1989 UPI Rankings
| Final Poll For 1989 Season |
| Rank |
Team |
Record |
Votes |
| 1989 UPI |
| 1 | Miami | 11-1-0 | | | 2 | Florida State | 10-2-0 | |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 12-1-0 | | | 4 | Colorado | 11-1-0 | |
| 5 | Tennessee | 11-1-0 | | | 6 | Auburn | 10-2-0 | |
| 7 | Alabama | 10-2-0 | | | 8 | Michigan | 10-2-0 | |
| 9 | Southern California | 9-2-1 | | | 10 | Illinois | 10-2-0 | |
| 11 | Clemson | 10-2-0 | | | 12 | Nebraska | 10-2-0 | |
| 13 | Arkansas | 10-2-0 | | | 14 | Penn State | 8-3-1 | |
| 15 | Virginia | 10-3-0 | | | 16 | Michigan State | 8-4-0 | |
| 16 | Texas Tech | 9-3-0 | | | 18 | Brigham Young | 10-3-0 | |
| 19 | Pittsburgh | 8-3-1 | | | 20 | Washington | 8-4-0 | |
|
Great Moments in College Football History
Touchdowns in college football were originally counted as three points.
