College Football Rankings 2014: Playoff Bracket and Analysis After Poll Release

The final weekend of the college football season went mostly to script. Each of the top six teams coming into the weekend won to make their case for the playoff, but not all would make the field.

Ultimately, the final spot came down to placing a deserving conference champion in the bracket, with Ohio State making it in. That shut the door on both Baylor and TCU, who shared the Big 12 title without a championship game.

So much for "One True Champion." Instead, the Big 12 will have no shot at a national champion, while the other Power Five conferences all have representatives.

Following the final poll release, here's a look at the playoff bracket and analysis of the final standings.

Playoff Bracket Analysis

Prior to the season, no one would have been shocked by the final four rankings. However, Ohio State comes in as a huge surprise due to the adversity it has faced already this season.

Heading into the playoff, the Buckeyes are on their third-string quarterback in Cardale Jones after losing both Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett. Despite the loss of two signal-callers, OSU still rolled Wisconsin to the tune of a 59-0 blowout in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Playoff committee chairman Jeff Long discussed the move for the Buckeyes into the top four, per Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports:

Urban Meyer's reward for an inspiring season in Columbus? Another showdown with Nick Saban on the national stage.

The two coaches have faced each other three times previously, with Saban winning the last two contests. Both of those victories came in blowout fashion, with Alabama ironically ranked No. 1 in the last matchup.

Both programs feature explosive offenses but offer completely different weapons. Amari Cooper set the SEC receptions record while Ezekiel Elliott rushed for a Big Ten record 220 yards in his conference title game. Needless to say, expect some offensive gymnastics from these two teams.

Over on the west coast, Oregon and Florida State will settle the battle for the best quarterback in the country. Defending Heisman winner Jameis Winston and current Heisman favorite Marcus Mariota will take center stage, but two freshmen might steal the show.

Sharing the backfield with those dynamic quarterbacks will be Royce Freeman for Oregon and Dalvin Cook for FSU. Freeman has been the lead back all season for the Ducks, while Cook has exploded onto the scene recently for the Seminoles.

Tim Brando of Fox Sports 1 offered his take on the less-publicized matchup:

Playing an integral role throughout the season, Freeman has led the Ducks with 1,299 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns. Meanwhile, Cook has carried the Noles down the stretch with more than 100 total yards in four of the last six games and five touchdowns over that span.

Given the amount of potent playmakers in both the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl, fans can expect plenty of huge point totals. In the end, it will prove to be a great way to usher in the College Football Playoff era with four of the most distinguished programs in the sport's history.

Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.