College Football Rankings 2018: Week 14 Polls and Top 25 Standings Predictions
The movement in college football polls Sunday set the stage for the College Football Playoff debate we've been waiting to have.
Oklahoma and Ohio State moved up to No. 5 and No. 6, respectively, underneath Georgia in both the AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll, which means one of the two will move into the Top Four if the Bulldogs fall to Alabama in the SEC Championship.
Directly beneath the Sooners and Buckeyes sits UCF, which continued its rise despite losing starting quarterback McKenzie Milton to a horrific leg injury.
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UCF is line to return to the New Year's Six as the best Group of Five team, but if the Knights fall in The American title game to Memphis, two teams out of the Mountain West could take the place of Josh Heupel's team.
Week 14 College Football Polls
AP Top 25
1. Alabama (12-0)
2. Clemson (12-0)
3. Notre Dame (12-0)
4. Georgia (11-1)
5. Oklahoma (11-1)
6. Ohio State (11-1)
7. UCF (11-0)
8. Michigan (10-2)
9. Texas (9-3)
10. Washington (9-3)
11. Florida (9-3)
12. LSU (9-3)
12. Washington State (10-2)
14. Penn State (9-3)
15. West Virginia (8-3)
16. Kentucky (9-3)
17. Utah (9-3)
18. Syracuse (9-3)
19. Boise State (10-2)
20. Mississippi State (8-4)
21. Northwestern (8-4)
22. Texas A&M (8-4)
23. Army (9-2)
24. Iowa State (7-4)
25. Fresno State (10-2)
Amway Coaches Poll
1. Alabama (12-0)
2. Clemson (12-0)
3. Notre Dame (12-0)
4. Georgia (11-1)
5. Oklahoma (11-1)
6. Ohio State (11-1)
7. UCF (11-0)
8. Michigan (10-2)
9. Texas (9-3)
10. Florida (9-3)
11. Washington (9-3)
12. Penn State (9-3)
13. Washington State (10-2)
14. LSU (9-3)
15. Kentucky (9-3)
16. West Virginia (8-3)
17. Utah (9-3)
18. Syracuse (9-3)
19. Mississippi State (8-4)
20. Boise State (10-2)
21. Northwestern (8-4)
22. Texas A&M (8-4)
23. Fresno State (10-2)
24. Utah State (10-2)
25. Army (9-2)
Week 14 Standings Predictions
Oklahoma Remains In Front Of Ohio State
Both Oklahoma and Ohio State have to win Saturday in order to have a chance of qualifying for the College Football Playoff.
The Sooners landed one spot ahead of the Buckeyes in both the AP Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll, which indicates the same ranking could pop up Tuesday night in the playoff rankings.
Oklahoma looks like the natural successor to Georgia in both polls if the Bulldogs lose to Alabama in the SEC Championship because the Sooners face a Top 10 team in Texas in the Big 12 Championship.
While the playoff selection committee will take Ohio State's blowout win over Michigan into consideration, Oklahoma has an opportunity to neutralize the recency bias by knocking off the Longhorns, while Ohio State handles four-loss Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship.
If the higher-ranked teams win in the Big Ten and Big 12, it will come down to the selection committee and voters in all polls to break down the resumes of the two teams.
Oklahoma's only loss was by three points to Texas, while Ohio State fell in embarrassing fashion against Purdue.
Adding a second win over a ranked foe would be huge for the Sooners, who have experienced some defensive struggles down the stretch, like the Buckeyes.
Some may point to the games against a common opponent as a deciding factor, but it's hard to separate the two teams based off wins over TCU that took place a month apart.
The decision to put Oklahoma or Ohio State at No. 4 will come down to the slightest of margins, but since Oklahoma's been a bit more consistent, it is deserving of the spot.
Mountain West Champion Ends Up In Top 15
The Mountain West has been neck-and-neck with The American in the competition for best Group of Five conference all season.
Entering Week 14, the Mountain West has an edge over The American in terms of depth, as championship game participants Boise State and Fresno State are both ranked in the Top 25.
With the victorious side set to finish at 11-2, a case can be made for the Mountain West champion to climb into the Top 15 amid a plethora of three-loss power-conference teams that won't be in action in Week 14.
Boise State has the easier path to climb up the rankings, as the Broncos sit 19th in the AP Top 25 and 20th in the Amway Coaches poll, while Fresno State is 23rd in the coaches poll and 25th in the AP rankings.
Not only is Boise State playing for a conference title on its home turf Saturday night, it could be competing for the Group of Five spot in the New Year's Six if UCF slips up against Memphis.
Fresno State faces a more difficult climb to the New Year's Six, but with so many teams inactive in Week 14, there's a higher probability of fluctuation, especially if the Bulldogs control the Mountain West title game on the road.
Regardless of how high the Mountain West champion lands after Saturday, the conference winner will be one of the best teams to play in the early part of bowl season, as it is expected to play in the Las Vegas Bowl against a Pac-12 opponent.
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