Final OAF ranking (& ratings) for the 1973 college football season:
| Rank | Team Name | Rating | Record |
(Post Bowls) AP |
(Before Bowls) UPI |
Bowl Game Results |
| 1 | OKLAHOMA | 121.0124 | 10-0-1 | 3 | 2 | No Bowl Game |
| 2 | NOTRE DAME | 114.2992 | 11-0 | 1 | 4 | Defeated Alabama 24-23 |
| 3 | ALABAMA | 113.6592 | 11-1 | 4 | 1 | Lost to Notre Dame |
| 4 | OHIO STATE | 102.9368 | 10-0-1 | 2 | 3 | Defeated USC 42-21 |
| 5 | PENN STATE | 100.1914 | 12-0 | 5 | 5 | Defeated LSU 16-9 |
| 6 | USC | 98.9243 | 9-2-1 | 8 | 7 | Lost to Ohio State |
| 7 | MICHIGAN | 98.8709 | 10-0-1 | 6 | 6 | No Bowl Game |
| 8 | UCLA | 81.4639 | 9-2 | 12 | 9 | No Bowl Game |
| 9 | TEXAS TECH | 79.0048 | 11-1 | 11 | 11 | Defeated Tennessee 28-19 |
| 10 | NEBRASKA | 77.5202 | 9-2-1 | 7 | 11 | Defeated Texas 19-3 |
| 11 | TEXAS | 76.8802 | 8-3 | 14 | 8 | Lost to Nebraska |
| 12 | MIAMI (O) | 70.0230 | 11-1 | 15 | 17 | Defeated Florida 16-7 |
| 13 | HOUSTON | 69.8437 | 11-1 | 9 | 13 | Defeated Tulane 47-7 |
| 14 | LSU | 69.4209 | 9-3 | 13 | 14 | Lost to Penn State |
| 15 | TULANE | 68.4168 | 9-3 | 20 | 15 | Lost to Houston |
| 16 | MISSOURI | 66.7843 | 8-4 | 17 | NR | Defeated Auburn 34-17 |
| 17 | NORTH CAROLINA STATE | 64.9845 | 9-3 | 16 | NR | Defeated Kansas 31-18 |
| 18 | OKLAHOMA STATE | 64.8688 | 5-4-2 | NR | NR | No Bowl Game |
| 19 | KANSAS | 64.3445 | 7-4-1 | 18 | 15 | Lost to NC State |
| 20 | ARIZONA STATE | 63.6114 | 11-1 | 9 | 10 | Defeated Pittsburgh 28-7 |
| 21 | KANSAS STATE | 63.6064 | ||||
| 22 | COLORADO | 62.9664 | ||||
| 23 | FLORIDA | 62.3938 | ||||
| 24 | GEORGIA | 61.7992 | ||||
| 25 | STANFORD | 61.7171 | ||||
| 26 | IOWA STATE | 61.6171 | ||||
| 27 | MISSISSIPPI | 61.4343 | ||||
| 28 | MINNESOTA | 60.7750 | ||||
| 29 | TENNESSEE | 60.1802 | ||||
| 30 | AUBURN | 60.0593 | ||||
| 31 | SAN DIEGO STATE | 59.0448 | ||||
| 32 | KENTUCKY | 58.8633 | ||||
| 33 | MARYLAND | 58.3649 | ||||
| 34 | KENT STATE | 57.8430 | ||||
| 35 | PITTSBURGH | 57.5698 | ||||
| 36 | RICE | 56.6645 | ||||
| 37 | MIAMI (F) | 55.9017 | ||||
| 38 | VANDERBILT | 55.1135 | ||||
| 39 | TEXAS A+M | 54.4190 | ||||
| 40 | SMU | 54.1763 | ||||
| 41 | WEST VIRGINIA | 53.6562 | ||||
| 42 | ARKANSAS | 53.6045 | ||||
| 43 | SOUTH CAROLINA | 52.9755 | ||||
| 44 | SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI | 52.7345 | ||||
| 45 | UTAH | 52.2841 | ||||
| 46 | MISSISSIPPI STATE | 51.9837 | ||||
| 47 | MEMPHIS STATE | 51.2314 | ||||
| 48 | AIR FORCE | 50.6729 | ||||
| 49 | MICHIGAN STATE | 50.5741 | ||||
| 50 | BOSTON COLLEGE | 50.4569 | ||||
| 51 | EAST CAROLINA | 50.3399 | ||||
| 52 | ARIZONA | 49.9127 | ||||
| 53 | RICHMOND | 49.8575 | ||||
| 54 | WISCONSIN | 49.3314 | ||||
| 55 | WASHINGTON STATE |