This page ranks the accuracy of the preseason magazines' conference predictions for 1997, by comparing them to conference finish.
Lower scores indicate more accurate predictions; the lower the score, the closer the predictions were to the actual results. Magazines are sorted by total score for all conferences, with the best predictions (lowest total scores) at the top. For information on the scoring method, see the notes file.
| Magazine | Total Score |
ACC | Big East |
Big Ten |
Big 12 North |
Big 12 South |
Big West |
Conf USA |
MAC East |
MAC West |
PAC 10 |
SEC East |
SEC West |
WAC Mtn |
WAC Pacific |
| Street & Smith | 115 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 9 |
| Game Plan | 116 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 7 |
| Bob Griese's | 117 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 9 |
| MSM Fantasy Preview | 118 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 11 |
| Football News | 122 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 11 |
| Lindy's | 124 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 12 |
| Athlon | 129 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 9 |
| ESPN (online) | 129 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 22 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 12 |
| Preview Sports | 132 | 9 | 12 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 13 |
| Sports Illustrated | 133 | 6 | 10 | 21 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 9 |
| Dick Butkus (onine) | 136 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 13 |
| Football Action | 138 | 6 | 10 | 23 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 6 | 19 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 15 |
| The Sporting News | 138 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 19 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 13 |
| Inside Sports | 144 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 0 | 6 | 21 | 9 |
Magazines which did not pick all of the conferences (scores are adjusted per penalties below): |
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| Magazine | Total Score |
ACC | Big East |
Big Ten |
Big 12 North |
Big 12 South |
Big West |
Conf USA |
MAC East |
MAC West |
PAC 10 |
SEC East |
SEC West |
WAC Mtn |
WAC Pacific |
| Mark Gunn's | 127 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 8 | - | 20 | - | - | 19 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 7 |
| Football Forecast | 132 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 4 | 8 | - | 20 | - | - | 18 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 9 |
| Jim Feist's | 132 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 5 | 9 | - | 16 | - | - | 17 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 11 |
| ATS Consultants | 134 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 4 | 8 | - | 16 | - | - | 20 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 11 |
| Jeff Allen's | 139 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 10 | - | 21 | - | - | 18 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 10 |
| Phil Steele's | 140 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 8 | - | 16 | - | - | 23 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| Sportsform | 140 | 6 | 10 | 23 | 4 | 4 | - | 19 | - | - | 19 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 15 |
| C&PF Newsweekly | 143 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 4 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 19 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 15 |
Penalties for skipping prediction (average of others' scores, plus two points): |
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| Penalties | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | 16 | 7 | 10 | - | - | - | - | - |