The SEC has one tradition as rich as any in college football. Year in and year out, at least one representative from the conference has been ranked in the Associated Press’ top five when the preseason polls drop.

How far back do you have to go to find the last time that wasn’t the case? None of the players currently playing in the SEC were even born the last time it happened: 1989, when LSU came in at No. 7. Since then, it’s been the usual suspects each year: LSU, Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and Georgia have all occupied a top-five spot at some point from 1990-2014.

Could that run come to an end in 2015?

For the first time in several years, it’s a legitimate question, especially after the way the SEC finished the year. The East ended the year on a strong note, but three of the five teams that won went into their bowl games unranked. Meanwhile, the West’s most touted and teams, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss, were all exposed in their bowls.

Let’s run through the conference to see who, if anyone, could be ranked in the top five come August.

No chance

  • Florida: Jim McElwain will add some offensive juice to a program that’s been missing it since Urban Meyer left, but the Gators will likely need a rebuilding year or two before they earn back their national respect.
  • Kentucky: After finishing the season on a six-game losing streak, the Wildcats have a long road to reach the rankings.
  • South Carolina: The Gamecocks have a big hole at quarterback and questions abound on defense after their 7-6 year. They’ll be a longshot to be included in the preseason rankings at all.
  • Vanderbilt: The Commodores will have to win a few SEC games before they’re even considered for the top 25.

Likely ranked

  • Arkansas: Bret Bielema and Co. finally broke through toward the end of 2015, and their dominating bowl win and plenty of returning players should earn them a spot in the 20s.
  • Mississippi State: This hinges on Dak Prescott returning for his senior year; if not, the Bulldogs will have a hard time sustaining the momentum they gained in 2014.
  • Ole Miss: The Landsharks will be back next year, albeit after suffering some big losses on that side. Heading into the offseason with no quarterback ready to take the reins hurts the Rebels.
  • Tennessee: Joshua Dobbs, Jalen Hurd and a young, talented defense should have Butch Jones’ team in the preseason rankings for the first time since 2008, but the Volunteers will come into 2015 as dark horses, not favorites.

Getting closer

  • Auburn: Jeremy Johnson is ready to step in at quarterback for the departing Nick Marshall, and Gus Malzahn’s offense seems to be foolproof enough that it will thrive with any capable starter. The question is how quickly Will Muschamp can get the defense up to speed, something voters will want to wait to find out.
  • Georgia: The Bulldogs will be replacing their quarterback starter for the second straight year, and this time around they’ll be losing talent out wide as well. With Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and one of the best defensive recruiting classes in the country, Georgia has the makings of a preseason top-10 team, but sitting at No. 5 or better would be a stretch.
  • Missouri: Gary Pinkel brings back Maty Mauk, but the Tigers will lose talent just about everywhere else. As back-to-back East champs with a strong bowl win under its belt this year, Missouri will finally get some preseason respect, just not enough to jump up to the top of the polls.
  • LSU: The Tigers lost John Chavis, but they return a defense that should be more talented in 2015 despite the loss of the coordinator. While LSU has skill players abound, the quarterback situation is so abysmal that it will likely be the only reason LSU isn’t ranked in the top five.

Top-5 contenders

  • Alabama: Despite their national semifinal loss, the Crimson Tide are likely the best shot the SEC has at a top five team. This year’s Alabama team came into the year ranked No. 2 despite not naming a starting quarterback until late in the preseason. Jacob Coker will presumably be ready to go at the position for 2015, but Alabama is losing as much talent as ever all over the offense, including the greatest receiver in school history. Alabama always recruits enough talent to overcome its early-entry losses, but will the voters be ready to put what will be one of Nick Saban’s most unproven teams in the top five?
  • Texas A&M: Everyone knew coming into 2014 that the Aggies were built to be a future contender, and they could make the leap up into the top five in 2015. They have more than enough talent at quarterback and the skill positions, and the defense is loaded with top-tier talent and now has a respected defensive coordinator to pull it together. Voters were burned moving Texas A&M into the top 10 in 2014, only to see the Aggies get whacked by other SEC contenders, and they could want to wait to see how Texas A&M looks before moving it up that high again.