College Football Rankings 2017: Reviewing NCAA Polls Before Final Week 14 Games

Saturday could not only be a stressful day for college football fanbases across the nation, but it could also make the College Football Playoff committee nervous when it comes to making the right decisions Sunday.

All of the chaos can be avoided if Clemson, Auburn, Oklahoma and Wisconsin win their respective conference championship games, but when has college football retained a sense of normalcy?

Waiting in the wings if one of the top four teams falls in Week 14 is the Alabama Crimson Tide. All sorts of scenarios could occur if one or more of Miami (FL), Georgia, TCU and Ohio State come out of Saturday with a victory.

Here's one final look at the polls ahead of Saturday's championship slate.

College Football Playoff Top 25

1. Clemson

2. Auburn

3. Oklahoma

4. Wisconsin

5. Alabama

6. Georgia

7. Miami (FL)

8. Ohio State

9. Penn State 

10. USC

11. TCU

12. Stanford

13. Washington

14. UCF

15. Notre Dame

16. Michigan State

17. LSU

18. Washington State

19. Oklahoma State

20. Memphis

21. Northwestern

22. Virginia Tech 

23. Mississippi State

24. NC State

25. Fresno State

Alabama Playing the Waiting Game

The most interesting team in regard to the playoff may be the highest-ranked team that isn't in action in Week 14.

The Alabama Crimson Tide can't control their fate, and there's a chance they might not get in even if one of the top four teams slips up in Week 14, especially if it's Clemson that loses.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

In an ideal world, Nick Saban's squad needs two of the top four to lose in order to get into the argument for good.

The best-case scenario for the Tide features TCU and Ohio State wins over Oklahoma and Wisconsin, respectively. TCU is too far down in the rankings to jump Alabama in one week, and it would avoid the debate about the resumes of the Tide and the Buckeyes.

If the only team to win outside the top four is Ohio State, there will a long and arduous debate about which team deserves the fourth spot in the playoff. The argument for Alabama is it is a one-loss team and has been at the top of the rankings most of the season, but Ohio State would carry a conference championship and a recent win over a top program despite having two defeats on its resume.

Is Clemson In the Playoff Regardless of a Loss?

The other potential doomsday scenario for the playoff committee involves a win by Miami in the ACC Championship.

There's a good understanding that the conference championship winners from the ACC and SEC are assured of a spot in the playoff, but if Clemson falls to the Hurricanes, there's a scenario in which the Tigers also qualify for the playoff.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Dabo Swinney and Co. have one of the best resumes around, with victories over Auburn, Virginia Tech, Louisville, NC State and South Carolina, all of whom were ranked when the games were contested.

As the No. 1 team in the playoff rankings, Clemson might have a buffer to work with, especially if it plays Miami tight.

A Tigers loss would open up a debate between the Tigers, Alabama and the Big Ten champion. Just like Alabama, Clemson is the biggest fan of TCU in Week 14 because a Horned Frogs win would open up a larger possibility of a two-loss Clemson making the playoff.

Did the Big 12 Hurt Itself by Having a Conference Championship Game?

The Big 12 could end up being either the biggest winner or loser of Week 14 depending on how the conference's championship game shakes out.

The dream scenario for the Big 12 is an Oklahoma win with Baker Mayfield entering the role of star player once again in a big game to lock up his Heisman Trophy front-runner status.

Brett Deering/Getty Images

A TCU win would essentially lock the Big 12 out of the playoff for the third time in four years. Unless all hell breaks loose in Week 14 and every top-four team loses, the Horned Frogs will probably end up on the outside looking in because they started the week at No. 11.

The Big 12 wanted to put itself in the spotlight during championship weekend, but the recreation of a championship game may end up being the worst thing the conference has done if an upset occurs.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.