Clemson moved back into the USA Today Coaches Poll as the No. 24 ranked team this week.
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | 1ST PLACE VOTES | PREV | CHANGE | HI/LOW |
| 1 | Alabama | 10-1 | 1474 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 1/7 |
| 2 | Florida State | 11-0 | 1462 | 30 | 1 | -1 | 1/2 |
| 3 | Oregon | 10-1 | 1431 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3/11 |
| 4 | Mississippi State | 10-1 | 1323 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1/NR |
| 5 | TCU | 9-1 | 1259 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5/NR |
| 6 | Baylor | 9-1 | 1242 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3/13 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 10-1 | 1191 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6/20 |
| 8 | Michigan State | 9-2 | 1052 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 5/13 |
| 9 | Georgia | 9-2 | 1002 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 6/17 |
| 10 | UCLA | 9-2 | 963 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 7/NR |
| 11 | Kansas State | 8-2 | 912 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 9/25 |
| 12 | Arizona | 9-2 | 818 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 13/NR |
| 13 | Arizona State | 9-2 | 783 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 8/24 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 9-2 | 758 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 14/NR |
| 15 | Georgia Tech | 9-2 | 615 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 16/NR |
| 16 | Auburn | 8-3 | 565 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 2/17 |
| 17 | Missouri | 9-2 | 560 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 19/NR |
| 18 | Oklahoma | 8-3 | 420 | 0 | 22 | 4 | 3/24 |
| 19 | Ole Miss | 8-3 | 390 | 0 | 8 | -11 | 3/19 |
| 20 | Marshall | 11-0 | 383 | 0 | 18 | -2 | 18/NR |
| 21 | Colorado State | 10-1 | 304 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 23/NR |
| 22 | Minnesota | 8-3 | 256 | 0 | 30 | 8 | 24/NR |
| 23 | Louisville | 8-3 | 208 | 0 | 31 | 8 | – |
| 24 | Clemson | 8-3 | 203 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 16/NR |
| 25 | Boise State | 9-2 | 85 | 0 | 29 | 4 | – |