The 2017 college football season is officially in the books. After months of dramatic action on the field, an SEC-centric postseason and the craziest coaching carousel we can remember, our staff is here to discuss the highs and lows and everything in between for the recently completed college football season. Here is the SDS staff exit survey for the 2017 college football season.

What is your tweet-length summary of the 2017 college football season (max 280 characters)?

Chris Wright: The SEC is still king and deserved two Playoff spots. Disagree? You probably judge steakhouses by the a la carte options. In that case, you might prefer the Big Ten; the butter-brushed brussel sprouts are delish. I’ll focus on the Tomahawk, medium rare, please. No sides necessary.

Adam Spencer: Roll Tide. Even when it seems that Alabama is having a down year, the Crimson Tide still manage to get into the Playoff and win it all. The lesson? Never doubt Nick Saban. Ever.

Michael Bratton: Georgia has emerged as a national power, Gus Malzahn wasted his most talented team, Coach O is on borrowed time at LSU, Will Muschamp learned how to lead a program, Tennessee and Florida ran off a ditch and Alabama managed to reload BEFORE hitting the offseason. Unreal…

Jon Cooper: The SEC was top-heavy in 2017, with the big three — Alabama, Auburn and Georgia — leading the way. The reason? The lack of elite coaches. Hopefully, with some of the new hires, the coaching level will pickup, helping increase the development on the field.

Connor O’Gara: Georgia and Miami rose up while Florida and Tennessee fell down. Baker Mayfield planted his flag and Lamar Jackson dazzled. Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach broke the internet. Auburn trucked Georgia and blew past Bama.

But the Tide didn’t stop rolling in 2017.

Will Ogburn: Progress. Nearly every SEC team found their long-term head coach or already had him. Some, like Muschamp and Smart, took the next step.

What team were you fascinated by and thus probably watched much more of than the average fan? Why?

Chris Wright: Oklahoma. I like offense. And I’ve been a long-time fan of Lincoln Riley since his ECU days of toying with UNC and N.C. State. In the SEC, Ole Miss. The Shea Show was must-watch, and I did.

Adam Spencer: I know I’m biased here, but the second half of the Mizzou season really was something to watch. From looking like a team that would be lucky to go 2-10 to a team that finished the regular season 7-5, coach Barry Odom really took control of his program.

QB Drew Lock became an absolute star, and if he returns to school, he’ll have to be given some serious 2018 Heisman Trophy consideration (unless new Mizzou OC Derek Dooley ruins him).

Watching Lock throw a deep pass is one of life’s little joys, and now college football fans will be graced with one more year of his presence in black and gold.

Michael Bratton: Auburn, due in part to picking them to win the SEC in the preseason. The Tigers made me look good for much of the season but the same old road bumps happened this season including Gus Malzahn’s coaching malpractice against LSU. The program’s momentum heading into 2018 should be solid but I think fans are always going to look back at this season as one that could have been special if not for a few injuries and poor coaching against Clemson and LSU.

Jon Cooper: The most fascinating team was Georgia. The Dawgs lost their starting QB Jacob Eason early in the season, and they didn’t miss a beat with Jake Fromm. In fact, Fromm moved the offense better than Eason ever could. He’s more mobile; plus, he understands he doesn’t have to make a big play every series in order to win. Combine Fromm with the country’s most dominant backfield, and it createed a perfect scenario on offense. UGA had to have receivers emerge this season, and two did — Terry Godwin and Javon Wims. Both were crucial to the overall success of the offense.

We knew Kirby Smart was going to field a very good defense, but we didn’t know which players would step up. Roquan Smith developed into the best defensive player in the country down the stretch, and it was beautiful to watch.

While the season was great for Georgia, it carried that momentum over into the Early Signing Period signing the nation’s most talented class (so far). Everything about Georgia is must-see right now.

Connor O’Gara: Georgia. To me, the dynamic of a true freshman quarterback is rare. Watching someone like Jake Fromm take over while a former 5-star recruit and starter sat on the bench was fascinating. Watching Kirby turn Georgia’s defense into Alabama East made for appointment viewing each week.

Will Ogburn: Washington State. Maybe it was because I was always up late or I became Leach fan at Texas Tech. They were super fun to watch and I couldn’t get enough of my man Hercules Mata’afa on defense.

What was the best moment of the season for you?

Chris Wright: What Iowa did for the kids watching from their hospital rooms high above Kinnick Stadium. Can’t even imagine going through any of that. On the much, much, much lighter side, all things Lane Kiffin. And Tua’s championship-winning pass — set to Titanic because that makes everything better — will be the Play of the Year.

Adam Spencer: The Rose Bowl was definitely a highlight for me. There were so many great moments — Rodrigo Blankenship’s 55-yard field goal, Roquan Smith’s incredible tackle on a screen pass, Sony Michel’s game-winning run, and many more.

It was perhaps the most exciting Rose Bowl of all-time, and I couldn’t look away from it, even when the Bulldogs were down 31-17 at halftime. When Lorenzo Carter blocked the field goal in double-overtime, you could just sense that Georgia was about to win, and the Dawgs didn’t disappoint.

Michael Bratton: Probably the five-hour Rose Bowl. It’s one of the most special venues in all of sports and to see Georgia fans invade it was pretty great. Of course, the game lived up to the hype and then some. I felt like I had worked out just watching it.

Jon Cooper: The best moment of the season had to be when the SEC landed two teams in the College Football Playoff championship game. It doesn’t get any better. The wildest moment was the Sunday of the whole Tennessee debacle with Greg Schiano. The way everything went down — from holding onto Butch Jones too long to hiring Jeremy Pruitt — was must-watch all the time.

Connor O’Gara: The first time that I saw the Iowa Wave. The fact that it continued throughout the season and become the coolest new tradition in the sport says a lot about how many people it touched. That, to me, was the only thing that consistently got me choked up.

Will Ogburn: An easy answer would be the touchdown pass that ended it, but I personally like the blocked field goal that got Georgia to the title game. Just a dream season for them and that comeback in the Rose Bowl was the cherry on top.

If we eliminate the Tennessee coaching search debacle from consideration, what was the biggest train wreck of the season?

Chris Wright: Tennessee’s actual season. I wrote last offseason Tennessee would struggle to make a bowl game in 2017, but I didn’t think it would be that bad. On the field and off, it was just one blunder after another.

Adam Spencer: As a Mizzou alum, it’s worth noting that Kansas continues to be a dumpster fire, but I’ll go a different direction here and say that the biggest train wreck was Ohio State’s visit to Iowa City on the first Saturday in November.

Of course, we know the Buckeyes lost 55-24, and that loss continued to plague Ohio State after it won a Big Ten Championship and was in consideration for the fourth spot in the Playoff. That loss opened the door for Alabama to get into the final four, and the Tide made the most of it, going on to win it all.

Ohio State definitely didn’t look like a Playoff team on that day, and that train-wreck performance derailed the Buckeyes’ entire season, even after they won a conference title.

Michael Bratton: I still can’t believe Jim McElwain got the axe so quick. We are talking about a guy that won back to back East titles and earned contract extensions after each one. McElwain was basically out the door in two weeks after things seemed to go sideways in Gainesville. If not for a few huge breaks, the Gators were basically two plays away from a two-win season.

Jon Cooper: No doubt this is Jim McElwain. How McElwain won back-to-back SEC East crowns to getting fired was a wild ride. It seems that ever since the naked man on a shark appeared, McElwain was never the same. Hell, he couldn’t even laugh that off. He took himself and things way too serious; it was obvious he wasn’t the fit, but that wasn’t until his third year did we really know that. McElwain is a good offensive mind, but there’s more to coaching than just coaching. McElwain never had the total package, and his death threats comment turned into a train wreck. I’m not sure he knew what he was saying, nor did he care of the ramifications.

Connor O’Gara: How about Florida State? This was a team that was supposed to compete for a national title and the Seminoles had to make up a game a week after the season ended just to become bowl eligible. FSU lost Jimbo Fisher at season’s end and had about as bad of a year as a preseason top-3 team could’ve had.

Will Ogburn: LSU losing to Troy was pretty bad, but I’m going to go ahead and say Auburn losing to UCF was worse. You had ONE JOB, Gus. Now, I’ve had to sit through two championship parades in Orlando, as well as UCF fans trying to spread the gospel of their fake national championship like televangelists on Twitter. Hey, at least Auburn has that Birmingham Bowl title to fall back on as Gus’ only bowl win.

What hill are you still willing to die on that most people have abandoned?

Chris Wright: The Big Ten had no chance to pose a Playoff threat. I spelled out the sequence early in the season of how Ohio State would “get healthy” as soon as it went back to the Big Ten and the ESPN hype train would work overtime makings its Playoff case. Check. And check. Three things bit the Big Ten in the end: Its 9-game conference schedule that limits its chance to impress, Ohio State’s decisive home loss in its big opportunity to Oklahoma, and its Playoff history. Everything about this season looked like the previous two seasons — and those Big Ten teams didn’t score a point in the Playoff. The Committee can say the PC thing that history didn’t come into play, but I’ll never be convinced. Ohio State returned 15 starters, including a senior QB. It was as close to the same team as you could get. The Committee smartly looked at these teams and very legitimately concluded they’d have no chance to win a shootout in the Playoff. And as I’ve noted numerous times, offense rules in the Playoff. You can’t win if you can’t get to 35. There was nothing to suggest Ohio State or Wisconsin could.

Adam Spencer: The College Football Playoff is perfect the way it is. As many clamor for Playoff expansion, I will staunchly stand opposed to it.

Why did we have a Playoff in the first place? Because of the LSU-Alabama BCS Championship Game back in January of 2012. Now, after yet another all-SEC title game, many are in favor of expanding to an eight-team format.

What happens when we inevitably have an all-SEC title game in the eight-team format? 16 teams? 32? 64? That would be ridiculous. Just keep it at four teams so that teams that go to Iowa and lose by 31 points don’t end up having a chance to play for a national championship.

Michael Bratton: I still question how good of a coach Kirby Smart really is. We just saw how quickly things can fall apart on a coach when the previous regime’s players cycle through the program with McElwain at Florida. Surely that same fate isn’t going to happen to Smart in Athens but remember, he apparently had no intention of playing Jake Fromm — this was Jacob Eason’s team heading into the season. I’m not sure they win the East this season with Eason under center.

Jon Cooper: The BCS was a good way of selecting the top two teams in college football. Yeah, I will die on this flat earth’s society argument. For all of its criticism, it got it right 99 percent of the time. And here we are four years later, and there’s no less controversy now than when there was then. If we expand to eight teams, No. 9 and No. 10 will have a valid complaint and there will be more controversy. I’m OK with the top four teams, but expanding any further would do a disservice to college football. Above all, decisions should made to protect the game and the beautiful regular season above all else.

Connor O’Gara: I’m still not convinced that Brian Daboll keeps his job for several years. The Alabama offensive coordinator might’ve gotten a pat on the butt after the Sugar Bowl and he celebrated a national championship after adjusting the game plan for Tua Tagovailoa, but I think if the Tide offense struggles against elite competition like it did throughout 2017 (only 24 PPG against 6 best teams prior to national championship), I think he could fall out of favor with Saban in a hurry.

Will Ogburn: Before the National Championship, I would’ve said “Jalen Hurts isn’t that good,” but…here we are. I’m going to go with “Florida is an overrated job” and we’ll see where that hot take train takes us.

Was this a down year for the SEC or an up year for the SEC?

Chris Wright: High-rises are judged by the penthouse suites, not the first-floor studios. The only people who care about top-to-bottom strength are the people without any strength at the top. The SEC has had better years, but the SEC had the best year among Power 5 conferences. The ACC found out exactly how difficult it is to stay on top. Alabama or Georgia would have won your league, too.

Adam Spencer: It’s hard to call it a down year when Alabama and Georgia just played a thrilling National Championship Game. Yes, some of the blue-blood programs (looking at you, Tennessee and Florida) had down years, but that doesn’t mean the conference as a whole wasn’t tough to navigate.

It wasn’t an up year, by any means, but those saying it was a down year are flat-out wrong. When you’ve had a run of dominance like the SEC has over the past decade, maintaining that dominance is impressive in its own right, and that’s what I’d say the conference did this year.

Michael Bratton: Both. The league looks weak when Alabama is just dominating everyone. This year, the Tide couldn’t even win their division yet won the national title. Strength at the top for sure but the bottom of the league was awful. Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss lack rosters that SEC programs should have. Tennessee and Florida have those rosters but may have been the worst teams in the league.

Jon Cooper: Up year. Don’t let anyone tell you differently either. Having two teams in the College Football Playoff (with another in Auburn square in the mix), that has to be a positive year for the conference, not negative. Yeah, it was top heavy as compared to years past, but it’s still elite and still the king. Assuming that both Florida and Tennessee will improve (it’s uncertain if LSU will do so), it will help the perception of the conference. Both the Gators and Vols missed on bowl games, and it won’t get much worse than that overall.

Connor O’Gara: Can it be somewhere in the middle? For the elite programs, it was a great year. Alabama and Georgia played for a national championship. For programs like Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State and South Carolina, it was a decent year. Besides that, I’m not convinced the SEC can claim to have had an “up year.” The conference is not as deep as it once was, and bowl season was a reminder of that. But the SEC did still win the postseason because of the title game. That still says a lot about the conference.

Will Ogburn: This was an up year for the SEC regardless of what anyone says. Only one conference has played itself for a title and the SEC has now done it twice. Also, Auburn beat Alabama and Georgia, proving that the conference is more than just two teams.

Who was your favorite player of the 2017 CFB season to watch?

Chris Wright: The Shea Show. A very close second though to Benny Snell, especially when Kentucky just lined him up in the Wildcat, play after play after play after play. Usually I enjoy a terrorizing edge defender. There really wasn’t one this year.

Adam Spencer: Again, I’m going to have to go back to Drew Lock here. I mean, he finished the year with more touchdown passes than Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield (as well as everyone else in the nation).

He has one of the strongest arms in college football and shows it off often, but it’s not all good when you watch him. He usually makes at least one infuriating decision early in games that results in an interception, but his talent is undeniable.

He can make any throw on a football field, and if he can improve his decision-making in 2018, he could be even more fun to watch.

Michael Bratton: John Kelly. That dude brought his A game every Saturday, at least in the games that he was eligible. He was tough to tackle and explosive with a real mean streak. He was the SEC’s top back this season before the team around him crumbled.

Jon Cooper: This one is easy. Baker Mayfield. The way he carried himself (I’m not a fan of the antics) was like any other. He expected to win and dominate his opponent every time on the field. Put me on a team with that guy, and teammates feel like they can conquer anyone. Of particular interest will be his NFL career, which is like all others and all over the map. I happen to think his game translates well to the NFL. He’s mobile in the pocket and has plenty of arm strength. Off-the-field he’s no Johnny Manziel either; so, he has a head on his shoulders. Many others have compared him to Brett Favre. He reminds me of Russell Wilson: a leader, mobile enough to make plays and can make all the throws on the field.

Connor O’Gara: Saquon Barkley. No player was more dynamic and more capable of turning a 5-yard loss into an 80-yard touchdown. His ability to impact the game was Christian McCaffrey-like, which made him the top-flight prospect that he is. He’s easily the guy that I’ll miss most each Saturday.

Will Ogburn: Khalil Tate from Arizona. This goes back to me staying up late, but it was well worth it for guys like Tate. This man rushed for 327 yards against Colorado and he’s a quarterback – just electrifying. Hopefully, he can continue this success past RichRod.

What’s your boldest prediction for next season?

Chris Wright: Two. Alabama is running the table with Tagovailoa at the helm, and Jimbo Fisher will win fewer games in 2018 than Kevin Sumlin did in his first season — and maybe fewer than Sumlin did last year. Sumlin won 11 games his first season — a 4-game improvement from the previous season. The Aggies finished 7-6 in 2017.

Adam Spencer: Ed Orgeron will be the first SEC coach fired. Coach O’s feud with OC Matt Canada was bizarre, and he’s chosen to ride with Steve Ensminger as his new OC, which is an interesting choice. He’s staking his reputation on Ensminger, and I don’t think that’s the right call.

With DC Dave Aranda receiving a hefty extension to remain in Baton Rouge, he could be eyeing the head coaching job, and I believe he’ll get his shot at the position before the 2018 season is finished.

Michael Bratton: Auburn to win the SEC. It nearly happened, too.

Jon Cooper: South Carolina will win the SEC East. We know Will Muschamp’s defense is going to be good, but with a seasoned and experienced Jake Bentley at the helm, the offense could be just good enough to make it to Atlanta. Yeah, I realize Georgia and Florida will be good. I also understand Tennessee should be much improved under Jeremy Pruitt, both on the field and in recruiting. Still, it feels like Will Muschamp has a big year in the tank in the near-future. The Gamecocks host Georgia and Tennessee next season, and the road game against Florida could decide whether the Gamecocks can win the division. The crossover games are certainly manageable with Texas A&M and Ole Miss, too. Hey, we said boldest prediction, and I can’t think of being much bolder than Will Muschamp and South Carolina winning the SEC East.

Connor O’Gara: Jalen Hurts starts at least one game for Alabama … as a receiver.

Will Ogburn: Anything but calling another Alabama title is just bad math, so I’ll take that. Let’s say they knock off a Michigan with Shea Patterson.

What’s your take on UCF and the current structure of the College Football Playoff?

Chris Wright: An 8-team Playoff is the only solution and it’s the perfect solution: 5 P5 automatic bids, 2 at-large bids, 1 to best Group of 5. That structure gives every team in America a real path to Playoff. Now? G5s have no chance. None. We’re still married to this romantic, 1970s notion that a September game means more than a P5 Championship Game. That’s ridiculous. The 4-team system is totally illogical and fundamentally flawed when the whole goal is to crown a legitimate national champion.

Adam Spencer: Dear UCF, schedule more (and better) Power 5 teams. You knew Georgia Tech (which got canceled) and Maryland weren’t going to be world-beaters this year. And then there’s Maine. That game got canceled, too, but for all you complain about Alabama’s cupcakes, your non-con schedule isn’t strong, either.

Michael Bratton: It’s too bad UCF didn’t get a shot at the title but they didn’t do anything to earn that shot in my mind. They beat Maryland and Memphis twice, that was basically their resume heading into the Peach Bowl. I don’t buy that Group of 5 teams have no shot, they do in some circumstances. Houston nearly pulled it off a year ago, they just didn’t take care of business in conference play. Building up some credibility like they did in 2015 and winning against solid non-conference opponents like Oklahoma and Louisville put them in position for a Playoff spot, so it is possible. I love the setup of the Playoff and I don’t want to see it changed to 6 or 8 or 16. That would devalue the regular season, which is college football’s most valuable commodity compared to every other major sport in the county, college or pro. If you threaten that, college football will never recover.

Jon Cooper: Do not expand the College Football Playoff. That is all. The crazy thing is I’m a UCF graduate and played baseball there. I attended many football games during my time in school. I am also not a fan of the way the program is parading around the national championship claim.

Connor O’Gara: UCF did everything in its power to earn a chance to play for a national championship, but the current system doesn’t reward Group of 5 teams that don’t beat traditional powers. UCF didn’t do that. Having said that, UCF would be crazy NOT to claim itself as national champs. The Knights elevated their program and at the very least, they got the discussion going.

Will Ogburn: Beat more than one actual college football team and we’ll talk.