College football conference power rankings, Week 1: Big Ten or SEC?

The first week of college football was limited in the FBS to a pair of games but there was plenty to learn as we release first our conference power rankings.

If you are trembling from excitement or keep looking in your closest to see what jersey you should wear, don’t fret. It is finally game week and those feelings will finally have validation soon.

Of course, we got a glimpse of the college football season last Saturday as Miami took on eighth-ranked Florida and Arizona of the Pac-12 battled Hawaii out of the Mountain West.

Cole McDonald threw for 379 yards and four touchdown passes for the Rainbow Warriors as they upset Khalil Tate and Arizona 45-38. Hawaii wrapped up the win when the Cats fell one yard short of the end zone on the game’s final play.

For the Pac-12, the season couldn’t have started worse. The ACC and SEC didn’t put on a spectacular showing, but having a team lose to a Group of Five team that isn’t necessarily considered a power isn’t a good look.

When comparing conferences, there is a lot to weigh: overall records, head-to-head, ranked wins, ranked teams, it could go on and on. With only three major conferences in action, it makes it a little more difficult, so these will be based a combination of Week 0 reaction and what took place in the offseason.

But here is our first batch of weekly conference power rankings.

It’s hard to judge the Pac-12 based off what Arizona did, but with just two games in the first week, it was the worst loss by any conference. The league also doesn’t seem to have a great chance of being represented in the College Football Playoff.

To be fair, there are five ranked teams in the Pac-12, while the ACC has just two, Clemson and Syracuse, but the Tigers are worth a lot on their own. They are the defending national champions after all and one of the truly elite programs.

Washington is the closest thing the Pac-12 has to an elite team and the Huskies are 0-3 in New Year’s Six bowls. Oregon, Utah, Stanford and Washington State should all be good, so the league has a chance to move up, but unless someone runs the table, a playoff berth seems unlikely.