| Media Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Ball State | C-USA | 10-0 (7-0) | 1596 | 1-0 | 74 | W, 47-13 at Minnesota | at Nebraska | 3 |
| 2. | Rutgers | BigE | 9-0 (7-0) | 1534 | 0-0 | 90 | W, 27-16 East Carolina | at Bowling Green | 1 |
| 3. | Maryland | ACC | 9-1 (7-0) | 1476 | 4-1 | 18 | W, 33-21 #21 Wake Forest | at Navy | 2 |
| 4. | USC | Pac12 | 9-1 (6-1) | 1427 | 1-1 | 24 | W, 48-17 Oregon | #12 Utah | 4 |
| 5. | Cincinnati | BigE | 10-1 (6-1) | 1354 | 0-0 | 72 | W, 49-6 Marshall | at West Virginia | 7 |
| 6. | Florida | SEC | 8-1 (6-1) | 1277 | 2-1 | 32 | W, 43-0 at South Carolina | at #22 Mississippi State | 5 |
| 7. | Illinois | B10 | 9-1 (7-0) | 1204 | 2-0 | 57 | W, 48-14 Wisconsin | at #20 Penn State | 8 |
| 8. | Ohio State | B10 | 10-1 (6-1) | 1131 | 0-1 | 93 | W, 30-26 Michigan | at #23 Northwestern | 6 |
| 9. | Alabama | SEC | 7-2 (5-2) | 1048 | 2-2 | 4 | OPEN | Auburn | 9 |
| 10. | San Diego State | Pac12 | 7-2 (5-2) | 965 | 2-0 | 33 | W, 32-14 Fresno State | at Stanford | 10 |
| 11. | Mississippi | SEC | 9-2 (5-2) | 894 | 1-2 | 25 | W, 33-27 at Louisiana-Monroe | at #14 Arkansas | 11 |
| 12. | Utah | Pac12 | 7-2 (6-1) | 829 | 0-2 | 8 | OPEN | at #4 USC | 12 |
| 13. | Notre Dame | B10 | 8-2 (5-2) | 757 | 1-2 | 59 | OPEN | Pittsburgh | 14 |
| 14. | Arkansas | SEC | 8-2 (5-2) | 713 | 1-1 | 55 | W, 31-10 Tennessee | #11 Mississippi | 15 |
| 15. | Texas Tech | B12 | 8-2 (7-0) | 665 | 0-2 | 82 | OPEN | #17 Texas | 16 |
| 16. | Miami (OH) | C-USA | 10-1 (6-1) | 619 | 0-1 | 70 | W, 37-20 at Bowling Green | Minnesota | 18 |
| 17. | Texas | B12 | 7-2 (6-1) | 578 | 0-1 | 65 | W, 44-0 Texas A&M | at #15 Texas Tech | 17 |
| 18. | Georgia Tech | ACC | 9-1 (6-1) | 512 | 0-0 | 76 | W, 23-19 Boston College | at #25 Florida State | 19 |
| 19. | Montana | Sun | 10-0 (7-0) | 452 | 0-0 | 118 | W, 39-14 at Tulsa | Central Florida | 23 |
| 20. | Penn State | B10 | 9-2 (6-1) | 388 | 1-0 | 66 | W, 24-16 at Houston | #7 Illinois | 21 |
| 21. | Wake Forest | ACC | 6-3 (4-3) | 318 | 2-1 | 43 | L, 21-33 at #3 Maryland | at North Carolina | 13 |
| 22. | Mississippi State | SEC | 6-3 (4-3) | 258 | 2-1 | 19 | W, 27-13 at Auburn | #6 Florida | 20 |
| 23. | Northwestern | B10 | 6-3 (5-2) | 198 | 1-2 | 30 | OPEN | #8 Ohio State | 22 |
| 24. | Western Kentucky | MAC | 9-1 (6-1) | 127 | 0-0 | 114 | W, 30-27 Connecticut | Central Michigan | 25 |
| 25. | Florida State | ACC | 8-2 (5-2) | 99 | 0-2 | 83 | OPEN | #18 Georgia Tech | 26 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Virginia Tech 73, Rice 44, East Carolina 39, Virginia 39, California 36, Marshall 36, West Virginia 31, Arizona 26, Pittsburgh 24, San Jose State 20, Indiana 20, Stanford 18, Baylor 13, Ohio 10, Wyoming 5, South Florida 2, Michigan 2 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| East Carolina (24) |
| Coaches Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Rutgers | BigE | 9-0 (7-0) | 1510 | 1-0 | 90 | W, 27-16 #25 East Carolina | at Bowling Green | 1 |
| 2. | Florida | SEC | 8-1 (6-1) | 1443 | 1-1 | 32 | W, 43-0 at South Carolina | at #17 Mississippi State | 2 |
| 3. | Illinois | B10 | 9-1 (7-0) | 1382 | 1-0 | 57 | W, 48-14 Wisconsin | at #19 Penn State | 3 |
| 4. | Ball State | C-USA | 10-0 (7-0) | 1334 | 1-0 | 74 | W, 47-13 at Minnesota | at Nebraska | 7 |
| 5. | Cincinnati | BigE | 10-1 (6-1) | 1281 | 0-0 | 72 | W, 49-6 Marshall | at West Virginia | 10 |
| 6. | Alabama | SEC | 7-2 (5-2) | 1211 | 2-2 | 4 | OPEN | Auburn | 4 |
| 7. | Maryland | ACC | 9-1 (7-0) | 1142 | 4-1 | 18 | W, 33-21 #21 Wake Forest | at Navy | 9 |
| 8. | USC | Pac12 | 9-1 (6-1) | 1087 | 1-1 | 24 | W, 48-17 Oregon | #12 Utah | 5 |
| 9. | Ohio State | B10 | 10-1 (6-1) | 1023 | 0-1 | 93 | W, 30-26 Michigan | at Northwestern | 6 |
| 10. | Mississippi | SEC | 9-2 (5-2) | 942 | 1-2 | 25 | W, 33-27 at Louisiana-Monroe | at #15 Arkansas | 8 |
| 11. | San Diego State | Pac12 | 7-2 (5-2) | 877 | 2-0 | 33 | W, 32-14 Fresno State | at Stanford | 11 |
| 12. | Utah | Pac12 | 7-2 (6-1) | 810 | 0-2 | 8 | OPEN | at #8 USC | 12 |
| 13. | Montana | Sun | 10-0 (7-0) | 761 | 0-0 | 118 | W, 39-14 at Tulsa | Central Florida | 18 |
| 14. | Texas | B12 | 7-2 (6-1) | 714 | 0-1 | 65 | W, 44-0 Texas A&M | at #16 Texas Tech | 14 |
| 15. | Arkansas | SEC | 8-2 (5-2) | 676 | 1-1 | 55 | W, 31-10 Tennessee | #10 Mississippi | 15 |
| 16. | Texas Tech | B12 | 8-2 (7-0) | 607 | 0-2 | 82 | OPEN | #14 Texas | 16 |
| 17. | Mississippi State | SEC | 6-3 (4-3) | 541 | 2-1 | 19 | W, 27-13 at Auburn | #2 Florida | 17 |
| 18. | Notre Dame | B10 | 8-2 (5-2) | 477 | 1-1 | 59 | OPEN | Pittsburgh | 20 |
| 19. | Penn State | B10 | 9-2 (6-1) | 422 | 1-0 | 66 | W, 24-16 at Houston | #3 Illinois | 19 |
| 20. | Florida State | ACC | 8-2 (5-2) | 345 | 0-2 | 83 | OPEN | #22 Georgia Tech | 21 |
| 21. | Wake Forest | ACC | 6-3 (4-3) | 262 | 2-1 | 43 | L, 21-33 at #7 Maryland | at North Carolina | 13 |
| 22. | Georgia Tech | ACC | 9-1 (6-1) | 209 | 0-0 | 76 | W, 23-19 Boston College | at #20 Florida State | 25 |
| 23. | Miami (OH) | C-USA | 10-1 (6-1) | 169 | 0-1 | 70 | W, 37-20 at Bowling Green | Minnesota | 22 |
| 24. | Western Kentucky | MAC | 9-1 (6-1) | 130 | 0-0 | 114 | W, 30-27 Connecticut | Central Michigan | 24 |
| 25. | East Carolina | BigE | 7-3 (5-2) | 102 | 0-1 | 85 | L, 16-27 at #1 Rutgers | at Texas Christian | 23 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Rice 72, Northwestern 47, Virginia Tech 43, California 41, Virginia 40, Indiana 37, Pittsburgh 34, Arizona 34, West Virginia 29, Marshall 29, San Jose State 24, Wyoming 23, Arizona State 23, Ohio 20, Stanford 15, Baylor 11, South Florida 6, Auburn 6, Georgia 5 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
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