The West may not have been its usual top-to-bottom death march this year, but it was a real treat to have the division be decided by the Iron Bowl.

Back at Media Days in July, I said that I’d be picking Alabama to win the SEC so long as Nick Saban was the head coach in Tuscaloosa. Not that I wasn’t sold on Auburn at the time, but the Crimson Tide simply deserved the benefit of the doubt in my eyes.

As for the rest of the West, I was noticeably higher on Arkansas than most of the print, radio and television personalities in Hoover. I was also lower on LSU than just about everybody, too. A case can be made that I swung and missed badly on both, although the Bayou Bengals were never a genuine threat to make it to Atlanta for the league championship game.

RELATED: Reviewing preseason picks for SEC East

Of all the things I’m asked to do in this job, making predictions is my least favorite. Nobody remembers or gives any credit when you’re right, but everyone has a long memory and criticizes accordingly when you’re wrong.

Nevertheless, let’s review the Crystal Ball series picks I made before the start of the 2017 campaign and see how I did.

ALABAMA

Prediction: 11-1 (8-0 SEC), 1st in West
Performance: 11-1 (7-1 SEC), 2nd in West

For close to three months, it was much of the same for the Crimson Tide. They raced out to 11-0 and did so largely in dominant fashion.

However, once they came to The Plains for the finale, injuries along the offensive line and at linebacker had begun to do some damage. Auburn took advantage and upset ‘Bama to lay claim to the division, although the Tide still made enough of an impression on the selection committee to be chosen for the College Football Playoff.

Even as the No. 4 seed behind Clemson, Oklahoma and Georgia, the Tide might still be the favorite to win it all come January.

Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

ARKANSAS

Prediction: 9-3 (5-3 SEC), 3rd in West
Performance: 4-8 (1-7 SEC), 7th in West

Before 2017 began, I put a lot of faith in Austin Allen’s ability to have a monster year at quarterback behind a reshaped offensive line.

Wrong and wrong, unfortunately. It was a miracle that Allen was healthy enough to make every start in 2016 based on how much punishment he absorbed, so he was overdue for an injury and extended time out of the lineup. That’s exactly what happened. Additionally, the Razorbacks were even worse defensively upon switching from the 4-3 to the 3-4.

After an up-and-down five years, coach Bret Bielema was relieved of his duties. Going all in on Gus Malzahn proved to be fruitless, as well.

AUBURN

Prediction: 9-3 (6-2 SEC), 2nd in West
Performance: 10-3 * (7-1 SEC), 1st in West

For the most part, the Tigers would be defined by Jarrett Stidham at QB, both how he adjusted to Malzahn and how Malzahn adjusted to him.

It took a month or so to get on the same page, but once it all started to mesh, Stidham became the best pure passer in the conference. Kamryn Pettway was too banged up most of the season to contribute much on the ground, but Kerryon Johnson shouldered more of the load and developed into the SEC Offensive Player of the Year.

Don’t forget about that defense, either. Alabama and Georgia got all the headlines, but coordinator Kevin Steele’s unit was equally airtight.

* includes loss in SEC Championship Game

LSU

Prediction: 8-4 (4-4 SEC), 4th in West
Performance: 9-3 (6-2 SEC), 3rd in West

In a battle of Tigers, LSU authored Auburn’s only loss in league play and did it despite having to overcome a 20-0 deficit at home.

Aside from that, the highlights were few and far between for the Bayou Bengals. They were smashed by Mississippi State. They inexplicably fell on homecoming to Troy. They lost their seventh straight to Alabama and didn’t appear to be narrowing the gap at all. While it’s hard to complain with nine wins, the West was never within their reach.

Once again, the program is a signal caller away from being a contender. Danny Etling was dependable, but was never a difference maker.

OLE MISS

Prediction: 6-6 (3-5 SEC), 6th in West
Performance: 6-6 (3-5 SEC), 6th in West

Interim coach Matt Luke inherited an awful situation once Hugh Freeze’s personal life unraveled and he resigned in shame.

All things considered, Luke did a fine job directing the Rebels to a .500 finish. He even did so after losing talented trigger man Shea Patterson, the heartbeat of his offense, midseason due to a knee injury. Under-the-radar JUCO transfer Jordan Ta’amu took over in shotgun formation and did pretty well spreading the ball around to all those weapons.

If given the choice between playing in a ho-hum bowl game or winning the Egg Bowl, you know what fans would decide in Oxford. Well, that’s what they got.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Prediction: 7-5 (3-5 SEC), 5th in West
Performance: 8-4 (4-4 SEC), 4th in West

Dan Mullen continued to do more with less, which is why he’s coaching in Gainesville now instead of Starkville.

But before he left, Mullen put together another strong campaign for the Bulldogs. He might not have the arm talent that Dak Prescott does, but Nick Fitzgerald is improving as a passer and a runaway locomotive once he decides to tuck it and run. MSU was also better on D, led by Jeffery Simmons (below) and his dirty work down in the trenches.

Still, the ‘Dogs remain more have-nots than haves. They were blown out by Georgia and Auburn before failing to close against Alabama.

Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

TEXAS A&M

Prediction: 4-8 (1-7 SEC), 7th in West
Performance: 7-5 (4-4 SEC), 5th in East

No coach in the conference sat on a hotter seat before toe met leather than Kevin Sumlin, and in the end he wasn’t able to cool it down enough to keep his job.

Sumlin again played musical chairs with his field generals. He originally put Nick Starkel atop the depth chart, although he was forced to go with Kellen Mond once Starkel was shelved with an injury. Mond, just a true freshman, delivered more valleys than peaks and was eventually removed in favor of Starkel again when he got healthy.

It’s a lot harder to keep winning in the SEC when you don’t have Johnny Manziel making magic happen, which is part of the reason why Sumlin is now unemployed.

* * *

While I was in the wrong going with Alabama to win the West instead of Auburn, most of my picks in the division were in the right. I did have a better batting average in the East, though.

I got two of the seven overall records exactly correct, plus for five of the seven I was within a single game. As far as marks in conference play are concerned, although I only nailed one out of seven, I was within a lone game for four out of seven.

If I had simply flip-flopped Arkansas and Texas A&M, then this would’ve been a banner performance. Obviously, I believed way too much in Allen and Bielema, while I didn’t have enough in Starkel, Mond and Sumlin. As a matter of fact, the Hogs were my biggest misfire in the entire league. I was off on their overall record by an embarrassing five games and their SEC mark by four.

Similar to what I had in the East, my contenders and pretenders were largely correct. The Iron Bowl was for all the marbles on Thanksgiving weekend, which is what I predicted — and hoped for, to be honest — before the start of the schedule.

I won’t be making the same mistake next season with Arkansas. With Bielema gone and Allen out of eligibility, get ready for another lengthy rebuild, Fayetteville.