Looking ahead to 2015, the SEC is poised to be even strong next year thanks to the rise of two programs — Arkansas and Tennessee.

Both squads finished with 7-6 overall records in 2014, but are primed to return to their once higher standing within the conference next season as dark-horses for the SEC Championship.

Here’s a look at what could help and hurt their runs in 2015.

Arkansas Razorbacks

2014 season: 7-6 (2-5)

Bowl result: Defeated Texas, 31-7 in Texas Bowl

Why the hype?: There are several reasons why many expect Arkansas to take a big step forward in 2015.

  • Experience along the line of scrimmage— Arkansas loses just seven starters from 2014 and will return several key players along the line of scrimmage — a crucial area in the SEC. On the offensive line, right tackle Brey Cook is the lone departure as Arkansas will return 4/5 of the biggest offensive line in college football, a unit that allowed just 14.0 sacks this season which was the fewest in the SEC. Defensively, Trey Flowers is the only sure-fire departure as of now. Flowers was a huge part of the 2014 team, but guys like Darius Philon, Taiwain Johnson, JaMichael Winston and others will help form one of the more potent defensive lines in the SEC next season. Philon is expected to decide on the NFL within the week.
  • They’ve learned how to win — Following a road win against Texas Tech, Arkansas got a lot of kudos for manhandling a Big 12 team on the road. Thanks to a dominating rushing attack and a very physical brand of football, Arkansas was considered to be one of the more underrated teams in the SEC and a team that could give fits to the higher-ranked squads in the conference. But it wasn’t meant to be for the Hogs, who lost heartbreakers to Texas A&M, Alabama and Mississippi State. However, it was a different story at the end of the season. Arkansas reeled off consecutive conference wins in impressive wins over LSU and Ole Miss, giving the Hogs their first conference win since 2012. Many believed Arkansas wasn’t able to pull off those big upsets early on because it didn’t know how to win. That won’t be the case in 2015.
  • Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams — A strong running game always travels well and the Hogs will boast arguably the best 1-2 punch in the conference. Jonathan Williams has already decided to return for his senior season and Alex Collins will be heading into his junior year. Both players gained over 1,000 rushing yards in 2014 and recorded 12 touchdowns apiece. There’s no reason not to believe they can make even more improvements in 2015.

On second thought … : One reason to worry about Arkansas living up to the 2015 hype is because of its schedule. The Razorbacks face a brutal road schedule in 2015 that includes at Tennessee, at Alabama, at LSU and at Ole Miss. In addition to the road slate, the Hogs will also have to face the SEC East champs and Mississippi State in their final two games. If Dak Prescott returns for 2015, the Bulldogs will be a handful for Arkansas at home.

Tennessee Volunteers

2014 season: 7-6 (3-5)

Bowl result: Defeated Iowa, 45-28 in TaxSlayer Bowl

Why the hype?: Like Arkansas, there are a list of reasons why the Vols will be high on the list of many college football analysts in 2015.

  • Impact sophomores — As of Nov. 20, the Vols had played 23 true freshman during the season. It’s not only a testament to the lack of depth at several positions, but also to the talent of Tennessee’s recruiting class. Several key players for the Vols in 2014 were freshmen — Derek Barnett, Jalen Hurd, Josh Malone, Ethan Wolf, and others. Everyone says you make the biggest improvement from year one to year two, so if that’s the case, Tennessee could see a huge improvement in many areas for 2015.
  • The emergence of Joshua Dobbs — Senior Justin Worley came into the season as the starter and the Vols had no one behind Worley that seemed capable of taking over the reigns in 2015. But when Worley went down with an injury and Nathan Peterman struggled as his backup, sophomore Joshua Dobbs stepped up and appears to be the real deal. In just six games and only five as a starter, Dobbs accumulated nearly 1,700 total yards and 17 touchdowns. His dual-threat capabilities certainly make him dangerous, but its his rare accuracy for a dual-threat quarterback that helps him stand apart — he completed 63.3 percent of his 177 passes. The starting QB job is Dobbs’ to lose in 2015 and he has all the tools to be one of the best in the SEC.
  • Another top recruiting class — If there’s one thing that Butch Jones has done well while at Tennessee, it’s recruit. The Vols are primed to bring in another big time recruiting class in 2015 as the Vols currently rank No. 5 overall with an impressive 27 commits. Some of the recruits — like JUCO RB Alvin Kamara, DT Kahlil McKenzie and WR Preston Williams — figure to be instant impact players. If the Vols can get some immediate contributions from some of its studs in the 2015 recruiting class, it would really help Tennessee round out its depth at several positions.

On second thought … : While the Vols are going to be loaded with a ton of young talent next season, it’s important to realize that many of Tennessee’s best will be sophomores or younger. As exciting as that is for Tennessee fans in regard to the Vols’ future, is it realistic to expect a team like that being able to compete for a division or even conference title? The parity within the SEC East should help the Vols in 2015 as no team’s really been able to take a definitive place atop the division — even Missouri will be losing a lot of key players. Tennessee has a much smaller hill to climb in the SEC East than the Hogs in the SEC West, but even so, the Vols may be more likely a year away from truly contending in the SEC.