It’s a wide open race in the top-heavy SEC East in 2016 and the guys who will be feeling the most pressure are the offensive coordinators who need to find a way for their output to match the strong defensive units on the roster.

Here are the SEC East offensive coordinators with the most on the line in 2016:

Tennessee’s Mike DeBord

The storyline that has dominated the SEC East in 2016 is whether Tennessee is finally ready to claim this division again after a decade of struggles. It should happen, and if it’s going to, it will be because Mike DeBord’s offense is clicking.

Vols fans weren’t really sure what to expect of DeBord when he arrived in February of 2015. The campaign didn’t turn out quite as they had hoped, but a lot of that was blamed on inexperience in close games. But this year, nine of 11 starters return and more growth is expected.

There was certainly growth a year ago. The Vols went from 10th in the SEC in scoring in 2014 to third last season, averaging 35.2 points per game. They went from 13th to second in rushing. They cut their sack total nearly in half. This year, they have a veteran quarterback returning in Joshua Dobbs, two stud running backs in Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, a veteran offensive line and emerging playmakers at receiver. This is the year to get past Florida and Georgian and contend for titles, both in the league and nationally.

Georgia’s Jim Chaney

Jim Chaney has run offenses in the SEC before, with stops at Tennessee and Arkansas. There is enormous pressure to hit the ground running at Georgia this year as Kirby Smart’s most critical hire in Athens.

Chaney takes over a Georgia offense that has struggled in its biggest games the past few years, which played a role in the departure of longtime head coach Mark Richt. Smart replaced him, and he yanked Chaney from Pitt to run the show.

It’s a big year for the Bulldogs because the new head coach and the new staff won’t get any kind of honeymoon period. The Bulldogs faithful want championships and they want them now. Chaney may have to play with a true freshman (Jacob Eason) at quarterback, or he might have to go to battle with veterans who haven’t gotten the job done. He’s going to be closely watched.

Vanderbilt and MissourI OC’s Andy Ludwig and Josh Heupel

These two have their hands full. Both schools went through severe growing pains in 2015, playing much of the season with true freshmen who really weren’t ready to play SEC football. Vandy’s Kyle Shurmur and Mizzou’s Drew Lock were thrown into the fire and the results weren’t great.

That’s why there’s plenty of pressure on Ludwig and Heupel, who is in his first year at Missouri. Defenses dominate both programs and the offense has to start contributing.

Ludwig and head coach Derek Mason really didn’t want to the take the redshirt off Shurmur last year but they had no choice. He struggled, but looked so much better in the spring with a few extra months under his belt. It’s the same for Lock at Mizzou, and his new OC Heupel. He’s finally out from under the shadow of Maty Mauk and it’s time to step forward. Both need to do so.