Ohio State has secured the top spot in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football rankings for the season, as revealed on Tuesday, after claiming a victory over Notre Dame for their first national title since 2014.
The Buckeyes (14-2) dominated the College Football Playoff, earning every first-place vote available. Notre Dame (14-2) finished as the runner-up, marking its highest end-of-season ranking since 1993.
Oregon, which had maintained the No. 1 position in the rankings for eight consecutive weeks prior to the playoff, concluded its season in third place after losing to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl quarterfinals. The Ducks’ previous best final ranking was No. 2 back in 2014.
Rounding out the top five are Texas (13-3) and Penn State (13-3), both of which made it to the semifinals. Texas secured a spot in the top five for the second consecutive year, a feat they hadn’t achieved since 2008-09. Meanwhile, Penn State’s finish in the top five is their first since 2005.
This season marks a historic moment as it is the first time that three teams from the Big Ten Conference have landed in the final top five rankings.
Georgia, coming in at sixth with a record of 13-3, was followed by Arizona State (11-3), Boise State (12-2), Tennessee (10-3), and Indiana (11-2).
Mississippi (10-3), finishing at No. 11 after a strong performance in the Gator Bowl against Duke, and BYU (11-2) at No. 13, which trounced Colorado in the Alamo Bowl, were situated ahead of two ACC playoff teams—SMU and Clemson.
Despite losing to Clemson in the ACC championship game and facing a disappointing four-touchdown defeat to Penn State in the playoffs, SMU (11-3) held its place at No. 12. This final ranking represents their highest since reaching eighth place in 1984. Clemson, which was outmatched by Texas in the playoff first round, has consistently been featured in the final rankings since 2011.
Alabama faced the most significant drop, plummeting six positions to finish at No. 17. Under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, the Crimson Tide concluded the season by dropping two out of their last three games, including a 19-13 loss to Michigan in the bowl game. This marks Alabama’s lowest ranking since the 1995 season, when they ended up at No. 21.
Ohio State had its lowest ranking earlier in the season, sitting at No. 7 following a surprising loss to Michigan. The Buckeyes entered the playoff ranked sixth and peaked in performance, defeating Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and finally, Notre Dame for the championship title in Atlanta.
This victory marks the Buckeyes’ sixth AP national championship, having previously won in 1942, 1954, 1968, 2002, and 2014.
In terms of polling movements, Ohio State’s five-spot leap to No. 1 tied for the largest in the final rankings, mirrored by Mississippi and Illinois, which also saw a five-position rise.
The Southeastern Conference showcased a total of seven teams within the final Top 25, the highest number since 2013. Arizona State’s representation as the Big 12 champion is its highest final ranking since its Rose Bowl bound team debuted at No. 4 in 1996. Boise State, winning the Mountain West title, reached the top 10 for the first time since 2011. UNLV (11-3) also celebrated, finishing the season ranked for the first time in its history after matching its record for wins.
Notably, no teams that were included in the previous poll dated December 8 were removed from the Top 25.
In summary, the conference representation in the final rankings is as follows: SEC with seven teams (Nos. 4, 6, 9, 11, 17, 19, 22), Big Ten with five teams (Nos. 1, 3, 5, 10, 16), ACC boasting four teams (Nos. 12, 14, 18, 20), Big 12 with four teams (Nos. 7, 13, 15, 25), AAC having two teams (Nos. 21, 24), Mountain West with two teams (Nos. 8, 23), and one independent team (No. 2).
