AP Poll: Alabama ends year on top for 10th time in history
Monday's national championship game win over Clemson vaulted Alabama past the Tigers to the top of the final AP Poll for the 10th time in school history.
In the 50th game matching the No. 1 and No. 2 teams, the Crimson Tide used a strong effort from Jake Coker and O.J. Howard to outscore Clemson 24-16 in the fourth quarter and capture all 61 first-place votes in the poll.
Stanford and Ohio State finished the season strong with resounding bowl wins and were rewarded with the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively.
Ole Miss rose six spots to No. 10 following its Sugar Bowl drubbing of Oklahoma State, a loss that dropped the Cowboys seven spots to No. 20.
Northwestern suffered the biggest drop, plummeting 11 spots to No. 23 after Tennessee hammered the Wildcats 45-6 in the Outback Bowl, a performance that propelled the Volunteers in to the poll at No. 22.
| Rank | Team | Record | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 14-1 | 2 |
| 2 | Clemson | 14-1 | 1 |
| 3 | Stanford | 12-2 | 5 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 12-1 | 7 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 11-2 | 4 |
| 6 | Michigan State | 12-2 | 3 |
| 7 | TCU | 11-2 | 11 |
| 8 | Houston | 13-1 | 14 |
| 9 | Iowa | 12-2 | 6 |
| 10 | Ole Miss | 10-3 | 16 |
| 11 | Notre Dame | 10-3 | 8 |
| 12 | Michigan | 10-3 | 17 |
| 13 | Baylor | 10-3 | 18 |
| 14 | Florida State | 10-3 | 9 |
| 15 | North Carolina | 11-3 | 10 |
| 16 | LSU | 9-3 | 22 |
| 17 | Utah | 10-3 | 20 |
| 18 | Navy | 11-2 | 21 |
| 19 | Oregon | 9-4 | 15 |
| 20 | Oklahoma State | 10-3 | 13 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 10-3 | 23 |
| 22 | Tennessee | 9-4 | NR |
| 23 | Northwestern | 10-3 | 12 |
| 24 | Western Kentucky | 12-2 | 25 |
| 25 | Florida | 10-4 | 19 |