The SEC East hasn’t been down since Florida captured the division’s last league title in 2008. Instead, the West has been up, making six appearances in the national championship game since the Gators won it all.

Divisional supremacy is cyclical and it’s only a matter of time before the East regains the throne once more.

10 reasons why the East will rebound in 2015

10. Georgia, on paper, fits the mold of elite

If you’re looking for a weakness on Mark Richt’s team this season, you’re not going to find one. The Bulldogs are breaking in a new quarterback and have been active on the graduate transfer market, but Brice Ramsey or Faton Bauta will be more than serviceable in Brian Schottenheimer’s run-geared scheme. Four starters are back along the offensive line and there’s talent — and most importantly, depth — at every position on Jeremy Pruitt’s defense. The only glaring problem is the Bulldogs’ cross-divisional schedule, the one element that likely keeps Georgia away from a sparkling 12-0 regular season.

9. The West cannibalizes itself, more grisly than last season

At one point last fall, all seven Western Division teams were ranked, the first time that’s happened in college football history. It could happen again, but this time, it would benefit a stronger East. By the time Georgia, Tennessee or Mizzou represents this division in Atlanta, the West winner will have been tossed through the gauntlet for the better half of two months. The Tigers hung around with Alabama for 2.5 quarters last December before depth prevailed and the Crimson Tide pulled away. The situation could be very different this fall if the East’s top teams remain healthy and the West victor arrives bruised and battered.

8. Derek Mason’s move to defense gives Vanderbilt partial validity

The laughing stock of the SEC last season, the Commodores aren’t going to challenge for a division crown, but they will be more competitive now that the defense should be able to control the opposition — at times. Mason’s attacking 3-4 could frustrate Western Division opponents Ole Miss and Texas A&M and provide some fear in the second half.  Vanderbilt won’t suffer another winless league season. Mason’s future depends on it.

7. Shannon Dawson takes Kentucky offense to another level

Plucking a talented play-caller away from West Virginia was Mark Stoops’ best offseason move, one that could pay dividends this season with quarterback depth — Patrick Towles + Drew Barker — and blossoming talent in the backfield. The Wildcats fell flat on offense after a 5-1 start last fall, but another confidence boost in the early going will lead to a much different finish. Dawson takes chances and gets the football in the hands of playmakers. If he gets in a rhythm, Kentucky’s balanced spread could be one of the league’s biggest surprises.

6. Mizzou, once again, welcomes the underrated label

Maty Mauk’s development has been criticized throughout spring, the dismissal of Marcus Loud dissected intently and Mizzou’s weakness at receiver spotlighted as an obvious Achilles’ heel. But none of that bothers the two-time defending East champs who are blessed with a favorable league slate again this season and come equipped with the league’s most underrated coaching staff from top to bottom.

5. When the Gators and Vols are formidable, the East attracts attention

The SEC East commands a certain level of respect when Florida and Tennessee are Top 25 teams and the division appears to be moving in that direction, perhaps the Vols before the Gators. Many expect Butch Jones’ third season to be his best while Florida hopes for a resurgent under first-year coach Jim McElwain. Each program, carried by increased momentum coming off bowl wins last season, gets two cracks at the Western Division. Tennessee’s moment to shine comes in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 24 while the Gators entertain nationally-ranked Ole Miss inside The Swamp and travel to Baton Rouge. At least one of these two traditional East powers will hit the nine-win mark this season. The Vols are the safest bet.

4. Influx of 2015 talent bolsters roster depth, instant impact

Tennessee and Georgia, ranked Nos. 2 and 4 respectively in the SEC’s 2015 class rankings, each brought in four and five-star players in February (some early enrollees) that will bolster each program’s roster immediately. JUCO tailback Alvin Kamara will shoulder some of the burden in Tennessee’s backfield alongside Jalen Hurd while Georgia five-stars Terry Godwin and Trent Thompson will compete for first-team reps at a national contender.

3. The division’s defensive front seven strength is top-notch

The East may be lacking as a division at the quarterback and wide receiver spots where the West reigns supreme, but defensively in the trenches, there’s a noticeable edge. Georgia owns the SEC’s most talented group of outside linebackers while Tennessee and Mizzou have extensive depth off the edge — Derek Barnett and Harold Brantley, anyone? — along with impact freshmen Khalil McKenzie, Kyle Phillips and Terry Beckner Jr. on the interior. Josh Forrest is the league’s top returning tackler at Kentucky while Vanderbilt and South Carolina each own a pair of all-league caliber linebackers. And look out for the 1-2 end punch of Alex McCalister and Jonathan Bullard at Florida. The Gators defense hasn’t lost a step without Dante Fowler.

2. Marquee home games against the West carry serious momentum

How will the East repair its reputation against its nationally-respected neighboring division? Win head-to-head. Several times this season, the East will get its shot, notably two Thursday night affairs — Auburn at Kentucky + Mississippi State at Mizzou — plus a pair of made-for-TV Saturday matinees — LSU at South Carolina + Alabama at Georgia. In all four instances, the East has home-field advantage. A win in the SEC Championship Game would secure the ultimate bragging rights and likely a Playoff berth.

1. Nick Chubb’s 100-yard streak lasts entirety of sophomore season, culminates with Heisman

The standout sophomore could become Georgia’s third running back to win college football’s most prestigious award, joining Frank Sinkwich (1942) and Herschel Walker (1980) on the mountain. Entering the season, Chubb’s rushed for 100 or more yards in a league-best eight consecutive games and if he keeps it up, the Bulldogs are the Eastern Division’s best shot at dethroning the West.