November 10, 1953 AP Poll
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame |
| 2 | Maryland |
| 3 | Illinois |
| 4 | Michigan State |
| 5 | Georgia Tech |
| 6 | Oklahoma |
| 7 | UCLA |
| 8 | West Virginia |
| 9 | Baylor |
| 10 | Texas |
| 11 | Ole Miss |
| 12 | USC |
| 13 | Kentucky |
| 14 | Duke |
| 15 | Minnesota |
| 16 | Rice |
| 16 | Stanford |
| 18 | Tennessee |
| 19 | Texas Tech |
| 20 | Auburn |