1978 AP Rankings
| Final Poll For 1978 Season |
| Rank |
Team |
Record |
Votes |
| 1978 AP |
| 1 | Alabama | 11-1-0 | | | 2 | Southern California | 12-1-0 | |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 11-1-0 | | | 4 | Penn State | 11-1-0 | |
| 5 | Michigan | 10-2-0 | | | 6 | Clemson | 11-1-0 | |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 9-3-0 | | | 8 | Nebraska | 9-3-0 | |
| 9 | Texas | 9-3-0 | | | 10 | Houston | 9-3-0 | |
| 11 | Arkansas | 9-2-1 | | | 12 | Michigan State | 8-3-0 | |
| 13 | Purdue | 9-2-1 | | | 14 | UCLA | 8-3-1 | |
| 15 | Missouri | 8-4-0 | | | 16 | Georgia | 9-2-1 | |
| 17 | Stanford | 8-4-0 | | | 18 | North Carolina State | 9-3-0 | |
| 19 | Texas A&M | 8-4-0 | | | 20 | Maryland | 9-3-0 | |
|
Great Moments in College Football History
Touchdowns in college football were originally counted as three points.
