College Football Rankings 2014: Final NCAA Overview of Week 14 Standings
TCU is in an enviable position among College Football Playoff contenders heading into Saturday’s slate of games.
It already made a loud statement Thursday—even if that came against a struggling 6-6 Texas program that looks like a shell of its once proud self—and now gets to sit back and root for upsets that will bolster its positions in the rankings. An Ole Miss win over No. 4 Mississippi State would really help the Horned Frogs’ cause as the No. 5 team.
With that in mind, here is a look at the various polls, including the all-important College Football Playoff rankings.
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(Note: As the table header indicates, the logo shown at the far right of each team's row is for that team's next opponent and not for the ranked team itself.)
Saturday’s rivalry clashes start at high noon ET, when Ohio State and Michigan renew their storied history in Columbus.
On the surface, this is a matchup between a program that seemingly wins double-digit games every season as one of the most established brands in all of football and a sinking ship of a program that is losing games and recruits left, right and centre. While that may be an accurate assessment, Michigan gave Ohio State a major scare in a similar matchup last season.
The Wolverines lost by a single point last season and had a two-point conversion attempt that would have ended the Buckeyes’ perfect season if they converted. Still, this time, the game is at Ohio State, and the team that has won nine of the past 10 games in this showdown should have the upper hand.
Quarterback J.T. Barrett discussed the meaning of this rivalry, via Ben Axelrod of Bleacher Report: "I knew it was big, but coming from Texas, it was Texas-Oklahoma. I went to that game, and it doesn't have anything on the Team Up North and Ohio State."
Elsewhere, Florida State will put its two-year winning streak on the line against Florida. This game could go down to the wire if the Seminoles fall behind again. ESPN Stats & Info noted that slow starts have been a habit of Florida State all season:
The one thing that Florida does well on offense is run the ball (40th in the nation in rushing yards per game), and it also boasts a solid defense that is 23rd in the country in points allowed per game. If there is a combination that lends itself well to protecting a lead, it is playing solid defense and keeping the clock running with the ground attack.
The Gators could shake up the college football world if they are able to do just that.
Two other SEC teams looking for a rivalry win are Alabama and Auburn. It will be impossible to top the ending of last year’s game, but an Auburn upset would send unexpected shock waves throughout the playoff race (and possibly knock the mighty SEC out of contention for a spot).
Auburn may be seen in a better light than Michigan or Florida in its rivalry games, but it feels like the Tigers have as much of a chance to beat the Crimson Tide as the Wolverines and Gators do of beating the Buckeyes and Seminoles.
Auburn lost its last two SEC games and gave up a combined 75 points to Georgia and a decidedly mediocre Texas A&M team. Auburn won’t have to worry about falling out of the Top 25 with another loss because SEC teams always get a boost in the rankings—fair or not—but a loss to its hated rivals will be the cherry on top of a disappointing season.
The other critical game in the SEC West is the clash between Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
A few weeks ago, it looked like this would be a matchup between the top-two teams in the nation, but reality finally hit the Rebels. They have lost three straight SEC contests, including an embarrassing 30-0 defeat to Arkansas. Now, the only way to salvage a once-promising season is to beat Mississippi State.
The final rivalry Saturday is the Civil War out West between Oregon and Oregon State.
This is as similar a mismatch on paper as the Ohio State and Michigan, Florida and Florida State and Auburn and Alabama games, but last year’s contest came down to the wire, with Oregon scoring a touchdown in the final minutes to win by a single point.
All-time Pac-12 passing leader Sean Mannion is back for Oregon State. Still, Heisman Trophy favorite Marcus Mariota will be going up against one of the worst defenses in the entire country, which is simply an unfair fight.
The Beavers have given up at least 27 points in every single Pac-12 game this season, and that is certainly not going to change Saturday against the mighty Oregon attack.
Predicted rivalry winners: Ohio State, Florida State, Alabama, Oregon and Mississippi State
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