Two human polls comprised the 1974 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.
| Increase in ranking | |||
| Decrease in ranking | |||
| Not ranked previous week | |||
| National champion | |||
| Win–loss record | |||
| Number of first place votes | |||
| Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
For the first time, the final UPI Coaches Poll was released after the bowl games, on January 2, 1975.[1] [2]
USC received 27 of the 34 first-place votes; Michigan received four and Alabama three.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC | Pac-8 | Won Rose, 18–17 |
| 2 | Alabama | SEC | Lost Orange, 11–13 |
| 3 | Ohio State | Big Ten | Lost Rose, 17–18 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | Independent | Won Orange, 13–11 |
| 5 | Michigan | Big Ten | none |
| 6 | Auburn | SEC | Won Gator, 27–3 |
| 7 | Penn State | Independent | Won Cotton, 41–20 |
| 8 | Nebraska | Big Eight | Won Sugar, 13–10 |
| 9 | NC State | ACC | Tied Bluebonnet, 31–31 |
| 10 | Miami (OH) | Mid-American | Won Tangerine, 21–10 |
| 11 | Houston | Independent | Tied Bluebonnet, 31–31 |
| 12 | Florida | SEC | Lost Sugar, 10–13 |
| 13 | Maryland | ACC | Lost Liberty, 3–7 |
| 14 | Baylor | Southwest | Lost Cotton, 21–40 |
| 15 | Texas A&M | Southwest | none |
| Tennessee | SEC | Won Liberty, 7–3 | |
| 17 | Mississippi State | SEC | Won Sun, 26–24 |
| 18 | Michigan State | Big Ten | none |
| 19 | Tulsa | MVC | |
In the preceding poll in early December, Alabama was first, followed by Ohio State, Michigan, USC, and Auburn; Notre Dame was eighth.[3] [4]