One human poll comprised the 1948 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.
 The final AP Poll was released on November 29, at the end of the regular season, weeks before the major bowls. The AP did not release a January final poll regularly until the 1968 season (January 1969).
 The final Litkenhous Ratings released in December 1948 provided numerical rankings to more than 700 college and military football programs. The top 100 ranked teams were:
 1. Michigan (9–0) - 114.1
2. Notre Dame (9–0–1) - 106.9
3. Michigan State (6–2–2) - 103.6
4. Army (8–0–1) - 102.1
5. Oklahoma (10–1) - 99.6
6. North Carolina (9–1–1) - 99.4
7. California (10–1) - 99.1
8. Vanderbilt (8–2–1) - 99.1
9. Ohio State (6–3) - 98.4
10. Northwestern (8–2) - 98.0
11. SMU (9–1–1) - 97.9
12. Ole Miss (8–1) - 97.8
13. Minnesota (7–2) - 97.1
14. Georgia (9–2) - 95.7
15. Nevada (9–2) - 93.9
16. Georgia Tech (7–3) - 93.2
17. Missouri - 93.1
18. USC (6–3–1) - 92.1
19. Tulane (9–1) - 91.7
20. Texas (7–3–1) - 90.1
21. Penn State (7–1–1) - 89.8
22. Penn (5–3) - 89.8
23. Illinois (3–6) - 89.5
24. Villanova (8–2–1) - 89.2
25. Cornell (8–1) - 88.7
26. Santa Clara (7–2–1) - 88.6
27. Dartmouth (6–2) - 88.4
28. Oregon (9–2) - 88.3
29. Tennessee (4–4–2) - 88.3
30. Kentucky (5–3–2) - 88.1
31. Pittsburgh (6–3) - 85.7
32. Alabama (6–4–1) - 84.8
33. Baylor (6–3–2) - 84.6
34. Purdue (3–6) - 84.5
35. Clemson (11–0) - 84.2
36. Arkansas (5–5) - 83.9
37. Duke (4–3–2) - 83.9
38. Rice (5–4–1) - 83.9
39. Wake Forest (6–4) - 83.5
40. TCU (4–5–1) - 83.5
41. Princeton (4–4) - 82.5
42. Iowa (4–5) - 82.3
43. Mississippi State (4–4–1) - 82.3
44. William & Mary (7–2–2) - 82.3
45. Stanford (4–6) - 81.6
46. Boston College (5–2–2) - 81.4
47. Kansas (7–3) - 80.1
48. Utah (8–1–1) - 79.9
49. Columbia (4–5) - 79.8
50. Oklahoma A&M (6–4) - 79.5
51. Maryland (6–4) - 79.4
52. Wisconsin (2–7) - 78.5
53. Navy (0–8–1) - 78.4
54. Oregon State (5–4–3) - 78.4
55. Brown (7–2) - 78.3
56. Texas Tech (7–3) - 77.9
57. Miami (OH) (7–1–1) - 77.7
58. Rutgers (7–2) - 76.7
59. Florida (5–5) - 76.1
60. Detroit (6–3) - 75.9
61. Harvard (4–4) - 75.9
62. Washington (2–7–1) - 75.9
63. Indiana (2–7) - 75.8
64. Washington State (4–5–1) - 75.4
65. Miami (FL) (4–6) - 75.2
66. NC State (3–6–1) - 74.8
67. Pacific (7–1–2) - 74.5
68. Saint Mary's (4–6) - 74.4
69. UCLA (3–7) - 74.3
70. Texas A&M (0–9–1) - 74.2
71. Dayton (7–2–1) - 73.8
72. Virginia (5–3–1) - 73.2
73. Texas Mines (8–2–1) - 72.0
74. LSU (3–7) - 71.8
75. Yale (4–5) - 71.8
76. St. Bonaventure (7–1–1) - 71.7
77. West Virginia (9–3) - 71.6
78. Chattanooga (4–5) - 71.1
79. Iowa State (4–6) - 70.4
80. Lafayette (7–2) - 70.3
81. San Jose State (9–3) - 70.2
82. Colorado (3–6) - 69.9
83. Holy Cross (5–5) - 69.5
84. Hardin–Simmons - 69.3
85. VMI (6–3) - 68.8
86. John Carroll (7–1–2) - 68.3
87. Nebraska (2–8) - 68.2
88. Marquette (2–8) - 67.6
89. San Francisco (2–7) - 67.5
90. Idaho (3–6) - 67.4
91. Canisius - 67.2
92. Denver (4–5–1) - 67.2
93. Drake (7–3) - 67.1
94. Colgate (3–6) - 66.7
95. Wyoming (4–5) - 65.8
96. Xavier - 65.7
97. Colorado A&M (8–3) - 65.6
98. South Carolina (3–5) - 65.3
99. Georgetown (3–4–1) - 64.2
100. Bowling Green (8–0–1) - 64.1
101. Wichita (5–4–1) - 64.0
102. Boston University (6–2) - 64.2
103. Auburn (1–8–1) - 62.3
104. Kent State (6–2–1) - 61.9
105. Western Michigan (6–3) - 61.6
106. St. Thomas - 61.3
107. Murray (KY) - 60.7
108. Mississippi Southern (7–3) - 60.5
109. Youngstown - 60.5
110. Baldwin Wallace - 60.2
111. Compton - 60.1
112. Muhlenberg - 60.0
113. Cincinnati (3–6–1) - 59.9
114. Arizona (6–5) - 59.7
115. Bradley - 59.3
116. Ohio Wesleyan - 59.3
117. Richmond - 58.7
118. Heidelberg - 58.0
119. North Texas (6–4) - 57.4
120. Sul Ross - 57.4
121. Trinity (CT) - 57.3
122. Scranton - 57.1
123. Denison - 56.8
124. George Washington (4–6) - 56.7
125. Washington & Lee (4–6) - 56.7
126. West Texas (6–5) - 56.6
127. Buffalo - 56.4
128. Wayne (4–4) - 56.3
129. Syracuse (1–8) - 56.2
130. Gustavus Adolphus - 56.0
131. Iowa State Teaches (7–3) - 56.0
132. Loras - 55.9
133. Utah State - 55.7
134. Illinois Normal - 55.6
135. Eastern Washington - 55.5
136. Temple - 55.4
137. Abilene Christian - 55.1
138. New Mexico - 55.1
139. Toledo (5–6) - 55.0
140. Washington Univ. - 54.9
141. Stephen Austin - 54.8
142. Wesleyan (8–0) - 54.8
143. Delaware (5–3) - 54.7
144. Fordham (3–6) - 54.7
145. Lehigh (5–4) - 54.7
146. Emporia Teachers - 54.4
147. McMurry - 54.4
148. Eastern Kentucky - 54.3
149. Texas Southwest - 54.0
150. Tulsa (0–9–1) - 54.0