Honestly, it would be easier to explain Donald Trump's hair than how some media members who attend the annual SEC media days think when it comes to predicting how the SEC standings will look in December.
It is easy to explain why they pick Jim and Nick's for barbecue, Superior Grill for Mexican and the Cajun Steamer for seafood. Those Alabama restaurants are consistently good.
The media aren't when it comes to looking into their crystal balls.
If we were head coaches, we would already have been fired several times. In the 24 times the media have voted since Arkansas and South Carolina joined the league in 1992, the media have been right four times.
Yep, 4-20 doesn't win many prizes that don't start with booby.
Last year, the media voted Auburn to win the SEC Championship by 16 points over Alabama, which was picked to win the SEC West. They are from the same division, and it would take some crazy scenarios for that to happen, such as the Tigers and Tide tying for the division championship.
Understand, last year was a rebuilding year for the Crimson Tide. Nick Saban rebuilt them to a 14-1 record and his fifth (fourth at Alabama) national championship.
Every team in the SEC West in 2015 got at least two first-place votes to win the division. Auburn had the most first-place points but finished second to the Tide because some voters thought the Tigers were going to be down.
Some media were right; the Tigers finished last with a 2-6 league record and 6-6 overall.
The media also picked Florida fifth in the SEC East, but the Gators went 7-1 in SEC play to win the East. Georgia was picked to win it, finished second, and that wasn't good to save Mark Richt's job.
Now comes the latest poll, published last week, and the obvious sentiment was to pick Alabama until some team proves it can knock the crown off the king.
The Tide got 246 first-place votes, and four other SEC West programs got a total of 85, with LSU the clear second with 76 of those. Ole Miss got five, which wasn't surprising since the Rebels are one of three teams with a returning starting quarterback, and Chad Kelly probably is the best in the league.
Texas A&M got three first-place votes and Arkansas got one. The Razorbacks, who were picked to finish fifth, getting a vote to win the West was a bit surprising.
They lost six offensive starters from last year's team, including three veteran linemen, the best tight end in the country last season, a three-year starter at quarterback and a very talented running back.
LSU also got the second most votes to win the SEC title with 59, but Alabama got 223. Tennessee, which was picked to win the East (and should have been), received 29 votes, Georgia 7, Florida 5 and Ole Miss 4.
Four teams received one vote to win the SEC: Arkansas (and if that voter was sober then more power to him), South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.
The Gamecocks have a first-year coach, the Aggies lost nine starters, and Vanderbilt was 2-6 in conference play a year ago.
Basically, the top of the poll was about what was expected.
If Alabama can win the national championship in a rebuilding year, it should be hard to go against the Tide, although yours truly did, and that will be revealed later.
If the Tide don't win it then this should be the year the media finally admit they are a jinx. If Alabama wins it, the media will be on a one poll roll of getting it right.
Sports on 07/20/2016