College Football Playoff 2014: Final Predictions for Week 15 CFB System Rankings
Tuesday is a national holiday of sorts thanks to the College Football Playoff poll.
Fans around the globe now look forward to the latest CFP poll each Tuesday night both as a countermeasure to the polls already released to the public that week and as a way to preview the four-team bracket and those left behind.
One group of folks who do not look forward to the release? The pollsters themselves, of course. Thanks to upsets and close finishes, Week 14 was in no way kind to the committee.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
As the number of one-loss teams and beyond grows, let's look at the polls already made public and nail down a prediction for the Week 15 CFP poll.
Week 15 Rankings
Projected Week 15 CFP Poll
| 1 | Alabama |
| 2 | Oregon |
| 3 | Florida State |
| 4 | TCU |
| 5 | Baylor |
| 6 | Ohio State |
| 7 | Arizona |
| 8 | Michigan State |
| 9 | Mississippi State |
| 10 | Kansas State |
| 11 | Wisconsin |
| 12 | Georgia Tech |
| 13 | Missouri |
| 14 | Ole Miss |
| 15 | Georgia |
| 16 | UCLA |
| 17 | Arizona State |
| 18 | Oklahoma |
| 19 | Auburn |
| 20 | Clemson |
| 21 | Boise State |
| 22 | Louisville |
| 23 | LSU |
| 24 | Utah |
| 25 | Nebraska |
The Dance for No. 4
Right now, the Top Three is set in stone.
Alabama came up game in a scare at the hands of Auburn in the Iron Bowl thanks to 224 yards and three touchdowns by Amari Cooper. It was easily the most impressive win by a team in the Top Five and assures the Crimson Tide the top spot.
Oregon is a close second at this point. Most people figured the Ducks would have been upset by now. Instead, the team is more prolific than ever and just dispatched of Oregon State 47-19 in the Civil War thanks to 367 yards and six total touchdowns from Marcus Mariota.
Jameis Winston and Florida State will continue to linger and come in at No. 3. The Seminoles once again came up big late, downing the Florida Gators 24-19. A team with Winston under center and 28 consecutive wins to its name is not going to fall out of the running.
As ESPN CollegeFootball illustrates, the Top Three is a lock:
But what about that final spot?
Some beat the drum for Ohio State. It certainly makes sense. Urban Meyer's Buckeyes have just one loss on the year, an upset at the hands of Virginia Tech. That loss doesn't look too bad either, as the Hokies rank in the top 20 nationally in terms of defense and have two total wins over ranked opponents.
Since then, the Buckeyes have rattled off 10 straight wins, two of which came over ranked Michigan State and Minnesota. The elephant in the room is the season-ending injury to J.T. Barrett, as Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports breaks down:
That makes two Heisman contenders under center the Buckeyes have lost this year. As far as Week 15 standings go, it is enough to hold the team back in comparison to a pair of Big 12 teams.
The first is Baylor.
It was ugly, but the Bears escaped at home this past weekend with a 48-46 win over Texas Tech. Quarterback Bryce Petty was his usual self with 210 yards and a pair of touchdowns, although his injury status moving forward is certainly something to keep an eye on this week.
"I feel good. ... On the field, it was a little muddy there. It's a new day and age now, where I guess they get upset about a few dingers and blurred vision," said Petty, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com. "Just a little dinger, I'll be all right."
Baylor's only loss on the season came in West Virginia, with it's most notable win being a 61-58 triumph over TCU.
Despite this, the Horned Frogs get the nod at No. 4—at least for this week's edition of the polls.
TCU sits at 10-1 and just tore apart Texas 48-10. The team beat that Mountaineers club along with Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kansas State.
As far as offense goes, few teams are more prolific, thanks to Heisman contender Trevone Boykin under center. The junior has 3,254 passing yards and 26 touchdowns to six interceptions on the year. Don't forget the 598 yards and eight scores on the ground, either.
For the purposes of the Week 15 CFP poll, TCU gets the nod. The only complication is that Baylor faces Kansas State to close the season. Should the Bears win that contest, how in the world the committee picks between the Big 12 rivals is impossible to know.
But that is getting ahead of things. Come Tuesday night, expect the Horned Frogs to crash the CFP party.
Stats and information via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
