2008 NCAA Division I FBS Football Rankings
Three human polls and one formulaic ranking make up the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) 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 title. That title is bestowed by one or more of four different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason: the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll. About halfway through the season, two additional polls are released, the Harris Interactive Poll and the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. The Harris Poll and Coaches Poll are factors in the BCS Standings. At the end of the season, the BCS Standings determines who plays in the BCS bowl games as well as the BCS National Championship Game.
As the 2008 football season progresses, rankings are updated weekly. The team voted number one in the final AP and Coaches Polls can claim the title of National Champion. The BCS Rankings and Harris Poll do not vote in a final poll as their sole purpose is to determine who plays in the BCS National Championship Game. Other polls exist and may vote for different schools which causes confusion, especially for split titles. But generally, only the AP and Coaches Polls are used in crowning the National Champion.
| Increase in ranking | ||
| Decrease in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week | ||
| Selected for BCS National Championship Game | ||
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Selected AP National Champion | |
| Italics | Number of first place votes | |
| (#-#) | Win-loss record | |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
Read more about 2008 NCAA Division I FBS Football Rankings: AP Poll, USA Today Coaches' Poll, Harris Interactive Poll, BCS Rankings, Preseason Polls
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