re: Does the SEC East get off the schneid this year?

I think the parallels to the Florida and Tennessee series of the 90's and Bama vs LSU series of the last ten years is uncanny. UF and UT were the two most talented teams in the conference at that time and played in the same division. Bama playing the UF role and LSU playing the UT role. Occasionally a team from the other division fielded a team that could make a run, Bama in that era and Georgia in this one.

In a perfect world for a neutral observer, each division would have 2-3 teams that were close to each other at the top. The west dominance of today was the east dominance back then, but at least Bama snuck in a few conference titles in that time period.

I think if Smart and Mcelwain work out, two younger guys in the grand scheme of things, then you'll see the overall conference power shift back to the east as Saban and Miles retire, or at least give us an opportunity for equal power struggle. They'll both start the ascent soon and will have established themselves by the time the power vacuum occurs at LSU and Bama. The next hires there will be critical in keeping the west at the top