Fierce 40: Week 8
| Ranking | Team | W-L | Result | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 7-0 | W: Arkansas 52-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Oregon | 7-0 | W: Washington State 62-38 | 2 |
| 3 | Florida State | 6-0 | W: #4 Clemson 51-14 | 7 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 7-0 | W: Iowa 34-24 | 3 |
| 5 | Missouri | 7-0 | W: #24 Florida 36-17 | 14 |
| 6 | Baylor | 6-0 | W: Iowa State 71-7 | 13 |
| 7 | Stanford | 6-1 | W: #10 UCLA 24-10 | 12 |
| 8 | Miami (Fla.) | 6-0 | W: North Carolina 27-23 | 11 |
| 9 | Texas Tech | 7-0 | W: West Virginia 37-27 | 15 |
| 10 | Fresno State | 6-0 | W: UNLV 38-17 | 17 |
| 11 | LSU | 6-2 | L: Ole Miss 24-27 | 6 |
| 12 | Clemson | 6-1 | L: #7 Florida State 14-51 | 4 |
| 13 | Auburn | 6-1 | W: #8 Texas A&M 45-41 | 27 |
| 14 | UCLA | 5-1 | L: #12 Stanford 10-24 | 10 |
| 15 | Louisville | 6-1 | L: #33 UCF 35-38 | 5 |
| 16 | Texas A&M | 5-2 | L: #27 Auburn 41-45 | 8 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 5-2 | W: Illinois 56-32 | 18 |
| 18 | Nebraska | 5-1 | Idle | 20 |
| 19 | South Carolina | 5-2 | L: Tennessee 21-23 | 9 |
| 20 | Central Florida | 5-1 | W: #5 Louisville 38-35 | 33 |
| 21 | Virginia Tech | 6-1 | Idle | 21 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 6-1 | W: Kansas 34-19 | 23 |
| 23 | Oregon State | 6-1 | W: California 49-10 | 25 |
| 24 | Arizona State | 5-2 | W: #19 Washington 53-24 | 30 |
| 25 | Michigan | 6-1 | W: Indiana 63-47 | 26 |
| 26 | Northern Illinois | 7-0 | W: Central Michigan 38-17 | 29 |
| 27 | Oklahoma State | 5-1 | W: TCU 24-10 | 31 |
| 28 | Notre Dame | 5-2 | W: USC 14-10 | 28 |
| 29 | Michigan State | 6-1 | W: Purdue 14-0 | 32 |
| 30 | Georgia | 4-3 | L: Vanderbilt 27-31 | 16 |
| 31 | Rutgers | 4-2 | Idle | 35 |
| 32 | Washington | 4-3 | L: #30 Arizona State 24-53 | 19 |
| 33 | Boise State | 5-2 | W: Nevada 34-17 | 37 |
| 34 | BYU | 5-2 | W: #40 Houston 47-46 | 38 |
| 35 | Arizona | 4-2 | W: #22 Utah 24-35 | NR |
| 36 | Ole Miss | 4-3 | W: #6 LSU 27-24 | NR |
| 37 | Penn State | 4-2 | Idle | 39 |
| 38 | Florida | 4-3 | L #14 Missouri 17-36 | 24 |
| 39 | Utah | 4-3 | L: Arizona 24-35 | 22 |
| 40 | Ball State | 7-1 | W: Western Michigan 38-17 | NR |
Dropped Out: Northwestern , Maryland , Houston