The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 31, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
| Record | Pts | Pv | |
| 1. Ohio St. (39) | 8-0 | 1,465 | 1 |
| 2. Baylor (6) | 7-0 | 1,408 | 2 |
| 3. Clemson (6) | 8-0 | 1,381 | 3 |
| 4. LSU (5) | 7-0 | 1,346 | 4 |
| 5. TCU (4) | 8-0 | 1,336 | 5 |
| 6. Michigan St. | 8-0 | 1,249 | 6 |
| 7. Alabama (1) | 7-1 | 1,160 | 7 |
| 8. Notre Dame | 7-1 | 1,019 | 9 |
| 9. Stanford | 7-1 | 1,014 | 8 |
| 10. Iowa | 8-0 | 954 | 10 |
| 11. Florida | 7-1 | 923 | 11 |
| 12. Oklahoma St. | 8-0 | 879 | 12 |
| 13. Utah | 7-1 | 809 | 13 |
| 14. Oklahoma | 7-1 | 712 | 14 |
| 15. Memphis | 8-0 | 683 | 16 |
| 16. Michigan | 6-2 | 613 | 15 |
| 17. Florida St. | 7-1 | 571 | 17 |
| 18. Houston | 8-0 | 466 | 18 |
| 19. Mississippi | 7-2 | 414 | 19 |
| 20. Toledo | 7-0 | 366 | 20 |
| 21. North Carolina | 7-1 | 248 | NR |
| 22. UCLA | 6-2 | 190 | 24 |
| 23. Temple | 7-1 | 175 | 21 |
| 24. Mississippi St. | 6-2 | 144 | 25 |
| 25. Texas A&M | 6-2 | 101 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 64, Southern Cal 57, BYU 27, Northwestern 21, Duke 7, Penn St. 5, Appalachian St. 4, Boise St. 4, California 4, Pittsburgh 2, Tennessee 2, Navy 1, Washington St. 1.
