AP Polls
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Final | 1 | Tennessee | 1 | 70 | SEC (East) | |
| 16 | Final | 2 | Ohio State | 3 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 16 | Final | 3 | Florida State | 2 | 1 | ACC | |
| 16 | Final | 4 | Arizona | 5 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 16 | Final | 5 | Florida | 7 | 2 | SEC (East) | |
| 16 | Final | 6 | Wisconsin | 9 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 16 | Final | 7 | Tulane | 10 | 3 | CUSA | |
| 16 | Final | 8 | UCLA | 6 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 16 | Final | 9 | Georgia Tech | 12 | 3 | ACC | |
| 16 | Final | 10 | Kansas State | 4 | 6 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 16 | Final | 11 | Texas A&M | 8 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 16 | Final | 12 | Michigan | 15 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 16 | Final | 13 | Air Force | 16 | 3 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 16 | Final | 14 | Georgia | 19 | 5 | SEC (East) | |
| 16 | Final | 15 | Texas | 20 | 5 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 16 | Final | 16 | Arkansas | 11 | 5 | SEC (West) | |
| 16 | Final | 17 | Penn State | 22 | 5 | Big Ten | |
| 16 | Final | 18 | Virginia | 13 | 5 | ACC | |
| 16 | Final | 19 | Nebraska | 14 | 5 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 16 | Final | 20 | Miami (FL) | 24 | 4 | Big East | |
| 16 | Final | 21 | Missouri | 23 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 16 | Final | 22 | Notre Dame | 17 | 5 | Ind | |
| 16 | Final | 23 | Virginia Tech | Big East | |||
| 16 | Final | 24 | Purdue | Big Ten | |||
| 16 | Final | 25 | Syracuse | 18 | 7 | Big East | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 1 | Tennessee (12-0) | 1 | 70 | SEC (East) | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 2 | Florida State (11-1) | 4 | 2 | ACC | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 3 | Ohio State (10-1) | 5 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 4 | Kansas State (11-1) | 2 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 5 | Arizona (11-1) | 6 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 6 | UCLA (10-1) | 3 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 7 | Florida (9-2) | 7 | SEC (East) | ||
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 8 | Texas A&M (11-2) | 10 | 2 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 9 | Wisconsin (10-1) | 8 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 10 | Tulane (11-0) | 9 | 1 | CUSA | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 11 | Arkansas (9-2) | 11 | SEC (West) | ||
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 12 | Georgia Tech (9-2) | 12 | ACC | ||
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 13 | Virginia (9-2) | 14 | 1 | ACC | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 14 | Nebraska (9-3) | 13 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 15 | Michigan (9-3) | 15 | Big Ten | ||
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 16 | Air Force (11-1) | 17 | 1 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 17 | Notre Dame (9-2) | 16 | 1 | Ind | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 18 | Syracuse (8-3) | 18 | Big East | ||
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 19 | Georgia (8-3) | 19 | SEC (East) | ||
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 20 | Texas (8-3) | 20 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 21 | Oregon (8-3) | 21 | Pac-10 | ||
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 22 | Penn State (8-3) | 22 | Big Ten | ||
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 23 | Missouri (7-4) | 24 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 24 | Miami (FL) (8-3) | Big East | |||
| 15 | 1998-12-07 | 25 | Mississippi State (8-4) | 23 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 1 | Tennessee (11-0) | 1 | 41 | SEC (East) | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 2 | Kansas State (11-0) | 2 | 24 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 3 | UCLA (10-0) | 3 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 4 | Florida State (11-1) | 4 | ACC | ||
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 5 | Ohio State (10-1) | 5 | Big Ten | ||
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 6 | Arizona (11-1) | 7 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 7 | Florida (9-2) | 8 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 8 | Wisconsin (10-1) | 10 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 9 | Tulane (11-0) | 11 | 2 | CUSA | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 10 | Texas A&M (10-2) | 6 | 4 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 11 | Arkansas (9-2) | 13 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 12 | Georgia Tech (9-2) | 17 | 5 | ACC | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 13 | Nebraska (9-3) | 14 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 14 | Virginia (9-2) | 16 | 2 | ACC | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 15 | Michigan (9-3) | 15 | Big Ten | ||
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 16 | Notre Dame (9-2) | 9 | 7 | Ind | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 17 | Air Force (10-1) | 18 | 1 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 18 | Syracuse (8-3) | 21 | 3 | Big East | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 19 | Georgia (8-3) | 12 | 7 | SEC (East) | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 20 | Texas (8-3) | Big 12 (South) | |||
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 21 | Oregon (8-3) | 22 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 22 | Penn State (8-3) | 23 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 23 | Mississippi State (8-3) | 25 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 24 | Missouri (7-4) | 24 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 14 | 1998-11-30 | 25 | Virginia Tech (8-3) | 20 | 5 | Big East | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 1 | Tennessee (10-0) | 1 | 42 | SEC (East) | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 2 | Kansas State (11-0) | 2 | 24 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 3 | UCLA (10-0) | 3 | 4 | Pac-10 | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 4 | Florida State (11-1) | 5 | 1 | ACC | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 5 | Ohio State (10-1) | 7 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 6 | Texas A&M (10-1) | 6 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 7 | Arizona (10-1) | 8 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 8 | Florida (9-2) | 4 | 4 | SEC (East) | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 9 | Notre Dame (9-1) | 10 | 1 | Ind | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 10 | Wisconsin (10-1) | 13 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 11 | Tulane (10-0) | 12 | 1 | CUSA | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 12 | Georgia (8-2) | 14 | 2 | SEC (East) | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 13 | Arkansas (8-2) | 9 | 4 | SEC (West) | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 14 | Nebraska (8-3) | 17 | 3 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 15 | Michigan (8-3) | 11 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 16 | Virginia (8-2) | 18 | 2 | ACC | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 17 | Georgia Tech (8-2) | 21 | 4 | ACC | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 18 | Air Force (10-1) | 20 | 2 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 19 | Miami (FL) (7-2) | 22 | 3 | Big East | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 20 | Virginia Tech (8-2) | 23 | 3 | Big East | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 21 | Syracuse (7-3) | 24 | 3 | Big East | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 22 | Oregon (8-3) | 15 | 7 | Pac-10 | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 23 | Penn State (7-3) | 16 | 7 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 24 | Missouri (7-4) | 19 | 5 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 13 | 1998-11-23 | 25 | Mississippi State (7-3) | SEC (West) | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 1 | Tennessee (9-0) | 1 | 37 | SEC (East) | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 2 | Kansas State (10-0) | 2 | 29 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 3 | UCLA (9-0) | 3 | 4 | Pac-10 | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 4 | Florida (9-1) | 4 | SEC (East) | ||
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 5 | Florida State (10-1) | 5 | ACC | ||
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 6 | Texas A&M (10-1) | 6 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 7 | Ohio State (9-1) | 7 | Big Ten | ||
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 8 | Arizona (10-1) | 9 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 9 | Arkansas (8-1) | 10 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 10 | Notre Dame (8-1) | 12 | 2 | Ind | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 11 | Michigan (8-2) | 15 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 12 | Tulane (9-0) | 14 | 2 | CUSA | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 13 | Wisconsin (9-1) | 8 | 5 | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 14 | Georgia (7-2) | 17 | 3 | SEC (East) | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 15 | Oregon (8-2) | 20 | 5 | Pac-10 | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 16 | Penn State (7-2) | 19 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 17 | Nebraska (8-3) | 11 | 6 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 18 | Virginia (8-2) | 21 | 3 | ACC | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 19 | Missouri (7-3) | 13 | 6 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 20 | Air Force (9-1) | 23 | 3 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 21 | Georgia Tech (7-2) | 22 | 1 | ACC | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 22 | Miami (FL) (6-2) | 24 | 2 | Big East | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 23 | Virginia Tech (7-2) | 16 | 7 | Big East | |
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 24 | Syracuse (6-3) | Big East | |||
| 12 | 1998-11-16 | 25 | Texas (7-3) | 18 | 7 | Big 12 (South) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 1 | Tennessee (8-0) | 2 | 1 | 46 | SEC (East) |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 2 | Kansas State (9-0) | 4 | 2 | 19 | Big 12 (North) |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 3 | UCLA (8-0) | 3 | 4 | Pac-10 | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 4 | Florida (8-1) | 5 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 5 | Florida State (9-1) | 6 | 1 | 1 | ACC |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 6 | Texas A&M (9-1) | 7 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 7 | Ohio State (8-1) | 1 | 6 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 8 | Wisconsin (9-0) | 8 | Big Ten | ||
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 9 | Arizona (9-1) | 10 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 10 | Arkansas (8-0) | 11 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 11 | Nebraska (8-2) | 14 | 3 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 12 | Notre Dame (7-1) | 13 | 1 | Ind | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 13 | Missouri (7-2) | 18 | 5 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 14 | Tulane (8-0) | 15 | 1 | CUSA | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 15 | Michigan (7-2) | 22 | 7 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 16 | Virginia Tech (7-1) | 15 | 1 | Big East | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 17 | Georgia (6-2) | 19 | 2 | SEC (East) | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 18 | Texas (7-2) | 20 | 2 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 19 | Penn State (6-2) | 9 | 10 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 20 | Oregon (7-2) | 21 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 21 | Virginia (7-2) | 12 | 9 | ACC | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 22 | Georgia Tech (6-2) | 23 | 1 | ACC | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 23 | Air Force (8-1) | 25 | 2 | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 24 | Miami (FL) (5-2) | 24 | Big East | ||
| 11 | 1998-11-09 | 25 | Wyoming (8-1) | WAC (Mountain) | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 1 | Ohio State (8-0) | 1 | 63 | Big Ten | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 2 | Tennessee (7-0) | 3 | 1 | 3 | SEC (East) |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 3 | UCLA (7-0) | 2 | 1 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 4 | Kansas State (8-0) | 4 | 3 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 5 | Florida (7-1) | 6 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 6 | Florida State (8-1) | 5 | 1 | ACC | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 7 | Texas A&M (8-1) | 8 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 8 | Wisconsin (8-0) | 9 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 9 | Penn State (6-1) | 10 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 10 | Arizona (8-1) | 13 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 11 | Arkansas (7-0) | 14 | 3 | SEC (West) | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 12 | Virginia (7-1) | 15 | 3 | ACC | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 13 | Notre Dame (6-1) | 16 | 3 | Ind | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 14 | Nebraska (7-2) | 7 | 7 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 15 | Syracuse (5-2) | 17 | 2 | Big East | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 15 | Tulane (7-0) | 19 | 4 | CUSA | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 15 | Virginia Tech (7-1) | 20 | 5 | Big East | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 18 | Missouri (6-2) | 18 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 19 | Georgia (6-2) | 11 | 8 | SEC (East) | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 20 | Texas (6-2) | Big 12 (South) | |||
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 21 | Oregon (6-2) | 12 | 9 | Pac-10 | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 22 | Michigan (6-2) | 22 | Big Ten | ||
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 23 | Georgia Tech (6-2) | 23 | ACC | ||
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 24 | Miami (FL) (5-2) | 25 | 1 | Big East | |
| 10 | 1998-11-02 | 25 | Air Force (7-1) | WAC (Mountain) | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 1 | Ohio State (7-0) | 1 | 64 | Big Ten | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 2 | UCLA (6-0) | 2 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 3 | Tennessee (6-0) | 3 | 3 | SEC (East) | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 4 | Kansas State (7-0) | 4 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 5 | Florida State (7-1) | 6 | 1 | ACC | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 6 | Florida (6-1) | 5 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 7 | Nebraska (7-1) | 7 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 8 | Texas A&M (7-1) | 8 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 9 | Wisconsin (8-0) | 9 | Big Ten | ||
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 10 | Penn State (5-1) | 10 | Big Ten | ||
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 11 | Georgia (6-1) | 11 | SEC (East) | ||
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 12 | Oregon (6-1) | 12 | Pac-10 | ||
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 13 | Arizona (7-1) | 14 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 14 | Arkansas (6-0) | 15 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 15 | Virginia (6-1) | 16 | 1 | ACC | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 16 | Notre Dame (5-1) | 18 | 2 | Ind | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 17 | Syracuse (4-2) | 21 | 4 | Big East | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 18 | Missouri (5-2) | 19 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 19 | Tulane (6-0) | 22 | 3 | CUSA | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 20 | Virginia Tech (6-1) | 23 | 3 | Big East | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 21 | West Virginia (4-2) | 13 | 8 | Big East | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 22 | Michigan (5-2) | Big Ten | |||
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 23 | Georgia Tech (5-2) | 20 | 3 | ACC | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 24 | Colorado (6-2) | 17 | 7 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 9 | 1998-10-26 | 25 | Miami (FL) (4-2) | Big East | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 1 | Ohio State (6-0) | 1 | 64 | Big Ten | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 2 | UCLA (5-0) | 2 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 3 | Tennessee (5-0) | 3 | 3 | SEC (East) | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 4 | Kansas State (6-0) | 4 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 5 | Florida (6-1) | 5 | SEC (East) | ||
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 6 | Florida State (6-1) | 6 | ACC | ||
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 7 | Nebraska (6-1) | 8 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 8 | Texas A&M (6-1) | 10 | 2 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 9 | Wisconsin (7-0) | 9 | Big Ten | ||
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 10 | Penn State (5-1) | 12 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 11 | Georgia (5-1) | 13 | 2 | SEC (East) | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 12 | Oregon (5-1) | 11 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 13 | West Virginia (4-1) | 15 | 2 | Big East | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 14 | Arizona (6-1) | 16 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 15 | Arkansas (6-0) | 17 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 16 | Virginia (5-1) | 7 | 9 | ACC | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 17 | Colorado (6-1) | 19 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 18 | Notre Dame (4-1) | 18 | Ind | ||
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 19 | Missouri (5-1) | 20 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 20 | Georgia Tech (5-1) | 25 | 5 | ACC | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 21 | Syracuse (4-2) | 23 | 2 | Big East | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 22 | Tulane (5-0) | 24 | 2 | CUSA | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 23 | Virginia Tech (5-1) | 14 | 9 | Big East | |
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 24 | Mississippi State (5-1) | SEC (West) | |||
| 8 | 1998-10-19 | 25 | Texas Tech (6-1) | 22 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 1 | Ohio State (5-0) | 1 | 64 | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 2 | UCLA (4-0) | 3 | 1 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 3 | Tennessee (5-0) | 4 | 1 | 3 | SEC (East) |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 4 | Kansas State (5-0) | 5 | 1 | 2 | Big 12 (North) |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 5 | Florida (5-1) | 6 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 6 | Florida State (5-1) | 8 | 2 | ACC | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 7 | Virginia (5-0) | 9 | 2 | ACC | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 8 | Nebraska (5-1) | 2 | 6 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 9 | Wisconsin (6-0) | 12 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 10 | Texas A&M (5-1) | 18 | 8 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 11 | Oregon (5-0) | 15 | 4 | Pac-10 | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 12 | Penn State (4-1) | 13 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 13 | Georgia (4-1) | 7 | 6 | SEC (East) | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 14 | Virginia Tech (5-0) | 17 | 3 | Big East | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 15 | West Virginia (4-1) | 16 | 1 | Big East | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 16 | Arizona (5-1) | 10 | 6 | Pac-10 | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 17 | Arkansas (5-0) | 20 | 3 | SEC (West) | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 18 | Notre Dame (4-1) | 22 | 4 | Ind | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 19 | Colorado (5-1) | 14 | 5 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 20 | Missouri (4-1) | 21 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 21 | LSU (3-2) | 11 | 10 | SEC (West) | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 22 | Texas Tech (6-0) | Big 12 (South) | |||
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 23 | Syracuse (3-2) | 24 | 1 | Big East | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 24 | Tulane (4-0) | 25 | 1 | CUSA | |
| 7 | 1998-10-12 | 25 | Georgia Tech (4-1) | ACC | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 1 | Ohio State (4-0) | 1 | 66 | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 2 | Nebraska (5-0) | 2 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 3 | UCLA (3-0) | 4 | 1 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 4 | Tennessee (4-0) | 3 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 5 | Kansas State (4-0) | 5 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 6 | Florida (4-1) | 8 | 2 | SEC (East) | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 7 | Georgia (4-0) | 12 | 5 | SEC (East) | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 8 | Florida State (4-1) | 9 | 1 | ACC | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 9 | Virginia (5-0) | 10 | 1 | ACC | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 10 | Arizona (5-0) | 14 | 4 | Pac-10 | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 11 | LSU (3-1) | 6 | 5 | SEC (West) | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 12 | Wisconsin (5-0) | 13 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 13 | Penn State (3-1) | 7 | 6 | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 14 | Colorado (5-0) | 15 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 15 | Oregon (4-0) | 17 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 16 | West Virginia (3-1) | 16 | Big East | ||
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 17 | Virginia Tech (4-0) | 19 | 2 | Big East | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 18 | Texas A&M (4-1) | 18 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 19 | USC (4-1) | 21 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 20 | Arkansas (4-0) | 22 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 21 | Missouri (3-1) | 23 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 22 | Notre Dame (3-1) | 23 | 1 | Ind | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 23 | North Carolina State (3-1) | ACC | |||
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 24 | Syracuse (2-2) | 11 | 13 | Big East | |
| 6 | 1998-10-05 | 25 | Tulane (4-0) | CUSA | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 1 | Ohio State (3-0) | 1 | 58 | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 2 | Nebraska (4-0) | 2 | 7 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 3 | Tennessee (3-0) | 4 | 1 | 2 | SEC (East) |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 4 | UCLA (2-0) | 3 | 1 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 5 | Kansas State (4-0) | 5 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 6 | LSU (3-0) | 6 | SEC (West) | ||
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 7 | Penn State (3-0) | 7 | Big Ten | ||
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 8 | Florida (3-1) | 8 | SEC (East) | ||
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 9 | Florida State (3-1) | 10 | 1 | ACC | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 10 | Virginia (4-0) | 11 | 1 | ACC | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 11 | Syracuse (2-1) | 12 | 1 | Big East | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 12 | Georgia (3-0) | 13 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 13 | Wisconsin (4-0) | 14 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 14 | Arizona (4-0) | 16 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 15 | Colorado (4-0) | 15 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 16 | West Virginia (2-1) | 19 | 3 | Big East | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 17 | Oregon (4-0) | 20 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 18 | Texas A&M (3-1) | 17 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 19 | Virginia Tech (4-0) | 21 | 2 | Big East | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 20 | Washington (2-1) | 9 | 11 | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 21 | USC (3-1) | 18 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 22 | Arkansas (3-0) | SEC (West) | |||
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 23 | Missouri (2-1) | 25 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 23 | Notre Dame (2-1) | 23 | Ind | ||
| 5 | 1998-09-28 | 25 | Michigan (2-2) | Big Ten | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 1 | Ohio State (3-0) | 1 | 64 | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 2 | Nebraska (3-0) | 3 | 1 | 1 | Big 12 (North) |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 3 | UCLA (2-0) | 4 | 1 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 4 | Tennessee (2-0) | 6 | 2 | 2 | SEC (East) |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 5 | Kansas State (3-0) | 5 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 6 | LSU (2-0) | 7 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 7 | Penn State (3-0) | 8 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 8 | Florida (2-1) | 2 | 6 | SEC (East) | |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 9 | Washington (2-0) | 9 | Pac-10 | ||
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 10 | Florida State (2-1) | 11 | 1 | ACC | |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 11 | Virginia (3-0) | 10 | 1 | ACC | |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 12 | Syracuse (2-1) | 13 | 1 | Big East | |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 13 | Georgia (3-0) | 12 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 14 | Wisconsin (3-0) | 14 | Big Ten | ||
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 15 | Colorado (3-0) | 15 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 16 | Arizona (3-0) | 16 | Pac-10 | ||
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 17 | Texas A&M (2-1) | 17 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 18 | USC (3-0) | 18 | Pac-10 | ||
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 19 | West Virginia (1-1) | 19 | Big East | ||
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 20 | Oregon (3-0) | 22 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 21 | Virginia Tech (3-0) | Big East | |||
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 22 | Alabama (2-0) | 24 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 23 | Air Force (3-0) | WAC (Mountain) | |||
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 23 | Notre Dame (1-1) | 23 | Ind | ||
| 4 | 1998-09-21 | 25 | Missouri (2-1) | 21 | 4 | Big 12 (North) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 1 | Ohio State (2-0) | 1 | 57 | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 2 | Florida (2-0) | 3 | 1 | 9 | SEC (East) |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 3 | Nebraska (3-0) | 4 | 1 | 1 | Big 12 (North) |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 4 | UCLA (1-0) | 6 | 2 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 5 | Kansas State (2-0) | 5 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 6 | Tennessee (1-0) | 8 | 2 | SEC (East) | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 7 | LSU (1-0) | 7 | SEC (West) | ||
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 8 | Penn State (2-0) | 9 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 9 | Washington (1-0) | 11 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 10 | Virginia (2-0) | 12 | 2 | ACC | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 11 | Florida State (1-1) | 2 | 9 | ACC | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 12 | Georgia (2-0) | 15 | 3 | SEC (East) | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 13 | Syracuse (1-1) | 19 | 6 | Big East | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 14 | Wisconsin (2-0) | 17 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 15 | Colorado (2-0) | 16 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 16 | Arizona (2-0) | 21 | 5 | Pac-10 | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 17 | Texas A&M (1-1) | 18 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 18 | USC (2-0) | 22 | 4 | Pac-10 | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 19 | West Virginia (0-1) | 20 | 1 | Big East | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 20 | North Carolina State (2-0) | ACC | |||
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 21 | Missouri (2-0) | 25 | 4 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 22 | Oregon (2-0) | 24 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 23 | Notre Dame (1-1) | 10 | 13 | Ind | |
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 24 | Alabama (2-0) | SEC (West) | |||
| 3 | 1998-09-14 | 25 | Mississippi State (2-0) | SEC (West) | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 1 | Ohio State (1-0) | 1 | 39 | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 2 | Florida State (1-0) | 2 | 22 | ACC | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 3 | Florida (1-0) | 3 | 4 | SEC (East) | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 4 | Nebraska (2-0) | 4 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 5 | Kansas State (1-0) | 6 | 1 | 2 | Big 12 (North) |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 6 | UCLA | 7 | 1 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 7 | LSU | 9 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 8 | Tennessee (1-0) | 10 | 2 | SEC (East) | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 9 | Penn State (1-0) | 13 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 10 | Notre Dame (1-0) | 22 | 12 | Ind | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 11 | Washington (1-0) | 18 | 7 | Pac-10 | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 12 | Virginia (1-0) | 16 | 4 | ACC | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 13 | Michigan (0-1) | 5 | 8 | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 14 | Arizona State (0-1) | 8 | 6 | Pac-10 | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 15 | Georgia (1-0) | 19 | 4 | SEC (East) | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 16 | Colorado (1-0) | Big 12 (North) | |||
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 17 | Wisconsin (1-0) | 20 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 18 | Texas A&M (0-1) | 14 | 4 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 19 | Syracuse (0-1) | 17 | 2 | Big East | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 20 | West Virginia (0-1) | 11 | 9 | Big East | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 21 | Arizona (1-0) | 24 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 22 | USC (1-0) | Pac-10 | |||
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 23 | Texas (1-0) | Big 12 (South) | |||
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 24 | Oregon (1-0) | Pac-10 | |||
| 2 | 1998-09-07 | 25 | Missouri (1-0) | Big 12 (North) | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 1 | Preseason | 1 | Ohio State | NA | — | 30 | Big Ten |
| 1 | Preseason | 2 | Florida State | NA | — | 22 | ACC |
| 1 | Preseason | 3 | Florida | NA | — | 5 | SEC (East) |
| 1 | Preseason | 4 | Nebraska | NA | — | 4 | Big 12 (North) |
| 1 | Preseason | 5 | Michigan | NA | — | 4 | Big Ten |
| 1 | Preseason | 6 | Kansas State | NA | — | 2 | Big 12 (North) |
| 1 | Preseason | 7 | UCLA | NA | — | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 1 | Preseason | 8 | Arizona State | NA | — | 2 | Pac-10 |
| 1 | Preseason | 9 | LSU | NA | — | SEC (West) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 10 | Tennessee | NA | — | SEC (East) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 11 | West Virginia | NA | — | Big East | |
| 1 | Preseason | 12 | North Carolina | NA | — | ACC | |
| 1 | Preseason | 13 | Penn State | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 14 | Texas A&M | NA | — | Big 12 (South) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 15 | Colorado State | NA | — | WAC (Mountain) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 16 | Virginia | NA | — | ACC | |
| 1 | Preseason | 17 | Syracuse | NA | — | Big East | |
| 1 | Preseason | 18 | Washington | NA | — | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | Preseason | 19 | Georgia | NA | — | SEC (East) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 20 | Wisconsin | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 21 | Southern Mississippi | NA | — | CUSA | |
| 1 | Preseason | 22 | Notre Dame | NA | — | Ind | |
| 1 | Preseason | 23 | Michigan State | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 24 | Arizona | NA | — | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | Preseason | 25 | Auburn | NA | — | SEC (West) |
BCS Playoff Standings