HOUSTON — Michigan was voted a unanimous No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll of the season after the Wolverines beat Washington in the College Football Playoff championship game Monday night to win their first national title in 26 years.
The Wolverines (15-0) received all 61 first-place votes as the only unbeaten team in the country. Washington (14-1) was second, the Huskies’ best final ranking since finishing No. 2 in 1991. That year, Washington was No. 1 in the final coaches’ poll to claim its only national title.
Texas (12-2) was third, its best ranking since finishing second in 2009. Georgia (13-1) was fourth and Alabama (12-2), which ended the Bulldogs’ 29-game winning streak in the Southeastern Conference title game to make the playoff, was fifth.
Florida State (13-1) and Oregon (12-2) finished tied for sixth. The Seminoles’ only loss came in a lopsided Orange Bowl against Georgia after they became the first unbeaten Power 5 conference champion to be left out of the playoff and many of their top players opted out of the bowl.
Missouri was eighth and Ole Miss was ninth to give the SEC four teams in the top 10. For the Tigers, it was their best finish since landing at No. 5 in 2013.
Ohio State was 10th, the Buckeyes’ worst final ranking since they were 12th in 2013.
Clemson moved back into the poll at No. 20 to extend its streak of being ranked to end the season to 13 years, the second longest in the nation behind Alabama’s 16.
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