| Rank | Team | Record | Next Opponent | Prior | |
| 1 |  | Clemson | 11-0, 8-0 | at South Carolina | 2 |
| 2 |  | Alabama | 10-1, 6-1 | at Auburn | 3 |
| 3 |  | Notre Dame | 10-1 | at Stanford | 4 |
| 4 |  | Michigan State | 10-1, 6-1 | Penn State | 6 |
| 5 |  | Iowa | 11-0, 7-0 | at Nebraska | 7 |
| 6 |  | Oklahoma | 10-1, 7-1 | at Oklahoma State | 8 |
| 7 |  | Baylor | 9-1, 6-1 | at TCU | 9 |
| 8 |  | Ohio State | 10-1, 6-1 | at Michigan | 1 |
| 9 |  | Oklahoma State | 10-1, 7-1 | Oklahoma | 5 |
| 10 |  | Florida | 10-1, 7-1 | Florida State | 11 |
| 11 |  | Stanford | 9-2, 8-1 | Notre Dame | 13 |
| 12 |  | North Carolina | 10-1, 7-0 | at North Carolina State | 15 |
| 13 |  | Michigan | 9-2, 6-1 | Ohio State | 17 |
| 14 |  | Florida State | 9-2, 6-2 | at Florida | 18 |
| 15 |  | Navy | 9-1, 7-0 | at Houston | 21 |
| 16 |  | TCU | 9-2, 6-2 | Baylor | 10 |
| 17 |  | Mississippi | 8-3, 5-2 | at Mississippi State | 22 |
| 18 |  | Northwestern | 8-2, 4-2 | at Illinois | 20 |
| 19 |  | Houston | 10-1, 6-1 | Navy | 12 |
| 20 |  | Mississippi State | 8-3, 4-3 | Mississippi | 23 |
| 21 |  | UCLA | 8-3, 5-3 | at USC | 24 |
| 22 |  | Oregon | 8-3, 6-2 | Oregon State | NR |
| 23 |  | LSU | 7-3, 4-3 | Texas A&M | 14 |
| 24 |  | Utah | 8-3, 5-3 | Colorado | 16 |
| 25 |  | Toledo | 9-1, 6-1 | Western Michigan | NR |
