| Media Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | USC | Pac12 | 7-0 (4-0) | 1606 | 2-0 | 18 | OPEN | at Arizona State | 1 |
| 2. | Rutgers | BigE | 6-0 (4-0) | 1539 | 0-0 | 77 | OPEN | at Syracuse | 2 |
| 3. | Ohio State | B10 | 8-0 (5-0) | 1477 | 0-0 | 89 | W, 24-16 at Wisconsin | #8 Illinois | 3 |
| 4. | Alabama | SEC | 6-1 (4-1) | 1412 | 2-1 | 7 | W, 31-14 at Kentucky | #11 Arkansas | 5 |
| 5. | Wake Forest | ACC | 5-1 (3-1) | 1349 | 2-0 | 44 | OPEN | Navy | 4 |
| 6. | Florida | SEC | 5-1 (3-1) | 1268 | 2-1 | 30 | OPEN | Kentucky | 6 |
| 7. | Mississippi | SEC | 7-1 (4-1) | 1183 | 1-1 | 19 | W, 30-16 at #24 LSU | at #17 Mississippi State | 13 |
| 8. | Illinois | B10 | 6-1 (4-0) | 1095 | 1-0 | 45 | W, 17-9 Iowa | at #3 Ohio State | 8 |
| 9. | Maryland | ACC | 6-1 (4-0) | 1022 | 2-1 | 26 | OPEN | at Clemson | 9 |
| 10. | San Diego State | Pac12 | 5-1 (3-1) | 952 | 1-0 | 23 | W, 27-22 #12 Utah | at UCLA | 16 |
| 11. | Arkansas | SEC | 6-1 (3-1) | 874 | 1-0 | 53 | OPEN | at #4 Alabama | 11 |
| 12. | Utah | Pac12 | 5-2 (4-1) | 822 | 0-2 | 4 | L, 22-27 at #10 San Diego State | at Arizona | 7 |
| 13. | Cincinnati | BigE | 7-1 (3-1) | 777 | 0-0 | 67 | W, 30-12 Houston | at Arkansas State | 14 |
| 14. | Notre Dame | B10 | 6-2 (3-2) | 704 | 1-2 | 66 | L, 32-36 #23 Northwestern | at Purdue | 10 |
| 15. | Texas | B12 | 5-2 (4-1) | 656 | 1-1 | 46 | L, 30-34 at North Texas | Missouri | 12 |
| 16. | Miami (OH) | C-USA | 8-0 (5-0) | 613 | 0-0 | 56 | W, 41-20 Air Force | at #20 Ball State | 19 |
| 17. | Mississippi State | SEC | 4-3 (2-3) | 551 | 1-2 | 25 | W, 40-14 at Vanderbilt | #7 Mississippi | 17 |
| 18. | Texas Tech | B12 | 6-2 (5-0) | 471 | 0-2 | 79 | W, 37-16 at Boise State | #22 Rice | 18 |
| 19. | Penn State | B10 | 6-2 (4-1) | 396 | 2-0 | 57 | L, 22-27 Michigan | at Wisconsin | 15 |
| 20. | Ball State | C-USA | 7-0 (4-0) | 310 | 0-0 | 63 | W, 38-9 Oregon State | #16 Miami (OH) | 24 |
| 21. | West Virginia | BigE | 6-2 (4-1) | 266 | 0-1 | 9 | W, 28-14 Texas Christian | at Marshall | 21 |
| 22. | Rice | B12 | 4-2 (3-1) | 200 | 0-2 | 61 | OPEN | at #18 Texas Tech | 22 |
| 23. | Northwestern | B10 | 4-3 (3-2) | 145 | 1-2 | 22 | W, 36-32 at #14 Notre Dame | Kent State | 23 |
| 24. | LSU | SEC | 4-4 (2-2) | 120 | 1-3 | 31 | L, 16-30 #7 Mississippi | at Auburn | 20 |
| 25. | Western Kentucky | MAC | 7-0 (4-0) | 96 | 0-0 | 117 | OPEN | at Toledo | 28 |
| Others receiving votes |
| California 65, East Carolina 41, Georgia Tech 41, Florida State 41, Georgia 37, Wyoming 37, Montana 37, Virginia Tech 37, Arizona 32, Pittsburgh 31, Marshall 29, Michigan 24, Stanford 21, North Texas 18, Arizona State 18, Fresno State 13, Auburn 11, Bowling Green 11, Kent State 6, Eastern Michigan 3 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| California (25) |
| Coaches Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | USC | Pac12 | 7-0 (4-0) | 1502 | 2-0 | 18 | OPEN | at Arizona State | 1 |
| 2. | Rutgers | BigE | 6-0 (4-0) | 1449 | 0-0 | 77 | OPEN | at Syracuse | 2 |
| 3. | Ohio State | B10 | 8-0 (5-0) | 1395 | 0-0 | 89 | W, 24-16 at Wisconsin | #12 Illinois | 3 |
| 4. | Mississippi | SEC | 7-1 (4-1) | 1337 | 1-1 | 19 | W, 30-16 at #25 LSU | at #18 Mississippi State | 4 |
| 5. | Alabama | SEC | 6-1 (4-1) | 1286 | 2-1 | 7 | W, 31-14 at Kentucky | #11 Arkansas | 9 |
| 6. | Wake Forest | ACC | 5-1 (3-1) | 1208 | 2-0 | 44 | OPEN | Navy | 5 |
| 7. | Florida | SEC | 5-1 (3-1) | 1132 | 1-1 | 30 | OPEN | Kentucky | 6 |
| 8. | San Diego State | Pac12 | 5-1 (3-1) | 1049 | 1-0 | 23 | W, 27-22 #9 Utah | at UCLA | 16 |
| 9. | Utah | Pac12 | 5-2 (4-1) | 974 | 0-2 | 4 | L, 22-27 at #8 San Diego State | at Arizona | 8 |
| 10. | Maryland | ACC | 6-1 (4-0) | 903 | 2-1 | 26 | OPEN | at Clemson | 10 |
| 11. | Arkansas | SEC | 6-1 (3-1) | 831 | 1-0 | 53 | OPEN | at #5 Alabama | 11 |
| 12. | Illinois | B10 | 6-1 (4-0) | 784 | 0-0 | 45 | W, 17-9 Iowa | at #3 Ohio State | 12 |
| 13. | Cincinnati | BigE | 7-1 (3-1) | 744 | 0-0 | 67 | W, 30-12 Houston | at Arkansas State | 13 |
| 14. | Texas | B12 | 5-2 (4-1) | 695 | 1-1 | 46 | L, 30-34 at North Texas | Missouri | 7 |
| 15. | Ball State | C-USA | 7-0 (4-0) | 648 | 0-0 | 63 | W, 38-9 Oregon State | #16 Miami (OH) | 18 |
| 16. | Miami (OH) | C-USA | 8-0 (5-0) | 596 | 0-0 | 56 | W, 41-20 Air Force | at #15 Ball State | 21 |
| 17. | Notre Dame | B10 | 6-2 (3-2) | 544 | 1-1 | 66 | L, 32-36 Northwestern | at Purdue | 14 |
| 18. | Mississippi State | SEC | 4-3 (2-3) | 474 | 1-2 | 25 | W, 40-14 at Vanderbilt | #4 Mississippi | 17 |
| 19. | Texas Tech | B12 | 6-2 (5-0) | 425 | 0-2 | 79 | W, 37-16 at Boise State | #21 Rice | 20 |
| 20. | Penn State | B10 | 6-2 (4-1) | 381 | 2-0 | 57 | L, 22-27 Michigan | at Wisconsin | 15 |
| 21. | Rice | B12 | 4-2 (3-1) | 343 | 0-2 | 61 | OPEN | at #19 Texas Tech | 22 |
| 22. | East Carolina | BigE | 5-2 (3-1) | 302 | 0-0 | 70 | OPEN | Bowling Green | 23 |
| 23. | Florida State | ACC | 7-1 (4-1) | 264 | 0-1 | 75 | W, 38-17 North Carolina | at Boston College | 26 |
| 24. | Western Kentucky | MAC | 7-0 (4-0) | 215 | 0-0 | 117 | OPEN | at Toledo | 28 |
| 25. | LSU | SEC | 4-4 (2-2) | 166 | 1-3 | 31 | L, 16-30 #4 Mississippi | at Auburn | 19 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Montana 119, California 95, Northwestern 69, Texas Christian 44, West Virginia 43, Michigan 43, North Texas 41, Stanford 38, Georgia Tech 37, Arizona 37, Virginia Tech 37, Wyoming 37, Bowling Green 37, Pittsburgh 32, Kent State 32, Marshall 29, Arizona State 27, Fresno State 27, Oregon 23, Virginia 21, San Jose State 17, Louisville 14, Auburn 9, Eastern Michigan 5, Troy 5 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| California (25), Texas Christian (24) |
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