1969 NCAA University Division football rankings
Two human polls comprised the 1969 National Collegiate Athletic Association 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.Legend
AP Poll
The final UPI Coaches Poll was released prior to the bowl games, in early December.
One coach on the 35-member board did not vote.
Texas received 28 of the 34 first-place votes; Penn State received four and one each went to USC and Nebraska.
| Ranking | Team | Conference | Bowl |
| 1 | Texas | Southwest | Won Cotton, 21–17 |
| 2 | Penn State | Independent | Won Orange, 10–3 |
| 3 | Arkansas | Southwest | Lost Sugar, 22–27 |
| 4 | USC | Pac-8 | Won Rose, 10–3 |
| 5 | Ohio State | Big Ten | none |
| 6 | Missouri | Big Eight | Lost Orange, 3–10 |
| 7 | LSU | SEC | none |
| 8 | Michigan | Big Ten | Lost Rose, 3–10 |
| 9 | Notre Dame | Independent | Lost Cotton, 17–21 |
| 10 | UCLA | Pac-8 | none |
| 11 | Tennessee | SEC | Won Gator, 14–13 |
| 12 | Nebraska | Big Eight | Won Sun, 46–6 |
| 13 | Mississippi | SEC | Won Sugar, 27–22 |
| 14 | Stanford | Pac-8 | none |
| 15 | Auburn | SEC | Lost Bluebonnet, 7–36 |
| 16 | Houston | Independent | Won Bluebonnet, 36–7 |
| 17 | Florida | SEC | Lost Gator, 13–14 |
| 18 | Purdue | Big Ten | none |
| 18 | San Diego State | PCAA | Won Pasadena, 28–7 |
| 18 | West Virginia | Independent | Won Peach, 14–3 |
