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 | Street & Smith Preseason Top 25 |
Final
AP Standing |
| Alabama | +18 | 23 | 5 |
| California | +18 | - | 8 |
| East Carolina | +17 | - | 9 |
| Georgia | +9 | - | 17 |
| Syracuse | +8 | 19 | 11 |
| Washington | +6 | 8 | 2 |
| Colorado | +5 | 25 | 20 |
| Tulsa | +5 | - | 21 |
| Texas A&M | +4 | 16 | 12 |
| Stanford | +4 | - | 22 |
| Miami-Florida | +3 | 4 | 1 |
| Nebraska | +3 | 18 | 15 |
| UCLA | +3 | 22 | 19 |
| Brigham Young | +3 | - | 23 |
| Penn State | +2 | 5 | 3 |
| Iowa | +2 | 12 | 10 |
| North Carolina State | +2 | - | 24 |
| Oklahoma | -2 | 14 | 16 |
| Michigan State | -2 | 24 | - |
| Florida State | -3 | 1 | 4 |
| Michigan | -4 | 2 | 6 |
| Florida | -4 | 3 | 7 |
| Air Force | -4 | 21 | 25 |
| Tennessee | -5 | 9 | 14 |
| Houston | -6 | 20 | - |
| Notre Dame | -7 | 6 | 13 |
| Clemson | -8 | 10 | 18 |
| Ohio State | -9 | 17 | - |
| Southern Cal | -11 | 15 | - |
| Auburn | -13 | 13 | - |
| Texas | -15 | 11 | - |
| Georgia Tech | -19 | 7 | - |