The Preseason Top Twenty Five
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, final records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
| Record | Pts | Prv | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Alabama (54) | 0-0 | 1566 | 2 |
| 2. Ohio St. (6) | 0-0 | 1506 | 6 |
| 3. Georgia (3) | 0-0 | 1455 | 1 |
| 4. Clemson | 0-0 | 1292 | 14 |
| 5. Notre Dame | 0-0 | 1242 | 8 |
| 6. Texas A&M | 0-0 | 1212 | – |
| 7. Utah | 0-0 | 1209 | 12 |
| 8. Michigan | 0-0 | 1203 | 3 |
| 9. Oklahoma | 0-0 | 956 | 10 |
| 10. Baylor | 0-0 | 884 | 5 |
| 11. Oregon | 0-0 | 831 | 22 |
| 12. Oklahoma St. | 0-0 | 814 | 7 |
| 13. NC State | 0-0 | 752 | 20 |
| 14. Southern Cal | 0-0 | 711 | – |
| 15. Michigan St. | 0-0 | 631 | 9 |
| 16. Miami | 0-0 | 476 | – |
| 17. Pittsburgh | 0-0 | 383 | 13 |
| 18. Wisconsin | 0-0 | 365 | – |
| 19. Arkansas | 0-0 | 348 | 21 |
| 20. Kentucky | 0-0 | 332 | 18 |
| 21. Mississippi | 0-0 | 324 | 11 |
| 22. Wake Forest | 0-0 | 303 | 15 |
| 23. Cincinnati | 0-0 | 265 | 4 |
| 24. Houston | 0-0 | 263 | 17 |
| 25. BYU | 0-0 | 234 | 19 |
Others receiving votes: Tennessee 180, Texas 164, Iowa 163, Penn St. 160, LSU 55, Fresno St. 32, Minnesota 31, UCF 27, Purdue 17, Mississippi St. 15, Auburn 15, Florida 14, Kansas St. 14, North Carolina 9, Boise St. 5, Air Force 4, Appalachian St. 4, South Carolina 2, UCLA 2, San Diego St. 2, Utah St. 2, Nebraska 1.
