The Top 25 teams in The Harris Interactive poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 2009 records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
| No. |
Team |
Record |
Points |
Previous |
| 1. |
Alabama (105) |
13-0 |
2,841 |
3 |
| 2. |
Texas (6) |
13-0 |
2,721 |
2 |
| 3. |
TCU (3) |
12-0 |
2,579 |
4 |
| 4. |
Cincinnati |
12-0 |
2,467 |
5 |
| 5. |
Florida |
12-1 |
2,395 |
1 |
| 6. |
Boise State |
13-0 |
2,358 |
6 |
| 7. |
Oregon |
10-2 |
2,130 |
8 |
| 8. |
Ohio State |
10-2 |
2,081 |
7 |
| 9. |
Penn State |
10-2 |
1,800 |
9 |
| 10. |
Georgia Tech |
11-2 |
1,787 |
11 |
| 11. |
Iowa |
10-2 |
1,772 |
10 |
| 12. |
Virginia Tech |
9-3 |
1,569 |
12 |
| 13. |
LSU |
9-3 |
1,384 |
14 |
| 14. |
BYU |
10-2 |
1,349 |
13 |
| 15. |
Miami (Fla.) |
9-3 |
1,173 |
17 |
| 16. |
Pittsburgh |
9-3 |
995 |
15 |
| 17. |
Oklahoma State |
9-3 |
839 |
20 |
| 18. |
West Virginia |
9-3 |
730 |
25 |
| 19. |
Oregon State |
8-4 |
722 |
16 |
| 20. |
Nebraska |
9-4 |
631 |
22 |
| 21. |
Stanford |
8-4 |
625 |
23 |
| 22. |
Utah |
9-3 |
511 |
24 |
| 23. |
Wisconsin |
9-3 |
409 |
NR |
| 24. |
Arizona |
8-4 |
381 |
NR |
| 25. |
Houston |
10-3 |
216 |
18 |
Others Receiving Votes: USC 124; Central Michigan 120; East Carolina 87; California 77; Clemson 58; Mississippi 26; North Carolina 22; Northwestern 18; Texas Tech 14; Oklahoma 10; Missouri 9; Tennessee 7; Troy 5; Connecticut 3; Middle Tennessee State 3; Temple 2.