Somebody has to win and somebody has to lose in every game, and over the course of a long season, there are plenty of people who fall on both sides of the ledger.

Here’s a half-dozen battles that were clearly won and lost:

Winners & Losers: Division battle of SEC West vs. SEC East

Never has the disparity between the SEC’s two divisions been this bad, and by never I mean never. In head-to-head matchups this year, the SEC East finished 2-12. Since the divisions started in 1992, no division has ever lost 12 games. The only wins by SEC East teams were Florida over Ole Miss 38-10 on Oct. 3 and Georgia over Auburn on Nov. 14. Last year was only slightly better, with the East going 4-10. The West has won seven straight SEC titles as well, and some teams since 2009 have been simply overpowering, such as Alabama (18-1), LSU (15-3) and Mississippi State (13-4). It’s going to be interesting to see how much longer this trend continues.

Coaching matchups, State of Alabama section

Doesn’t it seem like the “Kick Six” miracle was forever ago, and not just two years? Since then, Alabama is the only team in America to reach the playoffs two years in a row. And since coming so close to winning a national title in 2013 before falling to Florida State, the Tigers have hit the skids. They won only two SEC games this year, finishing dead last in the West despite being ranked No. 6 in the country in the preseason and being the favorite the win the SEC. Gus Malzahn isn’t on a hot seat yet, but it’s certainly trending that way, especially since he needs to completely rebuild his coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball. And Nick Saban, well, the mad genius just keeps rolling along. He’s in the playoffs again, and just two win away from his fifth national championship.

Coaching matchups, Jim McElwain vs. the rest of the SEC East

Jim McElwain inherited a mess at Florida, especially on the offensive side of the ball. So this was the year that someone else should have stepped up and taken the SEC East. Instead, they let the Gators grab the ring and don’t be surprised if McElwain will fight you tooth and nail before giving it up. This was a year Georgia should have won, or even up-and-coming Tennessee. (We knew two-time SEC East champ Missouri was going to struggle, so we’ll give them a pass.) You had your best chance, boys, so look out going forward.

Poll voters Jon Wilmer of the San Jose Mercury News vs. Josh Kendall of The State in Columbia, S.C.

In the big scheme of things, one writer’s vote in a weekly poll in the middle of the season really doesn’t mean much, but in this pollster showdown, it’s a no-brainer. In Week 6, Kendall submitted his rankings with 5-0 Texas A&M No. 1 in the country. The Aggies were No. 9 overall in that poll and Kendall got roasted for reaching so far with the Aggies. A&M then lost to Alabama the next week and lost three more times before the season was out. Wilmer, now he’s a sharp guy. In the last poll of October, with quality teams like Ohio State, Michigan State, Clemson, LSU and Baylor all still undefeated, Wilmer was the first one to vote Alabama No. 1 in the polls, despite its Week 3 loss to Ole Miss. He was chastised for it, but I thought it was very insightful. Alabama is now the favorite to win the College Football Playoff, according to the guys in Vegas, and the Tide are getting nine first-place votes now (Unbeaten Clemson got 51 this week). Nice trend-setting, Jon.

Running backs, Derrick Henry vs. Leonard Fournette

The one big head-to-head matchup that everyone was looking forward to this year was Alabama’s Derrick Henry and LSU’s Leonard Fournette in the big Nov. 3 showdown. But it turned out to be a one-sided affair. Alabama won the game 30-16, but the running back battle wasn’t close at all. Fournette gained only 31 yards on 19 carries while Henry peeled off 210 yards and almost immediately end Fournette’s lock-Heisman campaign. Henry, of course, piled on from there. Counting that game, Henry rushed for 874 yards against four SEC opponents (218.5 yards per game) while Fournette rushed for only 389 yards (97.2 per game). Henry is off to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation on Saturday and Fournette didn’t even get an invite.

Jake Coker vs. Every Last One of You Cynics

Everyone loves ripping Alabama QB Jake Coker, but all he keeps doing is winning, and don’t think for a minute that he hasn’t been a big part of that. He’s making the throws that matter and he’s picked up a lot of big first downs with his feet. What’s most interesting about Coker right now is that he looks confident and he looks happy. If he’s feeling the pressure, or stressing, you can’t see it. His journey from Mobile to Tallahassee to Tuscaloosa has been an interesting one, and here’s to hoping he finishes the deal.