The SEC East went undefeated in five bowl game appearances. While the West received acclaim through the 2014 season, the division struggled with a 2-5 record in the postseason, coinciding with the East’s surprise dominance.

Here’s five reasons why the SEC East went undefeated in bowl games.

1. Weaker schedule: The SEC East had two teams that ended the regular season with a top-25 ranking. The division saw the meager share of bowl opponents by comparison to its western counterpart, who had four matchups against ranked opponents. Only Georgia and Missouri faced teams that finished in the top-25 (No. 21 Louisville and No. 25 Minnesota).

2. Hungrier teams with more to prove: Aside from Georgia and Missouri, several SEC East teams took solice in their bowl appearances, despite having down seasons. For Tennessee, making the TaxSlayer Bowl wasn’t the greatest achievement in program history, but a measurement of the team’s rebuilding process after the postseason four consecutive years. South Carolina and Florida had disappointing seasons, but still managed to make bowl appearances, even though the achievement seemed unlikely at times. For these teams, the bowl game provided a positive ending to a tumultuous season and creates momentum entering 2015.

3. Strength of bottom half of conference: Sure, the SEC was far less dominant than in recent years. But the lower ranked teams were still superior to the mid-level programs of other major conferences. While skeptics argue that the SEC’s prestige is based solely on few national championship contenders, the East provided the conference with a respectable combined record in postseason play, despite the West’s disappointment.

4. SEC East’s nonconference record in 2014: The bowl eligible SEC East teams combined for a 14-5 record in non conference games. Each team had one loss a piece, with Florida accounting for a 2-1 record after having its opening game canceled. The East was dominant in the regular season and its success carried over in its bowl matchups.

5. The East deserves more credit than it received: Perhaps the East was just overlooked all season. Granted, its head-to-head matchup with the West was subpar, the division does deserve credit as one half of college football’s top conference. Many jokes were made at the East’s expense in 2014, but the division had the last laugh with a perfect record in the postseason.