New Year’s Six if the season ended today
Rose Bowl (Semifinal) – Penn State vs Georgia
Sugar Bowl (Semifinal) – Alabama vs TCU
Orange Bowl – Clemson vs Ohio State
Cotton Bowl – Wisconsin vs Oklahoma
Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma State vs UCF
Peach Bowl – Miami vs Notre Dame
| Rank | Team | Change | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (7-0) | No Change | Beat Arkansas 41-9 | |
| 2 | Penn State (6-0) | Up | Bye Week | |
| 3 | Georgia (7-0) | Up | Beat Missouri 53-28 | |
| 4 | TCU (6-0) | Up | Beat Kansas State 26-6 | |
| 5 | Wisconsin (6-0) | No Change | Beat Purdue 17-9 | |
| 6 | Oklahoma (5-1) | Up | Beat Texas 29-24 | |
| 7 | Ohio State (6-1) | Up | Beat Nebraska 56-14 | |
| 8 | Clemson (6-1) | Down | Lost to Syracuse 27-24 | |
| 9 | Miami (5-0) | Up | Beat Georgia Tech 25-24 | |
| 10 | Notre Dame (5-1) | Up | Bye Week | |
| 11 | Oklahoma State (6-1) | Up | Beat Baylor 59-16 | |
| 12 | UCF (5-0) | Up | Beat East Carolina 63-21 | |
| 13 | Washington (6-1) | Down | Lost to Arizona State 13-7 | |
| 14 | Washington State (6-1) | Down | Lost to California 37-3 | |
| 15 | USC (6-1) | Up | Beat Utah 28-27 | |
| 16 | Virginia Tech (5-1) | No Change | Bye Week | |
| 17 | USF (6-0) | Up | Beat Cincinnati 33-3 | |
| 18 | Michigan (5-1) | Up | Beat Indiana 27-20 (OT) | |
| 19 | Stanford (5-2) | Up | Beat Oregon 49-7 | |
| 20 | Auburn (5-2) | Down | Lost to Auburn 27-23 | |
| 21 | NC State (6-1) | No Change | Beat Pittsburgh 35-17 | |
| 22 | Michigan State (5-1) | Up | Beat Minnesota 30-27 | |
| 23 | Iowa State (4-2) | NEW | Beat Kansas 45-0 | |
| 24 | Kentucky (5-1) | NEW | Bye Week | |
| 25 | Marshall (5-1) | NEW | Beat Old Dominion 35-3 |
First Five Out: #26 Virginia (5-1), #27 Mississippi State (4-2), #28 Texas A&M (5-2), #29 West Virginia (4-2), #30 San Diego State (6-1)
Dropped Out: #18 San Diego State, #23 Georgia Tech, #24 Navy