| Media Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Maryland | ACC | 17-0 (8-0) | 1597 | 5-0 | 5 | W, 30-23 #12 Ohio State | - | 1 |
| 2. | Texas Tech | B12 | 12-3 (8-0) | 1544 | 2-2 | 20 | L, 21-31 at #5 Baylor | OPEN | 5 |
| 3. | Florida | SEC | 13-2 (7-1) | 1474 | 3-1 | 45 | L, 21-33 #12 Ohio State | OPEN | 2 |
| 4. | California | Pac12 | 13-2 (8-1) | 1406 | 2-1 | 32 | L, 19-30 #21 Cincinnati | OPEN | 3 |
| 5. | Baylor | B12 | 14-2 (8-0) | 1352 | 4-0 | 58 | L, 10-40 at #1 Maryland | OPEN | 4 |
| 6. | Mississippi | SEC | 12-2 (8-0) | 1285 | 2-0 | 70 | L, 7-12 #21 Cincinnati | OPEN | 6 |
| 7. | Georgia | SEC | 11-2 (7-1) | 1225 | 0-2 | 83 | W, 26-23 at #24 Nebraska | OPEN | 14 |
| 8. | Texas | B12 | 11-2 (7-1) | 1165 | 0-2 | 75 | W, 44-10 at LSU | OPEN | 12 |
| 9. | Rutgers | BigE | 11-3 (7-1) | 1094 | 2-0 | 50 | L, 13-16 #12 Ohio State | OPEN | 8 |
| 10. | Oregon | Pac12 | 11-2 (7-2) | 1022 | 1-2 | 67 | W, 51-7 Penn State | OPEN | 13 |
| 11. | Virginia Tech | ACC | 12-3 (7-1) | 964 | 2-1 | 31 | L, 3-34 at #1 Maryland | OPEN | 10 |
| 12. | Ohio State | B10 | 14-3 (7-1) | 907 | 3-1 | 48 | L, 23-30 at #1 Maryland | - | 11 |
| 13. | Pittsburgh | B10 | 10-4 (5-3) | 837 | 1-2 | 61 | W, 26-0 Kansas State | OPEN | 20 |
| 14. | Michigan State | B10 | 9-4 (5-3) | 778 | 2-2 | 35 | L, 17-41 at #11 Virginia Tech | OPEN | 7 |
| 15. | Michigan | B10 | 9-4 (5-3) | 726 | 1-3 | 37 | W, 24-6 Mississippi State | OPEN | 17 |
| 16. | Alabama | SEC | 9-4 (6-2) | 665 | 0-3 | 64 | L, 19-22 at #2 Texas Tech | OPEN | 9 |
| 17. | USC | Pac12 | 9-4 (6-3) | 618 | 3-2 | 8 | W, 47-23 at Colorado State | OPEN | 16 |
| 18. | Oklahoma | B12 | 8-5 (5-3) | 570 | 0-4 | 12 | W, 30-6 at Louisiana-Monroe | OPEN | 21 |
| 19. | Georgia Tech | ACC | 9-4 (5-3) | 523 | 2-3 | 41 | W, 26-16 at Auburn | OPEN | 22 |
| 20. | Utah | Pac12 | 9-5 (6-3) | 481 | 2-1 | 25 | W, 34-3 at Texas Christian | OPEN | 18 |
| 21. | Cincinnati | BigE | 12-4 (7-1) | 392 | 2-1 | 10 | L, 27-36 at #12 Ohio State | OPEN | 15 |
| 22. | Florida State | ACC | 9-4 (6-2) | 318 | 1-2 | 39 | W, 13-10 #23 West Virginia | OPEN | 24 |
| 23. | West Virginia | BigE | 8-5 (5-3) | 263 | 0-2 | 59 | L, 10-13 at #22 Florida State | OPEN | 23 |
| 24. | Nebraska | B10 | 8-5 (6-2) | 193 | 2-3 | 22 | L, 23-26 #7 Georgia | OPEN | 19 |
| 25. | Miami | ACC | 7-6 (3-5) | 128 | 1-3 | 34 | W, 35-17 Tulane | OPEN | 40 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Marshall 99, Kansas State 67, Notre Dame 42, Navy 42, Miami (OH) 39, Wake Forest 39, Rice 39, Texas Christian 34, Iowa 32, South Florida 29, Washington 28, Boston College 26, Fresno State 24, Penn State 24, Purdue 21, Troy 18, Clemson 18, Texas A&M 18, San Jose State 18, Kent State 13, Arkansas 8, San Diego State 5, North Texas 2 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Texas Christian (25) |
| Coaches Poll |
| Rank | Team | Conf | Record | Points | Top 25 | SOS | Last | Next | Prev |
| 1. | Maryland | ACC | 17-0 (8-0) | 1507 | 5-0 | 5 | W, 30-23 #6 Ohio State | - | 1 |
| 2. | Texas Tech | B12 | 12-3 (8-0) | 1455 | 2-2 | 20 | L, 21-31 at #5 Baylor | OPEN | 5 |
| 3. | California | Pac12 | 13-2 (8-1) | 1386 | 2-1 | 32 | L, 19-30 #14 Cincinnati | OPEN | 3 |
| 4. | Florida | SEC | 13-2 (7-1) | 1331 | 3-1 | 45 | L, 21-33 #6 Ohio State | OPEN | 2 |
| 5. | Baylor | B12 | 14-2 (8-0) | 1286 | 4-0 | 58 | L, 10-40 at #1 Maryland | OPEN | 4 |
| 6. | Ohio State | B10 | 14-3 (7-1) | 1206 | 3-0 | 48 | L, 23-30 at #1 Maryland | - | 9 |
| 7. | Mississippi | SEC | 12-2 (8-0) | 1130 | 2-0 | 70 | L, 7-12 #14 Cincinnati | OPEN | 6 |
| 8. | Rutgers | BigE | 11-3 (7-1) | 1074 | 2-0 | 50 | L, 13-16 #6 Ohio State | OPEN | 7 |
| 9. | Georgia | SEC | 11-2 (7-1) | 1005 | 0-2 | 83 | W, 26-23 at #24 Nebraska | OPEN | 14 |
| 10. | Texas | B12 | 11-2 (7-1) | 952 | 0-2 | 75 | W, 44-10 at LSU | OPEN | 12 |
| 11. | Oregon | Pac12 | 11-2 (7-2) | 868 | 1-2 | 67 | W, 51-7 Penn State | OPEN | 13 |
| 12. | Virginia Tech | ACC | 12-3 (7-1) | 808 | 2-1 | 31 | L, 3-34 at #1 Maryland | OPEN | 10 |
| 13. | USC | Pac12 | 9-4 (6-3) | 761 | 3-2 | 8 | W, 47-23 at Colorado State | OPEN | 17 |
| 14. | Cincinnati | BigE | 12-4 (7-1) | 700 | 2-1 | 10 | L, 27-36 at #6 Ohio State | OPEN | 8 |
| 15. | Pittsburgh | B10 | 10-4 (5-3) | 660 | 1-2 | 61 | W, 26-0 Kansas State | OPEN | 20 |
| 16. | Michigan State | B10 | 9-4 (5-3) | 599 | 2-2 | 35 | L, 17-41 at #12 Virginia Tech | OPEN | 11 |
| 17. | Alabama | SEC | 9-4 (6-2) | 549 | 0-3 | 64 | L, 19-22 at #2 Texas Tech | OPEN | 16 |
| 18. | Oklahoma | B12 | 8-5 (5-3) | 473 | 0-4 | 12 | W, 30-6 at Louisiana-Monroe | OPEN | 19 |
| 19. | Utah | Pac12 | 9-5 (6-3) | 422 | 2-1 | 25 | W, 34-3 at Texas Christian | OPEN | 22 |
| 20. | Georgia Tech | ACC | 9-4 (5-3) | 343 | 2-3 | 41 | W, 26-16 at Auburn | OPEN | 18 |
| 21. | Michigan | B10 | 9-4 (5-3) | 302 | 1-3 | 37 | W, 24-6 Mississippi State | OPEN | 23 |
| 22. | Florida State | ACC | 9-4 (6-2) | 256 | 2-2 | 39 | W, 13-10 #23 West Virginia | OPEN | 24 |
| 23. | West Virginia | BigE | 8-5 (5-3) | 212 | 0-2 | 59 | L, 10-13 at #22 Florida State | OPEN | 15 |
| 24. | Nebraska | B10 | 8-5 (6-2) | 166 | 2-3 | 22 | L, 23-26 #9 Georgia | OPEN | 21 |
| 25. | Navy | ACC | 8-5 (3-5) | 125 | 0-4 | 16 | W, 34-21 Duke | OPEN | 27 |
| Others receiving votes |
| Kansas State 96, Marshall 72, South Florida 49, Miami 47, Rice 47, Notre Dame 46, Wake Forest 43, Iowa 43, Troy 43, Washington 40, Fresno State 37, Boston College 35, LSU 34, Texas Christian 32, Arkansas 29, Purdue 26, Penn State 24, Kentucky 23, Minnesota 18, San Jose State 15, Arkansas State 12, San Diego State 12, Kent State 11, Miami (OH) 11, Clemson 11, Mississippi State 8, Texas A&M 5 |
| Dropped out of the Top 25 |
| Kansas State (25) |
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