AP Poll
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| Preseason Aug | Week 1 Sep 10 | Week 2 Sep 17 | Week 3 Sep 24 | Week 4 Oct 1 | Week 5 Oct 8 | Week 6 Oct 15 | Week 7 Oct 22 | Week 8 Oct 29 | Week 9 Nov 5 | Week 10 Nov 12 | Week 11 Nov 19 | Week 12 Nov 26 | Week 13 Dec 3 | Week 14 (Final) Jan | ||
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| 1. | USC (55) | USC (0–0) (49) | USC (1–0) (38) | USC (2–0) (36) | Ohio State (2–0) (35) | Ohio State (3–0) (41) | Ohio State (4–0) (39) | Ohio State (5–0) (35) | Ohio State (6–0) (36) | Ohio State (7–0) (35) | Ohio State (8–0) (35) | Ohio State (9–0) (34) | Alabama (10–0) (36) | Alabama (11–0) (34) | Notre Dame (11–0) (33) | 1. |
| 2. | Ohio State (2) | Nebraska (1–0) (8) | Nebraska (1–0) (8) | Nebraska (2–0) (12) | Nebraska (3–0) (10) | Nebraska (4–0) (9) | Alabama (5–0) (6) | Alabama (6–0) (12) | Alabama (7–0) (12) | Alabama (8–0) (14) | Alabama (8–0) (13) | Alabama (9–0) (16) | Oklahoma (9–0–1) (20) | Oklahoma (10–0–1) (16) | Ohio State (10–0–1) (11) | 2. |
| 3. | Texas (1) | Ohio State (0–0) (2) | Ohio State (1–0) (11) | Ohio State (1–0) (8) | Alabama (3–0) (6) | Alabama (4–0) (6) | Oklahoma (3–0–1) (8) | Oklahoma (4–0–1) (8) | Oklahoma (5–0–1) (9) | Oklahoma (6–0–1) (7) | Oklahoma (7–0–1) (10) | Oklahoma (8–0–1) (9) | Ohio State (9–0–1) (2) | Notre Dame (10–0) (2) | Oklahoma (10–0–1) (16) | 3. |
| 4. | Nebraska (2) | Texas (0–0) | Alabama (1–0) (2) | Michigan (2–0) (1) | USC (2–0–1) (3.5) | USC (3–0–1) (1) | Michigan (5–0) (1) | Michigan (6–0) (1) | Michigan (7–0) (1) | Michigan (8–0) (1) | Michigan (9–0) (1) | Michigan (10–0) (1) | Michigan (10–0–1) (1) | Ohio State (9–0–1) (2) | Alabama (11–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Michigan (2) | Michigan (0–0) (1) | Michigan (1–0) | Alabama (2–0) (1) | Michigan (3–0) (2) | Michigan (4–0) (1) | Penn State (5–0) (4) | Penn State (6–0) (4) | Notre Dame (6–0) | Notre Dame (7–0) (1) | Notre Dame (8–0) (1) | Notre Dame (8–0) (1) | Notre Dame (9–0) (2) | Michigan (10–0–1) (1) | Penn State (12–0) | 5. |
| 6. | Alabama | Alabama (0–0) | Texas (0–0) | Penn State (2–0) (2) | Oklahoma (1–0–1) (1.5) | Oklahoma (2–0–1) | USC (4–0–1) | USC (5–0–1) | Penn State (7–0) (4) | Penn State (8–0) (4) | Penn State (9–0) (1) | Penn State (10–0) (1) | Penn State (11–0) (2) | Penn State (11–0) (3) | Michigan (10–0–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Penn State (1) | Penn State (0–0) (1) | Penn State (1–0) (1) | Notre Dame (1–0) | Penn State (3–0) (3) | Penn State (4–0) (3) | Missouri (5–0) (1) | Missouri (6–0) (1) | LSU (7–0) | LSU (8–0) | LSU (8–0) | LSU (9–0) | USC (9–1–1) | USC (9–1–1) | Nebraska (9–2–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Notre Dame | Notre Dame (0–0) | Notre Dame (0–0) | Oklahoma (1–0) (1) | Notre Dame (2–0) | Tennessee (4–0) | Notre Dame (4–0) | Notre Dame (5–0) | Arizona State (7–0) | USC (6–1–1) | UCLA (8–1) | UCLA (9–1) | LSU (9–1) | Texas (8–2) | USC (9–2–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Tennessee | Tennessee (0–0) | Oklahoma (1–0) | Tennessee (2–0) | Tennessee (3–0) | Notre Dame (3–0) | LSU (5–0) | LSU (6–0) | USC (5–1–1) | UCLA (7–1) | USC (7–1–1) | USC (8–1–1) | Texas (8–2) | UCLA (9–2) | Arizona State (11–1) т | 9. |
| 10. | UCLA | Colorado (0–0) | Tennessee (1–0) | LSU (2–0) | LSU (3–0) | LSU (4–0) | Tennessee (5–0) | Nebraska (5–1) | UCLA (6–1) | Missouri (7–1) | Nebraska (7–1–1) | Nebraska (8–1–1) | UCLA (9–2) | Arizona State (10–1) | Houston (11–1) т | 10. |
| 11. | Colorado т | Oklahoma (0–0) | LSU (1–0) | Auburn (2–0) | Oklahoma State (3–0) | Arizona State (4–0) | Nebraska (4–1) | Arizona State (6–0) | Tennessee (6–1) | Nebraska (6–1–1) | Texas (6–2) | Texas (7–2) | Arizona State (10–1) | Texas Tech (10–1) | Texas Tech (11–1) | 11. |
| 12. | Oklahoma т | Auburn (0–0) | Auburn (1–0) | Oklahoma State (2–0) | Arizona State (3–0) | Missouri (4–0) | Arizona State (5–0) | Houston (6–0) | Missouri (6–1) | Texas Tech (7–1) | Texas Tech (8–1) | Texas Tech (9–1) | Texas Tech (10–1) | Nebraska (8–2–1) | UCLA (9–2) | 12. |
| 13. | Auburn | Arizona State (0–0) | Arizona State (1–0) | Arizona State (2–0) | Texas (1–1) | Texas (2–1) | UCLA (4–1) | UCLA (5–1) | Nebraska (5–1–1) | Texas (5–2) | Arizona State (8–1) | Arizona State (9–1) | Nebraska (8–2–1) | LSU (9–2) | LSU (9–3) | 13. |
| 14. | Arizona State | Florida (0–0) | NC State (2–0) | Texas (0–1) | Houston (3–0) | Houston (4–0) | Houston (5–0) | Tennessee (5–1) | Tulane (6–0) | Arizona State (7–1) | Missouri (7–2) | Houston (8–1) | Houston (9–1) | Houston (10–1) | Texas (8–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Florida | LSU (0–0) | Florida (1–0) | Houston (2–0) | Missouri (3–0) | UCLA (3–1) | Miami (FL) (3–1) | Tulane (5–0) | Texas Tech (6–1) | Houston (7–1) | Houston (8–1) | Miami (OH) (10–0) | Miami (OH) (10–0) | Miami (OH) (10–0) | Miami (OH) (11–0) | 15. |
| 16. | LSU | UCLA (0–1) | Houston (1–0) | Florida (2–0) | UCLA (2–1) | Miami (FL) (2–1) | Colorado (4–1) | Miami (OH) (6–0) | Miami (OH) (7–0) | Tennessee (6–2) | Tennessee (6–2) | NC State (7–3) | NC State (8–3) | NC State (8–3) | NC State (9–3) | 16. |
| 17. | NC State | NC State (2–0) | Oklahoma State (1–0) | UCLA (1–1) | Miami (FL) (2–0) | Colorado (3–1) | Tulane (4–0) | Kansas (4–2) | Colorado (5–2) | Miami (OH) (8–0) | Miami (OH) (9–0) | Tulane (8–1) | Kansas (7–3–1) | Tulane (9–2) | Missouri (8–4) | 17. |
| 18. | Houston | Houston (0–0) | UCLA (0–1) | Miami (FL) (1–0) | Colorado (2–1) | Tulane (3–0) | Kansas (4–1) | Texas Tech (5–1) | Houston (6–1) | Kansas (5–2–1) | Kansas (6–2–1) | Oklahoma State (5–2–2) | Maryland (8–3) | Maryland (8–3) | Kansas (7–4–1) | 18. |
| 19. | North Carolina | North Carolina (0–0) | Colorado (0–1) | NC State (2–1) | SMU (3–0) | Kansas (3–1) | Arizona (5–0) | Texas (3–2) | Auburn (5–2) т | Kent State (7–1) | Arizona (8–1) | Missouri (7–3) | Tennessee (7–3) | Kansas (7–3–1) | Tennessee (8–4) | 19. |
| 20. | Texas Tech | Texas Tech (0–0) |
| Missouri (2–0) | West Virginia (3–0) | Miami (OH) (4–0) | Miami (OH) (5–0) | Richmond (6–0) | Texas (4–2) т | Pittsburgh (5–2–1) | NC State (6–3) |
| Missouri (7–4) | Tennessee (8–3) |
| 20. |
| Preseason Aug | Week 1 Sep 10 | Week 2 Sep 17 | Week 3 Sep 24 | Week 4 Oct 1 | Week 5 Oct 8 | Week 6 Oct 15 | Week 7 Oct 22 | Week 8 Oct 29 | Week 9 Nov 5 | Week 10 Nov 12 | Week 11 Nov 19 | Week 12 Nov 26 | Week 13 Dec 3 | Week 14 (Final) Jan | ||
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