College Football Rankings 2014: Latest Standings and Predictions for Week 14
The College Football Playoff rankings—otherwise known as the rankings that actually mean something—will not be released until Tuesday, but the fans and commentators will certainly find a way to debate the Associated Press and Amway Coaches Polls.
Just so you are prepared heading into those arguments, here is a look at the latest rankings before digging into some predictions for the Week 14 games with the biggest playoff implications.
Week 14 Predictions
| Thursday, Nov. 27 | TCU at Texas | TCU |
| Friday, Nov. 28 | Stanford at UCLA | UCLA |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Michigan at Ohio State | Ohio State |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Auburn at Alabama | Alabama |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Oregon at Oregon State | Oregon |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Florida at Florida State | Florida State |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Mississippi State at Ole Miss | Mississippi State |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Baylor at Texas Tech | Baylor |
Under-the-Radar Week 14 Game to Watch: Oregon at Oregon State
While the majority of the nation focuses on Ole Miss playing Mississippi State, Auburn playing Alabama and Ohio State clashing with Michigan, this game between Western rivals has just as much at stake in the playoff race.
Oregon was No. 2 in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings and seemingly controls its own destiny on the way to the postseason. A win on the road against its rival would only solidify its position among the Top Four.
As for Oregon State, it needs to win to reach a bowl game and would love to send its seniors out with a shocking upset of the hated Ducks. Senior quarterback Sean Mannion is the all-time Pac-12 leader in passing yards, and a signature win over Oregon would be an incredible way to end his home career.
Beavers Football passed along some of the head-turning career stats from the gunslinger:
Before you scoff at the notion that Oregon State could hang with Oregon, think back to last year's game.
The Ducks survived, 36-35, with a touchdown in the final minute of the game. There were five scores in the fourth quarter alone, and it was the perfect example of the "throw the records out" cliche that is thrown around so liberally in rivalry showdowns like this one.
Mariota was dealing with lingering knee issues that limited his mobility and ultimately wrecked Oregon's season in a previous loss to Arizona, but it was still a gallant effort from the Beavers.
It is also worth noting that Oregon State already shook up the college football world once this season in a win over Arizona State. ESPN Stats & Info pointed out what the ultimate difference in that game was:
For as disappointing as this season has been, the Beavers are 25th in the nation in passing yards per game. Mannion threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns against the Ducks a season ago in Eugene and will look to be even better in front of the friendly home crowd.
Oregon's defense is not the strength of its team even if it is a respectable 23rd in the nation in points allowed per game. California torched the Ducks for 41 points and 560 total yards, the defense couldn't get off the field when it needed to against Arizona, and it got bailed out by Utah when the Utes dropped a sure touchdown at the one-yard line that turned into a fumble that the Ducks ran back.
It would have been 14-0 Utes after that play. Instead, it was 7-7.
If Oregon State is going to pull an upset (and earn the admiration of Ohio State, Mississippi State, TCU and Baylor fans along the way), it needs to attack that Oregon defense.
Even if Mannion finds a way to put some points up on the board against the Ducks like he did last year, the problem for Oregon State will be on the other side of the ball.
Oregon is third in the nation in scoring offense and has the clear-cut Heisman Trophy favorite leading the way in Marcus Mariota. Mariota already has 3,103 passing yards, 597 rushing yards and 42 total touchdowns on the season, and he has this and the Pac-12 title game remaining.
Former Oregon coach Mike Bellotti discussed Mariota, via Connor Letourneau of The Oregonian:
"He's the best ever. ... Akili (Smith) might have accomplished more with less than any quarterback in school history, but Marcus is, I think, the best, and I think it's already the time to say he's the best because of his winning percentage, accuracy and how he breaks the big play."
The Beavers defense has been alarmingly bad in Pac-12 play. It allowed 35 points to USC, 31 to Colorado, 29 to Utah, 38 to Stanford, 45 to California, 39 to Washington State, 27 to Arizona State and 37 to Washington and is the main reason why the team has lost five of six.
That defense couldn't contain the middle-of-the-road Pac-12 teams earlier in the season. It's certainly not going to be able to stop Mariota with the Heisman Trophy and a playoff spot on the line.
Prediction: Oregon 49, Oregon State 30
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