1979 UPI Rankings
| Final Poll For 1979 Season |
| Rank |
Team |
Record |
Votes |
| 1979 UPI |
| 1 | Alabama | 12-0-0 | | | 2 | Southern California | 11-0-1 | |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 11-1-0 | | | 4 | Ohio State | 11-1-0 | |
| 5 | Houston | 11-1-0 | | | 6 | Pittsburgh | 11-1-0 | |
| 7 | Nebraska | 10-2-0 | | | 8 | Florida State | 11-1-0 | |
| 9 | Arkansas | 10-2-0 | | | 10 | Purdue | 10-2-0 | |
| 11 | Washington | 9-3-0 | | | 12 | Brigham Young | 11-1-0 | |
| 13 | Texas | 9-3-0 | | | 14 | North Carolina | 8-3-1 | |
| 15 | Baylor | 8-4-0 | | | 16 | Indiana | 8-4-0 | |
| 17 | Temple | 10-2-0 | | | 18 | Penn State | 8-4-0 | |
| 19 | Michigan | 8-4-0 | | | 20 | Missouri | 7-5-0 | |
|
Great Moments in College Football History
Touchdowns in college football were originally counted as three points.
