After AL.com had polled the seven Sports Information Directors from around the West division of the Southeastern Conference, the name found atop the list was no surprise: the Crimson Tide are once again picked to head to Atlanta in early December. Nick Saban’s program has advanced to the league title game in three consecutive seasons and six times in the last nine seasons.

Alabama received all six first-place votes, the SIDs were not allowed to vote for their institutions in the poll, in AL.com/The Birmingham News’s 71st annual report. There was somewhat of a surprise behind the Tide as LSU, not Auburn was picked to finish in the No. 2 spot in the poll.

Related: AL.com’s SEC East projected order of finish for 2017

Last season, the only team the poll pegged correctly in the preseason was Alabama. The other six schools proved to finish outside of their preseason rankings from the AL.com poll.

SEC West projected order of finish for 2017

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