Round Table: College Football Playoff predictions

This isn't a topic only of interest to Kentucky fans but college football fans as a whole.

Who makes the College Football Playoff at the end of this season?

T.J. Walker, Basketball Recruiting Analyst

1. Ohio State

2. Alabama

3. Oklahoma

4. Auburn

Yes, two SEC teams make the College Football Playoffs and what a CFP this would be regarding storylines. I think the top of college football is as balanced as it's been in a long time, so I look at schedules and who has the easiest path to 13-0 or 12-1, maybe even an 11-2.

Expect Ohio State to take care of Auburn and Alabama to wax Oklahoma. That sets up an mouthwatering Ohio State vs. Alabama showdown and I expect the Buckeyes to reign supreme. Urban Meyer, shockingly, has more talent than Alabama and that shows in a National Championship.

Jeff Drummond, Managing Editor

1. USC

2. Florida State

3. Penn State

4. Florida

Full disclosure: I'm trying really hard to come up with something different here, like that guy who picks a bunch of upsets in March Madness and usually crumples his bracket sheet by the end of the first weekend. Fortunately, football isn't quite as challenging, so maybe I'll still have an outside shot at this.

The biggest omission is Alabama, almost everybody's preseason No. 1. Nick Saban's squad has perhaps its two toughest games (Florida State and Auburn) as bookends on the schedule. Neither of those will be in Tuscaloosa. I think that's big, so I'm dropping the Crimson Tide out of my CFP foursome.

I've got USC and sophomore sensation Sam Darnold in the top spot thanks to a lot of talent and a comparatively manageable schedule. It's simply time for the Trojans to be the Trojans again.

Since I have Florida State being part of the equation that knocks Bama out of the picture, I'll place them as the most "standard" pick in my foursome.

Penn State is my surprise third pick as James Franklin works his magic while Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh get distracted by each other. The final spot goes to the SEC, which should never be shut out of this thing.

The Gators are my darkhorse pick thanks to an absurd schedule that features only three road games and brings Florida State to The Swamp on Thanksgiving weekend for a golden opportunity to make a huge leap in the CFP standings. With Auburn upsetting Bama in the West, the East finally breaks the SEC championship drought and sends the Gators to the big dance.

Justin Rowland, Publisher

1. Ohio State

2. Alabama

3. Washington

4. Oklahoma

Ohio State was blanked by Clemson in last year's College Football Playoff and it was the kind of humbling, humiliating loss that will carry the Buckeyes all the way through the regular season, the Big Ten championship and the CFP. I've got the Buckeyes defeating Alabama in the national championship. Urban Meyer is going to have an ultra-talented team ultra-motivated and eager to silence the doubters after last year, and there are enough quality wins in the Big Ten this year to perhaps allow them to get to the playoff even with a loss.

Alabama is a safe pick given history. They have an enormous amount of talent and while they need to find defensive leadership Jalen Hurts will orchestrate one of the nation's best offenses. And Nick Saban, like Urban Meyer, surely knows how to pilot a team through the pitfalls of a college football season. Lots of coaches haven't come close to proving they can do that.

Chris Petersen is another coach who I'll err on the side of any day. I still think Washington is the best team in the North. Their secondary has some questions but they're going to be a nasty team on the front seven, should be opportunistic as almost all Petersen teams are, and will have more than enough offense (and coaching) to handle USC in the Pac-12 championship game.

Finally, Oklahoma. This pick isn't because I love the Sooners. It's because they're the class of the Big XII and should dispatch their league competition better than almost any other team in the country, and save for an early season meeting with the Buckeyes (which they don't necessarily need to win in order to make it to the CFP), they should put up enough points to finish in the sport's final four.

Ohio State over Oklahoma. Alabama over Washington (again). Buckeyes take home the title.