The top four of the College Football Playoff rankings is expected to remain unchanged when the latest weekly set is released on Tuesday.
Ohio State, LSU, Clemson and Georgia occupied the four playoff spots a week ago and are expected to do so this week, after recording dominant wins in Rivalry Week.
The Buckeyes ended the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record after thrashing Michigan 56-27, while LSU slaughtered Texas A&M 50-7.
Clemson finished unbeaten in the regular season for the consecutive year after a 38-3 win over South Carolina, while Georgia buried Georgia Tech 52-7.
Behind the quartet, however, major changes are expected on Tuesday, with Alabama set to fall down from No. 5 after losing 48-45 to Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
That ended the Crimson Tide's hopes of reaching the playoff, while Utah, Oklahoma and Baylor remain in the race.
Here are five things to look out for on Tuesday.
Ohio State and LSU are in
Ohio State and the Tigers have occupied the first two spots the CFP throughout the season and the trend is set to continue into Week 15.
Both the Buckeyes and the Tigers have their conference title games coming up on Saturday, but it would take a monumental upset for them either to be ruled out of the playoff.
The two programs have gone 12-0, torched opponents at will in the process and defeated ranked opponents. A loss against Wisconsin in the Big 10 title game will not prevent Ohio State from making the top four, just as a loss to Georgia will not be enough to exclude LSU from the CFP.
Alabama's race is run
For the first time since the CFP's inception in 2014, Alabama will not be among the four teams competing for the national title.
The Crimson Tide's already slim hopes of forcing its way into the top four were completely extinguished by a 48-45 loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
As the graphic provided by Statista shows, Alabama has been ranked at No. 5 in the CFP since losing to LSU on November 9, but expect it to fall away on Tuesday—the Tide has already fallen from No. 5 to No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Utah can sneak into the top four
The Utes picked up an eighth straight win on Saturday, thrashing Colorado 45-15 to finish the regular season with an 11-1 record.
With Alabama set to slip down the rankings, Utah should move up a spot to No. 6.
The Utes have conceded less than 10 points per game during its eight-game running streak, but none of their wins have come against a team with fewer than four losses.
That, however, could change on Friday when they take on 10-2 Oregon for the Pac-12 title. A Utah win, coupled with a Georgia defeat against LSU, would make the race for the fourth playoff a shootout between the Utes and whoever wins the Big 12.
Which brings us to...
The race for the Big 12
Oklahoma added another ranked program to its resume with a road win over No. 21 Oklahoma State, which should see the Sooners climb up at least one spot from No. 7 because of Alabama's demise.
Oklahoma went 11-1 in the regular season and will take on Baylor in the Big 12 title game on Saturday, two weeks after needing a record comeback to have the better of the Bears.
Baylor, meanwhile, remained in the hunt for a playoff spot itself, thumping Kansas 61-6 to finish the regular season 11-1.
The Big 12's chances of having a representative in the playoffs in all likelihood hang on Georgia and Utah losing, but don't rule Baylor and Oklahoma out just yet.
A perfect #ChampionshipNovember. #Sooners get the win in #Bedlam.
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) December 1, 2019
🔗 https://t.co/5eAOPND792 | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/WjLQq7kjRs
Georgia's playoff road goes via Atlanta
After losing at home to South Carolina in October, the Bulldogs' chances of reaching the playoff looked on life support. Six weeks later, Georgia should be confirmed at No. 4 for the third consecutive week after winning six games in a row and clinching the SEC East with an 11-1 record.
After looking moribund over the last few weeks, Georgia's offers eventually came alive in Rivalry Week, with the Bulldogs thrashing Georgia Tech 50-7.
While Georgia should remain in the top four on Tuesday, it will in all likelihood need to defeat LSU in the SEC title game in Atlanta if it is to have a chance of making the playoff.
Top 10 prediction for Week 14
- Ohio State
- LSU
- Clemson
- Georgia
- Utah
- Oklahoma
- Baylor
- Wisconsin
- Alabama
- Penn State
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he was a news and business reporter at International Business Times UK. Dan has also written for The Guardian and The Observer.
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