Best- and Worst-Case 2015 Scenarios for Each Top 25 College Football Team

Let's start this countdown with a disclaimer.

The best-case 2015 scenario for each team in college football, from Ohio State to Miami (Ohio), is a perfect season that ends with a national championship in the second edition of the College Football Playoff.

The worst-case 2015 scenario for each team in college football is a winless season. (Though losing football altogether sounds like it might be a worse fate. Sorry, UAB.)

But those two groups are the best and worst possible scenarios in college football. What this list will do is provide the best and worst probable scenarios for each Top 25 team. Look at these scenarios as a range of what could realistically happen, given the team's overall strength and schedule for the upcoming season.

With that in mind, here are the feasts and famines for every school in Bleacher Report's Post-Spring Practice Top 25 from late last month. What would happen if everything clicked for your team—or if it became one of the biggest disappointments of the season?

25. Boise State

Otto Kitsinger/Associated Press

QB Ryan Finley

Best Case

These Broncos are loaded with experienced talent at every position except for quarterback and running back—and missing from those two positions is just the experience. So Boise State storms through its nonconference schedule and runs the table in the Mountain West, proving it's the most talented mid-major program in all of college football.

Thirteen wins and a conference title would give the Broncos some buzz nationally for a possible No. 4 seed in the second College Football Playoff, but the committee turns them down because of a low strength of schedule. Frustrated but determined, Boise wins its second consecutive New Year's Six bowl and pulls off another perfect season.

Worst Case

The impact of former offensive coordinator Mike Sanford's departure to Notre Dame is coupled with the transitions at quarterback and running back. Boise State's offense doesn't have its usual punch, and the veteran defense can't quite compensate.

While the Broncos could realistically win every game on their schedule, that doesn't mean it's a breeze—any one of the road games at BYU, Virginia and Utah State could trip them in their pursuit of another big bowl. Boise's surprise 2014 is followed up with a letdown 2015 that features a 9-3 or 8-4 record.

24. Georgia Tech

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HC Paul Johnson

Best Case

Georgia Tech's issue of replacing nearly everyone who ran or caught the ball in 2014 isn't much of an issue. Paul Johnson plugs in new playmakers to thrive alongside breakout star quarterback Justin Thomas, and the aggressive, takeaway-driven defense takes another step forward.

The regular-season schedule doesn't set up particularly well for double-digit wins, but Georgia Tech still runs through it as the best team in the ACC's Coastal Division. The Yellow Jackets either get a surprise homecoming win or an ACC Championship Game victory against cross-divisional foe Florida State, who they gave trouble in 2014. Tech then repeats its success with a New Year's Six bowl.

Worst Case

The flexbone offense demands great chemistry between the quarterback and the skill players around him. Too much youth makes the entire offense not as dynamic, and the defense coordinator Ted Roof told ESPN.com's Andrea Adelson "can be so much better" still struggles with controlling the line of scrimmage and giving up big plays (113th nationally in 2015).

The schedule rears its ugly head against the Yellow Jackets, who have to visit Notre Dame, Duke and Clemson in addition to their home contests against Florida State, Georgia and several improved ACC opponents. The Yellow Jackets scrape out a 7-5 or 6-6 record, and it's back to square one for Johnson and his program.

23. Nebraska

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WR De'Mornay Pierson-El and HC Mike Riley

Best Case

The move to fire Bo Pelini and hire Mike Riley as head coach pays off in Lincoln, and the Huskers finally get over that three- and four-loss hump that was Pelini's downfall. De'Mornay Pierson-El's stunning athleticism and big-play ability make him a Heisman dark horse in the new offensive system as the defense reloads for a successful 2015 season.

The best part? The Huskers' toughest opponents this season—BYU, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Iowa—are all coming to Memorial Stadium. All that home-field advantage pays off for Nebraska, as it claims the Big Ten West title and plays for the big one in Indianapolis this December.

Worst Case

The favorable schedule won't change the fact that it should be a big year of adjustment in Lincoln. Nebraska doesn't get a win against what should be a dangerous mid-major in BYU, which gets the Riley era off on the wrong foot.

Turnovers still plague quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. and the entire Nebraska offense, and the loss of Randy Gregory hurts the Huskers in the trenches. Home losses to Wisconsin and Michigan State are coupled with a letdown loss or two, and Nebraska fans are looking at another 8-4 regular season—just with a different coach in charge.

22. LSU

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RB Leonard Fournette

Best Case

Sure, there are plenty of questions surrounding this LSU team after an 8-5 season, but this is still LSU. Superstar sophomore Leonard Fournette and the rest of the elite talent from the Bayou Bengals' fantastic recruiting classes help cover the problems on the depth chart. New defensive coordinator Kevin Steele continues the tradition of fierce defense in Baton Rouge.

When LSU is on, it's a legitimate contender for the SEC West title. A road win at Alabama might be out of the question at this point in the season, but the Tide, like everyone else in the division, have question marks. The Tigers grind through the West and knock off the East champion in Atlanta. Here's your surprise playoff team.

Worst Case

Les Miles still thinks he can make the two-quarterback system of Brandon Jennings and Anthony Harris work. And, like Bleacher Report SEC Lead Writer Barrett Sallee suggests, using a pair of quarterbacks who basically have the same type of game "would do more harm than good."

The defense, which has a new coordinator and several new starters, isn't the same as fans are used to seeing from the John Chavis era. Several of the other SEC West contenders beat up on LSU's out-of-sync offense, and Miles stares down another four- or five-loss season in Baton Rouge—a hot seat he might not survive.

21. Oklahoma State

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HC Mike Gundy and RB Corey Bennett

Best Case

Oklahoma State went from one of the most inexperienced teams in college football to one of its most veteran in the span of a year. The Cowboys learn from the licks they took last year and the two they handed out to end the season—the upset over Oklahoma and the Sun Bowl win against Washington.

An easy start to the season gives Oklahoma State momentum to get through the middle of its schedule and knock off one or two of the big three—TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma—toward the end. The right wins in a 10-2 or 9-3 regular season could put the Cowboys in a tie for the Big 12's "One True Champion" and a great bowl bid.

Worst Case

The issues at running back make Oklahoma State's offense too one-dimensional to best the improving defenses across the Big 12. Forcing turnovers will be a key to stopping their opponents' high-powered offenses, and the Cowboys still struggle in that department for another year.

The midseason stretch at Texas, vs. Kansas State and at West Virginia has the potential to be anything from 3-0 to 0-3. If it's 0-3, that spells big trouble for the back half of the schedule, and the Cowboys have to claw their way to simply becoming bowl eligible.

20. Arizona

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

QB Anu Solomon

Best Case

Quarterback Anu Solomon does a much better job with his decision-making in 2015 and is a contender for the Heisman in Rich Rodriguez's always-entertaining offense. Scooby Wright III and the Wildcats defense does less bending and breaks more hearts.

Arizona's schedule looks manageable for another run at the Pac-12 South title. The Wildcats grab big-time road wins at USC and Arizona State, setting them up for another rematch with Oregon for the conference title. Revenge could be coming in the form of new conference champions from Tucson.

Worst Case

Last year's divisional crown and everything that went with it looks like a fluke for Arizona. The defense still has a hard time getting opponents off the field as Solomon hits a disappointing sophomore slump—and everyone else in the Pac-12 starts sharpening their knives.

Trouble starts with the early-season combo of a home game against UCLA and a road game against Stanford. Losses in those matchups knock out any hope of getting back to the Pac-12 Championship Game, and the Wildcats look more like a middle-of-the-road, .500 team by season's end.

19. Texas A&M

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HC Kevin Sumlin

Best Case

Remember how good Kyle Allen looked at the end of the season for the Aggies? An entire offseason of preparation and the presence of heavily hyped freshman Kyler Murray spurs this young quarterback to put up gaudy numbers in Kevin Sumlin's offense in College Station.

That offensive outburst and new defensive coordinator John Chavis' magic on the other side of the ball make the Aggies a team that, once again, no one wants to play in the SEC. Texas A&M gets on a roll, finally wins some big home games and knocks on the door of contention for the SEC West title.

Worst Case

Chavis isn't a miracle worker, at least not in his first season. While the defensive line looks great, the thin linebacking and secondary corps continue to frustrate Aggies fans and allow the other top teams in the SEC to run wild. A&M needs "good enough" defense, and it doesn't get it this season.

The schedule doesn't bode well for a team that still can't play good defense, starting with the opener against Arizona State in Houston. Trips to Arkansas, Ole Miss and LSU could get ugly if the offense can't light up the scoreboard, and home games against teams such as Alabama and Auburn continue to be the big problems of Sumlin's reign. All that shapes up for a doomsday scenario with as many as five or six losses.

18. Arkansas

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HC Bret Bielema

Best Case

After several years of SEC West defenses getting used to the spread styles of Auburn, Texas A&M and the Mississippi schools, Bret Bielema finally completes his master plan for the Arkansas offense—a giant armored tank filled with sledgehammers. That powerful run-first style and the momentum from the end of 2014 push the Razorbacks out of the conference's cellar and into the title conversation.

The Arkansas defense still stands strong after losing several key players, thanks in part to the offense's stranglehold on time of possession and taste for backbreaking touchdown drives. A good start to the season gives Arkansas the momentum to knock off a couple of higher-ranked foes and punch its ticket to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.

Worst Case

The defensive transition is too much for Arkansas, which is still a year or two away from seriously contending in the strong SEC West. Uptempo teams have no problem scoring quickly after long stretches of possession by the Hogs. Strong-style teams, such as Alabama and LSU, prove they are still more talented across the board and can beat Arkansas at its own game.

Dropping back down to zero wins against divisional opponents seems too unlikely for Arkansas. But another 6-6 or 7-5 regular season stalls the momentum Bielema has built the past year in Fayetteville.

17. Oklahoma

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RB Samaje Perine

Best Case

The Sooners find their answer at quarterback from the variety of options it worked out in the preseason. Along with a star-studded group of running backs and a vastly improved receiving corps, Oklahoma's offense goes toe-to-toe with anyone else in the Big 12 while the coaching shuffle on defense pays off in a big way.

Knocking off trendy SEC pick Tennessee on the road during the second week of the season gives Oklahoma what it needs to start the season 9-0. The Sooners live up to the hype they had last season by splitting the TCU and Baylor games and avenging last season's rivalry loss to Oklahoma State. That has the makings of a Big 12 champion and a possible playoff team.

Worst Case

Nothing great comes out of the long quarterback battle, and not even Samaje Perine and the rest of the talented backs at Oklahoma can do enough to mask the defensive problems that still exist in 2015. The underwhelming secondary is no match for the conference's pass-happy attacks.

A loss to Tennessee sends Oklahoma reeling again with several early roadblocks in the form of West Virginia, Kansas State and that one big game they play at the Cotton Bowl every year. The slide starts earlier in the season, and Bob Stoops has to come to grips with another season of four or five losses.

16. Florida State

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HC Jimbo Fisher

Best Case

This is a team two years removed from winning the national championship and had won 29 straight games before the major disappointment that was the Rose Bowl loss to Oregon. Sure, the Seminoles have to replace a lot of incredible talent on both sides of the ball—including Jameis Winston—but, on paper, this is still the most talented roster in the ACC and one of the best in the country.

No matter who plays quarterback in Tallahassee this season, Florida State should be 6-0 before its first test against a ranked opponent. The Noles get through road tests at Georgia Tech and Clemson, win their fourth straight ACC title and get right back into the College Football Playoff.

Worst Case

Filling Winston's shoes is too much for Sean McGuire or Everett Golson. The young players who have to step up this season on both offense and defense lack the late-game experience that made Florida State an almost-impossible team to beat these last two seasons.

Florida State loses to a more experienced Clemson offense in Death Valley and suffers one or two more letdowns in the ACC schedule—Louisville or Georgia Tech appear to be the most likely candidates. The Seminoles do not repeat as ACC champions because they don't even get back to the title game.

15. Tennessee

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QB Joshua Dobbs

Best Case

The trendy pick in the SEC East takes advantage of a down Florida team and prevails over the likes of Georgia and Missouri to win the conference crown. Joshua Dobbs plays like a potential SEC Player of the Year, and the experience and depth head coach Butch Jones finally has in Knoxville get the program over the hump.

Tennessee probably doesn't have the strength to pull off an undefeated season just yet—the home matchup against Oklahoma and the road trip against Alabama should prevent that—but even two SEC losses should be enough for a ticket to Atlanta this season. The Volunteers have all the ingredients for a huge season.

Worst Case

The injuries that plagued the Volunteers during spring practices come back to haunt them in the regular season. The schedule can also be a dangerous minefield if Tennessee isn't 100 percent or if both sides aren't clicking.

Arkansas and Georgia are both potential home losses early in the season, and let's not forget struggling Florida knocked the Vols off in Knoxville last year. Given the amount of hype Tennessee is getting this season, another average season would be awful for Jones and his program.

14. Arizona State

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HC Todd Graham

Best Case

The defense that had to recover from so many losses heading into the 2014 season is now one of the most experienced in all of college football. This unit becomes the Sun Devils' surprise strength as the offense replaces the production of wide receiver Jaelen Strong with a combination of young targets.

Arizona State handles business in the first game of the season against Texas A&M and gets through the first half of the season with minimal damage. Having home-field advantage against Oregon and Arizona is important as the Sun Devils take their 10-2 or 11-1 record into the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Worst Case

The offense just doesn't have the same pop without a go-to target like Strong. And while the defense is experienced, it was still in the bottom half nationally of almost every major statistical category last season—how much improvement can you realistically expect?

The back-to-back matchups against USC and UCLA could be two losses in a row. Texas A&M, Oregon and Arizona are all loss candidates, and there's always the lurking danger of an upset loss to a team such as Utah or one of the Washington schools. The Sun Devils slump to 7-5 in the regular season.

13. Georgia

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RB Nick Chubb

Best Case

Running back Nick Chubb will enter the season as one of the SEC's favorites for the Heisman race, and he's not alone. Georgia has been stockpiling blue-chip running backs for the last few classes, so teams won't be able to get a break from the constant blur coming out of the backfield.

The Bulldogs defense gets a big second-year bump from being in coordinator Jeremy Pruitt's system. One loss to an SEC West foe, either at home against Alabama or at Auburn, doesn't derail Georgia's SEC Championship or College Football Playoff hopes. Head coach Mark Richt finally makes his breakthrough in Athens.

Worst Case

Replacing the quarterback was tough enough, but the winner of the battle between Brice Ramsey, Jacob Park and Faton Bauta also has to adjust to a life with brand-new receivers. Injury has also plagued this offense for the last several seasons, and another one could damage all the momentum from what should be a scary attack.

The Georgia defense also has to turn to new starters, and they have a hard time stopping some of the unique offenses on the schedule this fall. Four losses and another year without a title are highly possible with this group and this slate of games.

12. Clemson

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QB Deshaun Watson

Best Case

Quarterback Deshaun Watson stays healthy and becomes the ACC's best chance at a Heisman Trophy. While the defense has to replace almost the entire front seven that made the Tigers one of the country's most-feared groups last season, the streak of great recruiting classes helps fill in the gaps and keeps Brent Venables' system scary.

The schedule sets up quite well for Clemson to run the table, as the biggest opponents are all coming to Death Valley. The Tigers get through the regular season with one loss at the most and take home the ACC title for a chance to get into the College Football Playoff.

Worst Case

Everything shapes up for a drop-off on defense, and that's what happens to Clemson in 2015. While the defense has a hard time adjusting to life without players such as Vic Beasley and Stephone Anthony, Watson has a relatively down season in his return from injury.

A Thursday night game at Louisville in Week 3 could be the first blow to the Tigers' ACC title hopes, and home games against Notre Dame and Georgia Tech follow close behind. A home game against Florida State could be the last stand, and a trip to face Steve Spurrier and South Carolina is always dangerous. An 8-4 season could be on the cards.

11. Ole Miss

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Best Case

The "Land Sharks" are still going to feed in Oxford this season. The swarming, hard-hitting defense of the Rebels had to replace a few starters, but it will still be led by an elite defensive line and an extremely opportunistic group of defensive backs.

As the defense continues to be the calling card for the Rebels, head coach Hugh Freeze sticks to his guns and continues his offensive "emphasis on moving with more tempo," per The Clarion-Ledger, into the regular season. The offense moves even, the defense is still nasty and the entire team only takes one loss into the SEC Championship Game in December.

Worst Case

While Ole Miss was the best in the country last season in scoring defense, offenses from Auburn, TCU and even Arkansas had no problem putting up 30 or more points on the Rebels toward the end of the campaign. That turns into a sign of things to come, as the improved offenses all across the conference find ways to get through the Land Sharks.

Even with an experienced line and receiving group around him, the Rebels' new quarterback—whoever he may be—isn't ready to push the offense into the elite level needed to win the West. Trips to Alabama and Auburn damage the team's hopes, and a couple of home losses put the Rebels at an average 8-4 mark.

10. UCLA

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

RB Paul Perkins

Best Case

Josh Rosen is all that he is advertised to be and then some, becoming the latest freshman quarterback to explode onto the national scene and lead a national title contender. Surrounded by talent like Pac-12-leading rusher and Pinterest chef Paul Perkins, Rosen and the Bruins take that next step on offense along with their underrated defense.

A relatively easy nonconference slate leads into a one-two punch on fellow Pac-12 South contenders Arizona and Arizona State. The Bruins cruise into the Coliseum and seal the division by defeating USC and moving on to the Pac-12 Championship Game. At that point, no one would be surprised if they pushed ahead into the playoff.

Worst Case

Rosen, who doesn't have the starting job just yet, struggles adjusting to the college game. The UCLA offense, as experienced as it is outside of the quarterback spot, slumps in the face of the Pac-12's elite with a defense that still can't find a way to turn the corner.

Slip-ups against the Arizona schools or even BYU kill any conference title hopes before they start to settle in Los Angeles. USC passes UCLA as the top team in the city and delivers the devastating blow at the end of a disappointing 8-4 season.

9. Auburn

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HC Gus Malzahn and QB Jeremy Johnson

Best Case

Jeremy Johnson makes the most of his first chance at taking total control of head coach Gus Malzahn's offense and racks up the stats on his way to becoming a Heisman finalist. Will Muschamp and Auburn's new defensive staff start building their way toward an elite defense as pass-rushing beast Carl Lawson makes his long-awaited return to SEC action.

Since Auburn is on the good side of its schedule rotation—Alabama, Georgia and both Mississippi schools head to the Plains this season—the team bounces back from the disappointment of 2014 to go on a 2013-style undefeated run through the regular season and claim the SEC title. From there, the Tigers take a spot in the college football playoff, two years after losing a heartbreaker to end the BCS era.

Worst Case

Both of Auburn's lines continue to struggle as the thin secondary gets ripped apart again by big-play offenses. Neither Jovon Robinson nor Roc Thomas can become that go-to running back the Tigers have enjoyed the last two seasons, and Johnson has a hard time finding a passing rhythm without a No. 2 target alongside Duke Williams.

Auburn's early-season trip to LSU is once again the big early-season loss, and the team doesn't have enough firepower on either side of the ball to consistently put away the threats in the SEC West. The Tigers go 8-4 again in the regular season and questions are asked of Malzahn's job security.

8. Oregon

Best Case

The Ducks still wear incredible uniforms and still put up more incredible numbers on offense, even without the likes of Marcus Mariota. Vernon Adams Jr. or Jeff Lockie prove they aren't huge drop-offs from Mariota as Royce Freeman becomes the next Heisman candidate out of Eugene.

The defense reloads with several young stars as the offense keeps everyone in the Ducks' dust. Oregon passes the early road test at fellow national title contender Michigan State, sweeps the board in a Pac-12 North division it's still expected to win and gets back into the College Football Playoff.

Worst Case

The missing stars on both offense and defense are too much for Oregon to repeat as a national title contender. Without Mariota, the Ducks' biggest strength isn't what it used to be, and that hurts them in the long run.

After a loss at Michigan State, Oregon stumbles in the back half of the season in a road test against Arizona State. USC puts a sword right through any Pac-12 or national title hopes with a late-season win in Eugene, and Oregon is reduced to having 2015 be a simple transition season instead of a championship one.

7. Notre Dame

Best Case

Now that quarterback Malik Zaire is the man in South Bend, the Fighting Irish offense has an even higher ceiling. With experience all over the place—and that includes the defense—Notre Dame shows it has all the pieces to get into the national title hunt and stay there this season.

Notre Dame gets through the stretch of Georgia Tech, Clemson and USC either unscathed or with only one close loss. The Irish then turn on the style points in the back part of the schedule and give the CFP Selection Committee no choice but to put them in the Final Four as one of the hottest teams in football.

Worst Case

Even with the amount of veteran players returning on defense, stopping the other team continues to be a problem for the Fighting Irish. Zaire shows he isn't quite ready to lead a championship contender, and the offense still has a problem with the turnover bug.

The Irish get clipped early in the season with a loss to one of its ACC foes, while USC shows the world it is back with a prime-time victory at Notre Dame Stadium. A few losses in the regular season have big-dreaming Notre Dame back down in the likes of the Music City Bowl.

6. USC

Best Case

A now-experienced Cody Kessler shows he's the next elite quarterback out of USC as he consistently hits the Trojans' stacked roster of playmakers for big plays and a whole lot of points. Those great recruiting classes provide the lift for a defense that has to replace a few stars but still has some on campus.

One loss with this schedule looks like it would still be a great feat—one that would put USC on track to becoming a conference champion and a playoff team. The Trojans get it all figured out this season and do just that, starting the new streak of title-winning teams in Los Angeles.

Worst Case

The banged-up defensive line, already without Leonard Williams, doesn't win the battles USC needs in the trenches to become an elite squad. On the other side, the offensive line still struggles against top defenses and keeps Kessler and Co. from reaching their full potential.

Then there's the subject of that schedule—USC goes to Arizona State, Notre Dame and Oregon this season. That's a devastating stretch that leads to some home letdowns elsewhere in the season. A 9-3 or 8-4 season is completely in the realm of possibility, and it will be another season of crushed hopes for the Trojans.

5. Alabama

Best Case

This is Alabama, and winning several recruiting championships and real championships in a row means the Crimson Tide still have the best crop of talent in the country. The most notable change this season is that Derrick "El Tractorcito" Henry now gets his turn to be Alabama's No. 1 running back for punching holes in defenses and frustrating an entire nation of opposing fans.

Sure, the Crimson Tide have a lot of questions, but so does every team in the SEC. Alabama still has a leg up on overall talent and proves it with another undefeated or one-loss season that ends in a conference title and another shot at playing for the national title.

Worst Case

But Alabama does have a lot of questions heading into this year, and they could go wrong in a hurry. What happens if the passing game takes a major step back, the offensive line fails to be at its dominant best for a second straight season and the secondary continues to get torched on deep balls?

The worst-case scenario for Alabama and its fans every season is that the Tide don't play for the national title. Those are the expectations every year. Whether it suffers several disappointing losses or just one defeat to the eventual SEC champion, not winning another championship—SEC or national—is rock bottom for this program.

4. TCU

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

QB Trevone Boykin

Best Case

Trevone Boykin and the TCU offense continue to be a menace for scoreboards everywhere as they rip through their schedule before the back-to-back games against Oklahoma and Baylor to end the season. Head coach Gary Patterson, being a defensive guy at heart, orchestrates his younger defense to be good enough to win games week in and week out.

Playing to their full potential, the Horned Frogs obliterate their opponents and set up the undefeated Baylor-TCU "Big 12 Championship Game" everyone wants to see. With the more experienced quarterback, TCU wins the Texan shootout and punches its ticket to the playoff.

Worst Case

Boykin's wrist injury continues to bother him or just keeps him from being the offensive destroyer everyone expects him to be this season. The defense has too many holes to keep other great offenses from putting up tons of yards and points.

An early-season letdown—at Kansas State, perhaps—happens as the defense struggles, and it's not good enough to slow down the likes of Oklahoma and Baylor. The Horned Frogs don't even get to share the conference title this season, as a 9-3 record keeps them from contention.

3. Michigan State

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QB Connor Cook

Best Case

Connor Cook takes the next step in becoming the best quarterback in the country and delivers all the throws Michigan State needs in its grind-it-out offense. The offensive and defensive lines lead to widespread success for the Spartans as they dominate the competition week in and week out in the trenches.

Michigan State defends its home turf against a less-experienced Oregon and begins its march toward a late-season showdown with Ohio State. The Spartans pull off the road upset in Columbus, win the Big Ten title and become the conference's representative in the Final Four of college football.

Worst Case

The fears about the inexperience at running back and wide receiver are validated when Sparty can't hang with Oregon in Week 2. Road trips to Michigan and Nebraska—two new head coaches looking for signature wins—will be tough tests if Michigan State isn't firing on all cylinders.

The Spartans enter Ohio Stadium looking to stay alive in the Big Ten race, but Ohio State proves to be too much yet again. Michigan State then has to look for its 10th win in a bowl game, and it won't be one of those in the coveted New Year's Six.

2. Baylor

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HC Art Briles

Best Case

Without as many questions on defense as TCU, Baylor looks like the stronger contender of the Big 12 hopefuls. Quarterback Seth Russell plugs right into the scoring machine that is the Bears offense, and the line play Bleacher Report's Ben Kercheval called "easily the best, most experienced combo in the Big 12" proves to be the difference.

Baylor hammers its way past the easy nonconference schedule and early Big 12 opponents, gaining enough momentum to power through the stretch of Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU. Baylor caps its undefeated regular season with what would be a fun win over Texas for its fans and heads to the playoff.

Worst Case

Having to go to TCU for that big-time showdown seems like the biggest problem ahead for the Bears, and the stretch before that could produce some disappointments. When the offense isn't at its best, teams take a page from Michigan State and frustrate Baylor en route to an upset win.

Like TCU, taking a pair of losses would keep them out of the national title picture and the Big 12 race. Baylor doesn't get through that late-season push without a couple of casualties.

1. Ohio State

Best Case

Ohio State aces its quarterback test and uses all of its experience and depth to one-up last season. The starting signal-caller and Ezekiel Elliott go on Heisman-winning campaigns as the Buckeyes try to be the wire-to-wire No. 1 team.

There is no surprise loss to a team like Virginia Tech in this scenario. The Buckeyes prove they're the most complete group in all of college football and bring another set of titles back to Columbus.

Worst Case

It's simple: Ohio State doesn't make it to the College Football Playoff.

Injuries happen. Upsets happen. Disappointments happen. Whatever combination of those factors shuts Ohio State out of the final four and keeps them from playing for a title defense is the worst thing for this team. It's that talented.

Justin Ferguson is an on-call college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.