Jan. 4, 2004
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football final poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 2003 records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
| | Record | Pts | Pvs |
| 1. Southern Cal (48) | 12-1 | 1,608 | 1 |
| 2. LSU (17) | 13-1 | 1,576 | 2 |
| 3. Oklahoma | 12-2 | 1,476 | 3 |
| 4. Ohio St. | 11-2 | 1,411 | 7 |
| 5. Miami | 11-2 | 1,329 | 10 |
| 6. Michigan | 10-3 | 1,281 | 4 |
| 7. Georgia | 11-3 | 1,255 | 11 |
| 8. Iowa | 10-3 | 1,107 | 13 |
| 9. Washington St. | 10-3 | 1,060 | 15 |
| 10. Miami (Ohio) | 13-1 | 932 | 14 |
| 11. Florida St. | 10-3 | 905 | 9 |
| 12. Texas | 10-3 | 887 | 5 |
| 13. Mississippi | 10-3 | 845 | 16 |
| 14. Kansas St. | 11-4 | 833 | 8 |
| 15. Tennessee | 10-3 | 695 | 6 |
| 16. Boise St. | 13-1 | 645 | 18 |
| 17. Maryland | 10-3 | 564 | 23 |
| 18. Purdue | 9-4 | 526 | 12 |
| 19. Nebraska | 10-3 | 520 | 22 |
| 20. Minnesota | 10-3 | 368 | 24 |
| 21. Utah | 10-2 | 308 | 25 |
| 22. Clemson | 9-4 | 230 | - |
| 23. Bowling Green | 11-3 | 189 | - |
| 24. Florida | 8-5 | 165 | 17 |
| 25. TCU | 11-2 | 126 | 19 |
Others receiving votes: Oklahoma St. 109, Arkansas 73, Virginia 36, N. Illinois 30, Auburn 8, Oregon St. 8, N.C. State 7, Pittsburgh 7, West Virginia 4, Connecticut 2.
