| Media Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Florida State | ACC | 15-1 (8-0) | 1596 | 1-0 | 62 | W, 25-18 at #8 Northwestern | - | 7 |
| 2. | Wisconsin | B10 | 14-1 (8-0) | 1534 | 3-0 | 26 | L, 21-39 #1 Florida State | OPEN | 1 |
| 3. | USC | Pac-12 | 13-2 (7-1) | 1484 | 2-0 | 78 | L, 3-13 #1 Florida State | OPEN | 2 |
| 4. | LSU | SEC | 10-3 (6-2) | 1430 | 2-1 | 90 | L, 37-44 at #10 Stanford | OPEN | 8 |
| 5. | Arkansas | SEC | 12-3 (7-1) | 1362 | 4-0 | 68 | L, 13-27 at #2 Wisconsin | OPEN | 5 |
| 6. | Texas Christian | BigE | 13-2 (7-1) | 1294 | 1-0 | 69 | L, 16-31 #10 Stanford | OPEN | 3 |
| 7. | Brigham Young | B12 | 12-2 (8-0) | 1206 | 0-0 | 111 | L, 24-38 #15 Texas Tech | OPEN | 6 |
| 8. | Northwestern | B10 | 14-3 (8-0) | 1118 | 3-0 | 16 | L, 18-25 #1 Florida State | - | 4 |
| 9. | UCLA | Pac-12 | 10-3 (6-2) | 1032 | 1-2 | 88 | W, 53-7 Western Michigan | OPEN | 14 |
| 10. | Stanford | Pac-12 | 12-3 (6-2) | 956 | 2-1 | 51 | L, 14-20 at #8 Northwestern | OPEN | 9 |
| 11. | Boise State | MWC | 12-2 (8-0) | 894 | 1-0 | 87 | L, 6-36 at #5 Arkansas | OPEN | 10 |
| 12. | Baylor | B12 | 10-3 (6-2) | 843 | 0-2 | 108 | L, 24-38 at #1 Florida State | OPEN | 12 |
| 13. | Penn State | B10 | 8-4 (4-4) | 790 | 1-2 | 13 | W, 44-23 Connecticut | OPEN | 18 |
| 14. | East Carolina | C-USA | 11-3 (7-1) | 748 | 0-1 | 92 | L, 7-50 at #6 Texas Christian | OPEN | 11 |
| 15. | Texas Tech | B12 | 10-4 (7-1) | 699 | 2-1 | 35 | L, 22-37 at #8 Northwestern | OPEN | 13 |
| 16. | Alabama | SEC | 9-4 (6-2) | 656 | 1-2 | 83 | L, 40-48 at Iowa | OPEN | 21 |
| 17. | California | Pac-12 | 8-5 (6-2) | 596 | 1-2 | 28 | L, 21-24 at #24 Oklahoma State | OPEN | 16 |
| 18. | Central Michigan | MAC | 10-3 (6-2) | 546 | 1-0 | 81 | L, 3-50 at #3 USC | OPEN | 17 |
| 19. | Air Force | MWC | 10-3 (6-2) | 497 | 0-1 | 74 | W, 52-17 Oregon State | OPEN | 23 |
| 20. | Michigan | B10 | 9-4 (4-4) | 419 | 0-2 | 46 | W, 33-7 Mississippi State | OPEN | 25 |
| 21. | Kentucky | SEC | 8-5 (5-3) | 366 | 0-3 | 29 | L, 25-26 at #8 Northwestern | OPEN | 15 |
| 22. | Virginia | ACC | 10-3 (5-3) | 292 | 1-1 | 77 | W, 36-20 at Ohio State | OPEN | 41 |
| 23. | Cincinnati | BigE | 9-4 (6-2) | 223 | 0-2 | 12 | W, 40-16 Northern Illinois | OPEN | 26 |
| 24. | Oklahoma State | B12 | 7-5 (5-3) | 158 | 1-3 | 47 | W, 24-21 #17 California | OPEN | 33 |
| 25. | Ball State | MAC | 8-4 (6-2) | 96 | 0-2 | 49 | W, 29-19 at Washington State | OPEN | 29 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Army 72, Duke 42, Navy 42, Rutgers 42, Iowa 39, Maryland 34, Indiana 29, Ohio State 29, Iowa State 29, Texas 29, Georgia Tech 29, Miami (OH) 29, Temple 29, Florida 28, South Florida 28, Vanderbilt 28, Purdue 24, Wake Forest 20, West Virginia 16, Mississippi State 13, Nebraska 8, Louisville 5, Washington State 5, Utah 3, Clemson 3, Illinois 3, Missouri 2, Oregon 2 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Army (19), Navy (20), Ohio State (22), Iowa State (24) |
| Coaches Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Florida State | ACC | 15-1 (8-0) | 1502 | 2-0 | 62 | W, 25-18 at #7 Northwestern | - | 5 |
| 2. | Wisconsin | B10 | 14-1 (8-0) | 1455 | 3-0 | 26 | L, 21-39 #1 Florida State | OPEN | 1 |
| 3. | USC | Pac-12 | 13-2 (7-1) | 1392 | 2-0 | 78 | L, 3-13 #1 Florida State | OPEN | 7 |
| 4. | Stanford | Pac-12 | 12-3 (6-2) | 1331 | 1-1 | 51 | L, 14-20 at #7 Northwestern | OPEN | 4 |
| 5. | Texas Christian | BigE | 13-2 (7-1) | 1263 | 1-0 | 69 | L, 16-31 #4 Stanford | OPEN | 2 |
| 6. | Brigham Young | B12 | 12-2 (8-0) | 1188 | 0-0 | 111 | L, 24-38 #15 Texas Tech | OPEN | 6 |
| 7. | Northwestern | B10 | 14-3 (8-0) | 1135 | 3-0 | 16 | L, 18-25 #1 Florida State | - | 3 |
| 8. | UCLA | Pac-12 | 10-3 (6-2) | 1081 | 1-2 | 88 | W, 53-7 Western Michigan | OPEN | 14 |
| 9. | LSU | SEC | 10-3 (6-2) | 1016 | 3-1 | 90 | L, 37-44 at #4 Stanford | OPEN | 8 |
| 10. | Arkansas | SEC | 12-3 (7-1) | 936 | 5-0 | 68 | L, 13-27 at #2 Wisconsin | OPEN | 9 |
| 11. | Boise State | MWC | 12-2 (8-0) | 856 | 1-0 | 87 | L, 6-36 at #10 Arkansas | OPEN | 10 |
| 12. | Baylor | B12 | 10-3 (6-2) | 805 | 0-2 | 108 | L, 24-38 at #1 Florida State | OPEN | 11 |
| 13. | Michigan | B10 | 9-4 (4-4) | 759 | 0-2 | 46 | W, 33-7 #22 Mississippi State | OPEN | 19 |
| 14. | Penn State | B10 | 8-4 (4-4) | 694 | 1-2 | 13 | W, 44-23 Connecticut | OPEN | 21 |
| 15. | Texas Tech | B12 | 10-4 (7-1) | 650 | 3-1 | 35 | L, 22-37 at #7 Northwestern | OPEN | 12 |
| 16. | Alabama | SEC | 9-4 (6-2) | 595 | 2-2 | 83 | L, 40-48 at Iowa | OPEN | 13 |
| 17. | Cincinnati | BigE | 9-4 (6-2) | 540 | 0-2 | 12 | W, 40-16 Northern Illinois | OPEN | 18 |
| 18. | Kentucky | SEC | 8-5 (5-3) | 468 | 0-4 | 29 | L, 25-26 at #7 Northwestern | OPEN | 17 |
| 19. | Central Michigan | MAC | 10-3 (6-2) | 400 | 0-0 | 81 | L, 3-50 at #3 USC | OPEN | 15 |
| 20. | Air Force | MWC | 10-3 (6-2) | 317 | 0-1 | 74 | W, 52-17 Oregon State | OPEN | 23 |
| 21. | Maryland | ACC | 8-5 (5-3) | 273 | 0-2 | 31 | W, 48-7 Rutgers | OPEN | 28 |
| 22. | Mississippi State | SEC | 7-6 (4-4) | 232 | 1-3 | 52 | L, 7-33 at #13 Michigan | OPEN | 29 |
| 23. | California | Pac-12 | 8-5 (6-2) | 178 | 1-2 | 28 | L, 21-24 at #25 Oklahoma State | OPEN | 16 |
| 24. | Virginia | ACC | 10-3 (5-3) | 133 | 0-1 | 77 | W, 36-20 at Ohio State | OPEN | 42 |
| 25. | Oklahoma State | B12 | 7-5 (5-3) | 108 | 1-3 | 47 | W, 24-21 #23 California | OPEN | 31 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Ohio State 79, Rutgers 53, East Carolina 50, Iowa 50, Indiana 47, Tennessee 43, Duke 41, Army 40, Iowa State 35, Texas 35, Ball State 35, Georgia Tech 35, Navy 35, Temple 32, Miami (OH) 32, Vanderbilt 29, South Florida 27, West Virginia 24, Florida 23, Utah 23, Nebraska 20, Louisville 17, Washington State 15, Purdue 15, Missouri 11, Wake Forest 6, Illinois 3 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Ohio State (20), Tennessee (22), Army (25), Navy (24) |
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