Post-Week Three College Football Playoff Power Rankings

Kelly Brant, Clemson

The Four

1 Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0, 0-0 SEC)
For the second straight week, Alabama squared off against a Mountain West foe and once again, they had no issues. Sophomore signal-caller Jalen Hurts continues to impress making plays behind the country's best offensive line, and as expected, the Tide are as stout defensively as anybody in the nation. While Clemson and Oklahoma have had two straight weeks of big wins, Alabama still appears to be the best team in the country, until someone comes out and beats them. They are as balanced and well-rounded as any 'Bama we've seen under Nick Saban, and their resume will look strong as long as Florida State remains relevant. Their next battle will be on the road against Vanderbilt, which shouldn't be a super tough test, but will be a nice little introduction to the speed and physicality of SEC football.

2 Clemson Tigers (3-0, 1-0 ACC)
Remember when Clemson was supposed to take a big step back as they moved on from Deshaun Watson, Wayne Gallman, Mike Williams and the rest of their core from last year's National Championship team? So far, that certainly hasn't been the case. The Tigers pounded Louisville this past week to improve to 3-0, giving them their second straight win over a ranked team. What was even more impressive about the win is that they looked firmly dominant going on the road, and quarterback Kelly Bryant and the offense looked absolutely superb. It is still super early obviously but Clemson looks like a full-fledged Playoff threat. If they continue to play the way they have, they have a legitimate shot at meeting Alabama in the National Championship for what would be a third straight season.

3 Oklahoma Sooners 3-0 (0-0 Big 12)
One week removed from a huge road win over Ohio State, Oklahoma came out slow out of the gate against Tulane before turning on the jets, coming away with a 56-14 victory. Quarterback Baker Mayfield continues to absolutely shred opposing defenses, and the rest of the offense has played terrific. It has also been a huge relief to the Sooners' faithful that the defense has looked much improved. The unit has been a huge problem over the past few seasons in Norman, but it has been extremely stingy over the first three weeks, and could be a huge advantage in the pass-happy Big 12. The Sooners will begin their Big 12 slate this week on the road, but going up against the 0-3 Baylor Bears, who have already lost to Liberty and UTSA, shouldn't be too worrying.

4 USC Trojans 3-0 (0-0 Pac-12)
Over a decade after Vince Young led Texas on their wild National Title run over the Trojans, USC got their vengeance, taking down the Longhorns in a thriller, 27-24. It wasn't a very dominant victory over a Texas team that hasn't looked very good early on this season and was missing their starting QB, but 'SC adds another quality win to their resume. The fact that Stanford lost this weekend to San Diego State hurts them a bit, but the Trojans still appear to the team to beat in the Pac-12, particularly with UCLA getting upset this week. They go up against a sneaky Cal team this Saturday, but as long as Sam Darnold is leading the way and the defense continues to be solid, the Trojans should keep on chugging along.

Next Four Out

5 Penn State Nittany Lions 3-0 (0-0 Big Ten)
Another week, another dominant showing by Penn State, who absolutely dismantled Georgia State 56-0 this past weekend. The offense is certainly one of the nation's most explosive, with Trace McSorley leading the always-dangerous aerial attack, Saquon Barkley running the ball, and receives DaeSean Hamilton and Mike Gesicki opening things up. The defense hasn't faced a super tough test, but looks as good as ever over the first three weeks of the year. What hurts Penn State's resume is the fact that Pitt was blown by Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Panthers, who PSU beat comfortably, looked like they would be a resume-booster but their blowout loss to the Cowboys likely indicates it could be a rebuilding year, which leaves the Nittany Lions still searching for that signature win.

6 Oklahoma State Cowboys 3-0 (0-0 Big 12)
Oklahoma State absolutely throttled their first two opponents of the season, but their play on Saturday was even more impressive. Behind the huge arm of Mason Rudolph and the abundant weapons they have at receiver, the Cowboys ran past Pittsburgh, 59-21, a viable ACC program. It wasn't really a signature win for the Cowboys, but it kept up their momentum, and this team looks very dangerous. They'll hope to continue that hot streak going up against 16th-ranked TCU, who is certainly the toughest team they've faced so far in 2017. A win there, and you could certainly make the case Oklahoma State, and not their in-state rivals, are the team to beat in a suddenly competitive Big 12 race.

7 Washington Huskies 3-0 (0-0 Pac-12)
Three weeks into the season, it is hard to know what type of team Washington is. The Huskies look great on paper, with star QB Jake Browning, running back Myles Gaskin and wide out Dante Pettis leading the way, but they haven't faced any real competition. Their toughest opponent so far this season has probably been Rutgers, who lost to Eastern Michigan and is clearly a bottom-tier Big Ten team. However, we will start to understand just how good this year's UW team is this upcoming weekend as they square off against a Colorado team who could still be in Pac-12 South contention.

8 Wisconsin Badgers 3-0 (0-0 Big Ten)
Wisconsin is never going to be known as a very explosive team, especially offensively, but they looked very good this past Saturday going up against BYU. The Badgers dropped 40 on the board and threw the ball the best they have in years, as sophomore QB Alex Hornibrook displayed impressive poise and confidence. The ground game looks as dangerous as ever, with freshman Jonathan Taylor and Pitt transfer Chris James leading the way, and defensively, Wisconsin should be as stout as ever, even as they deal with injuries. The Badgers will be on a bye this week before they square off against Northwestern, which could be a tricky conference opener.

Others in the Mix
Michigan Wolverines
Ohio State Buckeyes
Georgia Bulldogs
Virginia Tech Hokies
Florida State Seminoles
Miami Hurricanes
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Kansas State Wildcats
TCU Horned Frogs
Auburn Tigers
Washington State Cougars
Florida Gators
Oregon Ducks