Here are 5 major sports outlets and their pre season top 25 the only Mountain West Conference team ranked is TCU, I potentially could see 3 teams being ranked sometime in the season with BYU and perhaps Utah. I will make my next post of my own top 25 which will be different. The first obvious mistake is having Notre Dame in the top 25 and having some polls with Hawaii and TCU in the top 20 in some polls to start the season
| Lindy's | Athlon | FoxSports | Rivals.com | AJC |
| 1. USC | 1. USC | 1. USC | 1. USC | 1. USC |
| 2. LSU | 2. Texas | 2. LSU | 2. Michigan | 2. West Virginia |
| 3. Michigan | 3. LSU | 3. Texas | 3. LSU | 3. Oklahoma |
| 4. West Virginia | 4. Wisconsin | 4. Florida | 4. West Virginia | 4. Ohio State |
| 5. Texas | 5. West Virginia | 5. Wisconsin | 5. Florida | 5. Florida |
| 6. Wisconsin | 6. Florida | 6. Ohio State | 6. Ohio State | 6. LSU |
| 7. Tennessee | 7. Oklahoma | 7. Oklahoma | 7. Virginia Tech | 7. Texas |
| 8. Virginia Tech | 8. Michigan | 8. Arkansas | 8. Oklahoma | 8. Michigan |
| 9. Louisville | 9. Virginia Tech | 9. UCLA | 9. Texas | 9. Arkansas |
| 10. Oklahoma | 10. Rutgers | 10. Michigan | 10. Wisconsin | 10. Virginia Tech |
| 11. Florida | 11. Cal | 11. West Virginia | 11. Louisville | 11. Louisville |
| 12. Cal | 12. Ohio State | 12. Georgia | 12. Georgia | 12. Wake Forest |
| 13. Ohio State | 13. Louisville | 13. Virginia Tech | 13. Nebraska | 13. Wisconsin |
| 14. Arkansas | 14. Georgia Tech | 14. Auburn | 14. Auburn | 14. Auburn |
| 15. TCU | 15. UCLA | 15. Nebraska | 15. Cal | 15. Nebraska |
| 16. Rutgers | 16. Georgia | 16. Tennessee | 16. Arkansas | 16. Georgia |
| 17. Georgia | 17. Penn State | 17. Florida State | 17. Tennessee | 17. Tennessee |
| 18. Texas A&M | 18. Nebraska | 18. Cal | 18. Penn State | 18. Rutgers |
| 19. Hawaii | 19. Hawaii | 19. Boston College | 19. Rutgers | 19. South Carolina |
| 20. Wake Forest | 20. Tennessee | 20. Texas A&M | 20. Florida State | 20. Florida State |
| 21. Florida State | 21. Auburn | 21. Rutgers | 21. Texas A&M | 21. Notre Dame |
| 22. UCLA | 22. Oregon State | 22. Georgia Tech | 22. Notre Dame | 22. Texas A&M |
| 23. Auburn | 23. Texas A&M | 23. TCU | 23. Hawaii | 23. TCU |
| 24. Boston College | 24. Miami | 24. Penn State | 24. Boston College | 24. Boise State |
| 25. Nebraska | 25. TCU | 25. Oregon State | 25. Clemson | 25. Oklahoma St. |