| Media Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | USC | Pac-12 | 13-3 (7-1) | 1592 | 2-3 | 14 | W, 33-13 at #5 Indiana | - | 12 |
| 2. | Kentucky | SEC | 10-3 (6-2) | 1528 | 4-2 | 49 | W, 45-7 at Michigan | OPEN | 14 |
| 3. | Mississippi State | SEC | 12-4 (6-2) | 1479 | 3-1 | 30 | L, 6-22 at #5 Indiana | OPEN | 4 |
| 4. | UCLA | Pac-12 | 10-4 (7-1) | 1428 | 3-1 | 6 | L, 11-27 Missouri | OPEN | 2 |
| 5. | Indiana | B10 | 14-3 (7-1) | 1368 | 2-2 | 27 | L, 13-33 #1 USC | - | 1 |
| 6. | Florida | SEC | 11-4 (7-1) | 1308 | 4-3 | 11 | L, 20-27 at #3 Mississippi State | OPEN | 3 |
| 7. | Hawaii | MWC | 12-2 (8-0) | 1235 | 0-0 | 98 | L, 2-37 #14 Texas Christian | OPEN | 6 |
| 8. | Iowa | B10 | 11-3 (8-0) | 1149 | 4-1 | 9 | L, 13-19 #11 Stanford | OPEN | 5 |
| 9. | Louisville | BigE | 10-3 (6-2) | 1081 | 0-2 | 39 | W, 28-13 Notre Dame | OPEN | 15 |
| 10. | East Carolina | C-USA | 11-3 (8-0) | 1016 | 1-0 | 61 | L, 24-30 at #6 Florida | OPEN | 9 |
| 11. | Stanford | Pac-12 | 12-3 (6-2) | 959 | 1-0 | 74 | L, 16-33 at #1 USC | OPEN | 7 |
| 12. | Ohio State | B10 | 9-4 (5-3) | 891 | 2-3 | 4 | W, 23-17 Kansas State | OPEN | 17 |
| 13. | Baylor | B12 | 10-4 (6-2) | 847 | 0-0 | 66 | L, 10-42 at #1 USC | OPEN | 8 |
| 14. | Texas Christian | BigE | 12-3 (7-1) | 791 | 1-0 | 44 | L, 20-31 at #5 Indiana | OPEN | 10 |
| 15. | Florida State | ACC | 9-3 (6-2) | 720 | 1-1 | 88 | L, 17-20 at #11 Stanford | OPEN | 11 |
| 16. | Washington State | Pac-12 | 8-5 (4-4) | 648 | 2-4 | 2 | W, 41-16 at New Mexico | OPEN | 20 |
| 17. | Georgia Tech | ACC | 10-3 (7-1) | 575 | 1-1 | 89 | W, 48-0 at #24 Mississippi | OPEN | 26 |
| 18. | Arkansas | SEC | 8-4 (5-3) | 520 | 1-2 | 58 | W, 21-20 at #22 Northwestern | OPEN | 18 |
| 19. | Maryland | ACC | 10-4 (6-2) | 452 | 3-2 | 34 | L, 23-25 at #3 Mississippi State | OPEN | 13 |
| 20. | Wisconsin | B10 | 9-4 (5-3) | 374 | 2-3 | 16 | W, 47-6 Miami | OPEN | 22 |
| 21. | Virginia | ACC | 9-4 (7-1) | 301 | 1-2 | 75 | L, 7-37 Army | OPEN | 16 |
| 22. | Northwestern | B10 | 8-5 (5-3) | 239 | 1-2 | 28 | L, 20-21 #18 Arkansas | OPEN | 21 |
| 23. | South Carolina | SEC | 9-4 (4-4) | 166 | 2-2 | 56 | W, 31-0 N C State | OPEN | 24 |
| 24. | Mississippi | SEC | 7-6 (4-4) | 114 | 0-3 | 42 | L, 0-48 #17 Georgia Tech | OPEN | 28 |
| 25. | Penn State | B10 | 7-6 (4-4) | 84 | 2-3 | 1 | W, 44-26 Oklahoma | OPEN | 30 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Texas 58, Illinois 58, Missouri 55, West Virginia 52, Texas Tech 50, Cincinnati 46, Army 46, Oregon 46, Navy 42, Michigan 39, Purdue 36, Auburn 34, Texas A&M 31, Minnesota 31, Marshall 29, Oregon State 24, Alabama 24, Pittsburgh 20, Duke 16, N C State 16, Georgia 15, Utah 15, California 15, Alabama Birmingham 10, Rutgers 10, LSU 6, Wake Forest 3, Nebraska 3, Arizona 2 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Illinois (25), Texas Tech (19), Michigan (23) |
| Coaches Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | USC | Pac-12 | 13-3 (7-1) | 1501 | 2-3 | 14 | W, 33-13 at #4 Indiana | - | 3 |
| 2. | Kentucky | SEC | 10-3 (6-2) | 1443 | 3-2 | 49 | W, 45-7 at #25 Michigan | OPEN | 13 |
| 3. | UCLA | Pac-12 | 10-4 (7-1) | 1392 | 3-1 | 6 | L, 11-27 Missouri | OPEN | 4 |
| 4. | Indiana | B10 | 14-3 (7-1) | 1347 | 3-1 | 27 | L, 13-33 #1 USC | - | 1 |
| 5. | Florida | SEC | 11-4 (7-1) | 1287 | 3-2 | 11 | L, 20-27 at #10 Mississippi State | OPEN | 9 |
| 6. | Texas Christian | BigE | 12-3 (7-1) | 1206 | 2-0 | 44 | L, 20-31 at #4 Indiana | OPEN | 2 |
| 7. | Florida State | ACC | 9-3 (6-2) | 1122 | 1-1 | 88 | L, 17-20 at #11 Stanford | OPEN | 7 |
| 8. | Iowa | B10 | 11-3 (8-0) | 1066 | 4-1 | 9 | L, 13-19 #11 Stanford | OPEN | 5 |
| 9. | Louisville | BigE | 10-3 (6-2) | 993 | 0-2 | 39 | W, 28-13 Notre Dame | OPEN | 14 |
| 10. | Mississippi State | SEC | 12-4 (6-2) | 921 | 2-1 | 30 | L, 6-22 at #4 Indiana | OPEN | 6 |
| 11. | Stanford | Pac-12 | 12-3 (6-2) | 843 | 0-0 | 74 | L, 16-33 at #1 USC | OPEN | 8 |
| 12. | Hawaii | MWC | 12-2 (8-0) | 790 | 0-0 | 98 | L, 2-37 #6 Texas Christian | OPEN | 11 |
| 13. | Maryland | ACC | 10-4 (6-2) | 732 | 3-2 | 34 | L, 23-25 at #10 Mississippi State | OPEN | 12 |
| 14. | Ohio State | B10 | 9-4 (5-3) | 680 | 0-4 | 4 | W, 23-17 Kansas State | OPEN | 18 |
| 15. | Baylor | B12 | 10-4 (6-2) | 636 | 1-0 | 66 | L, 10-42 at #1 USC | OPEN | 10 |
| 16. | Arkansas | SEC | 8-4 (5-3) | 573 | 0-2 | 58 | W, 21-20 at #20 Northwestern | OPEN | 21 |
| 17. | South Carolina | SEC | 9-4 (4-4) | 534 | 2-2 | 56 | W, 31-0 N C State | OPEN | 22 |
| 18. | Virginia | ACC | 9-4 (7-1) | 458 | 1-2 | 75 | L, 7-37 #22 Army | OPEN | 15 |
| 19. | East Carolina | C-USA | 11-3 (8-0) | 398 | 1-1 | 61 | L, 24-30 at #5 Florida | OPEN | 16 |
| 20. | Northwestern | B10 | 8-5 (5-3) | 328 | 2-2 | 28 | L, 20-21 #16 Arkansas | OPEN | 19 |
| 21. | Wisconsin | B10 | 9-4 (5-3) | 261 | 2-2 | 16 | W, 47-6 Miami | OPEN | 20 |
| 22. | Army | BigE | 9-5 (6-2) | 220 | 0-2 | 26 | W, 37-7 at #18 Virginia | OPEN | 25 |
| 23. | Texas | B12 | 8-5 (6-2) | 178 | 1-3 | 7 | W, 25-10 at Alabama | OPEN | 26 |
| 24. | Georgia Tech | ACC | 10-3 (7-1) | 139 | 1-0 | 89 | W, 48-0 at Mississippi | OPEN | 46 |
| 25. | Michigan | B10 | 7-5 (5-3) | 95 | 1-2 | 46 | L, 7-45 #2 Kentucky | OPEN | 17 |
| Others receiving votes |
| West Virginia 66, Washington State 37, Cincinnati 37, Illinois 34, Texas Tech 30, Purdue 27, Penn State 23, Minnesota 20, Missouri 15, Navy 15, Auburn 12, Oregon 9, Texas A&M 6, Duke 2 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Texas Tech (24), Missouri (23) |
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