Bowl Predictions 2015: CFP Projections for Top Teams at Season's End

The latest College Football Playoff rankings have been released, mostly recapping what has happened to this point. While this has created plenty of debate, the real question is: What will happen going forward?

Big 12 fans have been upset to see none of their teams in the Top Five, although one squad could easily play itself into the conversation by winning out. Iowa made a big jump to No. 5, but winning the Big Ten could be a challenge.

There are a lot of factors still to be decided that will make a major impact on the final rankings on Dec. 6. With that in mind, here is a look at the Week 10 rankings, followed by a breakdown of predictions for the Top Four at the end of the year.

Predicted Finish

1. Alabama

The playoff committee already showed it doesn't care much about Alabama's loss to Ole Miss earlier in the year, and by season's end, the squad should have the best wins in the country.

Road games against Mississippi State and Auburn to end the season are tough but winnable, as well as a potential SEC Championship Game matchup against Florida. If the Crimson Tide make it out of this stretch with just the one loss and an SEC title, they would have a strong argument as the best team in the nation.

According to Team Rankings, Alabama is tied with Tennessee for the toughest schedule in the nation, and the squad will have made it through with just a reasonable defeat in a wild game.

Meanwhile, it's important not to overlook the fact that this team is also really good. The Tide handily defeated LSU, which was previously No. 2 in the rankings. Leonard Fournette was a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and couldn't do anything, yet Pro Football Focus noted it wasn't even his fault:

The defense is back to the standard Nick Saban has set in recent years, while Derrick Henry has been a monster running the ball. No one should stand in this team's way of making the playoffs.

2. Clemson

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If you had to place a bet for one team to make the playoffs, Clemson would probably be the smartest pick. The current No. 1 squad has already proven it can beat good teams with wins over Notre Dame and Florida State, and the remaining schedule is a cakewalk. 

The final three games of the regular season come against Wake Forest, Syracuse and South Carolina, none of them currently having more than three wins. Even the ACC Championship Game shouldn't be much trouble for the Tigers.

ESPN's Football Power Index gives Clemson a 54.1 percent chance of winning out, the best among all contenders. FiveThirtyEight also believes this team is the most likely to reach the playoffs:

Although the strength of schedule is certain to drop in coming weeks, the Tigers should be able to take care of business and stay in the Top Four.

3. Ohio State

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Based on the qualifications the CFP committee provided, Ohio State shouldn't really be in the Top Four at the moment. The squad has no good wins and has struggled against some of its weaker competition.

Committee chairman Jeff Long explained his reasoning for the No. 3 slot:

This shouldn't justify its positioning at Week 10, but it is a big reason why the Buckeyes should be there at the end of the season. Winning last year's national championship was not an accident, and many of the key players have returned for more.

With an improved defense over the past few weeks and the quarterback situation hopefully sorted out, Ohio State has the talent to go on another run and show why it was named preseason No. 1.

The end of the season features some tough games at home against Michigan State and at Michigan, but the Buckeyes should be able to pull out wins, boosting their strength of schedule in the process.

This will leave a Big Ten Championship Game matchup against Iowa, which could end up being a play-in for a spot in the national semifinals. Although the Hawkeyes have a legitimate right to be in the CFP conversation, Ohio State should pull out a close win to seal a spot in the playoffs.

4. Stanford

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Notre Dame jumped into the Top Four, while Iowa and Oklahoma State each received a big boost from the initial rankings to the second set, but no team had a more important jump than Stanford. The Cardinal went from No. 11 to No. 7, putting them in great position for a stretch run.

While it is tough to imagine a blowout win over Colorado really did that much to convince the committee, Long explained there was a deeper look at the team's loss, per Dan Wolken of USA Today:

The 16-6 loss to Northwestern was certainly a disappointing one, but it was the first game of the season, and the Wildcats ended up playing well following that win, posting a 7-2 record (compared to Alabama's loss to currently 7-3 Ole Miss).

Most importantly, Stanford's latest win over Colorado was the last true road game of the season. The squad has home matchups against Oregon and California before hosting Notre Dame in what should be an extremely important battle. With the way the Cardinal can run the ball, they should be able to pull out a win at home.

Add in a potential win over Utah in the Pac-12 title game, and Stanford should have a legitimate case for the playoffs.

As for the Big 12, one of the problems that could occur is if the teams beat each other, which is possible. TCU hosts Baylor in the last game of the year with revenge on its mind. Oklahoma State will have to go through both Baylor and Oklahoma, a difficult task even at home.

An undefeated winner in this conference will likely get a spot in the playoffs, but all ending up with at least one loss appears more likely.

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