Bowl Projections 2014: College Football Playoff Predictions Pre-Week 15 Rankings

The 2014 regular season is coming to an end soon, and the anticipation of the Week 15 College Football Playoff rankings has led to projections and predictions about which teams will play in the top postseason bowls.

Top teams like Alabama, Oregon and Florida State were able to pull out much-needed wins in Week 14, but a devastating loss for Mississippi State will ensure the Playoff voting committee will have a new team in the final postseason slot.

Here are the College Football Playoff bowl projections and a complete breakdown of the team to beat this season.

Bowl Game	Playoff Teams
Rose Bowl	No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 TCU
Sugar Bowl	No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 3 Oregon Ducks
Championship Game	No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 3 Oregon Ducks

Breaking Down the Team to Beat

There are many programs that have put together excellent performances this season, but the Alabama Crimson Tide have earned their spot as the favorite to win the inaugural College Football Playoff.

After another thrilling Iron Bowl matchup, Alabama walked away victorious over Auburn and cemented a spot at the top of the rankings. A loss earlier in the season to Ole Miss ruined the Crimson Tide's perfect record, but wins over Mississippi State, LSU and Texas A&M have put them in a great position heading into next Saturday’s SEC Championship Game.

Alabama will take on Missouri on December 6 with the chance to stake its claim on the No. 1 seed in the Playoff and serious momentum heading into the postseason. While the Wildcats are a talented program, the Crimson Tide are superior on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

Crimson Tide defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson spoke to Drew Champlin of AL.com about his team’s SEC Championship Game opponent, saying, “They're a great team. They had a great win (against Arkansas). I watched them throughout (and) when we can, we watch any other SEC team. They're a really good SEC team and we're excited to be playing them.”

Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin’s offensive unit has been excellent this season, ranking 20th in the nation with an average of 36.7 points per game. The rushing attack is ranked 37th in college football, and the passing attack is ranked 22nd.

As well as the offensive unit has played, the defense has been just as dangerous. The always impressive defensive unit is ranked sixth in the country, allowing just 16.9 points per game. Missouri deserves immense credit for a successful season, but the Wildcats will face their toughest competition of the season.

Led by Saban and his experience in big games, there is no program in the nation more prepared for a deep run in the postseason. If Alabama can beat Missouri, the other three teams who make the postseason should fear the Crimson Tide.

*Stats via ESPN.com.