Last season five SEC teams finished with a losing record – Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Missouri. It was the most sub-.500 teams in the SEC in a season since 2012.

That following season (2013), two teams – Missouri and Auburn — rebounded from a losing record to win their respective divisions, with Auburn winning the SEC and coming within seconds of winning the national championship.

So, which team that finished under .500 in 2016 has the best chance to rebound to have a winning record this season? Here’s a ranking of the teams most likely to go from a losing record to a winning record.

1. South Carolina (last season: 6-7)

In Will Muschamp’s first season, the Gamecocks surprised many by reaching a bowl game. And only an overtime loss to South Florida in the Birmingham Bowl prevented the Gamecocks from finishing with a winning record.

This season, with 10 starters back on offense and six more on defense, expectations are high in Columbia that perhaps this could be the surprise team in the SEC. And keep in mind, when Muschamp was the Florida head coach, he led the Gators to an 11-2 record in his second season.

2. Mississippi State (last season: 6-7)

Last season the Bulldogs got off to a rocky 2-5 start before rebounding to finish 4-2 over their final six games.

In 2017, thanks to the return of one of the most versatile quarterbacks in the SEC in Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State should be able to flip-flop its 2016 record. The Bulldogs’ non-conference schedule includes games against Charleston Southern, Louisiana Tech, BYU and UMass. They also get to host the Egg Bowl against an Ole Miss team entering the season in turmoil.

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Road conference games at Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M and Arkansas will make getting a winning record a challenge. But a 6-6 regular season is a definite possibility, and a bowl win could give the Bulldogs a winning 2017.

3. Vanderbilt (last season: 6-7)

As Derek Mason enters his fourth season at Vanderbilt, he has watched the Commodores improve each season since a 3-9 campaign in 2014. The next step in this continuing climb would be to give them their first winning season since 2013.

The problem for Vanderbilt: a difficult schedule. The Commodores host Alabama, Georgia and Big 12 opponent Kansas State, and they have road games at Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee. If they can’t win any of these games – and it’s likely they will be underdog in all six – the Commodores will have to win their other six games, including their opener at Middle Tennessee.

4. Missouri (last season: 4-8)

The Tigers have been trending downward since winning 12 games in 2013. They’ve won fewer games in the past two seasons combined (9) than they won in 2014 (11).

But Missouri returns 10 starters to an offense that led the SEC in total offense last season (500.5 YPG). And the Tigers do not play their first road game until Oct. 7 at Kentucky.

Assuming the Tigers can beat Missouri State, Purdue, Idaho and Connecticut out of conference, they will have to win a couple of games in the SEC just to get to six wins and set up a bowl game to reach the seven-win mark.

5. Ole Miss (last season: 5-7)

A self-imposed bowl ban, a head coaching change during the summer and an ongoing NCAA investigation have defined the Rebels’ offseason.

Throw in a road schedule that includes games at Alabama and Auburn, along with playing the Egg Bowl in Starkville, and it will be difficult to avoid a second consecutive losing season.

The positives: A bright spot at quarterback in sophomore Shea Patterson and seven home games, including five over the last seven weeks of the regular season.