Who has toughest crossover games in SEC West? And how will that impact race?

A good crossover draw always makes for offseason optimism.

For much of the past decade, there was more reason for SEC East teams to fear the crossover games than SEC West teams, but upsets happen.

Last year, Alabama and Texas A&M were the only two West teams to sweep their two East opponents. The West went 9-5 against the East in the regular season, slipping from 12-2 in 2015. The East hasn’t posted a .500 record against the West since 2012.

Here are the SEC West crossover games for 2017:

Here’s a look at the three SEC West teams with the toughest crossover matchups and how it could impact the division race in 2017:

3. Texas A&M (vs. South Carolina, at Florida)

If Kevin Sumlin is going to stick around past 2017, something tells me he could need to sweep the crossovers. The Aggies have their two SEC East matchups sandwiching that showdown against Alabama, which will create a challenge in itself. And neither of those games are locks, by any means.

South Carolina won’t be a mess at quarterback like it was in last year’s matchup. Jake Bentley looks like he could be the real deal and a real problem for SEC defenses in Year 2. That’ll be a good early-season test for an A&M defense that has plenty of questions to answer.

RELATED: Who has the toughest crossover schedule in the East?

The Florida matchup might be the bigger challenge, though. It’s always daunting to think about a stifling defense facing off against an unknown quarterback situation on the road. Even with Kyler Murray and Trevor Knight, Sumlin hasn’t picked up a road win against a ranked SEC team since 2014. That seat will get even warmer if he doesn’t leave Gainesville with a victory.

2. Mississippi State (at Georgia, vs. Kentucky)

The Bulldogs have a six-game stretch that’s among the toughest in the country. In that stretch are both of their crossover games, neither of which will be a walk in the park.

The Georgia matchup could be brutal if all those offensive weapons are healthy, especially Jacob Eason. Keep in mind that MSU finished 120th against the pass last year. If Eason makes that next step and finds a downfield threat or two, that could be a long afternoon in Athens.

As for the Kentucky matchup, that could be trickier than many would think. Many believe the Wildcats could be the surprise team in the East. Facing them off a bye week could make that Oct. 21 tilt all the more intriguing.

1. LSU (at Florida, at Tennessee)

Ah, two road trips to SEC East contenders makes LSU an obvious choice atop this list. Blame it on Hurricane Matthew, but nobody else in the West has two road crossovers, much less against teams that are starting in the Top 25. Something tells me there will be some serious implications in both matchups.

Many have prematurely declared Florida’s opening matchup with Michigan as a make-or-break game for the 2017 season. In my opinion, LSU is a better “make-or-break” game. By making that the homecoming game, there will be plenty of buzz in Gainesville. The stories write themselves. In other words, LSU will walk into an electric atmosphere in The Swamp.

That Tennessee matchup could have some make-or-break implications, as well. Butch Jones’ seat could be on fire by Nov. 18. The Vols could be an inspired team facing an LSU squad that’s already been eliminated from the division race by Alabama. “Could,” of course, is the key word in all three of those projections.

Regardless of what’s at stake, LSU got a tougher crossover draw than any West team. Welcome back to life as an SEC coach, Ed Orgeron.

So how does that impact the division race?

Fortunately, luck of the draw shouldn’t swing the pendulum drastically one way or the other as it relates to the West. To be honest, Alabama and Auburn don’t have a much easier crossover draw than Texas A&M. That shouldn’t make or break the division race.

Of course LSU has a fair gripe considering it’s the only SEC team that has two road crossovers in 2017. Still, the Tigers could be favored in both. At the very least, those games look like coin flips in August.

Certainly there’s some variance when it comes to crossovers. Arkansas and Ole Miss both have favorable East matchups, which could be a major blessing for two coaches trying to prove they’re the best long-term options at their respective programs.

But the overall West division race obviously still hinges on whether someone can upset Alabama. The Tide hasn’t lost to an East opponent since South Carolina in 2010. In all likelihood, the division race won’t open up unless a West foe takes down Alabama.

Easier said than done.

Connor O'Gara

Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Down South. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.