HOOVER, Ala. — Later this week, the SEC will reveal the media’s preseason SEC champion.

We got it right last year, picking Alabama to win it all. Daring.

Actually, the media have gotten it right 3 times in the past 5 years — all 3 times picking Alabama to win.

Care to guess who the media most likely will pick to win the SEC title in 2019? You guessed it, Alabama.

We sent 4 to SEC Media Days and are part of the voting process. Many more on our staff have opinions and expertise as well.

Instead of waiting on the SEC’s big reveal, here’s how we expect the 2019 SEC season to unfold.

Connor O’Gara, columnist

SEC East
1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Kentucky
4. Mizzou
5. Tennessee
6. South Carolina
7. Vandy

SEC West
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Auburn
4. Texas A&M
5. Mississippi State
6. Arkansas
7. Ole Miss

SEC champion: Georgia 34, Alabama 27.

Yes, I think this is the year that Georgia beats Alabama. Nick Saban’s perfect record against his assistants finally ends in what turns out to be another thrilling SEC Championship. Jake Fromm gets the signature win that Aaron Murray couldn’t, and suddenly, talks of 1980 are alive and well. But like last year, Georgia enters with a loss and Alabama is undefeated. That makes for a fascinating Playoff discussion yet again. But this time, it’s Alabama that has to sit and wait.

Jon Cooper, co-founder

SEC East
1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Missouri
4. Kentucky
5. South Carolina
6. Tennessee
7. Vanderbilt

SEC West
1. Alabama
2. Texas A&M
3. LSU
4. Auburn
5. Miss State
6. Ole Miss
7. Arkansas

SEC champion: Alabama over Florida 31-17.

Yeah, I went against the grain from the popular Alabama-Georgia rematch in Atlanta. So, I went with Florida. The Gators should have a really good defense and much-improved QB play from Feleipe Franks. Dan Mullen has also proven he’s a really good coach (and play-caller), but he hasn’t proven he can beat Kirby Smart. So, that’s the biggest unknown, along with a questionable offensive line. On paper, Georgia beats Florida every time in terms of talent. UGA will likely own the SEC East in the near future, but the Gators will get the Dawgs this year.

Alabama wins the SEC Championship again. While the biggest strength might be its QB in Tua Tagovailoa, it also might be the biggest weakness. Tagovailoa has to stay healthy, and he’s not exactly proven he can do that yet.

Michael Bratton, news editor

SEC East
1. Georgia
2. Missouri
3. South Carolina
4. Florida
5. Tennessee
6. Kentucky
7. Vanderbilt

SEC West
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Auburn
4. Texas A&M
5. Mississippi State
6. Arkansas
7. Ole Miss

SEC champion: Georgia over Alabama.

After coming painfully close to beating Alabama in consecutive seasons, this is the year Georgia gets over the hump and Kirby Smart earns his first victory over Nick Saban. The deciding factor is Georgia’s strengths on the offensive line and the front seven — which I believe will both be stronger than Alabama’s. While Alabama might be motivated to return to the Playoff to get a rematch against Clemson, the Dawgs have that same factor heading into this matchup. With everyone on the roster looking for redemption, from Jake Fromm to the league’s best kicker, Rodrigo Blankenship, I’m taking the Dawgs to leave Atlanta victorious looking ahead to the 2019 SEC Championship Game.

Adam Spencer, Mizzou columnist

SEC East
1. Georgia
2. Mizzou
3. Florida
4. Tennessee
5. Kentucky
6. South Carolina
7. Vanderbilt

SEC West
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Texas A&M
4. Mississippi State
5. Auburn
6. Ole Miss
7. Arkansas

SEC champion: Alabama over Georgia, 31-20.

The 2019 season will be a revenge tour for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. You know it killed Saban to lose to Dabo Swinney for the second time in a title game, and Saban doesn’t handle losing well. Last time Alabama lost to Clemson, the Tide came back the next year and won the national title, beating the Tigers in the semifinals and Georgia in the final. All I know is I wouldn’t want to be on Alabama’s schedule this year. Good luck, everyone.

Chris Marler, co-host The SDS Podcast

SEC East (division record)
1. Georgia (7-1)
2. Mizzou (6-2)
3. Florida (5-3)
4. Tennessee (4-4)
5. South Carolina (3-5)
6. Kentucky (3-5)
7. Vandy (2-6)

SEC West
1. Alabama (8-0)
2. LSU (7-1)
3. Auburn (4-4)
4. Texas A&M (4-4)
5. Mississippi St (3-5)
6. Arkansas (2-6)
7. Ole Miss (1-7)

SEC champion: Alabama over Georgia.

(Do I get bonus points for picking the records?) It seems like every year we come into the season with the same question: Is this the year someone takes the throne from Alabama. From a talent and parity standpoint I think this is the deepest the league has been in the past 5 to 10 years. There are 3 to 5 teams not named Bama that are talented enough to win the SEC. However, those schools don’t get the luxury of playing Bama’s Charmin soft schedule. Alabama has 2 dangerous games: at Texas A&M and vs. LSU. And Bama has a week off before both. Also, in the 5 seasons that a Saban-coached team has come off of a postseason loss, he went a combined 66-5 overall and won the national title 4 of the 5 years. Get ready for the 2019 Saban and Tua Revenge Tour.

Rick Stavig, NFL Draft scout

SEC East
1. Georgia
2. Mizzou
3. South Carolina
4. Florida
5. Kentucky
6. Tennessee
7. Vandy

SEC West
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Texas A&M
4. Auburn
5. Mississippi State
6. Ole Miss
7. Arkansas

SEC champion: Alabama over Georgia.

Third time won’t be a charm for UGA against Alabama in a championship setting, as Alabama’s offense just has too much firepower for the Dawgs’ defense to slow down. Simply put, I don’t see Georgia being able to outscore Alabama in the course of 60 minutes. I also can see Georgia being a bit worn down after a brutal final stretch of the regular season, whereas Alabama will have the luxury of resting starters against Western Carolina in the second to last game of the season.

Les East, LSU columnist

SEC East
1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Missouri
4. Tennessee
5. Kentucky
6. South Carolina
7. Vanderbilt

SEC West
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Texas A&M
4. Mississippi State
5. Auburn
6. Ole Miss
7. Arkansas

SEC champion: Alabama over Georgia 31-26.

LSU might be closing the gap on Alabama in the West, Florida might be closing the gap on Georgia in the East, and Georgia might be closing the gap on Alabama overall. But it’s too soon to expect a change atop either division or the conference as a whole.

Neil Blackmon, Florida columnist

SEC East
1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Missouri
4. Kentucky
5. Tennessee
6. South Carolina
7. Vanderbilt

SEC West
1. Alabama
2. Texas A&M
3. LSU
4. Auburn
5. Ole Miss
6. Mississippi State
7. Arkansas

SEC champion: Alabama over Georgia.

Unoriginal? Maybe. But such is life in Nick Saban’s SEC. I like the idea of Tua Tagovailoa, Najee Harris and all those receivers playing with a chip on their shoulder after the Clemson embarrassment, too. Plus, the schedule is incredibly favorable — there isn’t even one decent nonconference opponent and the toughest conference game is at A&M, which comes after a bye week. All told, expect the Tide back in the College Football Playoff after another dogfight with Georgia in Atlanta.

Joe Cox, Kentucky columnist

SEC East
1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Kentucky
4. Missouri
5. Tennessee
6. South Carolina
7. Vanderbilt

SEC West
1. Alabama
2. Texas A&M
3. LSU
4. Auburn
5. Mississippi State
6. Arkansas
7. Ole Miss

SEC champion: Alabama over Georgia, 41-21.

Maybe we should read Clemson’s whipping of Bama in last year’s CFP final as a statement that other programs are catching up with the Tide. I don’t read it that way at all. Alabama’s coaching staff’s biggest enemy isn’t Clemson or Georgia or Ohio State. It’s complacency. When Nick Saban gets a challenge, Nick Saban gets busy. Alabama has mostly won in recent years by just out-talenting its opposition. Watch the Tide get a lot more willing to open the playbook this fall, and watch those forecasting the rise of anybody else ending up looking a little silly.

Chris Wright, executive editor

SEC East
1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Missouri
4. Kentucky
5. Tennessee
6. South Carolina
7. Vanderbilt

SEC West
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Texas A&M
4. Auburn
5. Mississippi State
6. Ole Miss
7. Arkansas

SEC champion: Alabama over Georgia

I like Florida’s chances to upset Georgia in the Cocktail Party, but I don’t like the Gators’ road schedule enough to pick them to win the East. Florida travels to Kentucky, LSU and Missouri, whereas Georgia’s road slate is more manageable: at Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Auburn. Ultimately, that will allow Georgia to win the East for the 3rd consecutive year. That stranglehold isn’t unique, but it’s rare. The only team to win the East in 3 consecutive seasons was Florida, which won the first 5 from 1992-1996. LSU is closing the gap on Alabama, but that game is in Tuscaloosa. As long as Tua Tagovailoa stays healthy, the Tide will roll into Atlanta — and past Georgia again en route to a 6th consecutive Playoff appearance.