Post-Week Four College Football Playoff Power Rankings

Kenny Hill, TCU

The Four 

1 Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0 SEC)
After beating Kansas State in Week 3, Vanderbilt defensive linemen Nifae Lealao proclaimed "Alabama, you're next". Turns out it wasn't a great idea to call out the nation's top team, as the Commodores were absolutely pummeled by 'Bama, 59-0, and out-gained yardage-wise by nearly 600 yards. The victory gave Alabama their first conference victory of the 2017 campaign, and with LSU, Auburn and Mississippi State all not playing very well, there is no doubt they are the SEC West favorite. Up next for the Tide: a meeting with Ole Miss, who has been the only SEC team over the past few seasons to really give the Tide consistent problems. However, this is not the same Rebels team it was the past three seasons, and 'Bama seems to be playing with a chip on their shoulder, which should strike fear into every single team in the country.

2 Clemson Tigers 4-0 (1-0 ACC)
It was not very surprising to see Clemson have somewhat of a hangover this past week, after the huge victory they had on the road against Louisville. The Tigers started things off very slow against Boston College before really turning on the jets, coming away with a 34-7 win in their respective conference opener. The Eagles aren't a great football team, but the Tigers' defense was still dominant, and the offense showed it could make plays even as their QB Kelly Bryant struggled (two INTs), as young running back Travis Etienne added 113 yards and two touchdowns. Clemson has another big game next week, as they must go on the road once again and beat a conference foe, this time 13th-ranked Virginia Tech. A win there, and you could definitely make the case Clemson has the best resume in college football, and should be the country's No. 1 team.

3 Penn State Nittany Lions 4-0 (1-0 Big Ten)
Going into Kinnick Stadium for a night game is one of the toughest things to do in college football, and Penn State nearly became the latest victim this Saturday. The Nittany Lions got all they could handle from the Hawkeyes before coming out on top, 21-19, in the final seconds. Running back Saquon Barkley put on an absolute show, with 211 rushing yards and 94 receiving yards while providing fans with plenty of highlight-reel plays. It certainly was quite the challenge for the Nittany Lions but Iowa is still a resume-boosting win and the win strengthens their resume. Only more reassuring for Penn State is the fact that their Big Ten East counterparts continue to underperform. Ohio State still has one loss, Michigan continues to underwhelm, Maryland lost to UCF and Michigan State was pounded by Notre Dame.

4 Oklahoma Sooners 4-0 (1-0 Big 12)
While most of the rest of the teams in the serious Playoff hunt came out with big wins (with the exception of Oklahoma State), the Sooners didn't exactly wow this past week. They were given quite the challenge by Baylor, who came into this game winless and had lost to Liberty and UTSA. Baker Mayfield and back Abdul Adams kept the offense humming along as usual, but the defense had it's worst performance of the year, allowing over 450 yards to Zach Smith and the Bears. Considering pass defense has been a serious Achilles Heel of the team over the past few seasons, it certainly was scary for Sooners' fans to see the team struggle once more. The good news is that Oklahoma will have some time to figure it out. Their next two opponents, Iowa State and Kansas State, aren't great passing teams and should be a good opportunity to test things out before their meeting with Texas Tech.

Next Four Out

5 USC Trojans 4-0 (2-0 Pac-12)
The Trojans won this weekend to remain flawless and claim their second Pac-12 win, but it was far from an impressive victory. Cal looks like a much better team than last year's 5-7 edition, but the Golden Bears seemed to really outplay USC in the battle, before the Trojans were able to turn it on. Sam Darnold played okay, but now has seven interceptions on the year (he had nine all of last year) and running back Ronald Jones II has struggled to stay healthy. On the other side of the ball, 'SC also has had issues stopping the pass, so there is work to be done. Even so, the Trojans are now 4-0 and until they falter they have to be viewed as the favorite in the conference.

6 Washington Huskies 4-0 (1-0 Pac-12)
For the first time in 2017, Washington took on a viable football team and they came out and blew out Colorado, winning by nearly four scores. The Buffaloes aren't the Pac-12 title contender they were last season, but they still come in 3-0, and Washington looked very good. The defense still has some things it needs to figure out and losing cornerback Byron Murphy certainly strings. But, the offense is still one of the nation's most dynamic, with quarterback Jake Browning leading the way, and Myles Gaskin also playing wonderful (had over 200 yards in this one). It was a very reassuring victory for UW, who had looked a little bit sloppy early on. Up next: a road meeting against Oregon State, who has had a rough '17.

7 Georgia Bulldogs 4-0 (1-0 SEC)
Simply stating that Georgia's 31-3 win over Mississippi State was impressive is somewhat of an understatement. Georgia came out and absolutely shredded a team coming off a 30-point win over LSU, with a true freshman QB starting just his third game. Despite his immense youth, Jake Fromm has looked calm and collected, and could be an improvement over the injured Jacob Eason. The Bulldogs' ground game is absolutely wonderful, and defensively, they look like they have a unit that can go head to head with anyone in the country, including Alabama. With no other team in the SEC East looking like serious threats to the 'Dawgs, UGA has to be viewed as the clear-cut favorite in the division.

8 TCU Horned Frogs 4-0 (1-0 Big 12)
Following an uneven 2016 in which they went 6-7, TCU has looked greatly improved so far this season and asserted themselves as a serious Big 12 title threat by beating Oklahoma State on the road. Second-year starter Kenny Hill has looked like a revelation so far in '17, cutting down on turnovers and making the right decisions. He is aided by underrated back Darius Anderson and big-play receiver KaVontae Turpin, giving TCU one of the nation's most explosive units. On the other side of the ball, defensive-minded Gary Patterson continues to work magic, shutting down Heisman threats Mason Rudolph and James Washington Jr. Unfortunately, things don't get any easier for the Horned Frogs these next couple weeks, as they go up against West Virginia and Kansas State, two quality Big 12 teams.

Others in the Mix
Wisconsin Badgers
Michigan Wolverines
Virginia Tech Hokies
Ohio State Buckeyes
Miami Hurricanes
Washington State Cougars
Florida Gators
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Auburn Tigers
Utah Utes