PRESEASON POLL (First Place Votes In Parenthesis)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (36) 812
- Clemson Tigers (14) 788
- Georgia Bulldogs (1) 698
- Wisconsin Badgers 575
- Washington Huskies 552
- Ohio State Buckeyes 549
- Oklahoma Sooners 532
- Miami (FL) Hurricanes 412
- Auburn Tigers 399
- Penn State Nittany Lions 370
- Michigan State Spartans (1) 291
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish 234
- Michigan Wolverines 216
- Stanford Cardinal 175
- USC Trojans 112
- TCU Horned Frogs 73
Others Receiving Votes: West Virginia Mountaineers 60, Florida State Seminoles 42, Mississippi State Bulldogs 39, Virginia Tech Hokies 29, Texas Longhorns 22, UCF Golden Knights 20, Boise State Broncos 18, Florida Gators 16, LSU Tigers 13, Louisville Cardinals 6, South Carolina Gamecocks 5, Northwestern Wildcats 4, Oklahoma State Cowboys 3, North Carolina State Wolfpack 2, Utah Utes 2, San Diego State Aztecs 1, Oregon Ducks 1, Boston College Eagles 1