The list below is sorted by "underratedness." The teams at the top of the list were the most underrated (final poll standing furthest above preseason poll standing); the teams at the bottom of the list were the most overrated (final poll standing furthest below preseason poll standing). Any team not mentioned was unranked in both preseason and final polls.
| Team | Delta | Preseason Consensus |
Final AP Standing |
| Texas A&M | +20½ | - | 5½ |
| Notre Dame | +20 | 24 | 4 |
| Louisville | +13 | - | 13 |
| Stanford | +13 | 20 | 7 |
| Florida | +12 | 21 | 9 |
| Kansas State | +11 | 23 | 12 |
| Utah State | +10 | - | 16 |
| Northwestern | +9 | - | 17 |
| Ohio State | +9 | 12 | 3 |
| Clemson | +8 | 19 | 11 |
| Boise State | +7 | 25 | 18 |
| Oregon State | +6 | - | 20 |
| San Jose State | +5 | - | 21 |
| Northern Illinois | +4 | - | 22 |
| Oregon | +3 | 5 | 2 |
| South Carolina | +3 | 11 | 8 |
| Vanderbilt | +3 | - | 23 |
| Alabama | +1½ | 2½ | 1 |
| Georgia | +1½ | 7 | 5½ |
| Florida State | -4 | 6 | 10 |
| Texas Christian | -4 | 22 | - |
| Nebraska | -7 | 18 | 25 |
| Virginia Tech | -9 | 17 | - |
| Michigan State | -10 | 16 | - |
| Texas | -10 | 9 | 19 |
| Oklahoma | -11 | 4 | 15 |
| Oklahoma State | -11 | 15 | - |
| Louisiana State | -11½ | 2½ | 14 |
| West Virginia | -12 | 14 | - |
| Wisconsin | -13 | 13 | - |
| Arkansas | -16 | 10 | - |
| Michigan | -16 | 8 | 24 |
| Southern Cal | -25 | 1 | - |