September 9, 2012 AP Poll
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama |
| 2 | USC |
| 3 | LSU |
| 4 | Oregon |
| 5 | Oklahoma |
| 5 | Florida State |
| 7 | Georgia |
| 8 | South Carolina |
| 9 | West Virginia |
| 10 | Michigan State |
| 11 | Clemson |
| 12 | Ohio State |
| 13 | Virginia Tech |
| 14 | Texas |
| 15 | Kansas State |
| 16 | TCU |
| 17 | Michigan |
| 18 | Florida |
| 19 | Louisville |
| 20 | Notre Dame |
| 21 | Stanford |
| 22 | UCLA |
| 23 | Tennessee |
| 24 | Arizona |
| 25 | BYU |