his 11th season with the Gamecocks. It looks like South Carolina will have to play with a chip on its shoulder this season to pick up any respect nationally after last season’s 7-6 disappointment.

Tennessee: UP — Are the Vols finally Tennessee again? The last seven seasons have been so average for the storied program that the presses nearly stopped following a 7-6 finish — featuring a bowl victory — last fall. Some of us may have overreacted a bit crowning Tennessee the 2015 Eastern Division favorite in January (I did), but there is some validity there. Equipped with arguably the East’s most talented quarterback-running back punch with Joshua Dobbs, Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, the Vols return a league-high 18 starters and have serious momentum heading into fall.

Texas A&M: UP — The Aggies have SEC Championship-potential — down the road — thanks to the offseason hire of John Chavis, a much-needed defensive guru who nixed Baton Rouge for College Station. Coach Kevin Sumlin is hoping the payoff results in 10-plus wins and a Western Division title, but those expectations seem a bit lofty. Most of the Aggies’ spring practices were closed to the public, a close-to-the-vest approach from Sumlin. Texas A&M shocked the college football world in last season’s opener with some new-found weapons before sputtering to an average finish. Perhaps this is the year the Aggies figure it out defensively and play meaningful games in November.

Vanderbilt: DOWN — There’s writing on the wall for Derek Mason in Nashville, but it’s only in pencil at this time. A winless SEC finish won’t get you many supporters, but Mason’s decision to take over the defense in 2015 is a step forward for the program. The offense is the bigger issue however, an anemic unit still without a quarterback. As hard as the Commodores worked during spring ball to shake off last season’s disaster, 2015 looks grim considering the challenges they’re going to face on offense in the SEC East.