Here is the full AP Top 25 Poll heading into Week 1. Georgia and Clemson are in bold.
| Rank | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia (46) | 1,532 |
| 2 | Ohio State (15) | 1,490 |
| 3 | Oregon (1) | 1,403 |
| 4 | Texas | 1,386 |
| 5 | Alabama | 1,260 |
| 6 | Ole Miss | 1,189 |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 1,122 |
| 8 | Penn State | 1,060 |
| 9 | Michigan | 995 |
| 10 | Florida State | 971 |
| 11 | Missouri | 927 |
| 12 | Utah | 887 |
| 13 | LSU | 804 |
| 14 | Clemson | 689 |
| 15 | Tennessee | 629 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 566 |
| 17 | Oklahoma State | 538 |
| 18 | Kansas State | 526 |
| 19 | Miami (FL) | 492 |
| 20 | Texas A&M | 292 |
| 21 | Arizona | 237 |
| 22 | Kansas | 231 |
| 23 | Southern Cal | 172 |
| 24 | North Carolina State | 171 |
| 25 | Iowa | 140 |
Others receiving votes: Louisville 111, Virginia Tech 77, Boise St. 47, SMU 33, Iowa St. 33, Liberty 32, Washington 23, West Virginia 17, Memphis 16, Nebraska 16, Wisconsin 15, UTSA 6, Tulane 5, Appalachian St. 4, Kentucky 3, Auburn 2, Colorado 1.