| Media Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Ball State | C-USA | 14-0 (8-0) | 1606 | 2-0 | 71 | W, 37-15 Connecticut | #9 Texas | 1 |
| 2. | Rutgers | BigE | 14-0 (8-0) | 1544 | 1-0 | 82 | W, 28-17 #21 Wyoming | #7 Arkansas | 2 |
| 3. | Maryland | ACC | 13-1 (8-0) | 1471 | 4-1 | 17 | W, 42-20 #17 Mississippi | #6 Illinois | 3 |
| 4. | USC | Pac12 | 13-1 (8-1) | 1419 | 2-1 | 27 | W, 36-9 #10 Ohio State | at #5 Florida | 4 |
| 5. | Florida | SEC | 13-1 (7-1) | 1365 | 3-1 | 26 | W, 38-16 #16 Alabama | #4 USC | 6 |
| 6. | Illinois | B10 | 13-1 (8-0) | 1285 | 2-0 | 46 | W, 41-30 #12 San Diego State | at #3 Maryland | 5 |
| 7. | Arkansas | SEC | 11-2 (6-2) | 1216 | 3-1 | 63 | W, 20-17 at #8 Miami (OH) | at #2 Rutgers | 7 |
| 8. | Miami (OH) | C-USA | 11-2 (7-1) | 1159 | 0-1 | 75 | L, 17-20 #7 Arkansas | OPEN | 8 |
| 9. | Texas | B12 | 12-2 (7-1) | 1072 | 2-1 | 52 | W, 51-19 #11 Montana | at #1 Ball State | 11 |
| 10. | Ohio State | B10 | 10-3 (6-2) | 998 | 0-2 | 91 | L, 9-36 at #4 USC | OPEN | 9 |
| 11. | Montana | Sun | 12-2 (8-0) | 908 | 0-1 | 113 | L, 19-51 at #9 Texas | OPEN | 12 |
| 12. | San Diego State | Pac12 | 9-4 (6-3) | 847 | 3-0 | 34 | L, 30-41 at #6 Illinois | OPEN | 14 |
| 13. | Cincinnati | BigE | 10-3 (6-2) | 801 | 0-0 | 49 | L, 16-30 #2 Rutgers | at #15 Georgia Tech | 10 |
| 14. | Northwestern | B10 | 9-3 (6-2) | 751 | 2-2 | 33 | W, 13-10 Oregon | Georgia | 15 |
| 15. | Georgia Tech | ACC | 10-2 (7-1) | 697 | 0-0 | 80 | L, 16-34 Georgia | #13 Cincinnati | 16 |
| 16. | Alabama | SEC | 9-5 (6-2) | 648 | 2-3 | 2 | L, 16-38 at #5 Florida | OPEN | 13 |
| 17. | Mississippi | SEC | 9-4 (5-3) | 608 | 1-3 | 20 | L, 20-42 at #3 Maryland | OPEN | 17 |
| 18. | Western Kentucky | MAC | 11-2 (6-2) | 552 | 0-0 | 114 | W, 20-16 Virginia | OPEN | 18 |
| 19. | Notre Dame | B10 | 9-3 (6-2) | 504 | 1-2 | 55 | OPEN | #20 Texas Tech | 19 |
| 20. | Texas Tech | B12 | 9-3 (7-1) | 434 | 1-3 | 76 | OPEN | at #19 Notre Dame | 20 |
| 21. | Wyoming | MWC | 12-2 (7-1) | 364 | 0-0 | 119 | L, 17-28 at #2 Rutgers | OPEN | 21 |
| 22. | Utah | Pac12 | 8-4 (7-2) | 299 | 0-4 | 8 | OPEN | Michigan | 23 |
| 23. | Rice | B12 | 9-3 (6-2) | 245 | 0-2 | 53 | W, 33-30 at Virginia Tech | at South Carolina | 24 |
| 24. | Wake Forest | ACC | 9-4 (5-3) | 190 | 1-2 | 51 | W, 52-10 East Carolina | OPEN | 25 |
| 25. | Mississippi State | SEC | 8-4 (4-4) | 127 | 2-2 | 18 | W, 46-21 Nevada | at Penn State | 26 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Penn State 96, Florida State 72, West Virginia 46, Virginia Tech 41, Georgia 39, Arizona 34, South Florida 29, California 26, Stanford 21, Michigan 18, Auburn 16, Arizona State 15, Virginia 15, UCLA 15, Pittsburgh 15, Baylor 15, Marshall 13, San Jose State 11, LSU 11, Kent State 11, Oregon 11, Texas Christian 11, Troy 10, Miami 8, Kansas State 3, Louisiana-Monroe 2 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Penn State (22) |
| Coaches Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Ball State | C-USA | 14-0 (8-0) | 1501 | 1-0 | 71 | W, 37-15 Connecticut | #8 Texas | 1 |
| 2. | Rutgers | BigE | 14-0 (8-0) | 1434 | 1-0 | 82 | W, 28-17 #17 Wyoming | #11 Arkansas | 2 |
| 3. | Florida | SEC | 13-1 (7-1) | 1386 | 3-1 | 26 | W, 38-16 #14 Alabama | #5 USC | 4 |
| 4. | Maryland | ACC | 13-1 (8-0) | 1331 | 4-1 | 17 | W, 42-20 #12 Mississippi | #6 Illinois | 3 |
| 5. | USC | Pac12 | 13-1 (8-1) | 1273 | 2-1 | 27 | W, 36-9 #15 Ohio State | at #3 Florida | 5 |
| 6. | Illinois | B10 | 13-1 (8-0) | 1200 | 2-0 | 46 | W, 41-30 #13 San Diego State | at #4 Maryland | 6 |
| 7. | Montana | Sun | 12-2 (8-0) | 1128 | 0-1 | 113 | L, 19-51 at #8 Texas | OPEN | 8 |
| 8. | Texas | B12 | 12-2 (7-1) | 1068 | 2-1 | 52 | W, 51-19 #7 Montana | at #1 Ball State | 9 |
| 9. | Miami (OH) | C-USA | 11-2 (7-1) | 1011 | 0-1 | 75 | L, 17-20 #11 Arkansas | OPEN | 10 |
| 10. | Cincinnati | BigE | 10-3 (6-2) | 938 | 0-0 | 49 | L, 16-30 #2 Rutgers | at #16 Georgia Tech | 7 |
| 11. | Arkansas | SEC | 11-2 (6-2) | 868 | 3-1 | 63 | W, 20-17 at #9 Miami (OH) | at #2 Rutgers | 12 |
| 12. | Mississippi | SEC | 9-4 (5-3) | 819 | 1-3 | 20 | L, 20-42 at #4 Maryland | OPEN | 13 |
| 13. | San Diego State | Pac12 | 9-4 (6-3) | 775 | 3-0 | 34 | L, 30-41 at #6 Illinois | OPEN | 14 |
| 14. | Alabama | SEC | 9-5 (6-2) | 709 | 2-3 | 2 | L, 16-38 at #3 Florida | OPEN | 11 |
| 15. | Ohio State | B10 | 10-3 (6-2) | 659 | 0-2 | 91 | L, 9-36 at #5 USC | OPEN | 15 |
| 16. | Georgia Tech | ACC | 10-2 (7-1) | 605 | 1-0 | 80 | L, 16-34 Georgia | #10 Cincinnati | 16 |
| 17. | Wyoming | MWC | 12-2 (7-1) | 563 | 1-0 | 119 | L, 17-28 at #2 Rutgers | OPEN | 17 |
| 18. | Texas Tech | B12 | 9-3 (7-1) | 494 | 1-3 | 76 | OPEN | at #23 Notre Dame | 18 |
| 19. | Utah | Pac12 | 8-4 (7-2) | 454 | 0-3 | 8 | OPEN | Michigan | 19 |
| 20. | Northwestern | B10 | 9-3 (6-2) | 409 | 2-2 | 33 | W, 13-10 Oregon | Georgia | 20 |
| 21. | Mississippi State | SEC | 8-4 (4-4) | 364 | 2-2 | 18 | W, 46-21 Nevada | at Penn State | 21 |
| 22. | Western Kentucky | MAC | 11-2 (6-2) | 323 | 0-0 | 114 | W, 20-16 #24 Virginia | OPEN | 23 |
| 23. | Notre Dame | B10 | 9-3 (6-2) | 278 | 1-2 | 55 | OPEN | #18 Texas Tech | 24 |
| 24. | Virginia | ACC | 7-6 (4-4) | 224 | 0-3 | 48 | L, 16-20 at #22 Western Kentucky | OPEN | 25 |
| 25. | Rice | B12 | 9-3 (6-2) | 178 | 0-2 | 53 | W, 33-30 at Virginia Tech | at South Carolina | 26 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Penn State 139, Georgia 99, Wake Forest 76, Florida State 49, Arizona 44, West Virginia 41, Auburn 37, South Florida 35, Virginia Tech 34, UCLA 30, Stanford 27, Michigan 24, Texas Christian 21, LSU 18, Pittsburgh 18, California 15, Marshall 14, Baylor 11, San Jose State 9, Oregon 8, Arizona State 3 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Penn State (22) |
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