| Media Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Alabama | SEC | 4-0 (2-0) | 1612 | 1-0 | 6 | W, 15-8 #13 LSU | at Kentucky | 1 |
| 2. | Texas | B12 | 4-0 (2-0) | 1545 | 2-0 | 15 | W, 48-7 at Oklahoma State | at Kansas State | 2 |
| 3. | Texas Tech | B12 | 5-0 (2-0) | 1482 | 2-0 | 37 | W, 41-23 Missouri | at Boise State | 3 |
| 4. | Mississippi | SEC | 5-0 (2-0) | 1427 | 1-0 | 11 | W, 49-14 Auburn | at #14 Florida | 4 |
| 5. | Rice | B12 | 5-0 (1-0) | 1372 | 0-0 | 50 | W, 33-22 Colorado | Texas A&M | 6 |
| 6. | Rutgers | BigE | 4-0 (2-0) | 1310 | 0-0 | 62 | W, 39-14 at Troy | Marshall | 5 |
| 7. | California | Pac12 | 5-0 (2-0) | 1232 | 2-0 | 24 | W, 36-33 at #20 USC | #25 Fresno State | 13 |
| 8. | Utah | Pac12 | 5-0 (2-0) | 1165 | 0-0 | 70 | W, 52-0 UCLA | at Washington | 9 |
| 9. | Illinois | B10 | 3-1 (1-1) | 1094 | 0-1 | 49 | W, 26-13 at Northwestern | Penn State | 12 |
| 10. | Arkansas | SEC | 3-1 (1-0) | 1019 | 0-1 | 9 | W, 55-6 South Carolina | #11 Mississippi State | 7 |
| 11. | Mississippi State | SEC | 4-1 (1-1) | 954 | 0-1 | 17 | W, 41-15 Kentucky | at #10 Arkansas | 8 |
| 12. | Wake Forest | ACC | 5-0 (1-0) | 899 | 0-0 | 112 | W, 28-25 at Florida State | Virginia | 11 |
| 13. | LSU | SEC | 4-1 (1-1) | 856 | 0-1 | 12 | L, 8-15 at #1 Alabama | Vanderbilt | 10 |
| 14. | Florida | SEC | 4-0 (1-0) | 806 | 0-0 | 33 | W, 28-9 at Vanderbilt | #4 Mississippi | 15 |
| 15. | Cincinnati | BigE | 4-1 (2-0) | 746 | 0-0 | 35 | W, 29-10 at South Florida | West Virginia | 19 |
| 16. | Texas Christian | BigE | 5-0 (2-0) | 705 | 0-0 | 75 | W, 39-22 Bowling Green | at Troy | 17 |
| 17. | Notre Dame | B10 | 3-2 (1-1) | 661 | 1-1 | 60 | L, 19-40 at Michigan | Northwestern | 14 |
| 18. | Ohio State | B10 | 5-0 (2-0) | 585 | 0-0 | 57 | W, 31-24 at Iowa | at Michigan State | 20 |
| 19. | Georgia | SEC | 4-0 (2-0) | 525 | 0-0 | 41 | W, 27-6 Tennessee | at South Carolina | 21 |
| 20. | USC | Pac12 | 0-3 (0-1) | 466 | 0-2 | 27 | L, 33-36 #7 California | Arizona | 16 |
| 21. | Maryland | ACC | 3-2 (2-0) | 416 | 1-2 | 64 | W, 30-9 at Louisville | Boston College | 18 |
| 22. | Stanford | Pac12 | 4-0 (2-0) | 356 | 0-0 | 22 | W, 47-17 Washington | at San Diego State | 23 |
| 23. | Ball State | C-USA | 5-0 (2-0) | 299 | 0-0 | 85 | W, 47-7 Nebraska | at N C State | 22 |
| 24. | North Texas | B12 | 4-1 (1-1) | 237 | 0-1 | 55 | W, 27-23 Kansas State | at Colorado | 25 |
| 25. | Fresno State | Pac12 | 5-0 (2-0) | 187 | 0-0 | 63 | W, 21-12 Oregon | at #7 California | 30 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Michigan State 138, Northwestern 109, Marshall 81, San Diego State 54, South Florida 54, West Virginia 54, Oklahoma State 49, Penn State 44, Montana 42, Southern Methodist 39, Idaho 36, Michigan 31, Kansas State 26, Texas A&M 26, Miami (OH) 21, N C State 21, Kent State 21, Vanderbilt 21, Miami 16, Oklahoma 11, Troy 10, Air Force 8, Washington 6, Iowa 5, Georgia Tech 2, Auburn 2 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Northwestern (24) |
| Coaches Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Alabama | SEC | 4-0 (2-0) | 1513 | 1-0 | 6 | W, 15-8 #13 LSU | at Kentucky | 1 |
| 2. | Texas | B12 | 4-0 (2-0) | 1446 | 1-0 | 15 | W, 48-7 at Oklahoma State | at Kansas State | 2 |
| 3. | Mississippi | SEC | 5-0 (2-0) | 1382 | 1-0 | 11 | W, 49-14 Auburn | at #15 Florida | 4 |
| 4. | Texas Tech | B12 | 5-0 (2-0) | 1316 | 2-0 | 37 | W, 41-23 Missouri | at Boise State | 3 |
| 5. | Rice | B12 | 5-0 (1-0) | 1249 | 0-0 | 50 | W, 33-22 Colorado | Texas A&M | 5 |
| 6. | Rutgers | BigE | 4-0 (2-0) | 1188 | 0-0 | 62 | W, 39-14 at Troy | Marshall | 6 |
| 7. | Utah | Pac12 | 5-0 (2-0) | 1128 | 0-0 | 70 | W, 52-0 UCLA | at Washington | 7 |
| 8. | California | Pac12 | 5-0 (2-0) | 1049 | 2-0 | 24 | W, 36-33 at #19 USC | #24 Fresno State | 15 |
| 9. | Illinois | B10 | 3-1 (1-1) | 968 | 0-1 | 49 | W, 26-13 at Northwestern | Penn State | 12 |
| 10. | Wake Forest | ACC | 5-0 (1-0) | 888 | 0-0 | 112 | W, 28-25 at Florida State | Virginia | 11 |
| 11. | Mississippi State | SEC | 4-1 (1-1) | 811 | 0-1 | 17 | W, 41-15 Kentucky | at #12 Arkansas | 8 |
| 12. | Arkansas | SEC | 3-1 (1-0) | 750 | 0-1 | 9 | W, 55-6 South Carolina | #11 Mississippi State | 10 |
| 13. | LSU | SEC | 4-1 (1-1) | 706 | 0-1 | 12 | L, 8-15 at #1 Alabama | Vanderbilt | 9 |
| 14. | Cincinnati | BigE | 4-1 (2-0) | 644 | 0-0 | 35 | W, 29-10 at South Florida | West Virginia | 20 |
| 15. | Florida | SEC | 4-0 (1-0) | 604 | 0-0 | 33 | W, 28-9 at Vanderbilt | #3 Mississippi | 17 |
| 16. | Notre Dame | B10 | 3-2 (1-1) | 561 | 1-2 | 60 | L, 19-40 at #25 Michigan | Northwestern | 13 |
| 17. | Maryland | ACC | 3-2 (2-0) | 502 | 1-2 | 64 | W, 30-9 at Louisville | Boston College | 16 |
| 18. | Texas Christian | BigE | 5-0 (2-0) | 436 | 1-0 | 75 | W, 39-22 Bowling Green | at Troy | 18 |
| 19. | USC | Pac12 | 0-3 (0-1) | 374 | 0-2 | 27 | L, 33-36 #8 California | Arizona | 14 |
| 20. | Georgia | SEC | 4-0 (2-0) | 319 | 0-0 | 41 | W, 27-6 Tennessee | at South Carolina | 19 |
| 21. | Ohio State | B10 | 5-0 (2-0) | 241 | 0-0 | 57 | W, 31-24 at Iowa | at Michigan State | 21 |
| 22. | Stanford | Pac12 | 4-0 (2-0) | 189 | 1-0 | 22 | W, 47-17 Washington | at San Diego State | 23 |
| 23. | Ball State | C-USA | 5-0 (2-0) | 140 | 0-0 | 85 | W, 47-7 Nebraska | at N C State | 22 |
| 24. | Fresno State | Pac12 | 5-0 (2-0) | 87 | 0-0 | 63 | W, 21-12 Oregon | at #8 California | 30 |
| 25. | Michigan | B10 | 2-2 (2-0) | 58 | 1-2 | 13 | W, 40-19 #16 Notre Dame | at Kent State | 25 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Michigan State 53, San Diego State 50, West Virginia 50, Northwestern 49, North Texas 47, South Florida 44, Southern Methodist 41, Oklahoma State 37, Idaho 34, Penn State 30, Marshall 27, Texas A&M 24, Kansas State 20, Miami (OH) 15, Montana 15, Kent State 11, Pittsburgh 9, Georgia Tech 6, Iowa 2 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Northwestern (24) |
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