You know, the beautiful thing about the SEC East is that all seven teams are positioned for big futures, with no one team taking the reins of the division. It’s wide open. It’s been that way for the last several years, and it’s certainly that way for 2015 and for the foreseeable future.

Florida and Georgia have a unique rivalry. Not only is it a storied tradition, but there’s a division championship on the line for one team every year in Jacksonville. I know many folks who go to the Florida-Georgia game who never go to another single game at either Sanford Stadium or The Swamp.

It’s tradition; it’s passion. It’s beautiful, because it’s college football.

But only one team can win, and only one team is better positioned for the future.

Let’s dive in…

Coaching

It’s long-term stability vs. the new guy in town.

Mark Richt has proven staying power, and he’s been leading Georgia’s program for 14 years now, tied for the longest tenure in the SEC with Mizzou’s Gary Pinkel. Richt is 136-48 overall and 78-34 in conference play. In nine of his 14 seasons, he’s won 10 games or more. Yes, count me as one who thinks Richt gets unfairly criticized. Around Richt, the Bulldogs have put together a very nice staff. Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is destined to be a head coach one day, but for now, he’s putting together some serious talent and looks to have the East’s top defense this season. Brian Schottenheimer is the Dawgs’ offensive coordinator, and it’s tough to tell yet what kind of positive or negative impact he’ll have. Defensive line coach Tracy Rocker was also a massive addition in 2014, and we’re seeing the benefits of having him on staff in recruiting.

Jim McElwain, on the other hand, is the new guy in the SEC. He finished 22-16 as Colorado State’s head coach, and he’s had successful offenses in years past, including winning two championships with Alabama. He’s in charge of reviving Florida’s program, and he’s put together a nice staff. Doug Nussmeier is Mac’s offensive coordinator, and former MSU DC Geoff Collins is in charge of the defense. Collins has proven he’ll put together an aggressive and effective defense. Randy Shannon is a prized assistant, and he’s tearing up South Florida in recruiting.

Both programs have nice staffs, but we just haven’t seen McElwain’s effect, or lack thereof, at Florida yet.

Advantage: Georgia

Current Roster

Priority number one for Florida is finding a quarterback and building the offense around him. McElwain’s always had a good one. He had Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron at Alabama, and he had the third overall quarterback taken in the 2015 NFL draft, Garrett Grayson, at Colorado State. Should either Grier or Harris step up, that gives the offense a backbone for the near future. Still, finding a long-term solution past Harris or Grier is a must in the 2016 recruiting class.

The Gators’ defense should continue to reload with elite playmakers, and the way this staff closed on five-star DE CeCe Jefferson in 2015 had to encourage fans with the short time relationships were made. While Will Muschamp’s defense produced great results, Geoff Collins’ defenses have too, and this unit is positioned well for the future.

Like Florida, Georgia has to find a long-term solution at quarterback. Whether that’s Brice Ramsey, Faton Bauta or new transfer Greyson Lambert for 2015, it may not even matter with five-star prodigy Jacob Eason already committed. He’s the top overall quarterback in the country, and his ratings and measurables are off the charts. The 2015 season may be merely a stepping-stone season, and the coaching staff would love for one of the signal callers to step up so they wouldn’t have to necessarily play Eason during his freshman year.

Georgia’s defense is conceivably loaded for 2015, and it looks great for the future, too. The Bulldogs are building a serious unit around Jeremy Pruitt’s defense, who’s shown he can be an excellent recruiter. Players like Lorenzo Carter and Trent Thompson are who he’ll build the future around. The Dawgs are putting together serious defensive line talent in the 2016 class, and it’s only going to get better.

Advantage: Georgia

Recruiting

One of the country’s best kept secrets over the last decade in recruiting has been the state of Georgia. But the cat’s out of the bag now. The Peach State has been producing so much SEC talent over the last few years, and it’s remarkable.

Although Georgia is the program stalwart in the state, it has to contend with Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee, among others, crossing its borders. Auburn has been a big-time thorn in the Bulldogs’ side in recent history, annually signing top prospects in the state.

Florida, on the other hand, is the biggest producer of D1 football players of any state in the country, to include Texas and California. However, the Gators have to fight off Florida State and Miami every single year for nearly every single prospect. The state still produces incredible skill position talent at running back, wide receiver and defensive back.

With Florida being so talent rich, it’s one of those programs that can revive quicker than most.

Advantage: Florida

Culture

It’s interesting, isn’t it? The last two Florida coaches — Urban Meyer and Will Muschamp — had intense styles of managing players and games. While Meyer was criticized for his discipline issues, Muschamp cleaned up the program. Both were intense characters. It’s a completely different tone now, as Jim McElwain is much more laid back. I spoke with someone familiar with Meyer’s and McElwain’s programs who said they were mirror opposites. Whether that’s good or bad, time will tell.

McElwain is in charge of bringing back a winning culture to Florida, just like Meyer was.

Mark Richt is similar to McElwain. He’s a laid back, calm and collected disciplinarian who has won over parents and players for many years. The Bulldogs have an impressive history of winning, and Richt has held that standard, although he hasn’t surpassed it.

Both programs, however, have a culture of winning, and both coaches are similar in their style of management.

Advantage: Push

The Verdict

If we learned anything in 2014 it’s this: either one of these teams can win in Jacksonville on any given day. Florida limped into Jacksonville with essentially a dead man walking as a head coach and torched Georgia 38-20, rushing for over 380 yards. It happens, but it’s not the norm.

These two programs have also been lagging somewhat in facilities. Florida is in the midst of finally building its indoor practice facility, while Georgia is set to start construction in January 2016.

But which team is positioned better for the future? I would answer this question in two parts. For the long-term and long-run value of the program, Florida is better positioned. It always will be with the amount of elite prospects the state produces year after year; however, for the foreseeable future — and until we learn more about Jim McElwain, Georgia has to have the better outlook.

Both programs will get comparable talent in the future, but it’s going to come down to coaching. And until we see the Gators under McElwain, it’s tough to answer. For right now, Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs are certainly better positioned in the near future.

Advantage: Georgia