1982 AP Rankings
| Final Poll For 1982 Season |
| Rank |
Team |
Record |
Votes |
| 1982 AP |
| 1 | Penn State | 11-1-0 | | | 2 | Southern Methodist | 11-0-1 | |
| 3 | Nebraska | 12-1-0 | | | 4 | Georgia | 11-1-0 | |
| 5 | UCLA | 10-1-1 | | | 6 | Arizona State | 10-2-0 | |
| 7 | Washington | 10-2-0 | | | 8 | Clemson | 9-1-1 | |
| 9 | Arkansas | 9-2-1 | | | 10 | Pittsburgh | 9-3-0 | |
| 11 | Louisiana State | 8-3-1 | | | 12 | Ohio State | 9-3-0 | |
| 13 | Florida State | 9-3-0 | | | 14 | Auburn | 9-3-0 | |
| 15 | Southern California | 8-3-0 | | | 16 | Oklahoma | 8-4-0 | |
| 17 | Texas | 9-3-0 | | | 18 | North Carolina | 8-4-0 | |
| 19 | West Virginia | 9-3-0 | | | 20 | Maryland | 8-4-0 | |
|
Great Moments in College Football History
During Nebraska Cornhuskers' home games, their stadium becomes the state's third largest city.
