Pat Welter
AP Top 25 voter, 2025–2026 · WRAL-TV (opens in a new tab) · @PatrickWelter on X (opens in a new tab)
Each pick shows where AP’s poll ranked the team that week.
2026
| Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
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| Week 5September 27 |  1. Texas, No. 1 in the AP poll |  2. Miami, No. 4 in the AP poll |  3. Georgia, No. 2 in the AP poll |  4. Notre Dame, No. 3 in the AP poll |  5. Indiana, No. 6 in the AP poll |  6. Alabama, No. 7 in the AP poll |  7. Florida, No. 8 in the AP poll |  8. Ole Miss, No. 9 in the AP poll |  9. LSU, No. 11 in the AP poll |  10. Ohio State, No. 5 in the AP poll |  11. Mississippi State, No. 16 in the AP poll |  12. Texas Tech, No. 12 in the AP poll |  13. Iowa, No. 14 in the AP poll |  14. Utah, No. 13 in the AP poll |  15. BYU, No. 10 in the AP poll |  16. Oklahoma State, No. 19 in the AP poll |  17. Oregon, No. 15 in the AP poll |  18. USC, No. 18 in the AP poll |  19. Tennessee, No. 17 in the AP poll |  20. Duke, unranked in the AP poll |  21. UCLA, No. 23 in the AP poll |  22. SMU, No. 21 in the AP poll |  23. Wake Forest, unranked in the AP poll |  24. Pittsburgh, unranked in the AP poll |  25. Houston, No. 20 in the AP poll |
| Week 4September 20 | 1. Texas, No. 1 in the AP poll | 2. Ole Miss, No. 4 in the AP poll | 3. Miami, No. 6 in the AP poll | 4. Notre Dame, No. 3 in the AP poll | 5. Georgia, No. 2 in the AP poll | 6. Indiana, No. 5 in the AP poll | 7. LSU, No. 10 in the AP poll | 8. Ohio State, No. 7 in the AP poll | 9. Texas Tech, No. 11 in the AP poll | 10. USC, No. 12 in the AP poll | 11. BYU, No. 9 in the AP poll | 12. Alabama, No. 8 in the AP poll | 13. Tennessee, No. 14 in the AP poll |  14. Michigan, No. 18 in the AP poll |  15. Penn State, No. 13 in the AP poll | 16. Duke, unranked in the AP poll |  17. Louisville, No. 16 in the AP poll | 18. Oregon, No. 20 in the AP poll |  19. Oklahoma, unranked in the AP poll |  20. Texas A&M, No. 23 in the AP poll | 21. Utah, No. 15 in the AP poll | 22. Iowa, No. 17 in the AP poll |  23. Missouri, No. 19 in the AP poll | 24. Pittsburgh, unranked in the AP poll | 25. Florida, No. 21 in the AP poll |
| Week 3September 13 | 1. Texas, No. 1 in the AP poll | 2. LSU, No. 7 in the AP poll | 3. Miami, No. 5 in the AP poll | 4. Indiana, No. 4 in the AP poll | 5. Notre Dame, No. 3 in the AP poll | 6. Georgia, No. 2 in the AP poll | 7. Ole Miss, No. 8 in the AP poll | 8. Ohio State, No. 6 in the AP poll | 9. Texas Tech, No. 13 in the AP poll | 10. Texas A&M, No. 9 in the AP poll | 11. Alabama, No. 10 in the AP poll | 12. USC, No. 12 in the AP poll | 13. BYU, No. 11 in the AP poll | 14. Missouri, No. 20 in the AP poll | 15. Tennessee, No. 15 in the AP poll | 16. Oregon, No. 21 in the AP poll | 17. Penn State, No. 14 in the AP poll | 18. Michigan, No. 19 in the AP poll | 19. Oklahoma, No. 24 in the AP poll | 20. Iowa, No. 18 in the AP poll | 21. SMU, No. 16 in the AP poll | 22. Louisville, No. 23 in the AP poll |  23. Virginia, No. 25 in the AP poll | 24. Houston, No. 22 in the AP poll | 25. Utah, No. 17 in the AP poll |
| Week 2September 8 | 1. LSU, No. 8 in the AP poll | 2. Miami, No. 7 in the AP poll | 3. Indiana, No. 5 in the AP poll | 4. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 5. Ole Miss, No. 9 in the AP poll | 6. Oregon, No. 6 in the AP poll | 7. Texas, No. 4 in the AP poll | 8. Notre Dame, No. 3 in the AP poll | 9. Georgia, No. 2 in the AP poll | 10. Oklahoma, No. 11 in the AP poll | 11. Texas Tech, No. 13 in the AP poll | 12. Texas A&M, No. 10 in the AP poll | 13. USC, No. 14 in the AP poll | 14. Alabama, No. 12 in the AP poll | 15. BYU, No. 15 in the AP poll |  16. Washington, No. 19 in the AP poll | 17. Penn State, No. 16 in the AP poll | 18. Louisville, No. 24 in the AP poll | 19. Tennessee, No. 18 in the AP poll | 20. Iowa, No. 21 in the AP poll | 21. Missouri, No. 23 in the AP poll | 22. SMU, No. 17 in the AP poll | 23. Houston, No. 22 in the AP poll | 24. Utah, No. 20 in the AP poll |  25. Boise State, unranked in the AP poll |
| PreseasonAugust 17 | 1. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 2. Notre Dame, No. 4 in the AP poll | 3. Texas, No. 5 in the AP poll | 4. Oregon, No. 2 in the AP poll | 5. Georgia, No. 3 in the AP poll | 6. Miami, No. 7 in the AP poll | 7. Indiana, No. 6 in the AP poll | 8. LSU, No. 11 in the AP poll | 9. Texas A&M, No. 8 in the AP poll | 10. Alabama, No. 13 in the AP poll | 11. Texas Tech, No. 12 in the AP poll | 12. USC, No. 14 in the AP poll | 13. Oklahoma, No. 10 in the AP poll | 14. Michigan, No. 16 in the AP poll | 15. Penn State, No. 18 in the AP poll | 16. BYU, No. 14 in the AP poll | 17. Florida, unranked in the AP poll | 18. Tennessee, No. 20 in the AP poll | 19. SMU, No. 19 in the AP poll | 20. Missouri, No. 25 in the AP poll | 21. Utah, No. 21 in the AP poll | 22. Louisville, No. 24 in the AP poll | 23. Washington, No. 17 in the AP poll |  24. Clemson, unranked in the AP poll | 25. Houston, No. 23 in the AP poll |
2025
| Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
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| FinalJanuary 20 | 1. Indiana, No. 1 in the AP poll | 2. Miami, No. 2 in the AP poll | 3. Ole Miss, No. 3 in the AP poll | 4. Oregon, No. 4 in the AP poll | 5. Georgia, No. 6 in the AP poll | 6. Ohio State, No. 5 in the AP poll | 7. Texas Tech, No. 7 in the AP poll | 8. Texas A&M, No. 8 in the AP poll | 9. Alabama, No. 9 in the AP poll | 10. Oklahoma, No. 13 in the AP poll | 11. Notre Dame, No. 10 in the AP poll | 12. Texas, No. 12 in the AP poll | 13. BYU, No. 11 in the AP poll | 14. Utah, No. 14 in the AP poll | 15. Iowa, No. 17 in the AP poll |  16. Vanderbilt, No. 15 in the AP poll | 17. Virginia, No. 16 in the AP poll |  18. Arizona, unranked in the AP poll | 19. Houston, No. 22 in the AP poll |  20. Tulane, No. 18 in the AP poll |  21. Georgia Tech, unranked in the AP poll | 22. USC, No. 20 in the AP poll | 23. Michigan, No. 21 in the AP poll |  24. James Madison, No. 19 in the AP poll | 25. Duke, unranked in the AP poll |
| Week 16December 7 | 1. Indiana, No. 1 in the AP poll | 2. Ohio State, No. 3 in the AP poll | 3. Georgia, No. 2 in the AP poll | 4. Texas A&M, No. 7 in the AP poll | 5. Texas Tech, No. 4 in the AP poll | 6. Oregon, No. 5 in the AP poll | 7. Ole Miss, No. 6 in the AP poll | 8. Oklahoma, No. 8 in the AP poll | 9. Alabama, No. 11 in the AP poll | 10. Miami, No. 10 in the AP poll | 11. Notre Dame, No. 9 in the AP poll | 12. Texas, No. 14 in the AP poll | 13. Vanderbilt, No. 13 in the AP poll | 14. BYU, No. 12 in the AP poll | 15. Utah, No. 15 in the AP poll | 16. USC, No. 16 in the AP poll | 17. Tulane, No. 17 in the AP poll | 18. Virginia, No. 20 in the AP poll | 19. Georgia Tech, No. 24 in the AP poll | 20. Michigan, No. 18 in the AP poll | 21. Tennessee, unranked in the AP poll |  22. North Texas, No. 23 in the AP poll | 23. James Madison, No. 19 in the AP poll | 24. Arizona, No. 21 in the AP poll | 25. Duke, unranked in the AP poll |
| Week 15November 30 | 1. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 2. Indiana, No. 2 in the AP poll | 3. Texas A&M, No. 7 in the AP poll | 4. Georgia, No. 3 in the AP poll | 5. Oregon, No. 4 in the AP poll | 6. Texas Tech, No. 5 in the AP poll | 7. Ole Miss, No. 6 in the AP poll | 8. Oklahoma, No. 8 in the AP poll | 9. Alabama, No. 10 in the AP poll | 10. Miami, No. 12 in the AP poll | 11. Notre Dame, No. 9 in the AP poll | 12. Texas, No. 14 in the AP poll | 13. Vanderbilt, No. 13 in the AP poll | 14. BYU, No. 11 in the AP poll | 15. Utah, No. 15 in the AP poll | 16. USC, No. 17 in the AP poll | 17. Virginia, No. 16 in the AP poll | 18. Georgia Tech, No. 24 in the AP poll | 19. Tulane, No. 21 in the AP poll | 20. North Texas, No. 20 in the AP poll | 21. Tennessee, unranked in the AP poll | 22. Michigan, No. 18 in the AP poll | 23. James Madison, No. 19 in the AP poll | 24. Arizona, No. 22 in the AP poll | 25. Iowa, unranked in the AP poll |
| Week 14November 23 | 1. Texas A&M, No. 3 in the AP poll | 2. Indiana, No. 2 in the AP poll | 3. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 4. Georgia, No. 4 in the AP poll | 5. Ole Miss, No. 6 in the AP poll | 6. Oregon, No. 5 in the AP poll | 7. Texas Tech, No. 7 in the AP poll | 8. Oklahoma, No. 8 in the AP poll | 9. Alabama, No. 10 in the AP poll | 10. Notre Dame, No. 9 in the AP poll | 11. BYU, No. 11 in the AP poll | 12. Vanderbilt, No. 12 in the AP poll | 13. Miami, No. 13 in the AP poll | 14. Utah, No. 14 in the AP poll | 15. Texas, No. 16 in the AP poll | 16. USC, No. 19 in the AP poll | 17. Michigan, No. 15 in the AP poll | 18. Tennessee, No. 18 in the AP poll | 19. Georgia Tech, No. 23 in the AP poll | 20. Virginia, No. 17 in the AP poll | 21. North Texas, No. 21 in the AP poll |  22. Arizona State, unranked in the AP poll | 23. James Madison, No. 20 in the AP poll | 24. Washington, unranked in the AP poll | 25. Pittsburgh, No. 24 in the AP poll |
| Week 13November 16 | 1. Texas A&M, No. 3 in the AP poll | 2. Indiana, No. 2 in the AP poll | 3. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 4. Georgia, No. 4 in the AP poll | 5. Ole Miss, No. 5 in the AP poll | 6. Oregon, No. 6 in the AP poll | 7. Texas Tech, No. 6 in the AP poll | 8. Oklahoma, No. 8 in the AP poll | 9. Alabama, No. 10 in the AP poll | 10. Notre Dame, No. 9 in the AP poll | 11. Vanderbilt, No. 12 in the AP poll | 12. BYU, No. 11 in the AP poll | 13. Utah, No. 13 in the AP poll | 14. Georgia Tech, No. 15 in the AP poll | 15. Miami, No. 14 in the AP poll | 16. Texas, No. 17 in the AP poll | 17. USC, No. 16 in the AP poll | 18. Virginia, No. 19 in the AP poll | 19. Michigan, No. 18 in the AP poll | 20. Tennessee, No. 20 in the AP poll | 21. Houston, No. 25 in the AP poll | 22. James Madison, No. 21 in the AP poll | 23. North Texas, No. 22 in the AP poll | 24. Missouri, No. 23 in the AP poll | 25. Washington, unranked in the AP poll |
| Week 12November 9 | 1. Texas A&M, No. 3 in the AP poll | 2. Indiana, No. 2 in the AP poll | 3. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 4. Alabama, No. 4 in the AP poll | 5. Georgia, No. 5 in the AP poll | 6. Oregon, No. 7 in the AP poll | 7. Ole Miss, No. 6 in the AP poll | 8. Texas Tech, No. 8 in the AP poll | 9. Notre Dame, No. 9 in the AP poll | 10. Texas, No. 10 in the AP poll | 11. Oklahoma, No. 11 in the AP poll | 12. Vanderbilt, No. 13 in the AP poll | 13. Georgia Tech, No. 14 in the AP poll | 14. USC, No. 17 in the AP poll | 15. BYU, No. 12 in the AP poll | 16. Utah, No. 15 in the AP poll | 17. Miami, No. 16 in the AP poll | 18. Michigan, No. 18 in the AP poll | 19. Tennessee, No. 21 in the AP poll | 20. Missouri, unranked in the AP poll |  21. Cincinnati, No. 22 in the AP poll |  22. South Florida, No. 25 in the AP poll | 23. Pittsburgh, No. 23 in the AP poll | 24. Virginia, No. 20 in the AP poll | 25. Louisville, No. 19 in the AP poll |
| Week 11November 2 | 1. Texas A&M, No. 3 in the AP poll | 2. Indiana, No. 2 in the AP poll | 3. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 4. Alabama, No. 4 in the AP poll | 5. Georgia, No. 5 in the AP poll | 6. Oregon, No. 6 in the AP poll | 7. Ole Miss, No. 7 in the AP poll | 8. BYU, No. 8 in the AP poll | 9. Notre Dame, No. 10 in the AP poll | 10. Texas Tech, No. 9 in the AP poll | 11. Texas, No. 13 in the AP poll | 12. Oklahoma, No. 11 in the AP poll | 13. Vanderbilt, No. 15 in the AP poll | 14. Georgia Tech, No. 16 in the AP poll | 15. USC, No. 20 in the AP poll | 16. Utah, No. 17 in the AP poll | 17. Missouri, No. 19 in the AP poll | 18. Virginia, No. 12 in the AP poll | 19. Louisville, No. 14 in the AP poll | 20. Miami, No. 18 in the AP poll | 21. Tennessee, No. 23 in the AP poll | 22. Michigan, No. 21 in the AP poll | 23. Cincinnati, No. 25 in the AP poll | 24. Washington, No. 24 in the AP poll |  25. Memphis, No. 22 in the AP poll |
| Week 10October 26 | 1. Texas A&M, No. 3 in the AP poll | 2. Indiana, No. 2 in the AP poll | 3. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 4. Alabama, No. 4 in the AP poll | 5. Georgia, No. 5 in the AP poll | 6. Georgia Tech, No. 8 in the AP poll | 7. Ole Miss, No. 7 in the AP poll | 8. Vanderbilt, No. 9 in the AP poll | 9. Oregon, No. 6 in the AP poll | 10. Miami, No. 10 in the AP poll | 11. BYU, No. 10 in the AP poll | 12. Notre Dame, No. 12 in the AP poll | 13. Texas Tech, No. 13 in the AP poll | 14. Tennessee, No. 14 in the AP poll | 15. Missouri, No. 19 in the AP poll | 16. Louisville, No. 16 in the AP poll | 17. Cincinnati, No. 17 in the AP poll | 18. Virginia, No. 15 in the AP poll | 19. Texas, No. 20 in the AP poll | 20. Oklahoma, No. 18 in the AP poll | 21. USC, No. 23 in the AP poll | 22. Michigan, No. 21 in the AP poll | 23. Memphis, No. 25 in the AP poll | 24. Washington, unranked in the AP poll | 25. Utah, No. 24 in the AP poll |
| Week 9October 19 | 1. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 2. Indiana, No. 2 in the AP poll | 3. Texas A&M, No. 3 in the AP poll | 4. Alabama, No. 4 in the AP poll | 5. Georgia, No. 5 in the AP poll | 6. Oregon, No. 6 in the AP poll | 7. Miami, No. 9 in the AP poll | 8. Oklahoma, No. 13 in the AP poll | 9. Ole Miss, No. 8 in the AP poll | 10. Georgia Tech, No. 7 in the AP poll | 11. Texas Tech, No. 14 in the AP poll | 12. Notre Dame, No. 12 in the AP poll | 13. Vanderbilt, No. 10 in the AP poll | 14. BYU, No. 11 in the AP poll | 15. Missouri, No. 15 in the AP poll | 16. Virginia, No. 16 in the AP poll | 17. Cincinnati, No. 21 in the AP poll | 18. Louisville, No. 19 in the AP poll | 19. USC, unranked in the AP poll | 20. Texas, No. 22 in the AP poll | 21. Tennessee, No. 17 in the AP poll | 22. LSU, No. 20 in the AP poll | 23. South Florida, No. 18 in the AP poll | 24. Arizona State, No. 24 in the AP poll |  25. Illinois, No. 23 in the AP poll |
| Week 8October 12 | 1. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 2. Indiana, No. 3 in the AP poll | 3. Miami, No. 2 in the AP poll | 4. Texas A&M, No. 4 in the AP poll | 5. Ole Miss, No. 5 in the AP poll | 6. Texas Tech, No. 7 in the AP poll | 7. Alabama, No. 6 in the AP poll | 8. Oregon, No. 8 in the AP poll | 9. Oklahoma, No. 14 in the AP poll | 10. Georgia, No. 9 in the AP poll | 11. LSU, No. 10 in the AP poll | 12. Tennessee, No. 11 in the AP poll | 13. Georgia Tech, No. 12 in the AP poll | 14. Notre Dame, No. 13 in the AP poll | 15. Missouri, No. 16 in the AP poll | 16. USC, No. 20 in the AP poll | 17. BYU, No. 15 in the AP poll | 18. Virginia, No. 18 in the AP poll | 19. Vanderbilt, No. 17 in the AP poll |  20. Nebraska, No. 25 in the AP poll | 21. Cincinnati, No. 24 in the AP poll | 22. Utah, No. 23 in the AP poll | 23. Memphis, No. 22 in the AP poll | 24. South Florida, No. 19 in the AP poll | 25. Texas, No. 21 in the AP poll |
| Week 7October 5 | 1. Miami, No. 2 in the AP poll | 2. Oregon, No. 3 in the AP poll | 3. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 4. Ole Miss, No. 4 in the AP poll | 5. Texas A&M, No. 5 in the AP poll | 6. Oklahoma, No. 6 in the AP poll | 7. Indiana, No. 7 in the AP poll | 8. Alabama, No. 8 in the AP poll | 9. Texas Tech, No. 9 in the AP poll | 10. LSU, No. 11 in the AP poll | 11. Georgia, No. 10 in the AP poll | 12. Tennessee, No. 12 in the AP poll | 13. Missouri, No. 14 in the AP poll | 14. Georgia Tech, No. 13 in the AP poll | 15. Illinois, No. 17 in the AP poll | 16. Arizona State, No. 21 in the AP poll | 17. USC, unranked in the AP poll | 18. Michigan, No. 15 in the AP poll | 19. Virginia, No. 19 in the AP poll | 20. Vanderbilt, No. 20 in the AP poll | 21. Notre Dame, No. 16 in the AP poll | 22. BYU, No. 18 in the AP poll | 23. Nebraska, unranked in the AP poll | 24. Cincinnati, unranked in the AP poll |  25. Iowa State, No. 22 in the AP poll |
| Week 6September 28 | 1. Oregon, No. 2 in the AP poll | 2. Miami, No. 3 in the AP poll | 3. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 4. Ole Miss, No. 4 in the AP poll | 5. Oklahoma, No. 5 in the AP poll | 6. Texas A&M, No. 6 in the AP poll | 7. Indiana, No. 8 in the AP poll | 8. Alabama, No. 10 in the AP poll | 9. LSU, No. 13 in the AP poll | 10. Georgia, No. 12 in the AP poll | 11. Tennessee, No. 15 in the AP poll | 12. Penn State, No. 7 in the AP poll | 13. Texas, No. 9 in the AP poll | 14. Missouri, No. 19 in the AP poll | 15. Texas Tech, No. 11 in the AP poll | 16. Vanderbilt, No. 16 in the AP poll | 17. Georgia Tech, No. 17 in the AP poll | 18. Iowa State, No. 14 in the AP poll |  19. Florida State, No. 18 in the AP poll | 20. Illinois, No. 22 in the AP poll | 21. Arizona State, No. 25 in the AP poll | 22. Notre Dame, No. 21 in the AP poll | 23. USC, unranked in the AP poll | 24. Michigan, No. 20 in the AP poll | 25. BYU, No. 23 in the AP poll |
| Week 5September 21 | 1. Miami, No. 2 in the AP poll | 2. LSU, No. 4 in the AP poll | 3. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 4. Oklahoma, No. 7 in the AP poll | 5. Penn State, No. 3 in the AP poll | 6. Georgia, No. 5 in the AP poll | 7. Oregon, No. 6 in the AP poll | 8. Ole Miss, No. 13 in the AP poll | 9. Florida State, No. 8 in the AP poll | 10. Texas, No. 10 in the AP poll | 11. Indiana, No. 11 in the AP poll | 12. Texas A&M, No. 9 in the AP poll | 13. Texas Tech, No. 12 in the AP poll | 14. Iowa State, No. 14 in the AP poll | 15. Georgia Tech, No. 16 in the AP poll | 16. Illinois, No. 23 in the AP poll |  17. Auburn, unranked in the AP poll | 18. Michigan, No. 19 in the AP poll | 19. USC, No. 21 in the AP poll | 20. Missouri, No. 20 in the AP poll | 21. Vanderbilt, No. 18 in the AP poll | 22. South Florida, unranked in the AP poll | 23. Alabama, No. 17 in the AP poll | 24. Tennessee, No. 15 in the AP poll | 25. Mississippi State, unranked in the AP poll |
| Week 4September 14 | 1. LSU, No. 3 in the AP poll | 2. Miami, No. 4 in the AP poll | 3. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 4. Penn State, No. 2 in the AP poll | 5. Georgia, No. 5 in the AP poll | 6. Oregon, No. 6 in the AP poll | 7. Ole Miss, No. 13 in the AP poll | 8. Oklahoma, No. 11 in the AP poll | 9. Texas A&M, No. 10 in the AP poll | 10. Texas, No. 8 in the AP poll | 11. Florida State, No. 7 in the AP poll | 12. Illinois, No. 9 in the AP poll | 13. Iowa State, No. 12 in the AP poll | 14. Georgia Tech, No. 18 in the AP poll | 15. Tennessee, No. 15 in the AP poll | 16. Alabama, No. 14 in the AP poll | 17. South Florida, unranked in the AP poll | 18. USC, No. 25 in the AP poll | 19. Missouri, No. 23 in the AP poll | 20. Texas Tech, No. 17 in the AP poll | 21. Utah, No. 16 in the AP poll | 22. Auburn, No. 22 in the AP poll | 23. Indiana, No. 19 in the AP poll | 24. Michigan, No. 21 in the AP poll | 25. Vanderbilt, No. 20 in the AP poll |
| Week 3September 7 | 1. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 2. LSU, No. 3 in the AP poll | 3. Miami, No. 5 in the AP poll | 4. Penn State, No. 2 in the AP poll | 5. Oregon, No. 4 in the AP poll | 6. Texas, No. 7 in the AP poll | 7. Georgia, No. 6 in the AP poll | 8. Oklahoma, No. 13 in the AP poll | 9. Ole Miss, No. 17 in the AP poll | 10. Florida State, No. 10 in the AP poll | 11. Clemson, No. 12 in the AP poll | 12. Illinois, No. 9 in the AP poll |  13. South Carolina, No. 11 in the AP poll | 14. Tennessee, No. 15 in the AP poll | 15. Iowa State, No. 14 in the AP poll | 16. Notre Dame, No. 8 in the AP poll | 17. USC, unranked in the AP poll | 18. South Florida, No. 18 in the AP poll | 19. Alabama, No. 19 in the AP poll | 20. Missouri, No. 25 in the AP poll | 21. Texas A&M, No. 16 in the AP poll | 22. Louisville, unranked in the AP poll | 23. Texas Tech, No. 21 in the AP poll | 24. Utah, No. 20 in the AP poll | 25. Indiana, No. 22 in the AP poll |
| Week 2September 2 | 1. Ohio State, No. 1 in the AP poll | 2. Penn State, No. 2 in the AP poll | 3. LSU, No. 3 in the AP poll | 4. Miami, No. 5 in the AP poll | 5. Georgia, No. 4 in the AP poll | 6. Texas, No. 7 in the AP poll | 7. Notre Dame, No. 9 in the AP poll | 8. Clemson, No. 8 in the AP poll | 9. Oregon, No. 6 in the AP poll | 10. Ole Miss, No. 20 in the AP poll | 11. South Carolina, No. 10 in the AP poll | 12. Tennessee, No. 22 in the AP poll | 13. Texas A&M, No. 19 in the AP poll | 14. Florida, No. 13 in the AP poll | 15. Michigan, No. 15 in the AP poll | 16. Oklahoma, No. 18 in the AP poll | 17. Florida State, No. 14 in the AP poll | 18. Alabama, No. 21 in the AP poll | 19. Arizona State, No. 12 in the AP poll | 20. Illinois, No. 11 in the AP poll | 21. Auburn, unranked in the AP poll | 22. USC, unranked in the AP poll | 23. Missouri, unranked in the AP poll | 24. Louisville, unranked in the AP poll | 25. Iowa State, No. 16 in the AP poll |
| PreseasonAugust 11 | 1. Penn State, No. 2 in the AP poll | 2. Texas, No. 1 in the AP poll | 3. Ohio State, No. 3 in the AP poll | 4. Alabama, No. 8 in the AP poll | 5. Georgia, No. 5 in the AP poll | 6. Notre Dame, No. 6 in the AP poll | 7. Clemson, No. 4 in the AP poll | 8. LSU, No. 9 in the AP poll | 9. Oregon, No. 7 in the AP poll | 10. Texas A&M, No. 19 in the AP poll | 11. Miami, No. 10 in the AP poll | 12. Michigan, No. 14 in the AP poll | 13. Florida, No. 15 in the AP poll | 14. Ole Miss, No. 21 in the AP poll | 15. Tennessee, No. 24 in the AP poll | 16. South Carolina, No. 13 in the AP poll |  17. Kansas State, No. 17 in the AP poll | 18. SMU, No. 16 in the AP poll | 19. Oklahoma, No. 18 in the AP poll | 20. Illinois, No. 12 in the AP poll | 21. Arizona State, No. 11 in the AP poll | 22. Indiana, No. 20 in the AP poll | 23. Missouri, unranked in the AP poll | 24. Louisville, unranked in the AP poll | 25. Boise State, No. 25 in the AP poll |