Five teams from the West are ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, not a good sign for the other side of the SEC that has fallen on hard times since the end of the 2008 season — the last time an Eastern Division representative, Florida, captured a league championship in Atlanta.

Since 2009, three-time BCS national champion Alabama’s 13-1 against teams from the East, the Crimson Tide’s only loss coming at South Carolina during the 2010 season. By comparison, the Gamecocks, the East’s best team during that stretch based on winning percentage, have won only six games in 14 tries against the West.

Here’s a look at the cross-division records from the East and West’s three best teams based on overall winning percentage over the last five seasons:

SEC East heavyweights against SEC West head-to-head since 2009 — (20 wins, 23 losses)

  • South Carolina: 6-8
  • Georgia: 8-7
  • Florida: 6-8

SEC West heavyweights against SEC East head-to-head since 2009 — (34 wins, 9 losses)

  • Alabama: 13-1
  • LSU: 11-3
  • Auburn: 10-5

SEC teams’ records against SEC competition since 2009

Team vs. SEC
 vs. Own Division
 Overall
Alabama 37-6  22-5 60-7
LSU 31-11  20-7 53-13
South Carolina 26-15  20-7 49-17
Auburn 24-18  14-13 45-21
Florida 25-16  19-8 43-22
Georgia 26-16  18-9 44-23
Arkansas 17-23  9-18 36-27
Mississippi St.
 16-24  7-20 36-28
Ole Miss 11-29  7-20 30-33
Tennessee 11-29  10-17 28-34
Vanderbilt 12-28  8-19 28-35
Kentucky 7-33  5-22 22-40
Texas A&M* 10-6  8-4 20-6
Missouri* 9-8  7-5 17-9

*Texas A&M and Mizzou records since 2012.