| Media Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Maryland | ACC | 16-1 (7-1) | 1594 | 2-1 | 30 | W, 27-20 #20 Michigan | - | 2 |
| 2. | Oklahoma | B12 | 14-1 (8-0) | 1529 | 2-0 | 47 | L, 29-41 #20 Michigan | OPEN | 1 |
| 3. | California | Pac12 | 14-2 (9-0) | 1476 | 3-1 | 50 | L, 26-45 at #1 Maryland | OPEN | 3 |
| 4. | Texas | B12 | 12-3 (7-1) | 1422 | 1-0 | 55 | L, 13-28 at #3 California | OPEN | 10 |
| 5. | Michigan State | B10 | 13-3 (7-1) | 1370 | 1-1 | 41 | L, 35-39 #20 Michigan | OPEN | 6 |
| 6. | Georgia | SEC | 11-2 (7-1) | 1300 | 2-1 | 79 | L, 19-28 #13 Oregon | OPEN | 4 |
| 7. | Mississippi | SEC | 11-2 (7-1) | 1211 | 1-1 | 105 | L, 15-30 #4 Texas | OPEN | 7 |
| 8. | Alabama | SEC | 10-4 (7-1) | 1139 | 1-2 | 66 | L, 16-17 at Minnesota | OPEN | 14 |
| 9. | Virginia Tech | ACC | 11-3 (7-1) | 1064 | 1-0 | 80 | L, 12-34 at #20 Michigan | OPEN | 8 |
| 10. | Cincinnati | BigE | 12-3 (7-1) | 998 | 4-1 | 36 | L, 6-54 at #1 Maryland | OPEN | 5 |
| 11. | Texas Tech | B12 | 10-3 (6-2) | 916 | 0-3 | 27 | W, 29-10 at Penn State | OPEN | 15 |
| 12. | Rutgers | BigE | 10-3 (5-3) | 843 | 1-2 | 83 | W, 30-7 at #21 Utah | OPEN | 18 |
| 13. | Oregon | Pac12 | 10-4 (7-2) | 770 | 3-2 | 20 | L, 12-41 at #5 Michigan State | OPEN | 12 |
| 14. | Washington | Pac12 | 10-3 (7-2) | 710 | 1-2 | 92 | W, 16-9 at #25 East Carolina | OPEN | 20 |
| 15. | Air Force | MWC | 12-2 (8-0) | 660 | 0-0 | 117 | L, 0-50 at #5 Michigan State | OPEN | 9 |
| 16. | USC | Pac12 | 11-3 (8-1) | 616 | 2-2 | 69 | W, 23-13 Wisconsin | OPEN | 16 |
| 17. | Florida | SEC | 11-3 (7-1) | 559 | 2-1 | 59 | L, 23-48 at #10 Cincinnati | OPEN | 13 |
| 18. | North Texas | B12 | 10-3 (5-3) | 479 | 1-1 | 37 | W, 32-13 at Tennessee | OPEN | 19 |
| 19. | Troy | BigE | 10-3 (6-2) | 424 | 1-2 | 56 | W, 41-38 at Georgia Tech | OPEN | 21 |
| 20. | Michigan | B10 | 13-4 (7-1) | 351 | 1-2 | 16 | L, 20-27 at #1 Maryland | - | 11 |
| 21. | Utah | Pac12 | 8-5 (5-4) | 292 | 0-3 | 82 | L, 7-30 #12 Rutgers | OPEN | 25 |
| 22. | Pittsburgh | B10 | 9-4 (4-4) | 240 | 2-1 | 31 | W, 45-20 at South Carolina | OPEN | 26 |
| 23. | Louisiana-Monroe | Sun | 9-4 (6-2) | 172 | 0-1 | 78 | L, 14-29 at San Diego State | OPEN | 23 |
| 24. | South Florida | BigE | 8-5 (4-4) | 114 | 0-2 | 60 | W, 33-10 Clemson | OPEN | 28 |
| 25. | East Carolina | BigE | 9-5 (5-3) | 86 | 1-1 | 63 | L, 9-16 #14 Washington | OPEN | 17 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Miami 62, Ohio State 60, Mississippi State 57, Marshall 54, Baylor 49, Colorado 46, Minnesota 46, Notre Dame 44, Kansas State 42, Nebraska 37, Texas Christian 37, Arkansas State 36, Illinois 36, Oklahoma State 31, LSU 28, Wisconsin 24, Rice 23, Texas A&M 20, Virginia 18, Kent State 18, Miami (OH) 15, Georgia Tech 13, Bowling Green 8, Stanford 5, Navy 5, Auburn 3 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Miami (24), Notre Dame (22) |
| Coaches Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Maryland | ACC | 16-1 (7-1) | 1510 | 3-1 | 30 | W, 27-20 #11 Michigan | - | 2 |
| 2. | Oklahoma | B12 | 14-1 (8-0) | 1450 | 3-0 | 47 | L, 29-41 #11 Michigan | OPEN | 1 |
| 3. | California | Pac12 | 14-2 (9-0) | 1400 | 1-1 | 50 | L, 26-45 at #1 Maryland | OPEN | 3 |
| 4. | Georgia | SEC | 11-2 (7-1) | 1331 | 2-1 | 79 | L, 19-28 #5 Oregon | OPEN | 4 |
| 5. | Oregon | Pac12 | 10-4 (7-2) | 1270 | 1-3 | 20 | L, 12-41 at #13 Michigan State | OPEN | 10 |
| 6. | Texas | B12 | 12-3 (7-1) | 1193 | 2-0 | 55 | L, 13-28 at #3 California | OPEN | 12 |
| 7. | Mississippi | SEC | 11-2 (7-1) | 1115 | 1-1 | 105 | L, 15-30 #6 Texas | OPEN | 6 |
| 8. | Texas Tech | B12 | 10-3 (6-2) | 1035 | 0-3 | 27 | W, 29-10 at Penn State | OPEN | 14 |
| 9. | Florida | SEC | 11-3 (7-1) | 978 | 3-1 | 59 | L, 23-48 at #17 Cincinnati | OPEN | 8 |
| 10. | USC | Pac12 | 11-3 (8-1) | 895 | 1-1 | 69 | W, 23-13 Wisconsin | OPEN | 15 |
| 11. | Michigan | B10 | 13-4 (7-1) | 833 | 1-2 | 16 | L, 20-27 at #1 Maryland | - | 5 |
| 12. | North Texas | B12 | 10-3 (5-3) | 782 | 1-2 | 37 | W, 32-13 at Tennessee | OPEN | 16 |
| 13. | Michigan State | B10 | 13-3 (7-1) | 715 | 1-1 | 41 | L, 35-39 #11 Michigan | OPEN | 7 |
| 14. | Rutgers | BigE | 10-3 (5-3) | 657 | 1-2 | 83 | W, 30-7 at Utah | OPEN | 20 |
| 15. | Virginia Tech | ACC | 11-3 (7-1) | 592 | 2-0 | 80 | L, 12-34 at #11 Michigan | OPEN | 9 |
| 16. | Troy | BigE | 10-3 (6-2) | 547 | 1-2 | 56 | W, 41-38 at Georgia Tech | OPEN | 18 |
| 17. | Cincinnati | BigE | 12-3 (7-1) | 509 | 4-1 | 36 | L, 6-54 at #1 Maryland | OPEN | 11 |
| 18. | Air Force | MWC | 12-2 (8-0) | 429 | 0-0 | 117 | L, 0-50 at #13 Michigan State | OPEN | 13 |
| 19. | South Florida | BigE | 8-5 (4-4) | 390 | 1-2 | 60 | W, 33-10 Clemson | OPEN | 23 |
| 20. | Pittsburgh | B10 | 9-4 (4-4) | 337 | 2-1 | 31 | W, 45-20 at South Carolina | OPEN | 25 |
| 21. | Alabama | SEC | 10-4 (7-1) | 290 | 1-2 | 66 | L, 16-17 at Minnesota | OPEN | 17 |
| 22. | Louisiana-Monroe | Sun | 9-4 (6-2) | 244 | 0-1 | 78 | L, 14-29 at San Diego State | OPEN | 21 |
| 23. | Baylor | B12 | 8-5 (6-2) | 201 | 1-2 | 39 | W, 23-3 at Mississippi State | OPEN | 34 |
| 24. | East Carolina | BigE | 9-5 (5-3) | 148 | 1-1 | 63 | L, 9-16 Washington | OPEN | 19 |
| 25. | Miami | ACC | 8-5 (5-3) | 102 | 1-4 | 6 | W, 31-29 at Auburn | OPEN | 27 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Notre Dame 73, Utah 44, Texas Christian 40, Kent State 37, Ohio State 34, Illinois 30, Washington 29, LSU 24, Kansas State 20, Arkansas State 17, Nebraska 12, Mississippi State 9, Minnesota 6, Virginia 6, Georgia Tech 6, Oklahoma State 5 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Notre Dame (22), Utah (24) |
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