The 2014 college football season has been complete madness through nine weeks of action. Upset victories have become a common trend while preseason polls seem like a distant memory, as previously unranked teams currently stand tall over the rest of the nation. And there’s still plenty of time for even more changes before the College Football Playoff.

While there is a clear-cut Top Four following Saturday’s action, chances are some of those teams won’t be in the playoff discussion when the regular season comes to a close. Due to some very tough remaining schedules for top squads and other surging, lower-ranked teams climbing up the standings, we should expect continued movement in the rankings. This is where speculation comes into play.

Based on the current standings, recent on-field performances and impending matchups, here’s a prediction of college football’s Top Four teams following the conclusion of the regular season and their corresponding bowl games.

Bowl Predictions

Sugar Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Notre Dame

Rose Bowl: Florida State vs. Oregon

Final Rankings

1. Mississippi State

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The Bulldogs remained unbeaten through Week 9, but it wasn’t by the prettiest of performances.

Quarterback Dak Prescott moved the offense well enough to notch the win, but his efficiency wasn’t up to par. He completed 18 of his 33 passing attempts for 216 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Kentucky’s secondary. Luckily, Mississippi State’s offense fared far better on the ground.

Running back Josh Robinson was fantastic, carrying 23 times for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Prescott carried 18 times for 88 yards and two scores of his own. Sports Illustrated tweeted Robinson’s most ridiculous run of the day:

Mississippi State’s Josh Robinson broke at LEAST 6 tackles on an absurd run today. WATCH: http://t.co/A3id2bH12Z pic.twitter.com/HhQ9j8UJXI

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 25, 2014

The team accumulated 326 yards on the ground; there’s no reason to dispute that this is one of the nation’s juggernaut offenses.

Defense is a whole different story.

Kentucky’s Patrick Towles threw for 390 yards and two touchdowns as the Wildcats accumulated 504 yards of offense and 31 points. That’s not a good sign due to the fact that the Bulldogs still must face the prolific offenses of Alabama and Ole Miss later this season.

Still, Mississippi State will retain the No. 1 spot with continued stellar offensive output, finishing the season undefeated.

2. Florida State

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

The Seminoles were inactive Saturday during their bye week and remain in the No. 2 spot. Defeating Notre Dame proved two things about Florida State in Week 8: that this team can step up against the nation’s best, and that Jameis Winston is a resilient quarterback who flourishes in the face of adversity.

College GameDay tweeted Winston’s impressive home winning streak:

Jameis Winston remains unbeaten at FSU, his 20 straight wins the longest undefeated streak by QB to begin his career in the last 15 seasons.

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 19, 2014

Florida State didn’t have a lead against the Fighting Irish until the final score of the game with 7:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. This team proved it is comprised of fighters on both sides of the ball, which will lead to an undefeated season when combined with a very easy remaining schedule.

Without a single ranked opponent left on the Seminoles’ slate this season, expect five more convincing wins to hold this squad in position as the nation’s second-ranked team.

3. Oregon

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Oregon has virtually the same story as Mississippi State: This team has a prolific offense but is really lacking on the defensive side of the ball.

Marcus Mariota may be the best quarterback in the nation right now and was dynamic on Saturday against California, passing for 326 yards and five touchdowns. The signal-caller has plenty of weapons at his disposal as well: Royce Freeman and Byron Marshall have been creating matchup nightmares for opposing defenses all year.

Here’s a look at how dominant Mariota has been this season, via ESPN College Football:

Oregon QB Marcus Mariota leads FBS in Yds per att, TD-INT & Total QBR pic.twitter.com/4e6zHU3UbR

— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) October 25, 2014

Defensively, the Ducks could improve. On Saturday, they allowed quarterback Jared Goff to throw for 360 yards and two touchdowns while allowing the Golden Bears to score four times on the ground. Giving up 41 points to a .500 team isn’t a great sign for this defense going forward.

Luckily for the Ducks, they have an offense that is virtually unrivaled. This team thrives by simply outscoring its opponents and is very good at doing so. With Utah being the only ranked team remaining on Oregon’s schedule, it’s easy to see the Ducks winning out and moving up into the nation’s top-ranked one-loss team.

4. Notre Dame

STEVEN CANNON/Associated Press

With a one-loss team taking up the No. 3 spot in the rankings, the Fighting Irish have a great chance to move into No. 4. A last-second loss against the nation’s second-ranked team gives Notre Dame a certified “quality loss” in the eyes of voters.

The Fighting Irish took a small fall down the standings after facing Florida State; however, the drop was limited due to the impressive performance displayed by quarterback Everett Golson and his supporting cast. Notre Dame’s offense exceeded expectations, putting up a total of 470 yards on the road in a loud, hostile environment.

Dane Brugler of CBS Sports tweeted his thoughts on the Notre Dame offense:

Everett Golson and creative play-calling. That’s Notre Dame’s offense. And it works

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 19, 2014

On the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame won in the trenches, allowing just 1.9 yards per carry to the Seminoles and forcing Winston to win the game with his arm. After watching that performance, the Fighting Irish should have no trouble winning out against the likes of Arizona State and USC.