College Football Rankings 2014: Twitter Reacts to AP and Amway Week 15 Polls

Week 15 didn't entirely solve the College Football Playoff riddle. But it did make it easier.

A Mississippi State upset combined with a major non-scoreboard loss for Ohio State leaves what appears to be only five teams with a legitimate shot at a title. Alabama's atonement for last year's Iron Bowl loss puts the Crimson Tide squarely in the driver's seat for a top overall seed, while Oregon's thrashing of Oregon State and Florida State's nail-biter against Florida keep them in control of their own destiny.          

The major question will come down to a battle of Big 12 schools. Baylor struggled for the second straight Saturday in its win over Texas Tech, while TCU looked strong in its thrashing of Texas. Both teams have games left on their slate for next week, but let's look at how the Associated Press and Coaches polls have them faring:

For obvious reasons, Mississippi State's loss to Ole Miss created the week's biggest ripple effect. The Bulldogs came into their regular-season closer with an inside track at the No. 4 seed despite having little shot at an SEC championship. But Ole Miss held its rivals' ground game to only 3.5 yards per carry, got a breakout 148-yard performance from Jaylen Walton and held on for an emphatic 31-17 victory.

"This is as tough as it gets," Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen told reporters. "I do not care about the stakes. This game is for bragging right in the state. It is the most important game we play. So it is obviously a devastating loss."

Mike Greenberg of ESPN pointed out neither of the Bulldogs' losses saw them playing at their peak:

Mississippi State's loss would have created a three-team logjam had Ohio State not lost its most important offensive weapon in its win over Michigan. Freshman star J.T. Barrett suffered a season-ending broken ankle on the first play of the fourth quarter in the Buckeyes' closer-than-expected 42-28 victory. After a rough start Barrett had emerged as one of the nation's most efficient quarterbacks.

Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star believes Barrett should still be a Heisman finalist:

While not impossible to think Ohio State can still make the playoff, it's much more unlikely. Sophomore Cardale Jones, who entered the 2014 season as the third-string quarterback, will now take over under center. Jones has only 19 career college passes under his belt, and his first career start will come in the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin.

Even if the Buckeyes are able to get past Wisconsin, Barrett's injury leaves the committee with a difficult choice. The Big 12 and Big Ten are on a relatively similar playing field from a strength perspective. Ohio State is a far more traditional power than either Baylor or TCU, and we've seen plenty of instances in the past of the longstanding giant receiving an extra bump.

But the committee's job is to find the nation's four best teams. Without Barrett and without a significant sample of games from Jones, it's hard to see the committee giving Ohio State the nod. ESPN's Sam Ponder offered a similar thought:

"It's almost like you've got a weird feeling," tight end Jeff Heuerman told reporters. "It's your Senior Day, you just beat The Team Up North, you're going to the Big Ten Championship Game and you feel like something is missing. And really something is missing. Your starting quarterback that you rallied around all season is done."

TCU, meanwhile, doesn't appear to be missing a thing. The Horned Frogs forced six Texas turnovers and scored the game's final 21 points in their 48-10 thumping of the Longhorns. The TCU defense accounted for two touchdowns and held Texas to 2.5 yards per carry. Trevone Boykin threw for 233 yards, added 50 on the ground and had three of the Horned Frogs' four offensive touchdowns.

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"You know, this team deserves to go home and win a championship," Patterson told reporters. "We've got one more to do it, and I'm very proud of them. I'm finally going to go maybe smile once, but we've got to get ready to play Iowa State."

Albert Breer of NFL Network is still unimpressed:

The Lost Lettermen Twitter account disagrees:

At issue, as it has been for most of the season, is how to separate TCU from Baylor. The Bears defeated their conference rival in a thriller earlier this year but have looked like the inferior team for most of the season. Their 48-46 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday was the latest evidence, as Baylor needed to hold off a late two-point conversion attempt to avoid overtime.

Losing quarterback Bryce Petty to a concussion didn't make things easier, but it's the Bears' defense that's proven more concerning. Patrick Mahomes threw for 598 yards and six touchdowns, and Texas Tech is the third opponent this season to score 40 or more points against Baylor. 

ESPN's Jake Trotter summed the game up properly:

Bryan Fischer of NFL.com provided a devil's advocate outlook:

Elsewhere in the Top 25, UCLA and Georgia each ruined their chance at sneaking into the playoff picture. The Bruins were dominated in their 31-10 loss to unranked Stanford, held without a point for the game's final 41 minutes. Kevin Hogan missed on only three of his 19 pass attempts, while Brett Hundley turned in his worst performance of 2014.

Here is what can only be described as a tongue twister from ESPN's John Ireland: 

Georgia wasn't blown out, but its 30-24 overtime loss to Georgia Tech was nonetheless frustrating. The Bulldogs allowed a 21-yard Justin Thomas run at the end of regulation to set up a game-tying 53-yard field goal from Harrison Butker. Then, given a chance to win in overtime with a touchdown and extra point, Hutson Mason threw an upset-clinching interception.

ESPN Stats & Info noted how unlikely Georgia Tech's win was:

With two of the nation's best two-loss teams out of the picture and Mississippi State blowing its chance, the committee should have an easier time setting up college football's hierarchy. Any more confusion this Saturday, though, and things could get a lot more interesting.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter