The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 19, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
| Record | Pts | Prv | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Oregon (59) | 7-0 | 1523 | 2 |
| 2. Georgia (2) | 6-1 | 1434 | 5 |
| 3. Penn St. | 6-0 | 1375 | 3 |
| 4. Ohio St. | 5-1 | 1353 | 4 |
| 5. Texas | 6-1 | 1257 | 1 |
| 6. Miami | 7-0 | 1242 | 6 |
| 7. Tennessee | 6-1 | 1075 | 11 |
| 8. LSU | 6-1 | 1049 | 8 |
| 9. Clemson | 6-1 | 984 | 10 |
| 10. Iowa St. | 7-0 | 972 | 9 |
| 11. BYU | 7-0 | 910 | 13 |
| 12. Notre Dame | 6-1 | 891 | 12 |
| 13. Indiana | 7-0 | 830 | 16 |
| 14. Texas A&M | 6-1 | 748 | 14 |
| 15. Alabama | 5-2 | 643 | 7 |
| 16. Kansas St. | 6-1 | 576 | 17 |
| 17. Boise St. | 5-1 | 573 | 15 |
| 18. Mississippi | 5-2 | 408 | 18 |
| 19. Pittsburgh | 6-0 | 396 | 20 |
| 20. Illinois | 6-1 | 392 | 22 |
| 21. Missouri | 6-1 | 359 | 19 |
| 22. SMU | 6-1 | 313 | 21 |
| 23. Army | 7-0 | 193 | 23 |
| 24. Navy | 6-0 | 166 | 25 |
| 25. Vanderbilt | 5-2 | 92 | – |
Others receiving votes: Washington St. 46, Syracuse 15, UNLV 5, Duke 2, South Carolina 1, Nebraska 1, Liberty 1.
