Georgia will enter Mark Richt’s 15th season on campus as the heavy favorites to win the SEC East, but that task will be made that much tougher based on UGA’s SEC West draw.

The Bulldogs will play permanent cross-division rival Auburn in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, a game they won handily in 2014. However, Auburn is better this year than it was last year, and it’s considered a contender to represent the SEC in the College Football Playoff at season’s end.

The West’s other big contender, Alabama, happens to be the other West team on Georgia’s schedule this year. That may be the toughest two-game cross-division slate of any team in the conference, and it just happens to fall on the schedule of a contender with a coach in desperate of a big season in 2015.

Because these two games will have such major bearing on the outlook of the entire conference, it’s worth asking…

WHO’S THE BETTER MATCHUP FOR GEORGIA: ALABAMA OR AUBURN?

We asked our SDS staff members this very question. Take a look at what they had to say in response.

Christopher Smith (@CSmithSDS): Auburn

Alabama and Georgia are more alike than they are different. Both teams feature strong running games. The Tide is more explosive at receiver and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is a difference-maker. Georgia features a much better pass rush, but Alabama’s run defense probably is better at the point of attack. I’m not sure UGA has the passing game to take full advantage of the Tide’s potential weakness in the secondary. The winner of that game will slant more toward execution than style of play. Despite the presence of Will Muschamp, I’m not sure that Auburn’s defense can slow down Georgia’s running game in 2015. Plus, we expect Auburn to pass more this year than in recent seasons, so the Bulldogs pass rush has a chance to be effective.

Ethan Levine (@EthanLevineSDS): Alabama

I actually think Georgia matches up better with Alabama if you look at the personnel on both teams. When Georgia has the ball, it may struggle to establish its Nick Chubb-led rushing attack against Alabama’s devastating front seven, but Alabama will face the same struggle with its Derrick Henry-led rushing attack against Georgia’s monstrous front seven. Both teams have great tailback depth with stars heading the backfield. Both teams have punishing offensive lines and equally punishing defensive fronts. Both have question marks at quarterback and receiver, and it’s tough to say what we can expect out of either secondary. There are plenty of parallels. And in a matchup this even, I’d rather face the team with no quarterback than the team with Jeremy Johnson and D’haquille Williams, but maybe that’s just me.

Jon Cooper (@JonSDS): Auburn

Georgia matches up better with Auburn, mostly because the Tigers’ defense is still a year or two away. However, as much as UGA runs the football, it reiterates the better matchup is the Tigers. Alabama should be very good in the front seven and one of the better run-stopping defenses in the country. Both of the West teams have questionable secondaries, and the Bulldogs’ quarterback will have to offset the running game regardless of who UGA plays. But the better matchup comes against Auburn as opposed to Alabama.

Brad Crawford (@BCrawfordSDS): Alabama

I’m going outside the Xs and Os aspect of these matchups in favor of the singlemost important element of winning in the SEC — playing at home. Georgia took Auburn behind the woodshed between the hedges last fall and could do the same to the Crimson Tide, regardless of this game’s magnitude coming in. It’s a challenge to win any game in the SEC, and playing on the road makes it that much more difficult. Alabama’s toughest game this season will be played in Athens — one of the Crimson Tide’s regular-season losses.

Brett Weisband (@WeisbandSDS): Auburn

On paper, Alabama has the much better run defense of the two schools, which is the main reason I think Georgia matches up better with Auburn. Will Muschamp could improve the Tigers by leaps and bounds by the time they meet the Dawgs later in the season, but they’re still dealing with less than a full deck compared to Alabama. It also feels like Georgia’s defense, led by one of the best linebacking corps in the nation, will match up better with Auburn’s speed on offense than Alabama’s power.