This page ranks the accuracy of the preseason magazines' conference predictions for 2004, 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.
| Rank | Magazine | Total Score |
ACC | Big East |
Big Ten |
Big 12 North |
Big 12 South |
Conf USA |
MAC East |
MAC West |
Mtn West |
PAC 10 |
SEC East |
SEC West |
Sun Belt |
WAC |
| 1 | Phil Steele | 125 | 16 | 3 | 21 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 17 |
| 2 | College Football News | 127 | 24 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 2½ | 7½ | 6 | 7 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 19 |
| 3 | Gold Sheet | 130 | 19 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 19 |
| 4 | The Sporting News | 133 | 20 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 15 |
| 5 | StatFox Edge | 137 | 19 | 0 | 15 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 18 |
| 6 | Street & Smith | 143 | 22 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 20 |
| 7 | GamePlan | 145 | 23 | 5 | 21 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 20 |
| 8 | Athlon | 147 | 24 | 5 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 23 |
| 9t | CNN/SI web site | 148 | 22½ | 7 | 20 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 4½ | 2 | 10 | 20 |
| 9t | Lindy's | 148 | 23 | 4 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 23 |
| 11 | Blue Ribbon | 151 | 23 | 2 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 17 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 23 |
| 12 | Wrathell's CPA Rankings | 155 | 23 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 2 | 13½ | 5 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 22½ |
| 13 | ATS Consultants | 160½ | 23 | 3 | 20½ | 13 | 4 | 5½ | 9 | 8 | 14½ | 21 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 22 |