October 20, 1997 AP Poll
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska |
| 2 | Penn State |
| 3 | Florida State |
| 4 | North Carolina |
| 5 | Michigan |
| 6 | Florida |
| 7 | Washington |
| 8 | Tennessee |
| 9 | Ohio State |
| 10 | Washington State |
| 11 | Auburn |
| 12 | Oklahoma State |
| 13 | UCLA |
| 14 | Kansas State |
| 15 | Michigan State |
| 16 | Georgia |
| 17 | LSU |
| 18 | Iowa |
| 19 | Virginia Tech |
| 20 | Texas A&M |
| 21 | West Virginia |
| 22 | Purdue |
| 23 | Arizona State |
| 24 | Toledo |
| 25 | Ole Miss |