The College Football Playoff landscape entered conference championship weekend rather self-explanatory. If top-ranked Clemson and second-ranked Alabama win, they'll be joined by the winner of the Big Ten Championship Game and Oklahoma, which is idle after taking home the Big 12.Still, it's a worthwhile endeavor to figure out who has the best chance of taking their places in the case of an upset. The answer appears to be Ohio State, which moved into the sixth slot after a 42-13 win over Michigan on Saturday. It's preceded by No. 4 Iowa and No. 5 Michigan State, the two teams that will do battle in Indianapolis for the Big Ten title this weekend.Here is the selection committee's Top 25 heading into Week 14:Looking at the top, not all that much has changed. Clemson looked less than stellar in a 37-32 win over South Carolina but has an impeccable resume otherwise. Sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson accounted for four touchdowns and nearly 400 yards of offense in the win, though the Tigers were sloppy with three lost fumbles.Clemson has turned the ball over more times than its opponent six times this season and has 10 turnovers in its last three contests."When we win the turnover margin we're going to kill somebody," Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said after the win over South Carolina, per Ed McGranahan of theState.Clemson will play in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday against North Carolina, which has some championship aspirations of its own. The 10th-ranked Tar Heels have won 11 straight games since a season-opening loss to South Carolina but haven't gained much respect because of their poor strength of schedule. Similar to how Iowa avoided most top Big Ten foes, North Carolina went through the regular season without playing Clemson, Florida State and Louisville, the top three teams in the ACC's Atlantic Division.Nonetheless, Tar Heels head coach Larry Fedora said his team deserves a playoff spot if it wins Saturday."Yes, I do feel that way," Fedora said, perJaredShankerof ESPN.com. "If we beat the No. 1 team in the countryand Clemson is the No. 1 in the country and a consensus No. 1, and they've stayed No. 1 for a long timeif that happens, then I believe our team is deserving."Second-ranked Alabama will look to ensure its second straight playoff berth by emerging victorious in the SEC Championship Game against a Florida team whose championship hopes vanished on Saturday. The Gators looked lost offensively in a 27-2 home setback to Florida State, which held Treon Harris to 134 passing yards on 38 attempts. Florida is tied for 104th nationally in yards per game and 92nd in points per game, traits that play right into the Crimson Tide's hands.Alabama has held opponents to 16 or fewer points in each of its last five games and has allowed onlytwo opponents to crack the 20-point mark all season. The Crimson Tide have returned to basics in 2015, with Derrick Henry's smashmouth Heisman Trophy run, a tough defense and caretaker quarterback (Jake Coker) resembling head coach Nick Saban's previous championship outfits."I like to play however our players can play," Saban said, per Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com. "I liked how we played last year when we hadAmari Coopercatching 115 balls and running all over the place. I like that. ... This just happens to be the best way this team can play."With Clemson and Alabama entering their championship games as heavy favorites, per Odds Shark, the focus will likely be on Indianapolis. Iowa enters its first Big Ten title game as one of two remaining undefeated teamsbut is being viewed with a healthy sense ofskepticism. The Hawkeyes have won five games by one touchdown or less despite avoiding every major pillar in the Big Ten. No Michigan State, noOhio State, no Michigan and not even Penn State. They boast road wins overWisconsin,Northwestern and Nebraska, but that resume pales in comparison to Michigan State's. The Spartans took down Oregon at home before going on the road for wins against Michigan and Ohio State. Their only loss was a one-point shortcoming against Nebraska, a game that was mired in controversy after Cornhuskers wideoutBrandon Reilly stepped out of bounds on a touchdown reception with 17 seconds remaining.Unlike last year, however, everything will play out on the field this time around. Barring a major upset of Clemson or Alabama, we know the combination of teams that will be playing for the national title.Now it's up to them to get the job done.Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.
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