| Rank | Team | Prior | |||
| 1 |  | Clemson | 1 | ||
| 2 |  | Ohio State | 2 | ||
| 3 |  | Alabama | 3 | ||
| 4 |  | Georgia | 4 | ||
| 5 |  | Notre Dame | 7 | ||
| 6 |  | Penn State | 6 | ||
| 7 |  | Oregon | 8 | ||
| 8 |  | Texas A&M | 19 | ||
| 9 |  | Wisconsin | 10 | ||
| 10 |  | Cincinnati | 13 | ||
| 11 |  | Michigan | 11 | ||
| 12 |  | North Carolina | 12 | ||
| 13 |  | USC | 12 | ||
| 14 |  | Oklahoma State | 17 | ||
| 15 |  | Florida | 5 | ||
| 16 |  | Auburn | 20 | ||
| 17 |  | Boise State | 16 | ||
| 18 |  | Miami (FL) | 14 | ||
| 19 |  | Minnesota | 18 | ||
| 20 |  | BYU | NR | ||
| 21 |  | Iowa | 23 | ||
| 22 |  | LSU | 9 | ||
| 23 |  | Washington | 24 | ||
| 24 |  | Virginia Tech | 21 | ||
| 25 |  | Tennessee | 25 | ||
