Entering the 2015 season, the prevailing opinion seems to be that the SEC East will again play second fiddle to the SEC West.

Not only is the division in the midst of a six-game losing streak to the West in the SEC Championship Game, but it also carries the burden winning just four of 15 games against the West in 2014.

When will the momentum begin to swing the East’s way? Will it be this year?

Let’s take a look at some of the division’s strengths and weaknesses entering the season:

Strength: Plenty of options at running back

All seven teams in the SEC East feel pretty comfortable about their running back situations. Georgia leads the way in both frontline star power (Nick Chubb) and quality depth (Sony Michel, Keith Marshall). Missouri returns a 1,000-yard rusher in Russell Hansbrough, and Tennessee has what appears to be a dynamic duo in Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara. Even teams projected to finish in the bottom half of the division, such as Kentucky and Vanderbilt, have exciting options in Stanley “Boom” Williams and Ralph Webb.

Weakness: Too many unknowns at quarterback

The quarterback position appears to be an area of concern for at least four of the seven teams. Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Florida remain engaged in some form of competition at the position in mid-August.

Even the three teams settled at quarterback (Joshua Dobbs at Tennessee, Patrick Towles at Kentucky and Maty Mauk at Missouri) are only entering their second seasons as the primary starter.

Strength: Teams on the upswing

Every season there are teams both climbing and falling, but there seem to be more SEC East teams pointing toward an upturn than a downward one.

Tennessee has been one of the most talked-about teams of the offseason. Several pundits are predicting that this is the season it returns to national prominence. Though not nearly as evident, Kentucky has also been on a steady climb back to relevance thanks to the efforts of third-year coach Mark Stoops.

Missouri and Georgia fans have little reason to expect significant drop-off. Meanwhile, Florida is an offensive improvement away from contending and South Carolina is a defense away. If only they could join forces.

Weakness: Few serious College Football Playoff threats

Sorry Georgia fans, this is not a slight at you, although it probably feels like one.

While there may be teams on the upward swing in the SEC East, if there is going to a SEC national championship this season, it seems more likely to come from the West Division.

Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina have each shown an ability to consistently produce 10-plus win seasons in the recent past, but it has been since Urban Meyer was at Florida since anyone in this division flirted with a serious national title run.

Strength: The league’s most tenured coaches

While it is easy for these guys to take criticism for what they haven’t done in the way of championships in recent seasons, it is also easy to overlook the stability atop three of the SEC East’s top programs.

Gary Pinkel and Mark Richt are entering their 15th seasons in charge of Missouri and Georgia, which is the longest coaching tenure in the league today. Steve Spurrier is not far behind, entering his 11th season at South Carolina. These coaches have won many more games than they have lost during the last decade.

Weakness: The league’s most unsettled coaching jobs

We pointed out what a great spot Missouri, Georgia and South Carolina are with regards to coaching continuity heading into the season, so it is only fair to show the other side of the equation for the remaining four teams in the SEC East.

While he has given Vols fans plenty of reason to believe better days are ahead, Butch Jones is still just 12-13 as the Tennessee coach. He is also the program’s fourth head coach in the last eight seasons.

Jim McElwain has yet to coach a game at Florida, Mark Stoops has yet to win a road game for Kentucky and Derek Mason has yet to win a conference game at Vanderbilt. Enough said.