| Rank | Team | Record | Next Opponent | Prior | |
| 1 |  | Ohio State | 8-0, 4-0 | Minnesota | 1 |
| 2 |  | Michigan State | 8-0, 4-0 | at Nebraska | 2 |
| 3 |  | TCU | 8-0, 5-0 | at Oklahoma State | 3 |
| 4 |  | Baylor | 7-0, 4-0 | at Kansas State | 4 |
| 5 |  | Clemson | 8-0, 5-0 | Florida State | 5 |
| 6 |  | LSU | 7-0, 4-0 | at Alabama | 6 |
| 7 |  | Alabama | 7-1, 4-1 | LSU | 7 |
| 8 |  | Notre Dame | 7-1 | at Pittsburgh | 8 |
| 9 |  | Stanford | 7-1, 6-0 | at Colorado | 9 |
| 10 |  | Utah | 7-1, 4-1 | at Washington | 10 |
| 11 |  | Oklahoma State | 8-0, 5-0 | TCU | 11 |
| 12 |  | Florida | 7-1, 5-1 | Vanderbilt | 12 |
| 13 |  | Florida State | 7-1, 5-1 | at Clemson | 13 |
| 14 |  | Memphis | 8-0, 4-0 | Navy | 14 |
| 15 |  | Oklahoma | 7-1, 4-1 | Iowa State | 15 |
| 16 |  | Iowa | 8-0, 4-0 | at Indiana | 16 |
| 17 |  | Mississippi | 7-2, 4-1 | Arkansas | 17 |
| 18 |  | Houston | 8-0, 4-0 | Cincinnati | 23 |
| 19 |  | Toledo | 8-0, 4-0 | Northern Illinois | 18 |
| 20 |  | UCLA | 6-2, 3-2 | at Oregon State | 20 |
| 21 |  | Michigan | 6-2, 3-1 | Rutgers | 21 |
| 22 |  | North Carolina | 7-1, 4-0 | Duke | NR |
| 23 |  | Texas A&M | 6-2, 3-2 | Auburn | 25 |
| 24 |  | Mississippi State | 6-2, 2-2 | at Missouri | NR |
| 25 |  | Temple | 7-1, 4-0 | at SMU | 22 |
