College Football Rankings 2020: Updated NCAA Week 14 Standings, Poll Review

The first weekend in December is typically reserved for the top teams in college football solidifying their College Football Playoff resumes with conference championship game wins. 

With the title games pushed back to December 19, two undefeated Group of Five teams will steal the spotlight on Saturday. 

The BYU Cougars and Coastal Carolina Chanticleers are nowhere close to the top programs in the CFB Playoff rankings, but the victor of the clash in Conway, South Carolina, should make a push toward securing a New Year's Six bowl berth. 

BYU's trip to the southeast is one of two Top 25 matchups in Week 14, which means it will take a few upsets to cause a seismic shift in the rankings. 

College Football Playoff Rankings

1. Alabama (8-0)

2. Notre Dame (9-0)

3. Clemson (8-1)

4. Ohio State (4-0)

5. Texas A&M (6-1)

6. Florida (7-1)

7. Cincinnati (8-0)

8. Georgia (6-2)

9. Iowa State (7-2)

10. Miami (7-1)

11. Oklahoma (6-2)

12. Indiana (5-1)

13. BYU (9-0)

14. Northwestern (5-1)

15. Oklahoma State (6-2)

16. Wisconsin (2-1)

17. North Carolina (6-3)

18. Coastal Carolina (9-0)

19. Iowa (4-2)

20. USC (3-0)

21. Marshall (7-0)

22. Washington (3-0)

23. Oregon (3-1)

24. Tulsa (5-1)

25. Louisiana (8-1)

In most seasons, the BYU-Coastal Carolina clash would be viewed as the Group of Five championship.

However, they are fighting to be the second-best team of that designation since the Cincinnati Bearcats sit at No. 7. 

If Cincinnati wins the American Athletic Conference, it should be invited to a New Year's Six bowl and could sneak into the playoff if a few results go in its favor. 

BYU and Coastal Carolina both have one more victory than the Bearcats, but neither team has a tougher schedule than the seventh-ranked side. 

Playing each other in a matchup that was made within days of kickoff will only help the profile of both programs.

If BYU comes out on top, it should inch closer to a potential New Year's Six berth. A loss by the Indiana Hoosiers to the Wisconsin Badgers would bolster its chances. 

Coastal Carolina needs more help to reach a New Year's Six game if it defends its home soil. The Chanticleers have a single win over a Top 25 team and could beat the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns for the second time in the Sun Belt Championship Game. 

Since the playoff committee does not value Group of Five teams as much as Power Five programs, Coastal may have a fight on its hands to jump six-to-eight spots to secure an at-large berth in one of the most prestigious postseason games. 

With a victory, Jamey Chadwell's squad would move up at least two spots over BYU and the Indiana-Wisconsin loser, but it would require extra help in the next two weeks to surge over a handful of potential conference championship game participants. 

If the Oklahoma Sooners and Northwestern Wildcats qualify and lose for their respective league title tilts, the path will be clearer for the Chanticleers. 

A handful of other upsets to Top 15 programs would further help Coastal's NY6 case, but for now, all it has to focus on is beating BYU. 

The top teams in the FBS share the common focus of defeating their Week 14 opponent before moving on to bigger aspirations. 

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Clemson Tigers have one more chance to refine their on-field skills on Saturday after the ACC readjusted the league schedule to have the two teams and the Miami Hurricanes finish with the same amount of games played. 

The Alabama Crimson Tide will use the LSU Tigers as their final tune-up prior to the SEC Championship Game, while the Florida Gators have two matchups to finish the regular season, starting with a visit to the Tennessee Volunteers. 

Over in the Big Ten, the fourth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are back on the field to play the Michigan State Spartans. Ryan Day's team needs to play its final two games to meet the threshold to qualify for the Big Ten Championship Game. 

A win on the road by Ohio State would keep the same top four in place ahead of Week 15, which is the final week before conference championship weekend. 

If the top teams win the contests they are expected to, December 19 will be the next game day in which extreme poll movement is triggered. 

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