AP College Football Poll 2015: Week 14 Top 25 Rankings and Upcoming Projections
The final Associated Press poll of the 2015 college football regular season is upon us, and there aren't too many surprises.
Clemson remains the nation's top-ranked team after finishing its regular season with a win over South Carolina, Alabama sticks at No. 2 after taking down Auburn and Oklahoma leapfrogs a bit to No. 3 after its impressive win over Oklahoma State. Iowa and Michigan State round out the Top Five.
Here's a look at how the Top 25 played out:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Overall, the college football landscape is pretty self-explanatory at this point. When the College Football Playoff committee releases its rankings Tuesday, we all should have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Clemson, Alabama and Oklahoma will comprise the Top Three, while either Iowa or Michigan State will take the final spot.
Not that it matters for the Hawkeyes or Spartans. They're due to play one another in this weekend's Big Ten Championship Game. The winner of that matchup is golden and will march into the playoffs as the likely No. 4 seed.
“It’s important for both of us,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said, per Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star. “I can’t imagine whoever wins this game would not be in the playoff. No matter what happens, we’re really proud of our football team.”
Of course, these assumptions are all dependent on Clemson and Alabama getting the job done. The Tigers looked less than stellar for most of their 39-32 win over South Carolina last week. They allowed a 3-9 team to compile more than 400 yards of total offense and lost three fumbles, playing with a disconcerting lack of discipline.
On the table is a matchup with North Carolina, which hasn't drawn much national attention despite an 11-1 record. The Tar Heels have reeled off 11 straight wins since their season-opening loss to South Carolina, but their strength of schedule leaves a ton to be desired. Like Iowa in the Big Ten, North Carolina has somehow avoided the ACC's major tests during the regular season. The only Top 25 matchup the Tar Heels have had all season was against Pitt, which wound up finishing 8-4 after a 6-1 start.
"Yes, I do feel that way," Tar Heels coach Larry Fedora said of whether UNC would deserve a playoff spot with a win over Clemson, per Jared Shanker of ESPN.com. "If we beat the No. 1 team in the country—and Clemson is the No. 1 in the country and a consensus No. 1, and they've stayed No. 1 for a long time—if that happens, then I believe our team is deserving."
Alabama takes on a Florida team that lost its chance at a late-season run to the playoffs last week. The Gators, who have survived despite shaky offensive production all season, fell apart in their 27-2 loss to Florida State. They managed just 262 yards of offense, as quarterback Treon Harris needed 38 pass attempts to post 134 yards.
Florida ranks 102nd in yards per game nationally and is only slightly better at 92nd in scoring offense. While billed as an offensive guru after coming over from Colorado State, Jim McElwain has quietly had many of the same problems as Will Muschamp despite the team's strong record.
All of this seems to be pointing at an upcoming slaughter from the Crimson Tide, who have given up more than 20 points just twice all season. Employing an old-school attack behind Heisman candidate Derrick Henry, Alabama ranks third nationally in points allowed and averages more than 200 rushing yards per game.
Still, Nick Saban isn't ready to write Florida off as a walkover.
"They still have a lot of good players," Saban said, per . "I think they've shown an ability to run the ball. They have a very good back. They've got a great receiver. This is a good football team and I don't see them struggling. They played against a very good Florida State team, had the ball in the red zone a couple of times and didn't score or that game would have gone right down to the wire. We have a lot of respect for Florida and their offense."
Odds are, the SEC Championship Game will return to its smashmouth ways after a recent run of high-scoring affairs. Odds are, Alabama will walk away with its second straight SEC championship for the first time under Saban. Odds are, the four teams making the College Football Playoff will be the exact ones we expect.
That said, there's a reason they play the game.
| 1 | Clemson |
| 2 | Alabama |
| 3 | Oklahoma |
| 4 | Iowa |
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
