Poll released September 16, 2018
| 1 | Alabama (58) SEC Record: 3-0 | PV Rank 1 Points 1,521 |
| 2 | Georgia SEC Record: 3-0 | 3 1,416 |
| 3 | Clemson (3) ACC Record: 3-0 | 2 1,405 |
| 4 | Ohio State Big Ten Record: 3-0 | 4 1,357 |
| 5 | Oklahoma Big 12 Record: 3-0 | 5 1,283 |
| 6 | LSU SEC Record: 3-0 | 12 1,241 |
| 7 | Stanford Pac-12 Record: 3-0 | 9 1,055 |
| 8 | Notre Dame Division I FBS Independents Record: 3-0 | 8 1,034 |
| 9 | Auburn SEC Record: 2-1 | 7 958 |
| 10 | Washington Pac-12 Record: 2-1 | 10 947 |
| 10 | Penn State Big Ten Record: 3-0 | 11 947 |
| 12 | West Virginia Big 12 Record: 2-0 | 14 841 |
| 13 | Virginia Tech ACC Record: 2-0 | 13 816 |
| 14 | Mississippi State SEC Record: 3-0 | 16 790 |
| 15 | Oklahoma State Big 12 Record: 3-0 | 24 587 |
| 16 | UCF The American Record: 2-0 | 18 556 |
| 17 | TCU Big 12 Record: 2-1 | 15 502 |
| 18 | Wisconsin Big Ten Record: 2-1 | 6 486 |
| 19 | Michigan Big Ten Record: 2-1 | 19 448 |
| 20 | Oregon Pac-12 Record: 3-0 | 20 399 |
| 21 | Miami (FL) ACC Record: 2-1 | 21 362 |
| 22 | Texas A&M SEC Record: 2-1 | – 193 |
| 23 | Boston College ACC Record: 3-0 | – 130 |
| 24 | Michigan State Big Ten Record: 1-1 | 25 86 |
| 25 | Brigham Young Division I FBS Independents Record: 2-1 | – 75 |