2020 Post-Week Four College Football Power Rankings

Kadarius Toney, Florida

(* Important note: teams are not eligible for Top 25 until they have played a game. This would effectively disqualify Big Ten, Pac-12, Mountain West, and MAC teams for the time being.)

 1. Clemson Tigers -- Clemson was off this last week after beating up on their lone non-conference foe of the season, The Citadel. It's hard to know too much about the Tigers at this point, but they haven't shown any indication that they won't once again be in the National Title hunt. Things will start to get more difficult starting this next week, with a rematch of the 2019 ACC Championship on the docket.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide -- The Crimson Tide opened up SEC play with a comfortable victory over Missouri, winning 38-19. The offense looked really good under the leadership of Mac Jones, and Najee Harris began a possible Heisman campaign with a three-touchdown showing. The defense may still need some work once this schedule begins to really get rolling, but there's ample time.

3. Florida Gators -- We expected that Florida's offense would be dangerous this season, but that didn't make the dismantling of Ole Miss this Saturday any less impressive. Kyle Trask opened things up with five touchdowns (three of them to Kyle Pitts) while the ground game flashed potential with Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis. It wasn't surprising to see the defense have a tough game considering they had no idea what Ole Miss was going to look like, but they'll have to be better.

4. Georgia Bulldogs -- Although the Bulldogs ended up winning 37-10 over Arkansas, their slow start left fans slightly uneasy. Starting QB D'Wan Mathis struggled mightily as the starter, forcing former JUCO transfer Stetson Bennett to come on in relief. The hope is that J.T. Daniels can eventually be cleared, but the O-Line and receivers also underwhelmed. The good news is that the defense should once again be among the best in the country.

5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish -- ND was hoping to build on their throttling of South Florida against Wake Forest, but their game was postponed. The Irish will get one more week off before going up against Florida State, a team that has been an absolute disaster over the first couple weeks. It should be an opportunity for the offense to try out some new things and continue to improve.

6. Miami Hurricanes -- The buzz surrounding this Miami team become even more palpable after this weekend, with the Hurricanes pounding the rival Seminoles 52-10. The offense continues to look terrific, but the role of this defense shouldn't be overlooked. It's playing with the energy and focus necessary to keep this team in the ACC Title conversation.

7. Auburn Tigers -- Although Auburn got outplayed for a big chunk of their Kentucky battle, they still won by two scores. Bo Nix wasn't perfect, but he made some throws in this one that simply didn't happen a year ago, and Seth Williams continues to assert himself as one of the best in the league. The defense was aided by some UK turnovers, but it still played well. 

8. Texas Longhorns -- The Longhorns got all they could handle from Texas Tech to open Big 12 action, but clutch play late from Sam Ehlinger helped them avoid a massive upset. Ehlinger and this offense have been good, but the defense continues to be a concern. Chris Ash came into this role without much of an off-season, and many of the issues with last year's group remain.

9. Oklahoma State Cowboys -- Oklahoma State has not been at full strength over the first couple of weeks this season due to an injury from Spencer Sanders, but you'd still like to see more from a potential Big 12 Title contender. Chuba Hubbard has been held mostly in check this season and if he doesn't start to get going, the Cowboys are a fringe conference title contender at best.

10. Cincinnati Bearcats -- Army is a tougher opponent than most people realize, but Cincinnati didn't have too much difficult taking down the Black Knights. Desmond Ridder continues to play well, which bodes well for an offense that needs to be more explosive if this team wants to go to the New Year's Six.

11. UNC Tar Heels -- UNC was another team that had their game cancelled this weekend, a chance for a tune up against Charlotte before they go on the road against Boston College. The Eagles have looked pretty good so far this season, giving the Heels an opportunity to show what they can do. Sam Howell has legit Heisman talent, but the defense must continue to play well.

12. Texas A&M Aggies -- This Saturday was an opportunity for Texas A&M to get an easy win over Vanderbilt prior to the Alabama game, but instead it ended up going down to the wire. The Aggies held on, but beating the worst team in the SEC by less than a touchdown was not particularly promising. Kellen Mond simply has to be better, which means more will have to step up on the perimeter.

13. Oklahoma Sooners -- Despite holding a commanding lead in the third quarter, Oklahoma fell apart late against Kansas State in the biggest upset of the year so far. The Sooners don't look like themselves; the offense is missing signature playmakers, and the O-Line has not been up to par. Defensive struggles were anticipated, but allowing 300-plus yards can't continue to happen.

14. UCF Knights -- The Knights rolled past East Carolina early Saturday, opening up their conference schedule with a solid win. Dillon Gabriel continues to impress, playing with complete command of this offense, and the defense has also been good. Tulsa should be another relatively easy win this upcoming Saturday, and then a bye before possibly the biggest game of the regular season: at Memphis.

15. Mississippi State Bulldogs -- What a start to the Mike Leach era, as K.J. Costello broke the SEC single-game passing record in the win over defending National Champion LSU. I was impressed with the confidence Costello played with in his first SEC action, and how quickly the offense has acclimated to Leach. They'll face better secondaries than the Tigers without Derek Stingley Jr., but it was a great debut.

16. LSU Tigers -- We knew that this season was not going to be like the dream 2019 campaign, but the Tigers would've liked to play better in their debut. The offense was okay, but the O-Line has clearly taken a step back, and Myles Brennan is obviously not Joe Burrow. Getting Stingley back healthy will help, but the secondary still needs work.

17. Memphis Tigers -- Memphis has been helped by the play of Arkansas State, their lone win of the year. A shootout should be expected this next weekend against SMU, can Brady White and this receiver corps keep it up after a month-long hiatus?

18. Tennessee Volunteers -- The Volunteers went down to the wire against South Carolina, but they managed to hold on in the 31-27 win. The UT offense looked solid and while the defense allowed plenty of yardage, they made the plays they needed to. A matchup next weekend with Missouri gives them another chance to build momentum prior to the Georgia game.

19. Pittsburgh Panthers -- There was nothing flashy about Pitt's win this past Saturday over Louisville, but it was a ranked win all the same. The Pitt defense continues to play like one of the best in the ACC, but can the offense take a step forward? Kenny Pickett needs to become more confident throwing the ball down the field. Despite quality numbers this week, he averaged less than six yards per attempt.

20. Baylor Bears -- Squaring off against Kansas is never a tall task, but the Baylor win did earn Dave Aranda his first victory as a head coach. Charlie Brewer was pretty quiet at quarterback, but the Bears deep stable of backs was too much to handle, totaling 203 yards.

21. Virginia Tech Hokies -- The Hokies opened up their ACC action with NC State, considered one of the weaker teams in the league. They played well enough to inspire confidence, building a three touchdown lead by halftime. It was particularly impressive considering the fact starting QB Hendon Hooker was out and his backup, Braxton Burmeister, was knocked out in the second quarter.

22. Marshall Thundering Herd -- Is this the best Marshall team since the 2014 team that went 13-1? Their victory over Appalachian State gives them a notable win, and who on their remaining schedule really scares you? Outside of road treks to Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky, the Herd should be able to roll.

23. Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns -- The Cajuns have followed up their big-time upset of Iowa State with two close victories over Georgia State and Georgia Southern. While the defense remains imposing, the offense has struggled to get back on track. An extended week prior to Appalachian State gives them a great chance to figure things out.

24. Kansas State Wildcats -- For the second straight season, K-State pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the Big 12 campaign by upsetting Oklahoma. Forcing four turnovers fueled the defense, but it was the offense that really sealed the deal, with Skylar Thompson throwing for a career-high 334 yards.

25. BYU Cougars -- The Cougars have won their first two contests by a combined 93 points, coming against Navy and Troy. It's an awfully promising start for a team that was incredibly streaky in 2019, but is loaded with potential. Much like Marshall, their schedule is very thin the rest of the way, so an undefeated season may already be in the back of their minds.

Just Missed the Cut

Virginia Cavaliers

Boston College Eagles

Arkansas State Red Wolves

Iowa State Cyclones

Kentucky Wildcats

UTSA Roadrunners