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.

AP poll
The Associated Press (AP) preseason poll was released on August 16, 2008. The AP Poll is the oldest poll still in use and is compiled by sportswriters and sports broadcasters across the nation. This season will mark the third season since the inception of the BCS that the AP Poll was not included in the BCS formula. The AP ordered a cease and desist to stop the BCS from using their poll, and the BCS complied and created the Harris Interactive Poll in response. The poll operates identically to the Coaches and Harris Polls, except there is no inclusion into the BCS.

USA Today Coaches' Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the second oldest poll still in use after the AP Poll, and its preseason poll was released on August 1, 2008. It is compiled by a rotating group of 62 college football Division I head coaches. Each voting member ranks teams from 1 to 25. Each team then receives points for their ranking in reverse order: Number 1 earns 25 points, number 2 earns 24 points, and so forth. The points are then combined and the team with the highest points is then ranked #1; second highest is ranked #2 and so forth. Only the top 25 teams with points are ranked, with teams receiving first place votes noted the quantity next to their name. Any team receiving votes after the top 25 are listed after the top 25 by their point totals. However, these are not real rankings: They are not considered #26, #27, etc. The maximum points a single team can earn is 1550.

The final Coaches' Poll of the 2008 season (technically taking place in 2009) was notable in that the winner of the BCS Championship was not the unanimous number 1. While the coaches are obligated to vote the winner of that game, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham voted his team number 1 after they completed the only undefeated (13–0) season and routed highly favored Alabama in the 2008 Sugar Bowl.

Preseason polls
Various publications release their preseason top 25 months before the season commences.