College Football Rankings 2015: Reviewing NCAA Polls Before Final Week 14 Games

As college football heads into Week 14 with championship games on the horizon, the three major polls that rank the teams differ only slightly.

In fact, there is only one difference between the Associated Press, Coaches and CFP Top 25 polls when it comes to the first seven teams.

While the AP and CFP voters favor the Oklahoma Sooners over the Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, the Coaches poll decided to flip the two teams.

Rank	CFP	AP	Coaches
1	Clemson	Clemson	Clemson
2	Alabama	Alabama	Alabama
3	Oklahoma	Oklahoma	Iowa
4	Iowa	Iowa	Oklahoma
5	Michigan State	Michigan State	Michigan State
6	Ohio State	Ohio State	Ohio State
7	Stanford	Stanford	Stanford
8	Notre Dame	North Carolina	North Carolina
9	Florida State	Notre Dame	Florida State
10	North Carolina	Florida State	Notre Dame
11	TCU	TCU	TCU
12	Baylor	Baylor	Baylor
13	Ole Miss	Northwestern	Northwestern
14	Northwestern	Oklahoma State	Oklahoma State
15	Michigan	Oregon	Florida
16	Oregon	Ole Miss	Oregon
17	Oklahoma State	Houston	Ole Miss
18	Florida	Florida	Houston
19	Houston	Michigan	Michigan
20	USC	Temple	Utah
21	LSU	Utah	Temple
22	Temple	Navy	Navy
23	Navy	LSU	LSU
24	Utah	USC	USC
25	Tennessee	Wisconsin	Wisconsin

As you can see, even throughout the Top 25 the polls are mainly in agreement, with just a few discrepancies that only differ about one or two spots.

Let's take a look at a big game that could be impacted by the difference in the polls, and one where rankings don't mean much:

CFP Hurting the Tar Heels

There is nothing too shabby about an 11-1 record and a No. 10 ranking in the CFP poll. However, the North Carolina Tar Heels probably wish the CFP committee thought like the voters in the AP and Coaches polls.

UNC is ranked two spots ahead in those poles at No. 8.

The talk leading up to UNC's heavyweight matchup with the No. 1 Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship Game this weekend has been whether or not the Tar Heels deserve a spot in the top four should they knock off Clemson.

In fact, former NFL player and current SEC Network analyst Anthony "Booger" McFarland said on ESPN's "Mike & Mike In the Morning" there is no way UNC should be left out of the playoff if it defeats Clemson: 

While the committee can do whatever it wants, it might be hard to justify moving a team up at least six spots after just one win, albeit over the top team in the county.

Also, if it does move UNC that high, does that mean Clemson falls from No. 1 to out of the playoff picture with just one loss to the No. 10 team in the country?

As McFarland mentions, the Tar Heels have two victories against FCS opponents, which is not a good look when you are trying to tout your resume.

Still, it seems odd that UNC—winners of 11 in a row—sit behind a two-loss Notre Dame Fighting Irish team, and a Florida State Seminole squad not playing for the conference championship.

Either way, a Clemson victory is going to allow the committee to breathe easier when making the final selection (scheduled to be announced Sunday at 12 p.m. ET). 

If North Carolina wins—which would give it overall and head-to-head better records than Clemson—grab your popcorn, and watch the drama unfold.

It's going to be good.

The Rankings That Don't Matter

The Hawkeyes sit one spot ahead of the Spartans in the only poll that matters at this point—the CFP—but in reality their matchup in the Big Ten Championship Game Saturday is essentially already a playoff game.

Iowa, despite being undefeated, is teetering on the edge of the playoff picture in fourth. That means a loss can only knock it backward.

Clawing at the final playoff spot are the No. 5 Spartans. By anyone's accord they would have to move up with a win against one of the few teams already ahead of them in the standings.

Another Big Ten team, Ohio State, looms in the background. James Haynes of the Times-Reporter seemed to think after the latest rankings were announced that the Buckeyes would have a shot to jump into the top four should the Spartans win:

However, that seems unlikely. Why would Ohio State, who did not play in the conference championship game and lost to the Spartans, leapfrog Michigan State?

There is a wild scenario that includes Clemson and the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide losing that could allow two Big Ten teams to get in. The Tigers would then have one loss, and Alabama two. Iowa, Michigan State and Ohio state would all have just one.

That includes a lot of what-ifs (especially the Crimson Tide losing as 18-point favorites), so these teams need to act like the season is on the line in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Michigan State linebacker Darien Harris sure sounded like he is treating it that way, invoking memories of the Spartans 2013 Big Ten Championship earlier this week, per Matt Charboneau of the Detroit News:

"

We know with [the] playoff lingering and the opportunity to go there, the motivation is going to be the same as 2013. We are going to be just as hungry, just as those seniors were, especially for us guys sitting up here, knowing that each game is coming down to our last game wearing the green and white. Knowing that the playoffs is [sic] right there for us, obviously gives us motivation, just like it did with the Rose Bowl, and we're really looking forward to the opportunity.

"

The fun is just beginning for college football, and it should be a great Saturday. While the real playoffs start next weekend, consider this game a wild-card version of what's yet to come.

Odds per OddsShark.com.