A long offseason has given the SEC universe plenty of time to use its imagination on how the 2015 football season will play out.

Those idle thoughts often breed more questions than answers, though, and unfortunately we can do little to quench our thirst for knowledge until the dust has settled this fall. But that doesn’t mean we still can’t have fun debating the answers to all the questions until then.

Here are 10 of the most interesting questions surrounding the 2015 SEC season:

1. Can the SEC win the College Footabll Playoff in 2015?

Let’s not tiptoe around the tough question. This is the one that everyone wants to see answered this season. Last year, the conference placed one team in the four-team playoff, and made a quick exit when eventual champion Ohio State hung 42 points on Alabama in the semifinals. There are a handful of teams in the SEC West capable of making it there this year, including the Crimson Tide and Auburn, but will one of them have what it takes to win the whole thing?

2. How will Will Muschamp and John Chavis fare with new teams?

Some of the biggest coaching headlines of the offseason surrounded the changes being made around the league at defensive coordinator. No two teams needed a new defensive direction more than Auburn and Texas A&M, and no two teams made bigger splash hires at the defensive coordinator position. Muschamp and Chavis will carry the weight of high expectations for defenses that should support two of the league’s better offenses, but a SEC West championship could await either if things click right away.

3. Can the Mississippi schools contend for the SEC West title again?

The surprise story of last season was the way that Mississippi State and Ole Miss pushed for the SEC West championship. Ultimately, it was Alabama representing the SEC West again in 2014, but the standard has been set for the Bulldogs and Rebels to contend. With the rest of the division expecting to be at the top of its game this season, will the Mississippi schools be able to maintain the forward progress they made in the 2014 standings?

4. Was the preseason hype for Tennessee and Arkansas deserved?

Coming off winning seasons after years of struggles, both the Vols and Razorbacks have received their share of positive press heading into the 2015 season. But the difficulty of the schedule for both teams should require a significant step forward in performance to push past the seven-win plateau they reached in 2014. The two combined for a 5-11 record in SEC play last season. Can either of them make the improvements in league play necessary to contend for a divisional crown?

5. Will South Carolina bounce back from a disappointing 2014?

South Carolina finished the 2014 season with a seven-win season and bowl victory, just the same as Tennessee and Arkansas. But the difference was the expectations for the Gamecocks, who entered the year with a streak of three consecutive 11-win seasons. Can South Carolina get back into contention for a SEC East title? There is a chance that if the answer to this question isn’t a resounding “yes,” we could be talking about the Head Ball Coach hanging it up after the season is over.

6. Did the Derek Mason hire zap all momentum for Vanderbilt football?

In a disappointing first season under Mason, the Commodores took a noticeable step backwards from the level of play exhibited during the James Franklin era. Vanderbilt had more losses (nine) in 2014 than it had in 2012 and 2013 combined (eight). Was it a blip on the radar for a team that had several young players adjusting to a new scheme? Or a sign that Vanderbilt hired the wrong guy? Year 2 under Mason will tell the real story.

7. Will LSU get its passing game on track this season?

The feeling around the league is that LSU is a good passing game away from contending for a conference championship in 2015. The Tigers return a solid defense and one of the most talented running backs in the league in Leonard Fournette, but they again have questions about the quarterback position. LSU ranked 114th in FBS with 162.9 passing yards per game last season. Improving upon an eight win season requires improvement in that area.

8. Can Missouri make it three SEC East titles in a row?

Many of the league’s traditionalists are having a hard time with the idea that the Tigers are the best team in the SEC East. In two of their three seasons in the league, the Tigers have found their way to the SEC championship game by outplaying traditional powers Georgia and Florida in the SEC East. The preseason prognostications have not been kind to Missouri, even though the Tigers return a quarterback, a 1,000-yard rusher and key linemen from last season.

9. How will Florida look under new coach Jim McElwain?

The Gators have been through an interesting evolution the last five years. They transitioned from being an offensive juggernaut through much of the Urban Meyer era into a defensive stalwart in the Will Muschamp era. But the offensive drop-off was dramatic under Muschamp, and it leaves quite a challenge for the offensive-minded McElwain. With a strong defense and questions all over the offense, everyone is curious to see how McElwain’s brand of Gators football fares in the SEC East this season.

10. Will an SEC player be in contention for the Heisman Trophy?

Much like the SEC is on a two-year national championship drought, it also has gone two seasons without a Heisman winner after winning three of the previous four. Is there anyone capable of getting back on the stage in New York this December? Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott, Georgia RB Nick Chubb and LSU RB Leonard Fournette have generated preseason buzz, but will they back it up with Heisman-worthy seasons? Is there a dark horse candidate, like Auburn QB Jeremy Johnson or Alabama RB Derrick Henry?