AP Polls
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Final | 1 | Florida | 3 | 2 | 65 | SEC (East) |
| 18 | Final | 2 | Ohio State | 4 | 2 | 1 | Big Ten |
| 18 | Final | 3 | Florida State | 1 | 2 | ACC | |
| 18 | Final | 4 | Arizona State | 2 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 18 | Final | 5 | BYU | 5 | WAC (Mountain) | ||
| 18 | Final | 6 | Nebraska | 6 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 18 | Final | 7 | Penn State | 7 | Big Ten | ||
| 18 | Final | 8 | Colorado | 8 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 18 | Final | 9 | Tennessee | 9 | SEC (East) | ||
| 18 | Final | 10 | North Carolina | 12 | 2 | ACC | |
| 18 | Final | 11 | Alabama | 16 | 5 | SEC (West) | |
| 18 | Final | 12 | LSU | 17 | 5 | SEC (West) | |
| 18 | Final | 13 | Virginia Tech | 10 | 3 | Big East | |
| 18 | Final | 14 | Miami (FL) | 19 | 5 | Big East | |
| 18 | Final | 15 | Northwestern | 11 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 18 | Final | 16 | Washington | 13 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 18 | Final | 17 | Kansas State | 14 | 3 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 18 | Final | 18 | Iowa | 21 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 18 | Final | 19 | Notre Dame | 18 | 1 | Ind | |
| 18 | Final | 20 | Michigan | 15 | 5 | Big Ten | |
| 18 | Final | 21 | Syracuse | 23 | 2 | Big East | |
| 18 | Final | 22 | Wyoming | 22 | WAC (Pacific) | ||
| 18 | Final | 23 | Texas | 20 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 18 | Final | 24 | Auburn | SEC (West) | |||
| 18 | Final | 25 | Army | 24 | 1 | Ind | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 1 | Florida State (11-0) | 1 | 62 | ACC | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 2 | Arizona State (11-0) | 2 | 5 | Pac-10 | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 3 | Florida (11-1) | 4 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 4 | Ohio State (10-1) | 5 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 5 | BYU (13-1) | 6 | 1 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 6 | Nebraska (10-2) | 3 | 3 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 7 | Penn State (10-2) | 8 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 8 | Colorado (9-2) | 7 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 9 | Tennessee (9-2) | 9 | SEC (East) | ||
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 10 | Virginia Tech (10-1) | 15 | 5 | Big East | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 11 | Northwestern (9-2) | 10 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 12 | North Carolina (9-2) | 13 | 1 | ACC | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 13 | Washington (9-2) | 12 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 14 | Kansas State (9-2) | 14 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 15 | Michigan (8-3) | 16 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 16 | Alabama (9-3) | 11 | 5 | SEC (West) | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 17 | LSU (9-2) | 17 | SEC (West) | ||
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 18 | Notre Dame (8-3) | 18 | Ind | ||
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 19 | Miami (FL) (8-3) | 19 | Big East | ||
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 20 | Texas (8-4) | Big 12 (South) | |||
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 21 | Iowa (8-3) | 21 | Big Ten | ||
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 22 | Wyoming (10-2) | 20 | 2 | WAC (Pacific) | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 23 | Syracuse (8-3) | 22 | 1 | Big East | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 24 | Army (10-1) | 23 | 1 | Ind | |
| 17 | 1996-12-09 | 25 | West Virginia (8-3) | 24 | 1 | Big East | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 1 | Florida State (11-0) | 2 | 1 | 61 | ACC |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 2 | Arizona State (11-0) | 3 | 1 | 5 | Pac-10 |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 3 | Nebraska (10-1) | 4 | 1 | 1 | Big 12 (North) |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 4 | Florida (10-1) | 1 | 3 | SEC (East) | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 5 | Ohio State (10-1) | 6 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 6 | BYU (12-1) | 7 | 1 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 7 | Colorado (9-2) | 5 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 8 | Penn State (10-2) | 8 | Big Ten | ||
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 9 | Tennessee (9-2) | 9 | SEC (East) | ||
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 10 | Northwestern (9-2) | 11 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 11 | Alabama (9-2) | 15 | 4 | SEC (West) | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 12 | Washington (9-2) | 12 | Pac-10 | ||
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 13 | North Carolina (9-2) | 13 | ACC | ||
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 14 | Kansas State (9-2) | 14 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 15 | Virginia Tech (10-1) | 17 | 2 | Big East | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 16 | Michigan (8-3) | 18 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 17 | LSU (9-2) | 19 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 18 | Notre Dame (8-3) | 10 | 8 | Ind | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 19 | Miami (FL) (8-3) | 23 | 4 | Big East | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 20 | Wyoming (10-1) | 21 | 1 | WAC (Pacific) | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 21 | Iowa (8-3) | 22 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 22 | Syracuse (8-3) | 16 | 6 | Big East | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 23 | Army (9-1) | 24 | 1 | Ind | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 24 | West Virginia (8-3) | 25 | 1 | Big East | |
| 16 | 1996-12-02 | 25 | Virginia (7-4) | 20 | 5 | ACC | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 1 | Florida (10-0) | 1 | 59 | SEC (East) | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 2 | Florida State (10-0) | 3 | 1 | 5 | ACC |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 3 | Arizona State (11-0) | 4 | 1 | 3 | Pac-10 |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 4 | Nebraska (9-1) | 5 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 5 | Colorado (9-1) | 6 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 6 | Ohio State (10-1) | 2 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 7 | BYU (12-1) | 8 | 1 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 8 | Penn State (10-2) | 7 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 9 | Tennessee (8-2) | 9 | SEC (East) | ||
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 10 | Notre Dame (8-2) | 10 | Ind | ||
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 11 | Northwestern (9-2) | 11 | Big Ten | ||
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 12 | Washington (9-2) | 12 | Pac-10 | ||
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 13 | North Carolina (9-2) | 13 | ACC | ||
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 14 | Kansas State (9-2) | 14 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 15 | Alabama (9-2) | 15 | SEC (West) | ||
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 16 | Syracuse (8-2) | 16 | Big East | ||
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 17 | Virginia Tech (9-1) | 17 | Big East | ||
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 18 | Michigan (8-3) | 21 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 19 | LSU (8-2) | 18 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 20 | Virginia (7-3) | 19 | 1 | ACC | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 21 | Wyoming (10-1) | 20 | 1 | WAC (Pacific) | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 22 | Iowa (8-3) | 24 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 23 | Miami (FL) (7-3) | 25 | 2 | Big East | |
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 24 | Army (9-1) | Ind | |||
| 15 | 1996-11-25 | 25 | West Virginia (8-3) | 23 | 2 | Big East | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 1 | Florida (10-0) | 1 | 54 | SEC (East) | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 2 | Ohio State (10-0) | 2 | 7 | Big Ten | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 3 | Florida State (9-0) | 3 | 4 | ACC | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 4 | Arizona State (10-0) | 4 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 5 | Nebraska (9-1) | 5 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 6 | Colorado (9-1) | 6 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 7 | Penn State (9-2) | 11 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 8 | BYU (11-1) | 10 | 2 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 9 | Tennessee (7-2) | 12 | 3 | SEC (East) | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 10 | Notre Dame (7-2) | 14 | 4 | Ind | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 11 | Northwestern (9-2) | 13 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 12 | Washington (8-2) | 15 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 13 | North Carolina (8-2) | 6 | 7 | ACC | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 14 | Kansas State (8-2) | 9 | 5 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 15 | Alabama (8-2) | 8 | 7 | SEC (West) | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 16 | Syracuse (7-2) | 19 | 3 | Big East | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 17 | Virginia Tech (8-1) | 21 | 4 | Big East | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 18 | LSU (7-2) | 17 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 19 | Virginia (7-3) | 24 | 5 | ACC | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 20 | Wyoming (10-1) | 23 | 3 | WAC (Pacific) | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 21 | Michigan (7-3) | 16 | 5 | Big Ten | |
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 22 | Clemson (7-3) | ACC | |||
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 23 | West Virginia (8-2) | Big East | |||
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 24 | Iowa (7-3) | Big Ten | |||
| 14 | 1996-11-18 | 25 | Miami (FL) (6-3) | 18 | 7 | Big East | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 1 | Florida (9-0) | 1 | 46 | SEC (East) | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 2 | Ohio State (9-0) | 2 | 17 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 3 | Florida State (8-0) | 3 | 2 | ACC | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 4 | Arizona State (10-0) | 4 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 5 | Nebraska (8-1) | 5 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 6 | Colorado (8-1) | 7 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 6 | North Carolina (8-1) | 8 | 2 | ACC | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 8 | Alabama (8-1) | 10 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 9 | Kansas State (8-1) | 13 | 4 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 10 | BYU (10-1) | 12 | 2 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 11 | Penn State (8-2) | 14 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 12 | Tennessee (6-2) | 6 | 6 | SEC (East) | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 13 | Northwestern (8-2) | 18 | 5 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 14 | Notre Dame (6-2) | 17 | 3 | Ind | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 15 | Washington (7-2) | 19 | 4 | Pac-10 | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 16 | Michigan (7-2) | 9 | 7 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 17 | LSU (6-2) | 11 | 6 | SEC (West) | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 18 | Miami (FL) (6-2) | 21 | 3 | Big East | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 19 | Syracuse (6-2) | 24 | 5 | Big East | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 20 | Auburn (7-2) | 22 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 21 | Virginia Tech (7-1) | 25 | 4 | Big East | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 22 | Army (9-0) | Ind | |||
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 23 | Wyoming (9-1) | 16 | 7 | WAC (Pacific) | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 24 | Virginia (6-3) | 15 | 9 | ACC | |
| 13 | 1996-11-11 | 25 | Southern Mississippi (8-2) | 20 | 5 | CUSA | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 1 | Florida (8-0) | 1 | 59 | SEC (East) | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 2 | Ohio State (8-0) | 2 | 5 | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 3 | Florida State (7-0) | 3 | 2 | ACC | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 4 | Arizona State (9-0) | 4 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 5 | Nebraska (7-1) | 5 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 6 | Tennessee (6-1) | 6 | SEC (East) | ||
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 7 | Colorado (7-1) | 7 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 8 | North Carolina (7-1) | 8 | ACC | ||
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 9 | Michigan (7-1) | 9 | Big Ten | ||
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 10 | Alabama (7-1) | 10 | SEC (West) | ||
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 11 | LSU (6-1) | 12 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 12 | BYU (9-1) | 13 | 1 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 13 | Kansas State (7-1) | 14 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 14 | Penn State (8-2) | 15 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 15 | Virginia (6-2) | 16 | 1 | ACC | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 16 | Wyoming (9-0) | 17 | 1 | WAC (Pacific) | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 17 | Notre Dame (5-2) | 19 | 2 | Ind | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 18 | Northwestern (7-2) | 11 | 7 | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 19 | Washington (6-2) | 21 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 20 | Southern Mississippi (8-1) | 23 | 3 | CUSA | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 21 | Miami (FL) (6-2) | 22 | 1 | Big East | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 22 | Auburn (6-2) | 24 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 23 | Iowa (6-2) | 25 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 24 | Syracuse (5-2) | Big East | |||
| 12 | 1996-11-04 | 25 | Virginia Tech (6-1) | Big East | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 1 | Florida (7-0) | 1 | 59 | SEC (East) | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 2 | Ohio State (7-0) | 2 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 3 | Florida State (6-0) | 3 | 3 | ACC | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 4 | Arizona State (8-0) | 4 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 5 | Nebraska (6-1) | 5 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 6 | Tennessee (5-1) | 6 | SEC (East) | ||
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 7 | Colorado (6-1) | 8 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 8 | North Carolina (6-1) | 9 | 1 | ACC | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 9 | Michigan (6-1) | 10 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 10 | Alabama (7-1) | 7 | 3 | SEC (West) | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 11 | Northwestern (7-1) | 11 | Big Ten | ||
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 12 | LSU (6-1) | 13 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 13 | BYU (8-1) | 15 | 2 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 14 | Kansas State (7-1) | 16 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 15 | Penn State (7-2) | 17 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 16 | Virginia (5-2) | 14 | 2 | ACC | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 17 | Wyoming (8-0) | 18 | 1 | WAC (Pacific) | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 18 | West Virginia (7-1) | 12 | 6 | Big East | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 19 | Notre Dame (4-2) | 19 | Ind | ||
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 20 | Utah (7-1) | 21 | 1 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 21 | Washington (5-2) | 23 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 22 | Miami (FL) (5-2) | 25 | 3 | Big East | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 23 | Southern Mississippi (7-1) | 24 | 1 | CUSA | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 24 | Auburn (5-2) | 22 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 11 | 1996-10-28 | 25 | Iowa (5-2) | 20 | 5 | Big Ten | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 1 | Florida (7-0) | 1 | 57 | SEC (East) | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 2 | Ohio State (6-0) | 2 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 3 | Florida State (5-0) | 3 | 5 | ACC | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 4 | Arizona State (7-0) | 4 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 5 | Nebraska (5-1) | 5 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 6 | Tennessee (4-1) | 6 | SEC (East) | ||
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 7 | Alabama (7-0) | 7 | SEC (West) | ||
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 8 | Colorado (5-1) | 9 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 9 | North Carolina (5-1) | 11 | 2 | ACC | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 10 | Michigan (5-1) | 13 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 11 | Northwestern (6-1) | 14 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 12 | West Virginia (7-0) | 15 | 3 | Big East | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 13 | LSU (5-1) | 17 | 4 | SEC (West) | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 14 | Virginia (5-1) | 20 | 6 | ACC | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 15 | BYU (7-1) | 18 | 3 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 16 | Kansas State (6-1) | 21 | 5 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 17 | Penn State (6-2) | 10 | 7 | Big Ten | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 18 | Wyoming (8-0) | 23 | 5 | WAC (Pacific) | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 19 | Notre Dame (4-2) | 8 | 11 | Ind | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 20 | Iowa (5-1) | Big Ten | |||
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 21 | Utah (6-1) | 24 | 3 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 22 | Auburn (5-2) | 16 | 6 | SEC (West) | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 23 | Washington (4-2) | 25 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 24 | Southern Mississippi (6-1) | CUSA | |||
| 10 | 1996-10-21 | 25 | Miami (FL) (4-2) | 12 | 13 | Big East | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 1 | Florida (6-0) | 1 | 54 | SEC (East) | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 2 | Ohio State (5-0) | 2 | 7 | Big Ten | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 3 | Florida State (5-0) | 3 | 5 | ACC | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 4 | Arizona State (6-0) | 4 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 5 | Nebraska (4-1) | 5 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 6 | Tennessee (4-1) | 7 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 7 | Alabama (6-0) | 8 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 8 | Notre Dame (4-1) | 11 | 3 | Ind | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 9 | Colorado (4-1) | 9 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 10 | Penn State (6-1) | 10 | Big Ten | ||
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 11 | North Carolina (5-1) | 13 | 2 | ACC | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 12 | Miami (FL) (4-1) | 6 | 6 | Big East | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 13 | Michigan (4-1) | 14 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 14 | Northwestern (5-1) | 15 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 15 | West Virginia (6-0) | 17 | 2 | Big East | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 16 | Auburn (5-1) | 18 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 17 | LSU (4-1) | 12 | 5 | SEC (West) | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 18 | BYU (6-1) | 19 | 1 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 19 | California (5-0) | 21 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 20 | Virginia (4-1) | 20 | ACC | ||
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 21 | Kansas State (5-1) | 22 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 22 | Georgia Tech (4-1) | 23 | 1 | ACC | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 23 | Wyoming (7-0) | 24 | 1 | WAC (Pacific) | |
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 24 | Utah (5-1) | WAC (Mountain) | |||
| 9 | 1996-10-14 | 25 | Washington (3-2) | 16 | 9 | Pac-10 | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 1 | Florida (5-0) | 1 | 38 | SEC (East) | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 2 | Ohio State (4-0) | 3 | 1 | 24 | Big Ten |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 3 | Florida State (4-0) | 2 | 1 | 4 | ACC |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 4 | Arizona State (5-0) | 5 | 1 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 5 | Nebraska (3-1) | 7 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 6 | Miami (FL) (4-0) | 8 | 2 | Big East | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 7 | Tennessee (3-1) | 9 | 2 | SEC (East) | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 8 | Alabama (5-0) | 13 | 5 | SEC (West) | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 9 | Colorado (3-1) | 10 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 10 | Penn State (5-1) | 4 | 6 | Big Ten | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 11 | Notre Dame (3-1) | 11 | Ind | ||
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 12 | LSU (4-0) | 14 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 13 | North Carolina (4-1) | 15 | 2 | ACC | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 14 | Michigan (4-1) | 6 | 8 | Big Ten | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 15 | Northwestern (4-1) | 22 | 7 | Big Ten | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 16 | Washington (3-1) | 18 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 17 | West Virginia (6-0) | 19 | 2 | Big East | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 18 | Auburn (4-1) | 20 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 19 | BYU (5-1) | 21 | 2 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 20 | Virginia (4-1) | 12 | 8 | ACC | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 21 | California (5-0) | Pac-10 | |||
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 22 | Kansas State (4-1) | 16 | 6 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 23 | Georgia Tech (4-1) | ACC | |||
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 24 | Wyoming (6-0) | 25 | 1 | WAC (Pacific) | |
| 8 | 1996-10-07 | 25 | Texas (3-2) | 23 | 2 | Big 12 (South) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 1 | Florida (4-0) | 1 | 57 | SEC (East) | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 2 | Florida State (3-0) | 2 | 8 | ACC | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 3 | Ohio State (3-0) | 4 | 1 | 1 | Big Ten |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 4 | Penn State (5-0) | 3 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 5 | Arizona State (4-0) | 6 | 1 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 6 | Michigan (4-0) | 7 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 7 | Nebraska (2-1) | 8 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 8 | Miami (FL) (4-0) | 10 | 2 | Big East | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 9 | Tennessee (2-1) | 9 | SEC (East) | ||
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 10 | Colorado (3-1) | 12 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 11 | Notre Dame (3-1) | 5 | 6 | Ind | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 12 | Virginia (4-0) | 19 | 7 | ACC | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 13 | Alabama (4-0) | 14 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 14 | LSU (3-0) | 17 | 3 | SEC (West) | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 15 | North Carolina (3-1) | 11 | 4 | ACC | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 16 | Kansas State (4-0) | 16 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 17 | USC (3-1) | 15 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 18 | Washington (2-1) | 21 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 19 | West Virginia (5-0) | 23 | 4 | Big East | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 20 | Auburn (3-1) | 22 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 21 | BYU (4-1) | 24 | 3 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 22 | Northwestern (3-1) | 25 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 23 | Texas (2-2) | 13 | 10 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 24 | Utah (4-1) | WAC (Mountain) | |||
| 7 | 1996-09-30 | 25 | Wyoming (5-0) | WAC (Pacific) | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 1 | Florida (3-0) | 4 | 3 | 52 | SEC (East) |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 2 | Florida State (2-0) | 3 | 1 | 13 | ACC |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 3 | Penn State (4-0) | 5 | 2 | 1 | Big Ten |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 4 | Ohio State (2-0) | 7 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 5 | Notre Dame (3-0) | 9 | 4 | Ind | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 6 | Arizona State (3-0) | 17 | 11 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 7 | Michigan (3-0) | 8 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 8 | Nebraska (1-1) | 1 | 7 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 9 | Tennessee (2-1) | 2 | 7 | SEC (East) | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 10 | Miami (FL) (3-0) | 10 | Big East | ||
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 11 | North Carolina (3-0) | 11 | ACC | ||
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 12 | Colorado (2-1) | 12 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 13 | Texas (2-1) | 6 | 7 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 14 | Alabama (4-0) | 13 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 15 | USC (3-1) | 15 | Pac-10 | ||
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 16 | Kansas State (4-0) | 16 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 17 | LSU (2-0) | 21 | 4 | SEC (West) | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 18 | Virginia Tech (3-0) | 18 | Big East | ||
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 19 | Virginia (3-0) | 20 | 1 | ACC | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 20 | Kansas (2-0) | 22 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 21 | Washington (2-1) | 24 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 22 | Auburn (3-1) | 13 | 9 | SEC (West) | |
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 23 | West Virginia (4-0) | Big East | |||
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 24 | BYU (3-1) | WAC (Mountain) | |||
| 6 | 1996-09-23 | 25 | Northwestern (2-1) | Big Ten | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 1 | Nebraska (1-0) | 1 | 58 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 2 | Tennessee (2-0) | 2 | 5 | SEC (East) | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 3 | Florida State (1-0) | 3 | 4 | ACC | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 4 | Florida (2-0) | 4 | SEC (East) | ||
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 5 | Penn State (3-0) | 6 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 6 | Texas (2-0) | 7 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 7 | Ohio State (1-0) | 8 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 8 | Michigan (2-0) | 11 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 9 | Notre Dame (2-0) | 9 | Ind | ||
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 10 | Miami (FL) (3-0) | 10 | Big East | ||
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 11 | North Carolina (2-0) | 12 | 1 | ACC | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 12 | Colorado (2-1) | 5 | 7 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 13 | Alabama (3-0) | 13 | SEC (West) | ||
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 13 | Auburn (3-0) | 15 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 15 | USC (2-1) | 16 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 16 | Kansas State (3-0) | 17 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 17 | Arizona State (2-0) | 18 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 18 | Virginia Tech (2-0) | 19 | 1 | Big East | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 19 | Iowa (2-0) | 21 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 20 | Virginia (2-0) | 22 | 2 | ACC | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 21 | LSU (1-0) | 20 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 22 | Kansas (2-0) | 24 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 23 | Syracuse (0-1) | 23 | Big East | ||
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 24 | Washington (1-1) | Pac-10 | |||
| 5 | 1996-09-16 | 25 | Oregon (3-0) | Pac-10 | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 1 | Nebraska (1-0) | 1 | 57 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 2 | Tennessee (2-0) | 2 | 4 | SEC (East) | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 3 | Florida State (1-0) | 3 | 3 | ACC | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 4 | Florida (2-0) | 4 | SEC (East) | ||
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 5 | Colorado (2-0) | 5 | 3 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 6 | Penn State (2-0) | 7 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 7 | Texas (2-0) | 8 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 8 | Ohio State (1-0) | 10 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 9 | Notre Dame (1-0) | 6 | 3 | 1 | Ind |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 10 | Miami (FL) (2-0) | 11 | 1 | Big East | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 11 | Michigan (1-0) | 12 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 12 | North Carolina (2-0) | 24 | 12 | ACC | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 13 | Alabama (2-0) | 14 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 14 | BYU (2-0) | 16 | 2 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 15 | Auburn (2-0) | 18 | 3 | SEC (West) | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 16 | USC (1-1) | 19 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 17 | Kansas State (2-0) | 21 | 4 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 18 | Arizona State (1-0) | 20 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 19 | Virginia Tech (1-0) | 15 | 4 | Big East | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 20 | LSU (1-0) | 17 | 3 | SEC (West) | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 21 | Iowa (1-0) | 22 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 22 | Virginia (1-0) | 23 | 1 | ACC | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 23 | Syracuse (0-1) | 9 | 14 | Big East | |
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 24 | Kansas (1-0) | Big 12 (North) | |||
| 4 | 1996-09-09 | 25 | Texas A&M (0-1) | 25 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 1 | Nebraska | 1 | 49 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 2 | Tennessee (1-0) | 2 | 8 | SEC (East) | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 3 | Florida State | 3 | 5 | ACC | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 4 | Florida (1-0) | 4 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 5 | Colorado (1-0) | 5 | 3 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 6 | Notre Dame | 6 | 1 | Ind | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 7 | Penn State (1-0) | 7 | Big Ten | ||
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 8 | Texas (1-0) | 8 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 9 | Syracuse | 10 | 1 | Big East | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 10 | Ohio State | 9 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 11 | Miami (FL) (1-0) | 11 | Big East | ||
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 12 | Michigan (1-0) | 12 | Big Ten | ||
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 13 | Northwestern | 15 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 14 | Alabama (1-0) | 13 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 15 | Virginia Tech | 14 | 1 | Big East | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 16 | BYU (2-0) | 19 | 3 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 17 | LSU | 18 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 18 | Auburn (1-0) | 16 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 19 | USC (0-1) | 17 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 20 | Arizona State | 20 | Pac-10 | ||
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 21 | Kansas State (1-0) | 21 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 22 | Iowa | 22 | Big Ten | ||
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 23 | Virginia | 24 | 1 | ACC | |
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 24 | North Carolina (1-0) | ACC | |||
| 3 | 1996-09-02 | 25 | Texas A&M (0-1) | 23 | 2 | Big 12 (South) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 1 | Nebraska | 1 | 50 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 2 | Tennessee | 2 | 8 | SEC (East) | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 3 | Florida State | 3 | 5 | ACC | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 4 | Florida | 4 | SEC (East) | ||
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 5 | Colorado | 5 | 3 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 6 | Notre Dame | 6 | 1 | Ind | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 7 | Penn State (1-0) | 11 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 8 | Texas | 8 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 9 | Ohio State | 9 | Big Ten | ||
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 10 | Syracuse | 10 | Big East | ||
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 11 | Miami (FL) | 12 | 1 | Big East | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 12 | Michigan | 14 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 13 | Alabama | 15 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 14 | Virginia Tech | 16 | 2 | Big East | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 15 | Northwestern | 18 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 16 | Auburn | 17 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 17 | USC (0-1) | 7 | 10 | Pac-10 | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 18 | LSU | 19 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 19 | BYU (1-0) | WAC (Mountain) | |||
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 20 | Arizona State | 20 | Pac-10 | ||
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 21 | Kansas State | 21 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 22 | Iowa | 22 | Big Ten | ||
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 23 | Texas A&M (0-1) | 13 | 10 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 24 | Virginia | 23 | 1 | ACC | |
| 2 | 1996-08-26 | 25 | Kansas | 24 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 1 | Preseason | 1 | Nebraska | NA | — | 50 | Big 12 (North) |
| 1 | Preseason | 2 | Tennessee | NA | — | 7 | SEC (East) |
| 1 | Preseason | 3 | Florida State | NA | — | 5 | ACC |
| 1 | Preseason | 4 | Florida | NA | — | 1 | SEC (East) |
| 1 | Preseason | 5 | Colorado | NA | — | 3 | Big 12 (North) |
| 1 | Preseason | 6 | Notre Dame | NA | — | 1 | Ind |
| 1 | Preseason | 7 | USC | NA | — | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | Preseason | 8 | Texas | NA | — | Big 12 (South) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 9 | Ohio State | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 10 | Syracuse | NA | — | Big East | |
| 1 | Preseason | 11 | Penn State | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 12 | Miami (FL) | NA | — | Big East | |
| 1 | Preseason | 13 | Texas A&M | NA | — | Big 12 (South) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 14 | Michigan | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 15 | Alabama | NA | — | SEC (West) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 16 | Virginia Tech | NA | — | Big East | |
| 1 | Preseason | 17 | Auburn | NA | — | SEC (West) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 18 | Northwestern | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 19 | LSU | NA | — | SEC (West) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 20 | Arizona State | NA | — | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | Preseason | 21 | Kansas State | NA | — | Big 12 (North) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 22 | Iowa | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 23 | Virginia | NA | — | ACC | |
| 1 | Preseason | 24 | Kansas | NA | — | Big 12 (North) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 25 | Clemson | NA | — | ACC |
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