Preseason AP Top 25 (first-place votes in parenthesis):
- Alabama (52)
- Ohio State (3)
- Florida State (4)
- USC (2)
- Clemson
- Penn State
- Oklahoma
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Oklahoma State
- Michigan
- Auburn
- LSU
- Stanford
- Georgia
- Louisville
- Florida
- Miami
- South Florida
- Kansas State
- Virginia Tech
- West Virginia
- Texas
- Washington State
- Tennessee
Others receiving votes: TCU (98), Utah (85), Notre Dame (65), Boise State (37), NC State (26), Northwestern (25), Pittsburgh (23), Oregon (21), Houston (19), Colorado (18), UCLA (9), San Diego State (9), BYU (5), Appalachian State (4), Nebraska (4), Tulsa (4), Kentucky (3), Texas A&M (3), Michigan State (1).