AP College Football Poll 2014: Complete Week 16 Rankings Released

While all anybody wanted to talk about on Sunday was the selection committee's picks to make the first inaugural College Football Playoff, there was more than one way to analyze the final rankings before the bowl season begins.

This week's Associated Press poll was a reminder of that.    

While the AP's poll ultimately has no bearing on the playoff, it's an interesting reminder of how a different group of people can view a season through a different lens entirely. Below, you'll find the AP and Bleacher Report polls along with a look back at the weekend that was.

Analysis

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Oregon opened the weekend with a bang on Friday night, so we'll begin there.

The Ducks had little issue avenging an early-season loss to Arizona, smoking the Wildcats by a 51-13 score and emphatically winning the Pac-12 title. Once again it was the Marcus Mariota show, as the quarterback threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns and ran for three more touchdowns. That's 53 touchdowns total (one receiving score) on the season now for Mariota.

"If this guy isn't what the Heisman Trophy is all about, then I'm in the wrong profession," Oregon coach Mark Helfrich told reporters after the game. It's hard to argue with him.

Amari Cooper might have something to say about that, however. While he didn't reach the end zone on Saturday in Alabama's decisive victory over Missouri in the SEC title game, he did have 12 receptions for 83 yards, finishing the season with an SEC-record 115 receptions for 1,656 receptions and 14 touchdowns.

Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports was certainly impressed by the performance:

While all Oregon and Alabama had to worry about on Sunday was whether their star player would end up being the Heisman winner—since both were comfortably in the playoff picture—Florida State, Ohio State, TCU and Baylor all had far more to worry about.

The Seminoles left it close again on Saturday night, though once again they found a way to win, beating Georgia Tech 37-35. That's now 29 straight wins for the defending national champions, even if most of them weren't pretty this season.

But as the old saying goes, a win is a win. 

Baylor certainly ascribes to the above creed. The Bears finished their season with a solid win over a dangerous Kansas State side, the last chance they had to make an impression after they spent much of their season arguing that a victory over TCU made them the Big 12's best team despite the Horned Frogs spending much of the season ranked higher.

TCU, for what it's worth, reminded everyone of just how good they are, smoking Iowa State in their regular-season finale, 55-3, behind 460 yards and four touchdowns from quarterback Trevone Boykin.

Perhaps no win was more impressive than Ohio State's 59-0 romp over Wisconsin, however.

The Buckeyes have overcome injuries to Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett this season but keep on keeping on, this time behind Cardale Jones, who threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns. 

It was quite the weekend. And if there is one thing that a memorable close to a memorable regular season promises, it's a bowl season we won't soon forget. Even if more than a few deserving teams didn't ultimately get their shot at the playoff.