Two human polls and a committee's selections comprise the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. 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. One additional poll, the College Football Playoff (CFP) ranking, is released midway through the season after the ninth week. The CFP rankings determine who makes the four-team playoff which determines the College Football Playoff National Champion.
| Increase in ranking | |||
| Decrease in ranking | |||
| Not ranked previous week | |||
| Selected for College Football Playoff | |||
| Win–loss record | |||
| Number of first place votes | |||
| Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |