Houston, Texas – Michigan has been named the unanimous No. 1 team in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll of the season. The Wolverines secured this top spot after defeating Washington in the College Football Playoff championship game, winning their first national title in 26 years.
Michigan, with a perfect record of 15-0, received all 61 first-place votes, making them the only unbeaten team in the country. Meanwhile, Washington (14-1) claimed the second spot, marking their highest final ranking since 1991 when they finished at No. 2. In 1991, the Huskies were crowned national champions after being ranked No. 1 in the final coaches’ poll.
Texas (12-2) secured the third position in the poll, their highest ranking since finishing as runner-up in 2009. Georgia (13-1) followed closely at fourth place, and Alabama (12-2), who ended Georgia’s 29-game winning streak in the Southeastern Conference title game, landed in fifth place.
Florida State (13-1) and Oregon (12-2) tied for the sixth spot. The Seminoles’ only loss came in a lopsided Orange Bowl against Georgia, and they were notably left out of the playoff despite being the first unbeaten Power Five conference champion. Several key players from Florida State also chose to opt out of the bowl game.
Missouri and Mississippi represented the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in the top 10, claiming the eighth and ninth positions, respectively. This strong showing gave the SEC a total of four teams among the top 10. For Missouri, this was their best finish since ranking fifth in 2013.
Ohio State landed in the tenth spot, marking their lowest final ranking since 2013 when they finished twelfth. Meanwhile, Clemson returned to the poll at No. 20, extending their streak of being ranked at the end of the season to an impressive 13 years. This streak is second only to Alabama’s 16-year streak.
To conclude, Michigan’s dominant season resulted in them being named the unanimous No. 1 team in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll. With a perfect 15-0 record, the Wolverines claimed their first national title in 26 years. Washington, Texas, Georgia, and Alabama completed the top five, while Florida State, Oregon, Missouri, Mississippi, and Ohio State rounded out the top 10. Clemson also continued their streak of being ranked to end the season for the 13th consecutive year.