NCAA Football Rankings 2017: Predicting Movers in Week 14 After Latest Results

The final week before conference championships brought more chaos and potential sleepless nights for the college football committee.

Pittsburgh's 24-14 upset over Miami added a wrinkle to the playoff discussion. How far should the Hurricanes fall? After some close wins against average or subpar opponents, many question the program's status as a top team. Would an ACC title help them move back into the top four?

Any time Alabama falls, it's newsworthy. Auburn's Iron Bowl victory helped its chance at becoming the first two-loss team to secure a top-four spot at the end of the season. It also created a scenario in which we may have a College Football Playoff without the Crimson Tide. For the first time in a long while, head coach Nick Saban's group doesn't control its destiny.

After a few surprising outcomes, who's the No. 1 program in the nation? We'll project the Week 14 rankings before the selection committee reveals the standings on Tuesday.

Predictions for College Football Playoff Week 14 Rankings

1. Clemson (11-1)

2. Auburn (10-2)

3. Oklahoma (11-1)

4. Wisconsin (12-0)

5. Georgia (11-1)

6. Alabama (11-1)

7. Miami (FL) (10-1)

8. Ohio State (10-2)

9. Penn State (10-2)

10. USC (10-2)

11. TCU (11-2)

12. UCF (12-0)

13. Stanford (9-3)

14. Washington (10-2)

15. Notre Dame (9-3)

16. LSU (9-3)

17. Michigan State (9-3)

18. Oklahoma State (9-3)

19. Washington State (9-3)

20. Memphis (10-1)

21. Northwestern (9-3)

22. Virginia Tech (9-3)

23. Mississippi State (8-4)

24. Toledo (10-2)

25. Fresno State (8-4)

Moving Up: Clemson, Week 13 CFB Ranking: No. 3 / Week 14 Projection: No. 1

After Alabama's loss to Auburn, Clemson should lead the pack as the new No. 1 team in the nation. Despite all the chaos at the top of the rankings, the Tigers held firm Saturday and dominated a quality opponent in No. 24 South Carolina:

Head coach Dabo Swinney refilled and developed the roster for a return to the ACC Championship Game. In a matchup that could go either way with tough defenses on the field, the Tigers have a major hurdle to clear before thinking about defending their national title.

Quarterback Kelly Bryant isn't playing mistake-free football in the pocket, but he's doing enough with a complementary defense to win games. A victory over the Hurricanes, who should rank within the top 10, would punch Clemson's ticket to the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.

Moving Up: Auburn, Week 13 CFB Ranking: No. 6 / Week 14 Projection: No. 2

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Some analysts may not agree with the slotting of a two-loss team ahead of a one-loss club and an undefeated Power Five program, but Auburn knocked off two squads that ranked No. 1 in the country in November alone. There's no other resume coming close to the Tigers' body of work in terms of quality wins.

Furthermore, Auburn lost both its games on the road to Top 25 teams by one possession. The Tigers went through the 2017 campaign without an ugly defeat and toppled the best in convincing fashion on two occasions.

On Tuesday, the selection committee will have long debates about whether to opt for Auburn or Oklahoma for the No. 2 spot. The outcome of the SEC Championship matchup will either drop the Tigers from the top four or show why they belong in the second spot.

The committee should reward the first program to beat two No. 1 teams in the College Football Playoff rankings:

Hopefully running back Kerryon Johnson shakes off his shoulder injury so we are able to see this Auburn team at its best against Georgia in the SEC title game.

Moving Down: Alabama, Week 13 CFB Ranking: No. 1 / Week 14 Projection: No. 6

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The Crimson Tide's loss to Auburn dealt a huge blow to their playoff chances because of their weak schedule. Alabama finishes the regular season with wins over a three-loss LSU program and a four-loss Mississippi State team as its most notable victories.

This club needed to win out to avoid intense discussions about its resume and how it affects an ability to climb back into the playoff bracket. When it comes down to final decisions, the committee will compare one- and two-loss teams and ask, "whom did they beat?"

Alabama will move ahead of whomever loses the SEC Championship Game. When it comes to conference championship outcomes, the Tide should hope for TCU over Oklahoma, Miami over Clemson and Ohio State over Wisconsin to muddle the playoff picture.

Above all, it's fair to wonder whether the committee will give Alabama the benefit of the doubt as a perennial contender.

Moving Down: Miami, Week 13 CFB Ranking: No. 2 / Week 14 Projection: No. 7

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The Hurricanes picked a terrible moment to lose after coming on strong down the stretch with large victories over Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. In addition to the upset, the Fighting Irish's 38-20 loss to Stanford Saturday also hurts the value of Miami's quality win.

Despite Miami's road loss to a sub-.500 Pittsburgh squad, Ohio State has an inexplicable 31-point road defeat to Iowa that's hard to forget. The Hurricanes and Buckeyes should slot into the No. 7 and No. 8 spots, respectively. Both programs have a conference championship game to play Saturday.

A win alone isn't enough for either team. Both squads should aim for style points if they are able to mount a decent lead. The Buckeyes would need to create an argument to leapfrog one-loss Alabama.

The Hurricanes should hope Clemson ranks No. 1 when the schools take the field at Bank of America Stadium for the ACC Championship Game Saturday. A dominant win should put them back into the top four.