It’s hard to deny that the Southeastern Conference Western Division is the toughest in college football.

The division has seen four winners since 2006, and three of the past four national champions have hailed from the SEC West.

Five of six teams reached the nine-win mark last season and are nearing perfection.

So as hundreds of media members gathered in Birmingham, Ala., for the annual SEC Media Days, many wondered which team will emerge from the revolving door of champions this season.

U. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, whose Razorbacks were an early favorite last season, took the microphone first and made it clear he was ready to compete for the title again this season.

“I’m really excited to get started,” Petrino said. “We will have to find out a lot about ourselves … and find out what’s going to make us the type of football team we were a year ago.”

Last season Arkansas reached the 10-win mark for the first time since 2006, finishing second in the West — three games shy of undefeated national champion Auburn.

But many are questioning the Razorbacks this season, as they look to replace Second-Team All-SEC quarterback Ryan Mallett, who was taken in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.

The leading candidates to replace Mallett — whose 3,869 yards and 32 touchdowns last season were both top-10 numbers nationally — are junior Tyler Wilson and sophomore Brandon Mitchell.

“Tyler has an opportunity to do a very good job for us,” Petrino said. “He’s been in offense for four years now, and he’s done a good job when he’s coming into games. It’s our job to find out what [our quarterbacks] do well then ask them to do that.”

Whoever wins the job will be surrounded by talent.

Arkansas returns three of four top receivers last season, including senior Greg Childs, a near unanimous First-Team All-SEC selection last season.

Another bright spot returning for the Razorbacks is First-Team All-SEC junior running back Knile Davis.

Davis, who quietly led the conference with 1,322 yards last season, reaffirmed the notion that Arkansas is in it to win it.

“We put the work in,” said Davis, who became the 10th player in Arkansas history to rush for more than 1,000 yards.

“There’s a lot of hype for all the other teams in the SEC, and we don’t see why we don’t fit into the picture.”

But the Razorbacks aren’t the only team looking to take a shot at the SEC West crown.

Mississippi State U. coach Dan Mullen also expressed title hopes this season, after a nine-win performance that normally puts a team in the top half of the division left the Bulldogs at No. 4 in the West.

“Last year ended on a high note, being ranked 15th nationally and winning a New Year’s Day bowl game for the first time in a long time,” Mullen said. “We’ll continue our goal to relentlessly pursue an SEC championship; that’s what the goal of our program going into every single year is going to be. Our goal is to find a way to win the SEC West.”

But Mullen, who is entering his third year as head coach of the Bulldogs, knows the challenge that lies ahead.

“When you look at the balance of this conference … you have to have that mental toughness as a team to play week in and week out,” he said. “Top to bottom you have got to play you’re A-game if you want to win.”

Leading the Bulldogs’ efforts are senior running back Vick Ballard and senior quarterback Chris Relf.

Ballard set a school record last season with 20 total touchdowns while posting 968 rushing yards on 186 carries. Relf did his part as well, passing for 1,789 yards and 13 touchdowns as well as 880 yards on the ground for five touchdowns.

Ballard said the triple threat of himself, Relf and sophomore running back LaDarius Perkins in the backfield could be a key to success this season.

“[Relf] could throw it to Perkins out the backfield, who’s a speedy guy and he could fake to me or give to me,” the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer said. “It’s really dynamic.”

Relf hopes team dynamics can lead them to build off last season’s strong finish. He wasn’t shy about the Bulldogs’ expectations.

“[An SEC championship] is what we want,” Relf said. “We’re working hard. We’re trying to do everything we possibly can to win the SEC. We take it one game at a time and [win] all of them.”