re: Is the SEC East really that far behind the West?

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It's mostly just 6 teams riding Bama's coattails.

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Nah. Bama's 18-1 record against the East since 2010 ($1 to the Gamecocks) is a big part of it...

But the rest of the SEC West is a combined 61-32 against the East since 2010. That's an astounding record when you've taken the best team in that division out of the equation. All total, 6 of the 7 SEC West programs have a winning record against the Eastern Division since 2010.

And if you need further proof its not only because of Bama, just look at the SEC Championship Game results since 2010 in games not featuring Alabama:

2010: Auburn 56, South Carolina 17
2011: LSU 42, Georgia 10
2013: Auburn 59, Missouri 42

Half of the SEC Championship Games so far this decade have featured an SEC West representative NOT named Alabama. And those teams still beat the East by an average of 29.3 points.

I hate this fact as much as anyone. I want the East to be great again like it was from 1992-2009, but ignoring the problem and acting like it doesn't exist is not going to solve the issue. The East simply does not hold a candle to the West right now. It hasn't since at least 2009.