The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 2011 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 (55) |
12-1 |
1,495 |
2 |
| 2. |
LSU (1) |
13-1 |
1,425 |
1 |
| 3. |
Oklahoma State (4) |
12-1 |
1,399 |
3 |
| 4. |
Oregon |
12-2 |
1,250 |
6 |
| 5. |
Arkansas |
11-2 |
1,198 |
7 |
| 6. |
USC |
10-2 |
1,181 |
5 |
| 7. |
Stanford |
11-2 |
1,167 |
4 |
| 8. |
Boise State |
12-1 |
1,127 |
8 |
| 9. |
South Carolina |
11-2 |
1,013 |
10 |
| 10. |
Wisconsin |
11-3 |
905 |
12 |
| 11. |
Michigan State |
11-3 |
873 |
12 |
| 12. |
Michigan |
11-2 |
839 |
13 |
| 13. |
Baylor |
10-3 |
780 |
15 |
| 14. |
TCU |
11-2 |
653 |
16 |
| 15. |
Kansas State |
10-3 |
621 |
11 |
| 16. |
Oklahoma |
10-3 |
572 |
19 |
| 17. |
West Virginia |
10-3 |
547 |
23 |
| 18. |
Houston |
13-1 |
518 |
20 |
| 19. |
Georgia |
10-4 |
439 |
18 |
| 20. |
Southern Miss |
12-2 |
411 |
22 |
| 21. |
Virginia Tech |
11-3 |
329 |
17 |
| 22. |
Clemson |
10-4 |
188 |
14 |
| 23. |
Florida State |
9-4 |
154 |
25 |
| 24. |
Nebraska |
9-4 |
143 |
21 |
| 25. |
Cincinnati |
10-3 |
103 |
NR |
Others receiving votes: BYU 51, Auburn 40, Northern Illinois 33, Missouri 23, Texas 15, Rutgers 3, North Dakota State 2, Penn State 2, Virginia 1.