College Football Rankings 2014: Full Top 25 and Playoff Predictions

This is it. Each contending team across the nation has one last chance to prove itself worthy of a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff. With plenty of conference championship games taking place in Week 15, the Top Four is in no way set in stone.

So, the question on everyone's mind right now is this: What are the chances a certain team advances into the playoff? It's certainly a legitimate inquiry, and while there are no definitive answers at this point, we can speculate and take a glance at probabilities.

Before we delve into some predictions for the four teams that will comprise this year's playoff, here's a look at each team's chance of gaining entry to the playoff and the updated College Football Playoff poll.

The official College Football Playoff poll can be found here.

College Football Playoff Predictions

1. Alabama

The Crimson Tide will stroll into the College Football Playoff on the heels of a big win over Missouri in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama matches up very well against the Tigers in practically every phase of the game.

On the offensive side of the ball, Alabama will see more success through the air than any opponent Missouri has faced this season. The Tigers are ranked 35th in the nation against the pass; however, that is a bit skewed due to the fact that they haven't played many passing-oriented teams this season. Taking nothing away from Missouri's secondary, it is very good but hasn't been tested yet.

It will be tested Saturday against the likes of quarterback Blake Sims and Amari Cooper. Sims has been efficient all season. While he did throw three interceptions in the Iron Bowl, he had thrown only four previously this year. Once he turned to his prolific wide receiver, his numbers improved significantly, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

Defensively, Alabama is ranked second in the nation against the run. While Missouri does have two solid backs in Russell Hansbrough and Marcus Murphy, the Tigers will need to gain chunks of yards through the air to find success. That simply isn't likely with a very inconsistent Maty Mauk at the helm.

2. Oregon

Oregon will face an extremely difficult test Friday against Arizona. The Wildcats have been a thorn in quarterback Marcus Mariota's side during his time with the Ducks, defeating his team in their last two meetings. However, that will change this time around.

Mariota is arguably the best quarterback in the college ranks right now. He's the Heisman Trophy front-runner and deservedly so. Through 12 games this season, Mariota has tallied 36 passing touchdowns, 11 rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. Oh, and by the way, he's thrown only two interceptions this year.

This is nothing new for the quarterback, as he's been lighting it up for three seasons now. In fact, he recently topped Matt Barkley's Pac-12 record for touchdowns responsible for, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

The most impressive aspect of that record is the fact that Mariota accomplished that mark in three years—it took Barkley four.

Arizona State does have a defense capable of pressuring Mariota. The Wildcats were able to get to the quarterback the last time around, causing game-altering fumbles. However, rest assured the Ducks signal-caller will make the appropriate adjustments to ensure that won't happen this time around.

3. TCU

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There's really not much that needs to be said in TCU's favor right now. The Horned Frogs are ranked third by the College Football Playoff selection committee, and with a cake game against Iowa State on Saturday, they can cruise to an easy victory and maintain their position in the Top Four.

In fact, due to the impressive play by Trevone Boykin and Co. this season, TCU has enough style points to remain in the playoff picture without a dominating win. If the Horned Frogs just squeeze past the lowly Cyclones, they'll still be favored by the selection committee.

Several analysts have been weighing in on Twitter about TCU's playoff future, and David Ubben of Fox Sports Southwest shared his thoughts:

There will be no surprise result in TCU's contest against Iowa State; therefore, there will be no movement from this No. 3 position heading into the playoff.

4. Baylor

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Baylor? What about Florida State? The Seminoles are undefeated!

Not after this week.

Let's call a spade a spade: The Seminoles may be undefeated, but they're not as good as their record indicates. They continue to squeeze past unranked opponents and are quickly falling out of favor with the selection committee, dropping to No. 4 despite winning yet again.

So, here's how it's going to go down Saturday.

Florida State is ranked 42nd in the nation against the run but hasn't fared well in that department of late, allowing Florida and Miami some significant running room.

The Seminoles will not be able to stop Georgia Tech's triple option led by quarterback Justin Thomas, allowing the Yellow Jackets to gain an early lead. This time, there will be no fourth-quarter magic for Jameis Winston, as Georgia Tech's running game will kill clock and keep him on the sidelines.

Ohio State is No. 5 heading into Week 15, but it's difficult to see the Buckeyes putting up a victory without quarterback J.T. Barrett at the helm. He's been the reason for most of the team's wins this year, and while Cardale Jones appears talented, he'll have a rough time filling Barrett's shoes, especially against a solid Wisconsin defense.

With Florida State and Ohio State falling out of the mix, Baylor leaps into the Top Four with a big win over No. 9 Kansas State. Bears quarterback Bryce Petty was knocked out of action against Texas Tech with a concussion; however, SportsCenter tweeted some favorable news:

With Petty back in the mix, the Bears have a balanced offense capable of getting around Kansas State's defense. The Wildcats are ranked 56th in the nation against the pass and will have difficulty keeping up with the nation's sixth-ranked aerial attack and top scoring offense.

Baylor doesn't need a huge win to get into the College Football Playoff following a Florida State loss. A victory over a ranked team will do just fine, and that's exactly what will happen.

All team rankings and statistics courtesy of NCAA.com and current as of December 3.