| Football Guru Top 40 Poll - As of 9/21/04 | ||||
| Conference | School | AP | ESPN/USA Today | Football Guru |
| Pac-10 | Southern California | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Big 12 | Oklahoma | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| SEC | Georgia | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| ACC | Miami | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Big 12 | Texas | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Big East | West Virginia | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Big Ten | Ohio State | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| ACC | Florida State | 8 | 11 | 8 |
| Pac-10 | California | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| SEC | Tennessee | 11 | 8 | 8 |
| SEC | Auburn | 9 | 10 | 8 |
| ACC | Virginia | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| SEC | Louisiana State | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Mt. West | Utah | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Big Ten | Purdue | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| SEC | Florida | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| WAC | Fresno State | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Big Ten | Michigan | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| Big Ten | Minnesota | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Big Ten | Wisconsin | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| WAC | Boise State | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| ACC | Maryland | 23 | 23 | 22 |
| C-USA | Louisville | 24 | 22 | 22 |
| Pac-10 | Arizona State | 22 | 26 | 24 |
| Big 12 | Oklahoma State | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Big Ten | Iowa | 28 | 24 | 26 |
| C-USA | Memphis | 27 | 28 | 27 |
| Independent | Notre Dame | 26 | 29 | 27 |
| Big 12 | Kansas State | 29 | 30 | 29 |
| ACC | Virginia Tech | 32 | 27 | 29 |
| Big 12 | Missouri | 31 | 31 | 31 |
| C-USA | Southern Mississippi | 30 | 36 | 32 |
| Big 12 | Colorado | 34 | 32 | 32 |
| SEC | Alabama | 33 | 34 | 34 |
| Big East | Boston College | 35 | 33 | 35 |
| Big 12 | Nebraska | 35 | 36 | |
| ACC | Georgia Tech | 37 | 37 | |
| ACC | North Carolina State | 37 | 37 | |
| SEC | Arkansas | 36 | 38 | 37 |
| Big 12 | Texas Tech | 39 | 40 | |
