College Football Playoff Rankings 2019: Experts React to Week 14 Top 25 Poll

Following a victory over Penn State, the newest College Football Playoff rankings have Ohio State back at No. 1.

The Buckeyes stood atop the initial CFP poll before LSU claimed the top position for two weeks. CFP selection committee chairman Rob Mullens cited Ohio State's defense as the primary reason for switching the Buckeyes and Tigers.

Now, entering the final week of the regular season, the Top Four reads Ohio State, LSU, Clemson and Georgia—the latter two staying the same in Week 14.

Outside of the coveted spots, Alabama remained at No. 5 while Utah replaced Oregon at No. 6 as expected.

Losses by Oregon and Penn State allowed Oklahoma and Minnesota to reach seventh and eighth. That was understandable. The surprise, however, trailed those 10-1 squads.

Despite toppling an unranked Texas team, Baylor flew from 14th to ninth. The out-of-nowhere surge felt like a massive over-correction from the selection committee after listing head coach Matt Rhule's club no higher than 12th in previous polls.

Should the Bears have been there all along? Perhaps. But a five-spot rise after dropping Texas to 6-5 was stunning.

While the complete list of remaining contenders ends there, the remainder of the poll is still significant. The committee often cites the number of Top 25 victories when discussing resumes.

Penn State dipped to No. 10 after its 28-17 loss at Ohio State, so the Nittany Lions are the highest-ranked two-loss team. That undoubtedly helped push the Buckeyes to No. 1.

This weekend, 13th-ranked Michigan awaits OSU. Then, either Minnesota or Wisconsin will oppose the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game. Depending on Cincinnati, the Buckeyes could have five victories over Top 25 teams.

Based on the current justification, Ohio State should stay atop the rankings as long as it keeps winning.

Granted, that's not always so simple with the CFP committee.

LSU will continue to present a compelling case with victories over No. 5 Alabama, No. 11 Florida and No. 15 Auburn. Plus, the Tigers will face fourth-ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship Game after hosting Texas A&M this weekend.

It's certainly plausible that LSU, should it earn a pair of wins, would return to No. 1 on Selection Day.

Strange as it may seem, Cincinnati actually appears to be the swing team in this discussion. Ohio State defeated the Bearcats, who currently sit 19th in the poll. They've clinched a place in the AAC title game but play at No. 18 Memphis this Friday.

As long as Cincinnati stays in the rankings, the Buckeyes will have the additional Top 25 win. If the Bearcats fall Friday or next week, Ohio State might dip to No. 2 as a result.

That conversation isn't as pressing right now, though. Friday and Saturday matter most.

Michigan hosts Ohio State, Wisconsin heads to Minnesota and Oklahoma travels to Oklahoma State. The Top Eight may have a substantially different look next week. Or, it will be one chaotic poll heading into conference championship games.

Either way, there's plenty of drama waiting to unfold.

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.