These rankings are all about rating teams against their conference brethren, but we are also ranking the conferences based on quality wins and bad losses against cross-conference competition.
Check out the chart below and use the navigation bar to get full details on why we ranked teams how we did.
1. SEC | 2. Big 12 | 3. Big Ten | 4. Pac-12 | 5. ACC
1. SEC
A quarter of the way through the regular season, we're starting to learn something about the SEC.
So maybe Alabama being dominant is nothing new, but that beat down of Ole Miss was compelling. Same for Georgia, which continues to roll through the early part of its schedule.
But outside of the favorites, a clear picture is starting to come into view. Auburn, which looked like a challenger to the Crimson Tide, took a step back Saturday. And LSU, which many had left for dead this season, is suddenly in a good spot with a competent quarterback.
Oh, and keep an eye on Mississippi State. That win on the road at Kansas State was sneaky good.
But outside of the strong start for Kentucky and Texas A&M, there have been some bumps in the road for others. Florida losing at home to the Wildcats last week was certainly eye-opening when it comes to the rebuild Dan Mullen is undertaking.
Of all the first-year coaches, though, Chad Morris is probably in the most difficult spot at Arkansas. Bret Bielema didn't leave him much, and what he did didn't fit Morris' style of play. A meltdown against Colorado State last week and a thorough dismantling by North Texas on Saturday should tell Razorback fans to be patient.
The season is just getting started.
As we've seen, that's good for some and bad for others.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0)
Dare we say the Crimson Tide look unstoppable? The offense has been revelatory, of course, averaging 56.7 points per game. But the defense, which replaced its entire secondary from a season ago, was the real eye-opener this weekend, holding a prolific Ole Miss offense to just seven points on the road.
2. Georgia Bulldogs (3-0)
It's probably an understatement to say that the Bulldogs appear to have picked up where they left off last season. Just look at Jake Fromm, who needed only 12 pass attempts to throw three touchdowns in a 49-7 rout of Middle Tennessee.
3. LSU Tigers (3-0)
It's not always pretty, but Ed Orgeron might be on to something after beating Miami and Auburn to start the season. Joe Burrow isn't going to be confused with an All-American anytime soon, but he's clearly a step up from recent quarterbacks at LSU.
4. Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-0)
Watch out for these Bulldogs. After making quick work of Louisiana this weekend to improve to 3-0, Joe Moorhead's squad could start making noise with Kentucky, Florida, Auburn and LSU in the weeks ahead.
5. Auburn Tigers (2-1)
Talk about the referees all you want, but Auburn has no one to blame but itself for losing to LSU at home. There was the slow start, the turnovers, the penalties, and now, with a brutal road ahead with games at Mississippi State, Georgia and Alabama, the margin for error is down to almost nothing.
6. Texas A&M Aggies (2-1)
The Aggies took care of business at home vs. Louisiana-Monroe ... now a clash with Alabama awaits.
7. Kentucky Wildcats (3-0)
After a rout of Murray State, the Wildcats are 3-0. A critical three-SEC-games-in-three-weeks stretch is coming up.
8. Missouri Tigers (3-0)
The Tigers are 3-0 after a wild one with a last-second field goal at Purdue. Now comes a huge test versus Georgia.
9. South Carolina Gamecocks (1-1)
The Gamecocks' game against Marshall was canceled because of Hurricane Florence; they'll open SEC play at Vanderbilt.
10. Florida Gators (2-1)
The Gators needed a confidence-building win after losing to Kentucky at home last weekend, and they got it against Colorado State. Now Dan Mullen & Co. need to take care of business in their first road game at Tennessee.
11. Vanderbilt Commodores (2-1)
The Commodores lost but acquitted themselves well, taking No. 8 Notre Dame to the final minute in a five-point road loss. This team won't be an easy out in the SEC this year.
12. Ole Miss Rebels (2-1)
This year's beatdown at the hands of Alabama was almost as bad as last year's.
13. Tennessee Volunteers (2-1)
A shutout of UTEP gives the Vols two wins in a row, but now the real test, SEC play, begins for rookie Jeremy Pruitt's squad.
14. Arkansas Razorbacks (1-2)
A rising North Texas team giving the Razorbacks trouble wasn't completely unexpected after last week's loss to Colorado State, but a 27-point loss to the Mean Green? That's disastrous.
2. Big 12
What was a solid Saturday for the Big 12 almost turned into a spectacular one. Then, Ohio State scored three touchdowns in the span of four minutes to come roaring back and topple TCU. Still, the Horned Frogs acquitted themselves well against a top five team in a losing effort. The rest of the Big 12 piled up impressive nonconference victories, as Texas dismantled No. 22 USC, Oklahoma State rolled over No. 17 Boise State and Texas Tech outgunned Houston.
As impressive as the Longhorns, Cowboys and Red Raiders all were, the most surprising performance of the day amazingly came from Kansas. And with a 55-14 rout of Rutgers, the Jayhawks have now won consecutive games against FBS opponents for the first time this decade.
That's right, people. Rock and chalk.
1. Oklahoma Sooners (3-0)
The last time different players captured consecutive Heismans from the same school? Army's Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard in 1945-46. The way QB Kyler Murray is playing, he could make a run to New York, on the heels of Baker Mayfield's 2017 Heisman crown.
2. West Virginia Mountaineers (2-0)
Hurricane Florence wiped out West Virginia's Week 3 trip to North Carolina State, giving QB Will Grier a well-deserved weekend with his wife and daughter.
3. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-0)
Could this be the best defense Mike Gundy has had in Stillwater? First-year coordinator Jim Knowles made quite the statement against Boise.
4. TCU Horned Frogs (2-1)
Too many mistakes spoiled an otherwise sparkling performance against the Buckeyes. If QB Shawn Robinson continues to develop, the Horned Frogs could be a dark horse Big 12 title contender.
5. Texas Longhorns (2-1)
The Longhorns joined the 900-win club, while putting their season back on track.
6. Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-1)
The Red Raiders appear to have uncovered their QB of the future in true freshman Alan Bowman, who passed for 605 yards and five TDs against an Ed Oliver-led Houston defense.
7. Kansas State Wildcats (2-1)
After playing two QBs through the first two games, the Wildcats finally settled on Skylar Thompson, who passed for 213 yards and ran for another 66 in a comfortable win over UTSA.
8. Iowa State Cyclones (0-2)
Coach Matt Campbell said QB Kyle Kempt will be out next week too against Akron with a knee injury, but Zeb Noland showed he can move the ball, passing for 360 yards against the Sooners.
9. Kansas Jayhawks (2-1)
RB Pooka Williams Jr., who didn't play in the Week 1 loss to Nicholls, has given the Jayhawks an incredible jolt, averaging 8.9 yards per carry in their two wins.
10. Baylor Bears (2-1)
The Bears got completely manhandled at home by a Duke team that didn't even have its starting QB. Baylor gets surging Kansas next in a matchup with massive basement implications.
3. Big Ten
Five losses to non-Power 5 opponents is a dismal way to close out the meat of the nonconference schedule in the Big Ten, and that doesn't even account for the 55 points Kansas posted against Rutgers. The only other team to allow that many points against the Jayhawks in the past four years was the University of Rhode Island. Wisconsin's missed field goal in the fourth quarter led to the most shocking result on a day that is likely to hurt the conference's credibility when stacked against its Power 5 brethren.
For now, it appears Ohio State is sitting head-and-shoulders above the rest of the league and remains its best hope for landing a spot in the College Football Playoff. That, of course, could all change soon enough. The Buckeyes do, after all, have to travel to Happy Valley in two weeks for what is shaping up to be the Big Ten game of the year. Penn State's offense is back on track after a scare in Week 1. How will it look against the Silver Bullet defense that looked like more of a scoring threat than half of the Big Ten offenses this Saturday?
More notably, Urban Meyer's suspension is officially over Sunday. After steamrolling their way to a 3-0 start with interim coach Ryan Day calling the shots on game day, will Meyer's return provide even more juice for the Buckeyes? Or will the questions about how he handled himself and former assistant Zach Smith derail some of the momentum the Buckeyes have built on the field in his absence?
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0)
The Buckeyes, as TCU learned in Texas this week, can beat you in so many different ways thanks to their army of talent in all three phases of the game.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0)
Trace McSorley's offense is as explosive and versatile as it was a year ago, but the true test won't come until Ohio State visits in two weeks.
3. Wisconsin Badgers (2-1)
The Badgers' playoff hopes took a big hit with a poor showing against BYU. That doesn't change their standing as the favorite to win the West Division.
4. Michigan Wolverines (2-1)
A thorough beating of the overmatched SMU defense didn't prove much other than the Wolverines have the same level of talent and the same problems they had a year ago.
5. Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0)
The Hawkeyes might have the Big Ten's most sturdy defense after allowing just 24 total points and 209 yards per game during the nonconference schedule.
6. Michigan State Spartans (1-1):
The Spartans stayed put in our rankings during an early bye week.
7. Indiana Hoosiers (3-0)
Freshman Stevie Scott broke 100 rushing yards for the second straight game for a Hoosiers team with enough weapons to hurt some of the Big Ten heavy hitters if they're not careful.
8. Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-0)
Speaking of true freshmen, young Gophers like QB Zack Annexstad and RB Bryce Williams got a chance to build confidence during an undefeated run through an uninspiring nonconference schedule.
9. Illinois Fighting Illini (2-1)
The Illini nearly provided a good surprise for the West in a week of bad ones. Hanging with USF is progress in Champaign.
10. Northwestern Wildcats (1-2)
Pat Fitzgerald's teams have a history of recovering from some early-season duds, but blowing a 21-3 lead to a MAC school, with four ranked opponents looming on the schedule, doesn't paint a good picture for the future.
11. Maryland Terrapins (2-1)
The Terps managed to gain only 50 yards on the ground in the first three quarters against a previously winless Temple team that sold out to stop the run. They'll need to be more diverse to survive in the Big Ten.
12. Nebraska Cornhuskers (0-2)
Scott Frost has the Huskers off to their worst start since 1957 after an embarrassing loss to Troy that highlighted their lack of depth at key positions.
13. Purdue Boilermakers (0-3)
The Boilermakers have lost their first three games by a total of eight points. The road ahead is uphill and unsympathetic if they can't figure out how to close out games in which they are competitive.
14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-2)
The optimism of a season-opening win disappeared after giving up 107 points in the following two weeks, including 55 to fellow Power 5 doormat Kansas this Saturday.
4. Pac-12
The Pac-12 wrapped up its final week before conference play starts by going 1-3 against teams from the Mountain West, and Oregon, which accounted for that lone win, didn't exactly impress against San Jose State. For a conference with a perception issue, Saturday didn't help.
Not only has the bottom half struggled, it's becoming more clear there isn't a dominant team near the top, either. The good news: With all that has happened, conference play should be unpredictable, and that makes for exciting viewing.
1. Stanford Cardinal (3-0)
The Pac-12's best playoff hope, Stanford now enters an unforgiving six-game stretch: at Oregon, at Notre Dame, Utah, at Arizona State, Washington State, at Washington.
2. Washington Huskies (2-1)
It was only a matter of time before running back Myles Gaskin had a big game. His 143 yards on 30 carries against Utah was an important sign for the Huskies.
3. Oregon Ducks (3-0)
After a closer-than-expected 35-22 win against San Jose State, the Ducks have a chance for a statement win against Stanford as ESPN's College GameDay comes to town.
4. Colorado Buffaloes (3-0)
The Nebraska win doesn't look as good now following the Cornhuskers' loss to Troy, but that won't bother the Buffaloes, the Pac-12 South's lone undefeated team.
5. Washington State Cougars (3-0)
Wazzu cruised through nonconference play and now has the rare opportunity to win two straight against USC.
6. California Golden Bears (3-0)
The takeaway this week is that their win last week -- at BYU -- looks even better following the Cougars' win at No. 6 Wisconsin.
7. Arizona State Sun Devils (2-1)
After the emotional high that came with ASU's upset of Michigan State, a letdown performance at San Diego State shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
8. Utah Utes (2-1)
The Utes' loss to Washington reaffirmed what we thought we knew before the game: Their defense is very good and their offense is still very far behind.
9. USC Trojans (1-2)
Time to panic? Maybe. But USC was in crisis mode early in 2015 and won the Pac-12 South and again early in 2016 and went on to win the Rose Bowl.
10. Arizona Wildcats (1-2)
It took playing against Southern Utah for Arizona's offense to get on track.
11. Oregon State Beavers (1-2)
Of the teams in the bottom third of these power rankings, only Oregon State fans are encouraged about the direction of the team. Progress is progress.
12. UCLA Bruins (0-3)
It probably won't happen, but it's not that hard to envision a winless season.
5. ACC
The misery continued for Florida State after a 30-7 loss to Syracuse, in what already feels like a lost season. The Seminoles' offense has scored 10 points in two games against FBS opponents, unable to do much of anything behind an offensive line that cannot run or pass block effectively. Without an effective offensive line, Deondre Francois and Cam Akers are essentially sidelined.
The defense put forth a valiant effort, allowing the Seminoles to stay in the game through halftime. But there is only so much one unit can do. Afterward, Willie Taggart said, "There's a lot of things we need to get corrected. Quick, fast and in a hurry. I know a lot of people don't like hearing it and are upset, and they should be, and we got to do our part and take care of business as a football team. I know our players can do it, we are going to continue to work and get better."
1. Clemson Tigers (3-0)
The Tigers beat Georgia Southern behind Travis Etienne and a powerful run game, rolling up 309 yards rushing.
2. Virginia Tech Hokies (2-0)
Hurricane Florence forced the cancellation of the Hokies' game against East Carolina.
3. Boston College Eagles (3-0)
The Eagles went on the road and beat Wake Forest, showing off terrific balance with AJ Dillon and their play-action passing game.
4. Duke Blue Devils (3-0)
The Blue Devils went on the road without starting quarterback Daniel Jones and beat Baylor, their second straight road win against a Power 5 opponent.
5. Miami Hurricanes (2-1)
Malik Rosier accounted for five total touchdowns in the win over Toledo.
6. NC State Wolfpack (2-0)
Hurricane Florence forced the cancellation of the Wolfpack's game against West Virginia.
7. Syracuse Orange (3-0)
The Orange beat Florida State for the first time since 1966 and did it with freshman quarterback Tommy DeVito coming on in relief of Eric Dungey.
8. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-1)
Though the Demon Deacons came up short against Boston College, true freshman quarterback Sam Hartman continues to impress.
9. Pittsburgh Panthers (2-1)
The Panthers bounced back after a tough loss to Penn State with a win over Georgia Tech behind two touchdown runs from Qadree Ollison.
10. Virginia Cavaliers (2-1)
The Hoos got big-time games from Bryce Perkins (379 yards passing, three TDs) and Jordan Ellis (171 yards, three TDs) in the win over Ohio.
11. Louisville Cardinals (2-1)
The Cards overcame a 14-point deficit to beat Western Kentucky, but it wasn't pretty.
12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-2)
Not much has gone right for the Jackets, who have now lost consecutive road games.
13. Florida State Seminoles (1-2)
Make no mistake: There is little separating Florida State and North Carolina right now.
14. North Carolina Tar Heels (0-2)
The Tar Heels had their game against UCF canceled because of Hurricane Florence.