College Football Playoff Rankings 2021: Projected Top 25, Week 14

Wisconsin is going to see quite the dip this week after losing at unranked Minnesota to end the regular season, dashing any hopes of a New Year’s Six bowl and Big Ten title game berth. If Wisconsin won, it would have taken the West title, but the loss was disappointing. I think the Badgers still remain in the Top 25, but maybe closer to the 20-25 range.

Like a number of ranked teams who played on Friday, San Diego State found itself down early and it looked like the Aztecs were destined for an upset loss against Boise State. But Brady Hoke’s team didn’t quit and toughed out a 27-16 win, scoring 24 straight points to end the game. With the win, San Diego State secured a spot in the Mountain West title game.

Down 30-21 with under two minutes left, it looked like NC State was cooked against rival North Carolina, but the Wolfpack scored two touchdowns in 26 seconds to take the lead and hold on for an improbable comeback. Dave Doeren’s team is one of the most surprising in the ACC and they will finish the regular season ranked inside the top 20.

Amid all the Lincoln Riley to LSU rumors, Oklahoma still had a rivalry game to play against a top-10 opponent in the season finale on the road and they couldn’t hold on against Oklahoma State despite having a 33-24 lead heading into the fourth. Will the rumors intensify? Absolutely. And Oklahoma will drop to the 15-20 range.

There may not be a hotter team right now than Utah and even though the Utes’ win over Colorado in Week 13 wasn’t the prettiest, a win’s a win. Tavion Thomas had a big game with 142 yards and a touchdown and Cameron Rising threw three touchdown passes to lead Utah to its ninth win and it’ll have a chance to get 10 with a Pac-12 title game win over Oregon in a rematch.