1998 NCAA Division I-A football rankings AP poll AP poll

| Preseason | Week_1_Sept_7 | Week_2_Sept_14 | Week_3_Sept_21 | Week_4_Sept_28 | Week_5_Oct_5 | Week_6_Oct_12 | Week_7_Oct_19 | Week_8_Oct_26 | Week_9_Nov_2 | Week_10_Nov_9 | Week_11_Nov_16 | Week_12_Nov_23 | Week_13_Nov_30 | Week_14_Dec_7 | Week_15_Final_Jan_5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | Texas (1-0) | Notre Dame (1-1) | Air Force (3-0) т Notre Dame (1-1) т | Missouri (2-1) т Notre Dame (2-1) т | NC State (3-1) | Syracuse (3-2) | Virginia Tech (5-1) | Georgia Tech (5-2) | Georgia Tech (6-2) | Air Force (8-1) | Virginia Tech (7-2) | Penn State (7-3) | Mississippi State (8-3) | Missouri (7-4) | Virginia Tech (9-3) |
| Arizona | Oregon (1-0) | Alabama (2-0) | N/A | N/A | Syracuse (2-2) | Tulane (4-0) | Mississippi State (5-1) | Colorado (6-2) | Miami (FL) (5-2) | Miami (FL) (5-2) | Syracuse (6-3) | Missouri (7-4) | Missouri (7-4) | Miami (FL) (8-3) | Purdue (9-4) |
| Auburn | Missouri (1-0) | Mississippi State (2-0) | Missouri (2-1) | Michigan (2-2) | Tulane (4-0) | Georgia Tech (4-1) | Texas Tech (6-1) | Miami (FL) (4-2) | Air Force (7-1) | Wyoming (8-1) | Texas (7-3) | Mississippi State (7-3) | Virginia Tech (8-3) | Mississippi State (8-4) | Syracuse (8-4) |