AP Polls
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Final | 1 | Ohio State | 2 | 1 | 71 | Big Ten |
| 18 | Final | 2 | Miami (FL) | 1 | 1 | Big East | |
| 18 | Final | 3 | Georgia | 4 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 18 | Final | 4 | USC | 5 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 18 | Final | 5 | Oklahoma | 8 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 18 | Final | 6 | Texas | 9 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 18 | Final | 7 | Kansas State | 6 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 18 | Final | 8 | Iowa | 3 | 5 | Big Ten | |
| 18 | Final | 9 | Michigan | 12 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 18 | Final | 10 | Washington State | 7 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 18 | Final | 11 | Alabama | 13 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 18 | Final | 12 | North Carolina State | 17 | 5 | ACC | |
| 18 | Final | 13 | Maryland | 20 | 7 | ACC | |
| 18 | Final | 14 | Auburn | 19 | 5 | SEC (West) | |
| 18 | Final | 15 | Boise State | 18 | 3 | WAC | |
| 18 | Final | 16 | Penn State | 10 | 6 | Big Ten | |
| 18 | Final | 17 | Notre Dame | 11 | 6 | Ind | |
| 18 | Final | 18 | Virginia Tech | 21 | 3 | Big East | |
| 18 | Final | 19 | Pitt | 24 | 5 | Big East | |
| 18 | Final | 20 | Colorado | 14 | 6 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 18 | Final | 21 | Florida State | 16 | 5 | ACC | |
| 18 | Final | 22 | Virginia | ACC | |||
| 18 | Final | 23 | Texas Christian | CUSA | |||
| 18 | Final | 24 | Marshall | MAC (East) | |||
| 18 | Final | 25 | West Virginia | 15 | 10 | Big East | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 1 | Miami (FL) (12-0) | 1 | 74 | Big East | |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 2 | Ohio State (13-0) | 2 | Big Ten | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 3 | Iowa (11-1) | 3 | Big Ten | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 4 | Georgia (12-1) | 4 | SEC (East) | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 5 | USC (10-2) | 5 | Pac-10 | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 6 | Kansas State (10-2) | 6 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 7 | Washington State (10-2) | 7 | Pac-10 | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 8 | Oklahoma (11-2) | 8 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 9 | Texas (10-2) | 9 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 10 | Penn State (9-3) | 10 | Big Ten | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 11 | Notre Dame (10-2) | 11 | Ind | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 12 | Michigan (9-3) | 13 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 13 | Alabama (10-3) | 14 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 14 | Colorado (9-4) | 12 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 15 | West Virginia (9-3) | 15 | Big East | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 16 | Florida State (9-4) | 16 | ACC | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 17 | North Carolina State (10-3) | 17 | ACC | ||
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 18 | Boise State (11-1) | 19 | 1 | WAC | |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 19 | Auburn (8-4) | 20 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 20 | Maryland (10-3) | 21 | 1 | ACC | |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 21 | Virginia Tech (9-4) | 18 | 3 | Big East | |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 22 | Florida (8-4) | 23 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 23 | Colorado State (10-3) | 24 | 1 | MWC | |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 24 | Pitt (8-4) | 25 | 1 | Big East | |
| 17 | 2002-12-08 | 25 | Arkansas (9-4) | 22 | 3 | SEC (West) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 1 | Miami (FL) (11-0) | 1 | 73 | Big East | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 2 | Ohio State (13-0) | 2 | Big Ten | ||
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 3 | Iowa (11-1) | 4 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 4 | Georgia (11-1) | 5 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 5 | USC (10-2) | 6 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 6 | Kansas State (10-2) | 8 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 7 | Washington State (9-2) | 9 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 8 | Oklahoma (10-2) | 3 | 5 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 9 | Texas (10-2) | 10 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 10 | Penn State (9-3) | 11 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 11 | Notre Dame (10-2) | 7 | 4 | Ind | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 12 | Colorado (9-3) | 13 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 13 | Michigan (9-3) | 12 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 14 | Alabama (10-3) | 14 | SEC (West) | ||
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 15 | West Virginia (9-3) | 24 | 9 | Big East | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 16 | Florida State (9-4) | 23 | 7 | ACC | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 17 | North Carolina State (10-3) | 21 | 4 | ACC | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 18 | Virginia Tech (9-3) | 22 | 4 | Big East | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 19 | Boise State (11-1) | 19 | WAC | ||
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 20 | Auburn (8-4) | 20 | SEC (West) | ||
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 21 | Maryland (10-3) | 25 | 4 | ACC | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 22 | Arkansas (9-3) | SEC (West) | |||
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 23 | Florida (8-4) | 15 | 8 | SEC (East) | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 24 | Colorado State (10-3) | 16 | 8 | MWC | |
| 16 | 2002-12-01 | 25 | Pitt (8-4) | 17 | 8 | Big East | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 1 | Miami (FL) (10-0) | 1 | 71 | Big East | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 2 | Ohio State (13-0) | 2 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 3 | Oklahoma (10-1) | 4 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 4 | Iowa (11-1) | 5 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 5 | Georgia (10-1) | 6 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 6 | USC (9-2) | 7 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 7 | Notre Dame (10-1) | 8 | 1 | Ind | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 8 | Kansas State (10-2) | 10 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 9 | Washington State (9-2) | 3 | 6 | Pac-10 | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 10 | Texas (9-2) | 11 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 11 | Penn State (9-3) | 15 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 12 | Michigan (9-3) | 12 | Big Ten | ||
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 13 | Colorado (8-3) | 16 | 3 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 14 | Alabama (9-3) | 9 | 5 | SEC (West) | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 15 | Florida (8-3) | 19 | 4 | SEC (East) | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 16 | Colorado State (10-2) | 20 | 4 | MWC | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 17 | Pitt (8-3) | 17 | Big East | ||
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 18 | LSU (8-3) | 21 | 3 | SEC (West) | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 19 | Boise State (11-1) | 23 | 4 | WAC | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 20 | Auburn (8-4) | SEC (West) | |||
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 21 | North Carolina State (10-3) | ACC | |||
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 22 | Virginia Tech (8-3) | 13 | 9 | Big East | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 23 | Florida State (8-4) | 14 | 9 | ACC | |
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 24 | West Virginia (8-3) | Big East | |||
| 15 | 2002-11-24 | 25 | Maryland (9-3) | 18 | 7 | ACC | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 1 | Miami (FL) (9-0) | 1 | 74 | Big East | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 2 | Ohio State (12-0) | 2 | Big Ten | ||
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 3 | Washington State (9-1) | 3 | Pac-10 | ||
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 4 | Oklahoma (9-1) | 4 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 5 | Iowa (11-1) | 6 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 6 | Georgia (10-1) | 7 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 7 | USC (8-2) | 8 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 8 | Notre Dame (9-1) | 9 | 1 | Ind | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 9 | Alabama (9-2) | 10 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 10 | Kansas State (9-2) | 11 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 11 | Texas (9-2) | 4 | 7 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 12 | Michigan (9-2) | 12 | Big Ten | ||
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 13 | Virginia Tech (8-2) | 13 | Big East | ||
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 14 | Florida State (8-3) | 15 | 1 | ACC | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 15 | Penn State (8-3) | 16 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 16 | Colorado (8-3) | 17 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 17 | Pitt (8-2) | 18 | 1 | Big East | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 18 | Maryland (9-2) | 19 | 1 | ACC | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 19 | Florida (8-3) | 20 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 20 | Colorado State (9-2) | 21 | 1 | MWC | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 21 | LSU (7-3) | 14 | 7 | SEC (West) | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 22 | Texas Christian (8-1) | 25 | 3 | CUSA | |
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 23 | Boise State (10-1) | WAC | |||
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 24 | Texas Tech (8-4) | Big 12 (South) | |||
| 14 | 2002-11-17 | 25 | UCLA (7-3) | Pac-10 | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 1 | Miami (FL) (9-0) | 2 | 1 | 74 | Big East |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | Ohio State (11-0) | 3 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | Washington State (9-1) | 5 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 4 | Oklahoma (8-1) | 1 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 4 | Texas (9-1) | 4 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 6 | Iowa (10-1) | 6 | Big Ten | ||
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 7 | Georgia (9-1) | 7 | SEC (East) | ||
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 8 | USC (7-2) | 10 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 9 | Notre Dame (9-1) | 9 | Ind | ||
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 10 | Alabama (8-2) | 11 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 11 | Kansas State (8-2) | 12 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 12 | Michigan (8-2) | 13 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 13 | Virginia Tech (8-2) | 8 | 5 | Big East | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 14 | LSU (7-2) | 16 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 15 | Florida State (7-3) | 17 | 2 | ACC | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 16 | Penn State (7-3) | 19 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 17 | Colorado (7-3) | 18 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 18 | Pitt (8-2) | 22 | 4 | Big East | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 19 | Maryland (8-2) | ACC | |||
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 20 | Florida (7-3) | 23 | 3 | SEC (East) | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 21 | Colorado State (8-2) | 24 | 3 | MWC | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 22 | North Carolina State (9-2) | 14 | 8 | ACC | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 23 | Oregon (7-3) | 15 | 8 | Pac-10 | |
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 24 | Auburn (7-3) | SEC (West) | |||
| 13 | 2002-11-10 | 25 | Texas Christian (8-1) | CUSA | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 1 | Oklahoma (8-0) | 2 | 1 | 42 | Big 12 (South) |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 2 | Miami (FL) (8-0) | 1 | 1 | 32 | Big East |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 3 | Ohio State (10-0) | 6 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 4 | Texas (8-1) | 7 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 5 | Washington State (8-1) | 8 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 6 | Iowa (9-1) | 9 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 7 | Georgia (8-1) | 5 | 2 | SEC (East) | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 8 | Virginia Tech (8-1) | 3 | 5 | Big East | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 9 | Notre Dame (8-1) | 4 | 5 | Ind | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 10 | USC (6-2) | 11 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 11 | Alabama (7-2) | 12 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 12 | Kansas State (7-2) | 14 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 13 | Michigan (7-2) | 15 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 14 | North Carolina State (9-1) | 10 | 4 | ACC | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 15 | Oregon (7-2) | 19 | 4 | Pac-10 | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 16 | LSU (6-2) | 17 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 17 | Florida State (6-3) | 18 | 1 | ACC | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 18 | Colorado (6-3) | 13 | 5 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 19 | Penn State (6-3) | 20 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 20 | Bowling Green (8-0) | 21 | 1 | MAC (West) | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 21 | Iowa State (7-3) | 22 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 22 | Pitt (7-2) | Big East | |||
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 23 | Florida (6-3) | SEC (East) | |||
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 24 | Colorado State (8-2) | 24 | MWC | ||
| 12 | 2002-11-03 | 25 | Arizona State (7-3) | 16 | 9 | Pac-10 | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 1 | Miami (FL) (7-0) | 1 | 59 | Big East | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 2 | Oklahoma (7-0) | 2 | 14 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 3 | Virginia Tech (8-0) | 3 | Big East | ||
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 4 | Notre Dame (8-0) | 6 | 2 | 1 | Ind |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 5 | Georgia (8-0) | 5 | SEC (East) | ||
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 6 | Ohio State (9-0) | 4 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 7 | Texas (7-1) | 7 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 8 | Washington State (7-1) | 9 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 9 | Iowa (8-1) | 13 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 10 | North Carolina State (9-0) | 12 | 2 | ACC | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 11 | USC (6-2) | 15 | 4 | Pac-10 | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 12 | Alabama (6-2) | 19 | 7 | SEC (West) | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 13 | Colorado (6-2) | 21 | 8 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 14 | Kansas State (6-2) | 20 | 6 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 15 | Michigan (6-2) | 8 | 7 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 16 | Arizona State (7-2) | 23 | 7 | Pac-10 | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 17 | LSU (6-2) | 10 | 7 | SEC (West) | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 18 | Florida State (5-3) | 11 | 7 | ACC | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 19 | Oregon (6-2) | 14 | 5 | Pac-10 | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 20 | Penn State (5-3) | 18 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 21 | Bowling Green (7-0) | 24 | 3 | MAC (West) | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 22 | Iowa State (6-3) | 17 | 5 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 23 | Minnesota (7-1) | 25 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 24 | Colorado State (7-2) | MWC | |||
| 11 | 2002-10-27 | 25 | Tennessee (4-3) | 16 | 9 | SEC (East) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 1 | Miami (FL) (6-0) | 1 | 61 | Big East | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 2 | Oklahoma (7-0) | 2 | 13 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 3 | Virginia Tech (7-0) | 3 | Big East | ||
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 4 | Ohio State (8-0) | 4 | Big Ten | ||
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 5 | Georgia (7-0) | 5 | SEC (East) | ||
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 6 | Notre Dame (7-0) | 7 | 1 | Ind | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 7 | Texas (6-1) | 8 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 8 | Michigan (6-1) | 11 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 9 | Washington State (6-1) | 10 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 10 | LSU (6-1) | 14 | 4 | SEC (West) | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 11 | Florida State (5-2) | 12 | 1 | ACC | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 12 | North Carolina State (8-0) | 13 | 1 | ACC | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 13 | Iowa (7-1) | 15 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 14 | Oregon (6-1) | 6 | 8 | Pac-10 | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 15 | USC (5-2) | 19 | 4 | Pac-10 | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 16 | Tennessee (4-2) | 16 | SEC (East) | ||
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 17 | Iowa State (6-2) | 9 | 8 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 18 | Penn State (5-2) | 20 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 19 | Alabama (5-2) | 24 | 5 | SEC (West) | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 20 | Kansas State (5-2) | 17 | 3 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 21 | Colorado (5-2) | 23 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 22 | Air Force (6-1) | 18 | 4 | MWC | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 23 | Arizona State (6-2) | Pac-10 | |||
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 24 | Bowling Green (6-0) | 25 | 1 | MAC (West) | |
| 10 | 2002-10-20 | 25 | Minnesota (7-1) | Big Ten | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 1 | Miami (FL) (6-0) | 1 | 65 | Big East | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 2 | Oklahoma (6-0) | 2 | 9 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 3 | Virginia Tech (6-0) | 4 | 1 | Big East | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 4 | Ohio State (7-0) | 5 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 5 | Georgia (6-0) | 6 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 6 | Oregon (6-0) | 7 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 7 | Notre Dame (6-0) | 8 | 1 | Ind | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 8 | Texas (5-1) | 3 | 5 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 9 | Iowa State (6-1) | 11 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 10 | Washington State (6-1) | 12 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 11 | Michigan (5-1) | 13 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 12 | Florida State (5-2) | 9 | 3 | ACC | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 13 | North Carolina State (7-0) | 14 | 1 | ACC | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 14 | LSU (5-1) | 18 | 4 | SEC (West) | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 15 | Iowa (6-1) | 17 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 16 | Tennessee (4-2) | 10 | 6 | SEC (East) | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 17 | Kansas State (5-1) | 19 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 18 | Air Force (6-0) | 21 | 3 | MWC | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 19 | USC (4-2) | 20 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 20 | Penn State (4-2) | 15 | 5 | Big Ten | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 21 | Ole Miss (5-1) | 25 | 4 | SEC (West) | |
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 22 | Washington (4-2) | 22 | Pac-10 | ||
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 23 | Colorado (4-2) | Big 12 (North) | |||
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 24 | Alabama (4-2) | SEC (West) | |||
| 9 | 2002-10-13 | 25 | Bowling Green (5-0) | MAC (West) | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 1 | Miami (FL) (5-0) | 1 | 73 | Big East | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 2 | Oklahoma (5-0) | 3 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 3 | Texas (5-0) | 2 | 1 | 1 | Big 12 (South) |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 4 | Virginia Tech (5-0) | 4 | Big East | ||
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 5 | Ohio State (6-0) | 5 | Big Ten | ||
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 6 | Georgia (5-0) | 7 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 7 | Oregon (5-0) | 8 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 8 | Notre Dame (5-0) | 9 | 1 | Ind | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 9 | Florida State (5-1) | 11 | 2 | ACC | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 10 | Tennessee (4-1) | 10 | SEC (East) | ||
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 11 | Iowa State (5-1) | 15 | 4 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 12 | Washington State (5-1) | 17 | 5 | Pac-10 | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 13 | Michigan (4-1) | 14 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 14 | North Carolina State (6-0) | 16 | 2 | ACC | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 15 | Penn State (4-1) | 20 | 5 | Big Ten | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 16 | Florida (4-2) | 6 | 10 | SEC (East) | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 17 | Iowa (5-1) | 24 | 7 | Big Ten | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 18 | LSU (4-1) | 21 | 3 | SEC (West) | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 19 | Kansas State (4-1) | 13 | 6 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 20 | USC (3-2) | 18 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 21 | Air Force (5-0) | MWC | |||
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 22 | Washington (3-2) | 12 | 10 | Pac-10 | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 23 | Wisconsin (5-1) | 19 | 4 | Big Ten | |
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 24 | Auburn (4-1) | SEC (West) | |||
| 8 | 2002-10-06 | 25 | Ole Miss (4-1) | SEC (West) | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 1 | Miami (FL) (4-0) | 1 | 71 | Big East | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 2 | Texas (4-0) | 3 | 1 | 2 | Big 12 (South) |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 3 | Oklahoma (4-0) | 2 | 1 | 1 | Big 12 (South) |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 4 | Virginia Tech (5-0) | 5 | 1 | Big East | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 5 | Ohio State (5-0) | 6 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 6 | Florida (4-1) | 7 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 7 | Georgia (4-0) | 8 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 8 | Oregon (4-0) | 9 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 9 | Notre Dame (4-0) | 10 | 1 | Ind | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 10 | Tennessee (3-1) | 11 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 11 | Florida State (4-1) | 4 | 7 | ACC | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 12 | Washington (3-1) | 13 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 13 | Kansas State (4-0) | 15 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 14 | Michigan (4-1) | 14 | Big Ten | ||
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 15 | Iowa State (5-1) | 19 | 4 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 16 | North Carolina State (6-0) | 17 | 1 | ACC | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 17 | Washington State (4-1) | 16 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 18 | USC (3-1) | 18 | Pac-10 | ||
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 19 | Wisconsin (5-0) | 21 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 20 | Penn State (3-1) | 12 | 8 | Big Ten | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 21 | LSU (3-1) | 22 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 22 | Alabama (4-1) | SEC (West) | |||
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 23 | Texas A&M (3-1) | 24 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 24 | Iowa (4-1) | Big Ten | |||
| 7 | 2002-09-29 | 25 | Colorado State (4-1) | 25 | MWC | ||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 1 | Miami (FL) (4-0) | 1 | 69 | Big East | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 2 | Oklahoma (3-0) | 2 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 3 | Texas (3-0) | 3 | 2 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 4 | Florida State (4-0) | 5 | 1 | ACC | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 5 | Virginia Tech (4-0) | 7 | 2 | Big East | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 6 | Ohio State (4-0) | 6 | Big Ten | ||
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 7 | Florida (3-1) | 10 | 3 | SEC (East) | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 8 | Georgia (3-0) | 8 | SEC (East) | ||
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 9 | Oregon (4-0) | 9 | Pac-10 | ||
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 10 | Notre Dame (4-0) | 12 | 2 | Ind | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 11 | Tennessee (2-1) | 4 | 7 | SEC (East) | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 12 | Penn State (3-0) | 15 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 13 | Washington (2-1) | 13 | Pac-10 | ||
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 14 | Michigan (3-1) | 14 | Big Ten | ||
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 15 | Kansas State (4-0) | 25 | 10 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 16 | Washington State (3-1) | 16 | Pac-10 | ||
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 17 | North Carolina State (5-0) | 17 | ACC | ||
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 18 | USC (2-1) | 11 | 7 | Pac-10 | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 19 | Iowa State (4-1) | 21 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 20 | Nebraska (3-1) | 18 | 2 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 21 | Wisconsin (5-0) | 22 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 22 | LSU (2-1) | 24 | 2 | SEC (West) | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 23 | Oregon State (4-0) | Pac-10 | |||
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 24 | Texas A&M (2-1) | 19 | 5 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 6 | 2002-09-22 | 25 | Colorado State (3-1) | MWC | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 1 | Miami (FL) (3-0) | 1 | 68 | Big East | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 2 | Oklahoma (3-0) | 2 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 3 | Texas (2-0) | 3 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 4 | Tennessee (2-0) | 4 | SEC (East) | ||
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 5 | Florida State (3-0) | 5 | ACC | ||
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 6 | Ohio State (3-0) | 6 | Big Ten | ||
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 7 | Virginia Tech (3-0) | 11 | 4 | Big East | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 8 | Georgia (2-0) | 9 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 9 | Oregon (3-0) | 13 | 4 | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 10 | Florida (2-1) | 12 | 2 | SEC (East) | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 11 | USC (2-0) | 17 | 6 | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 12 | Notre Dame (3-0) | 20 | 8 | Ind | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 13 | Washington (1-1) | 14 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 14 | Michigan (2-1) | 7 | 7 | Big Ten | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 15 | Penn State (2-0) | Big Ten | |||
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 16 | Washington State (2-1) | 10 | 6 | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 17 | North Carolina State (4-0) | 19 | 2 | ACC | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 18 | Nebraska (3-1) | 8 | 10 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 19 | Texas A&M (2-0) | 21 | 2 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 20 | UCLA (2-0) | 23 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 21 | Iowa State (3-1) | Big 12 (North) | |||
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 22 | Wisconsin (4-0) | 22 | Big Ten | ||
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 23 | California (3-0) | Pac-10 | |||
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 24 | LSU (2-1) | 25 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| 5 | 2002-09-15 | 25 | Kansas State (3-0) | Big 12 (North) | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 1 | Miami (FL) (2-0) | 1 | 68 | Big East | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 2 | Oklahoma (2-0) | 2 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 3 | Texas (1-0) | 3 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 4 | Tennessee (2-0) | 4 | SEC (East) | ||
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 5 | Florida State (2-0) | 5 | ACC | ||
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 6 | Ohio State (2-0) | 8 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 7 | Michigan (2-0) | 7 | Big Ten | ||
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 8 | Nebraska (3-0) | 9 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 9 | Georgia (1-0) | 10 | 1 | SEC (East) | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 10 | Washington State (2-0) | 11 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 11 | Virginia Tech (2-0) | 12 | 1 | Big East | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 12 | Florida (1-1) | 6 | 6 | SEC (East) | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 13 | Oregon (2-0) | 13 | Pac-10 | ||
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 14 | Washington (1-1) | 14 | Pac-10 | ||
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 15 | Michigan State (2-0) | 15 | Big Ten | ||
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 16 | Marshall (1-0) | 16 | MAC (East) | ||
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 17 | USC (1-0) | 18 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 18 | Colorado (1-1) | 17 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 19 | North Carolina State (3-0) | 21 | 2 | ACC | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 20 | Notre Dame (2-0) | 23 | 3 | Ind | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 21 | Texas A&M (2-0) | 20 | 1 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 22 | Wisconsin (3-0) | 25 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 23 | UCLA (1-0) | Pac-10 | |||
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 24 | Colorado State (2-1) | 19 | 5 | MWC | |
| 4 | 2002-09-08 | 25 | LSU (1-1) | 24 | 1 | SEC (West) | |
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 1 | Miami (FL) (1-0) | 1 | 34 | Big East | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 2 | Oklahoma (1-0) | 1 | 1 | 21 | Big 12 (South) |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 3 | Texas (1-0) | 3 | 10 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 4 | Tennessee (1-0) | 4 | 5 | SEC (East) | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 5 | Florida State (2-0) | 5 | 4 | ACC | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 6 | Florida (1-0) | 6 | SEC (East) | ||
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 7 | Michigan (1-0) | 13 | 6 | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 8 | Ohio State (1-0) | 10 | 2 | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 9 | Nebraska (2-0) | 9 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 10 | Georgia (1-0) | 8 | 2 | SEC (East) | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 11 | Washington State (1-0) | 12 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 12 | Virginia Tech (2-0) | 16 | 4 | Big East | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 13 | Oregon (1-0) | 15 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 14 | Washington (0-1) | 11 | 3 | Pac-10 | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 15 | Michigan State (1-0) | 18 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 16 | Marshall (1-0) | 19 | 3 | MAC (East) | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 17 | Colorado (0-1) | 7 | 10 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 18 | USC | 20 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 19 | Colorado State (2-0) | MWC | |||
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 20 | Texas A&M (1-0) | 23 | 3 | Big 12 (South) | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 21 | North Carolina State (2-0) | 25 | 4 | ACC | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 22 | South Carolina (1-0) | 22 | SEC (East) | ||
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 23 | Notre Dame (1-0) | Ind | |||
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 24 | LSU (0-1) | 14 | 10 | SEC (West) | |
| 3 | 2002-09-02 | 25 | Wisconsin (2-0) | Big Ten | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 1 | Miami (FL) | 1 | 27 | Big East | |
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 1 | Oklahoma | 2 | 1 | 27 | Big 12 (South) |
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 3 | Texas | 4 | 1 | 13 | Big 12 (South) |
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 4 | Tennessee | 5 | 1 | 3 | SEC (East) |
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 5 | Florida State (1-0) | 3 | 2 | 4 | ACC |
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 6 | Florida | 6 | SEC (East) | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 7 | Colorado | 7 | Big 12 (North) | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 8 | Georgia | 8 | SEC (East) | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 9 | Nebraska (1-0) | 10 | 1 | Big 12 (North) | |
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 10 | Ohio State (1-0) | 13 | 3 | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 11 | Washington | 9 | 2 | Pac-10 | |
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 12 | Washington State | 11 | 1 | Pac-10 | |
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 13 | Michigan | 12 | 1 | Big Ten | |
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 14 | LSU | 14 | SEC (West) | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 15 | Oregon | 15 | Pac-10 | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 16 | Virginia Tech (1-0) | 16 | Big East | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 17 | Louisville | 17 | CUSA | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 18 | Michigan State | 18 | Big Ten | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 19 | Marshall | 19 | MAC (East) | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 20 | USC | 20 | Pac-10 | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 21 | Maryland | 21 | ACC | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 22 | South Carolina | 22 | SEC (East) | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 23 | Texas A&M | 23 | Big 12 (South) | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 24 | Penn State | 24 | Big Ten | ||
| 2 | 2002-08-26 | 25 | North Carolina State (1-0) | ACC | |||
| Wk | Date | Rk | School | Prev | Chng | 1st | Conf |
| 1 | Preseason | 1 | Miami (FL) | NA | — | 27 | Big East |
| 1 | Preseason | 2 | Oklahoma | NA | — | 21 | Big 12 (South) |
| 1 | Preseason | 3 | Florida State | NA | — | 10 | ACC |
| 1 | Preseason | 4 | Texas | NA | — | 13 | Big 12 (South) |
| 1 | Preseason | 5 | Tennessee | NA | — | 3 | SEC (East) |
| 1 | Preseason | 6 | Florida | NA | — | SEC (East) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 7 | Colorado | NA | — | Big 12 (North) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 8 | Georgia | NA | — | SEC (East) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 9 | Washington | NA | — | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | Preseason | 10 | Nebraska | NA | — | Big 12 (North) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 11 | Washington State | NA | — | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | Preseason | 12 | Michigan | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 13 | Ohio State | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 14 | LSU | NA | — | SEC (West) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 15 | Oregon | NA | — | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | Preseason | 16 | Virginia Tech | NA | — | Big East | |
| 1 | Preseason | 17 | Louisville | NA | — | CUSA | |
| 1 | Preseason | 18 | Michigan State | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 19 | Marshall | NA | — | MAC (East) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 20 | USC | NA | — | Pac-10 | |
| 1 | Preseason | 21 | Maryland | NA | — | ACC | |
| 1 | Preseason | 22 | South Carolina | NA | — | SEC (East) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 23 | Texas A&M | NA | — | Big 12 (South) | |
| 1 | Preseason | 24 | Penn State | NA | — | Big Ten | |
| 1 | Preseason | 25 | Wisconsin | NA | — | Big Ten |
BCS Playoff Standings