Texas A&M and Auburn, both members of the SEC West, arguably had the two biggest assistant coach offseason hires with defensive coordinators John Chavis and Will Muschamp, respectively.

A&M and Auburn are in very similar situations with strong offenses that have excelled in recent years but defenses that have given up far too many points. Both teams also have a lot of youth on that side of the ball.

There have been comparisons drawn all offseason between the two teams so the question naturally arises as to who will have the more successful first season with their new team.

A pair of ESPN SEC writers made arguments for each.

Sam Khan Jr. expects Chavis to have a bigger impact in Aggieland.

Khan points out the talented individual players at A&M in defensive ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall, defensive tackle Daylon Mack, linebacker Otaro Alaka and safety Armani Watts.

However, his main point seems to be that things can't go any worse than they did a year ago.

"I'm going with Chavis for a few reasons. For starters, there's nowhere to go but up for the Aggies defensively. They were last in the SEC in 2014 in yards allowed per game (450.8) and rushing (216). Secondly, Chavis brings two decades of experience coordinating SEC defenses. Third, with the recruiting job the Aggies did in recent years, there's actually talent for Chavis to work with."

Khan sees A&M fielding something of a "respectable" defense this year, something it has been a while since Aggie fans have seen.

"The Aggies don't have to be a great defense, just a respectable one. If Chavis can get them out of the cellar and into the top half of the SEC -- which I think is possible -- it will be a big success in his first year. His aggressive style suits the talent the Aggies have, and A&M's favorable schedule, with nine games in Texas and seven at Kyle Field (which now seats 102,511), sets up the Aggies for a big jump."

Greg Ostendorf, on the other hand, feels Muschamp will have a bigger impact with the Tigers. Despite not succeeding as a head coach at Florida, he has had top defenses at each of his coordinator stops.

"Muschamp has a proven track record in Year 1 everywhere he has been. In 2002 (Muschamp's first year as defensive coordinator), LSU finished 16th nationally in scoring defense. In 2006, Auburn finished seventh, allowing just 14 points per game. His first year at Texas, the Longhorns were No. 20. The man gets results."

The Auburn secondary has been its weakest unit and Ostendorf expects the new coordinator to take a personal interest in the position group.

"The biggest question mark then becomes the secondary, but Muschamp is a former safety. He will have his thumbprint all over that group. Just look at what he and new Auburn assistant Travaris Robinson did at Florida a season ago. The Gators had arguably the best secondary in the SEC."

A&M fans have been outspoken critics of seeing Auburn consistently ranked in the Top 10, or even Top 5, of the national preseason rankings while people discount the Aggies. Since the two teams have had similar paths lately, and the fact that A&M won at Auburn a year ago, if Chavis ends up making the impact some expect in Year One it could be a special year in Aggieland.