Post-Week Six College Football Playoff Power Rankings

Jake Fromm, Georgia

The Four

1 Clemson Tigers (6-0, 4-0 ACC)
For the first time in 2017, a new team takes over the No.1 spot in the Playoff power rankings. Clemson overtakes Alabama here not because the Tide are playing bad, but because to this point in the season, Clemson has a much stronger resume. The Tigers went out and beat Auburn in the non-conference and followed it up with two quality road victories over Louisville and Virginia Tech. Their path to the Playoff is very clear; with Florida State struggling, likely the only ranked team they will see before the ACC Championship would be NC State. The fact Kelly Bryant was beat up this past week is relatively concerning, but the Tigers still look like a team that should be able to run the table. If that is the case, there will be absolutely no doubt that Clemson deserves their third straight Playoff berth.

2 Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0, 3-0 SEC)
For the first time since the opening week of the season, Alabama was tested, but was still able to come out with a 27-19 win over Texas A&M. The victory wasn't super impressive, but the Aggies aren't a bad football team, and they played some of their best football they've played all year. The Tide still look like the team we expected them to be: a solid, not great offense, but a punishing defense with depth everywhere. The good news for Alabama is that while they may be here at the No. 2 spot right now, they have a very good chance to still end up being the top seed by the time the Playoff Committee makes their decision. They play a suddenly-dangerous Auburn team still and Georgia looks like it could be a huge victory if they do indeed meet in the SEC Championship Game.

3 Georgia Bulldogs 6-0 (3-0 SEC)
We are only halfway through the season and plenty is still likely to happen, but so far, Georgia may be the most surprising team of the 2017 season. Sure, expectations are always high in Athens and this team was considered the SEC East favorite by many during the pre-season, but the way the Bulldogs have played with their starting QB injured has been astounding. Their most impressive win to date is certainly their victory over Notre Dame (which is looking better and better as the weeks go by) but their other wins are just as impressive, because they have looked utterly dominant. True frosh QB Jake Fromm has run the offense with impressive composure, and defensively, Georgia is as good as anyone. Like I said, it's still early in the season but UGA looks like they have a decent shot at running the table before they likely meet 'Bama in the SEC Championship, which will have huge Playoff implications.

4 Penn State Nittany Lions 6-0 (3-0 Big Ten)
Penn State continues to roll through the early portion of their schedule without any issues, as they ran past Northwestern 31-7 this weekend. As usual, the Nittany Lions' offense was the difference, as dynamic QB Trace McSorley was wonderful through the air, and running back Saquon Barkley continues to strengthen his Heisman campaign. However, things get very difficult for Penn State over the next couple weeks. After a bye this next week, the Nittany Lions go on a stretch where they meet Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State, with OSU and MSU both on the road. That will really give us an indication of whether this team is truly the Big Ten's best team, or just a pretender.

Next Four Out

5 TCU Horned Frogs 5-0 (2-0 Big 12)
With Oklahoma choking at home against Iowa State this past weekend, TCU takes over as the clear-cut Big 12 favorite. The Horned Frogs bring a solid resume to the table, as they've opened up conference play with consecutive Top 25 victories, over Oklahoma State and West Virginia. The win over WVU wasn't very pretty, but QB Kenny Hill continues to play terrific football and while the defense still is prone to letting up the big play, it is still likely the best in the conference. The schedule lightens up significantly for TCU over the next few weeks, with their next three being Kansas State, Kansas and Iowa State. As long as TCU is able to avoid a trap game, they should be in very good Playoff position by the time they meet the meat of their schedule, in early November.

6 Washington Huskies 6-0 (3-0 Pac-12)
With USC losing, the Pac-12 is likely to fall to either Washington school. The Huskies are a slight favorite at the moment, as they continue to pour it on, albeit against meager competition. Washington hasn't had a close game so far in 2017 but on the flip side, they have the weakest resume of any major Playoff contender. Their most impressive win to this point is still Colorado, but the Buffaloes have lost three straight and their defense was absolutely shredded by Arizona this past Saturday. That weak resume hurts UW right now, but they still have more than enough time to make up for it. Wins against Stanford and Washington State should be enough to convince the Committee this team deserves a second straight Playoff bid.

7 Wisconsin Badgers 5-0 (2-0 Big Ten)
After a pretty slow start, Wisconsin poured it on to beat Nebraska handily this week, improving the Badgers to 5-0. The win doesn't exactly boost Wisconsin's resume considering how much Nebraska has struggled this year, but it gave the Badgers important momentum as they enter the bulk of conference play. The really good news for Wisconsin is that their remaining regular season slate is very easy. Their toughest remaining opponent is Michigan, who has struggled with serious offensive issues all season long. Beyond that, Wisconsin has enough defensively to be able to roll past the rest of their conference slate and likely clinch another Big Ten West title.

8 Washington State Cougars 6-0 (3-0 Pac-12)
He may be incredibly unorthodox, but there is no denying Mike Leach has done a special coaching job in Pullman. The Cougars, once a Pac-12 cellar dweller, have developed into quite the threat in the Pac-12 and now look like a legit Playoff threat six weeks into 2017. Quarterback Luke Falk has led Leach's Air Raid system wonderfully, but what has been even more impressive has been Washington State's defense. Once among the conference's worst, it has played with terrific energy and confidence so far this season and absolutely shut down Oregon on Saturday. The Cougars' schedule is interesting going forward; it is relatively easy before a three-game stretch to end the year that is certainly precarious: against Stanford, Utah and on the road against Washington.

Others in the Mix
Miami Hurricanes
Auburn Tigers
Ohio State Buckeyes
USC Trojans
Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma State Cowboys
South Florida Bulls
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Michigan State Spartans
Michigan Wolverines
NC State Wolfpack
UCF Knights
Virginia Tech Hokies