1988 USA Today/CNN Rankings
| Final Poll For 1988 Season |
| Rank |
Team |
Record |
Votes |
| 1988 USA Today/CNN |
| 1 | Notre Dame | 12-0-0 | | | 2 | Miami | 11-1-0 | |
| 3 | Florida State | 11-1-0 | | | 4 | UCLA | 10-2-0 | |
| 5 | Michigan | 9-2-1 | | | 6 | West Virginia | 11-1-0 | |
| 7 | Southern California | 10-2-0 | | | 8 | Nebraska | 11-2-0 | |
| 9 | Auburn | 10-2-0 | | | 10 | Clemson | 10-2-0 | |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 10-2-0 | | | 12 | Syracuse | 10-2-0 | |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 9-3-0 | | | 14 | Arkansas | 10-2-0 | |
| 15 | Washington State | 9-3-0 | | | 16 | Georgia | 9-3-0 | |
| 17 | Alabama | 9-3-0 | | | 18 | North Carolina State | 8-3-1 | |
| 19 | Houston | 9-3-0 | | | 20 | Indiana | 8-3-1 | |
| 21 | Wyoming | 11-2-0 | | | 22 | Louisiana State | 8-4-0 | |
| 23 | Colorado | 8-4-0 | | | 24 | Southern Mississippi | 10-2-0 | |
| 25 | Brigham Young | 9-4-0 | |
|
Great Moments in College Football History
The first Orange Bowl was played between Manhattan College and the University of Miami on New Year's Day in 1935.
