The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 2012 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. |
Notre Dame (60) |
12-0 |
1,500 |
1 |
| 2. |
Alabama |
12-1 |
1,424 |
2 |
| 3. |
Ohio State |
12-0 |
1,302 |
4 |
| 4. |
Florida |
11-1 |
1,279 |
5 |
| 5. |
Oregon |
11-1 |
1,250 |
6 |
| 6. |
Georgia |
11-2 |
1,213 |
3 |
| 7. |
Kansas State |
11-1 |
1,129 |
7 |
| 8. |
Stanford |
11-2 |
1,094 |
8 |
| 9. |
LSU |
10-2 |
1.051 |
9 |
| 10. |
Texas A&M |
10-2 |
1.025 |
10 |
| 11. |
South Carolina |
10-2 |
907 |
11 |
| 12. |
Oklahoma |
10-2 |
851 |
12 |
| 13. |
Florida State |
11-2 |
789 |
13 |
| 14. |
Clemson |
10-2 |
691 |
15 |
| 15. |
Oregon State |
9-3 |
638 |
16 |
| 16. |
Northern Illinois |
12-1 |
534 |
19 |
| 17. |
UCLA |
9-4 |
440 |
17 |
| 18. |
Utah State |
10-2 |
379 |
20 |
| 19. |
Michigan |
8-4 |
306 |
20 |
| 20. |
Boise State |
10-2 |
276 |
25 |
| 21. |
Northwestern |
9-3 |
266 |
22 |
| 22. |
Louisville |
10-2 |
248 |
NR |
| 23. |
Nebraska |
10-3 |
227 |
14 |
| 24. |
San Jose State |
10-2 |
157 |
NR |
| 25. |
Kent State |
11-2 |
117 |
18 |
Others receiving votes: Penn State 83, Vanderbilt 67, Wisconsin 62, Texas 51, San Diego State 22, Fresno State 20, Baylor 15, Cincinnati 15, Oklahoma State 15, TCU 14, Arkansas State 13, USC 11, Tulsa 9, Rutgers 6, Ball State 2, North Carolina 1, West Virginia 1.