Cycling through the half-dozen games we picked as “most important” in the SEC West, you’ll notice something peculiar: we only mentioned four teams.

Yes, we know — Arkansas is a preseason Top 25 program according to the USA Today Coaches Poll, while Mississippi State and Texas A&M narrowly missed inclusion. All three of those programs have a chance at strong seasons.

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But winning the best division in college football in 2015 is going to take national championship talent. So, all due respect, we feel confident that Alabama, Auburn, LSU or Ole Miss will represent the SEC West in Atlanta.

As such, the round robin between those four teams should determine who wins the division. If any of the teams can go 3-0 against each other, a College Football Playoff spot is a strong possibility.

MOST IMPORTANT SEC WEST GAMES

Auburn at LSU, Sept. 19: The visiting Tigers got lucky — as the CBS game, this is a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The game will end in Death Valley before the sun sets, which is better than the alternative for an opponent. A win doesn’t make the season for either team, but a loss would heap undue pressure on either program. This also is a tremendous matchup between Jeremy Johnson and LSU’s pass defense.

Ole Miss at Alabama, Sept. 19: The Tide provided cannon fodder for one of the most memorable Saturdays in the SEC last season as College GameDay visited Oxford, Miss. The Landshark defense better come to play yet again, as Alabama’s strong front seven may make it tough for a still-inexperienced Chad Kelly or Ryan Buchanan. An intra-division loss barely halfway through September may spell doom this time in the cut-throat SEC West.

Ole Miss at Auburn, Oct. 31: Whether you’re a fan of the Rebels, Tigers or neither, it should feel poetic to watch Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell compete at a high level in this game. Treadwell suffered one of the most gruesome injuries caught on live TV in the SEC in some time — while simultaneously fumbling at the goal line on what would’ve been the game-winning touchdown. Auburn can’t allow revenge, though, if it wants to win an SEC West title.

LSU at Alabama, Nov. 7: Since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa, he’s played six different one-possession games against coach Les Miles and his former team, winning three of those — including a pair in overtime. The Bengal Tigers are the most consistently competitive team against Alabama during the Saban era. But if Bama wins this one, it’ll be five consecutive victories.

LSU at Ole Miss, Nov. 21: If a team is going to usurp the state of Alabama and wrest away the SEC West crown in 2015, it will be the winner of this game. These are two of the most talented rosters in the conference as well as the country. As last year’s 10-7 thriller between the Tigers and Rebels indicated, though, better quarterback play is paramount to any SEC championship push.

Alabama at Auburn, Nov. 28: The Iron Bowl has determined the eventual SEC champion in five of the last six years. The lone exception: 2011, when the Tide exacted revenge on SEC title winner LSU in the BCS National Championship. A College Football Playoff spot could well be at stake here for at least one of the teams. And this is a huge game for coach Nick Saban and coach Gus Malzahn, as the winner claims a 2-1 advantage in that series.