Bowl Predictions 2017: CFP Projections with Conference Championships on Horizon
In less than a week, we'll know which teams will be participating in the College Football Playoff.
Although the conference championship games in Week 14 will determine most of the playoff teams, we'll still debate which programs will get in based on certain scenarios up until Saturday's games are played.
With Alabama and Miami (FL) falling in Week 13 to Auburn and Pittsburgh, respectively, Clemson took over the top spot in the AP Top 25, and there's a good chance the Tigers will top the playoff rankings on Tuesday night.
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However, everything underneath the Tigers is up for grabs and a case can be made for one of eight teams to slide into three positions.
CFB Projections
1. Clemson
The easiest decision the selection committee will have is to put Clemson on top after its win over South Carolina.
The Tigers have arguably the best resume in the nation with four victories over Top 25 opponents, and if it wasn't for the defeat at Syracuse, we could be talking about them as a lock to make the playoff even with a loss to Miami in the ACC Championship.
Unlike a few other teams in Week 14, Clemson's path to the playoff is simple. All the Tigers have to do is win in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the Hurricanes to ensure a place in the Top Four of the final playoff rankings.
Clemson's positioning in Tuesday's ranking is also crucial since the top-ranked team will get a choice of which semifinal game it wants to play in. For the Tigers, the decision would be easy to pick the Sugar Bowl over a cross-country trip to the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.
2. Oklahoma
Oklahoma should also be a part of the win-and-get-in crowd on Saturday as it would have four wins over ranked foes on its resume.
The Sooners have slowly climbed back near the top of the playoff rankings since their loss to Iowa State on October 7, and their win over Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, in Week 2 looks better every week.
However, replicating a regular-season win over TCU won't be easy with the stakes involved in the Big 12 Championship.
In the victory over the Horned Frogs on November 11, Baker Mayfield threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns, while Rodney Anderson had a massive day on the ground gaining 151 yards on the way to a pair of touchdowns.
If the same duo can put up similar numbers against the staunch TCU defense, Oklahoma will be safe and sound in the playoff.
3. Wisconsin
Wisconsin has its final, and best, opportunity to silence the critics of its weak schedule in the Big Ten Championship against Ohio State.
There's no doubt the undefeated Badgers deserve a spot in the Top Four right now, but until they knock off the Buckeyes in Indianapolis, they'll still have some detractors, especially as Alabama begins to state its case to get in above certain programs.
In their defense, the Badgers have beaten every team that's been put in front of them and have knocked off a pair of ranked foes in dominant fashion in November. A 24-point win over Iowa and a 14-point victory against Michigan stand out on Wisconsin's resume, but the critics will appear again and argue those triumphs came easier to Paul Chryst's team because they occurred at home.
The Badgers may not be the popular pick to win the national championship if they get into the playoff, but they'll have a 25 percent chance to pick up hardware in January if they beat the Buckeyes.
4. Auburn
A case can be made that the Auburn Tigers deserve the No. 1 ranking because of their wins over previously top-ranked teams Alabama and Georgia.
That argument ends when you point out the two losses on the resume of the Tigers. For as great as they have played in the last five games, the Tigers still have defeats to Clemson and LSU that will hold them back.
Just like the three teams previously mentioned, all Auburn has to do to make the playoff is win in Week 14, which would mean a second win over Georgia this season.
If Clemson, Oklahoma and Wisconsin all win on Saturday, Auburn should go into the playoff as the No. 4 seed and take on Clemson in a rematch of Week 2, but it will be interesting to see how close the Tigers are with the Sooners and Badgers, especially with the two marquee wins on their resume and how much the committee values the SEC champion.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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