Considering the serious shakeup in the top four in terms of monumental upsets, the committee appears to have handled the intimidating chaos fairly well. Clemson was justifiably rewarded with the number one seed given the strength of their wins over reputable non-conference opponents and their most recent victory over South Carolina. While a two-loss Auburn program being ranked second could be perceived as being slightly controversial, the Tigers emphatically proved in victories over Georgia and Alabama that their defense and quarterback play is much improved since earlier in the season.
College Football Playoff Rankings 2017: Week 14
Although the Wisconsin Badgers just snuck into the Playoff Rankings at the fourth spot, they at least received the long overdue respect of the committee after finish the regular season with a perfect record. Coming in at the third spot, the Sooners could have been ranked slightly higher but have to feel confident about their high-octane offense and how it will fare in the BIG 12 Championship game against TCU. While the current top four are well-deserving of their current rankings, each reputable program still has to win a vital contest against a formidable conference opponent on Saturday.
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Clemson |
| 2 | Auburn |
| 3 | Oklahoma |
| 4 | Wisconsin |
| 5 | Alabama |
| 6 | Georgia |
| 7 | Miami |
| 8 | Ohio State |
| 9 | Penn State |
| 10 | USC |
| 11 | TCU |
| 12 | Stanford |
| 13 | Washington |
| 14 | UCF |
| 15 | Notre Dame |
| 16 | Michigan State |
| 17 | LSU |
| 18 | Washington State |
| 19 | Oklahoma State |
| 20 | Memphis |
| 21 | Northwestern |
| 22 | Virginia Tech |
| 23 | Mississippi State |
| 24 | NC State |
| 25 | Fresno State |
With a rematch against the Georgia Bulldogs this weekend, the Auburn Tigers will look to continue their dominance when it comes to stopping the run. However, the status of star running back Kerryon Johnson is still up in the air. A vital component of Tigers offense in a blowout victory over Georgia, Johnson has the size to be a bruising rusher and the agility to be an immense threat in the passing game. Can Auburn beat Georgia for a second time without their ultra reliable running back?
Dropped From Rankings: Boise State, South Carolina
New Additions: Fresno State (25), NC State (24)
