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Post-Week Two College Football Playoff Power Rankings

Trevone Boykin
Week Two of the 2015-2016 college football season saw one of the top games of the year, Oregon against Michigan State, in a game that did not disappoint, and the week also boosted a flurry of upsets or near upsets. After an interesting week, there was sure to be some shaking up in the polls. As we continue into mid-September here is what the College Football Playoff field should look like as of now:

The Four 

1 Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State took care of business at home this past Saturday, easily cruising past Hawaii, 38-0. Sure, the Rainbow Warriors are far from a serious threat, but this team did beat Colorado a week ago and is led by USC transfer Max Wittek at quarterback. The win begins a long stretch of really cupcake games for the Buckeyes, which has led to some open criticism about their schedule from media and coaches alike. Although that could certainly be a question down the line when it comes to seeding and more, Ohio State has given us no clear reason not to put them at No.1.

2 Alabama Crimson Tide
It was pretty much an off week for Alabama, who dominated Middle Tennesee in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Derrick Henry had three touchdowns for the second consecutive week, meaning he could well be the Heisman frontrunner (although you wonder how much that means at this point in the year), while Jake Coker continues to lead the offense at quarterback. Unlike Ohio State though, the Crimson Tide begin what will turn out to a brutal stretch, as they open SEC play against Ole Miss. A win there, with two wins against ranked teams, could give the Tide quite the claim to the top spot in all of the land.

3 TCU Horned Frogs
Questions arose about TCU following a pretty sloppy offensive performance against Minnesota on the road two weeks ago, in which they just managed 23 points. Then, they went out and put up 70 on the board, easily handling FCS foe Stephen F. Austin. Sure, the Lumberjacks aren't exactly a great football team, but it was still very reassuring for Horned Frogs' fans to see the offense rolling, behind the huge arm of Trevone Boykin, who had four touchdowns. TCU gets a road meeting with a motivated SMU team next week, before Big 12 play opens.

4 Michigan State Spartans
No team's stock increased as much as Michigan State this week, who came away with a huge victory against seventh-ranked Oregon in a primetime duel. Offensively, the team played very strong, posting 31 points and letting QB Connor Cook take advantage of a weak Oregon secondary. On the defensive side of the ball, the Spartans also played well, limiting the big play and containing the Ducks' offense for the most part. Even though it was at home, this win adds a major victory to the Spartans' resume and one that certainly will give the team momentum going forward.

Next Four Out

Baylor Bears
For the second straight week, the Bears started slow out of the gates, being tied with Lamar pretty deep into the second quarter. Though, once again the Bears turned on the jets and came away with a blowout victory. While it looks nice on the stat sheet, nobody is going to be impressed by a big win against Lamar. Unfortunately though, the Bears can't change their non-conference slate right now, they just have to go out and do the best they can and impress the Playoff Committee.

USC Trojans
Much like a number of other undefeated teams at this point in the year, USC hasn't really had a chance to prove themselves against stellar competition. Though, the Trojans have certainly still found ways to impress, capped by a 50-point walloping of lowly Idaho this week. Big armed quarterback Cody Kessler continues to put up huge numbers and the speedy quick USC defense continues to shut down opponents.

Oregon Ducks
Even with the tough loss to Michigan State, Oregon's stock might have also took a major boost this week. The Ducks played very well against the Spartans despite having an experienced (at least in the Oregon system) Vernon Adams at QB and going on the road. Big play threat Bralon Addison continues to impress after missing all of last season, while Royce Freeman leads an explosive ground attack. While the Ducks do sit at 1-1, this MSU game showed the entire nation that Oregon was still quite the team, even without Marcus Mariota leading the way.

LSU Tigers
The SEC West is the toughest division in college football, and there are no easy gigs in conference play. Which is why the Tigers' win over Mississippi State was so huge, to begin their 2015 season (opener against McNeese State cancalled). Sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris had some major ups-and-downs but showed flashes. Even so, the story was all about back Leonard Fournette and LSU's ability to hang on to the win. The victory for the Tigers gives the team a strong statement to add to their resume early on.

Others in the Mix
Georgia Bulldogs
Auburn Tigers
Texas A&M Aggies
Florida State Seminoles
Oklahoma Sooners
Clemson Tigers
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
UCLA Bruins
Arizona Wildcats
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Ole Miss Rebels
Missouri Tigers
Oklahoma State Cowboys


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