HOUSTON (AP) — Michigan was unanimously voted No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football 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 won.
The Wolverines (15-0) were the only undefeated team in the country to receive all 61 first-place votes. Washington (14-1) was second, the Huskies' best finish since No. 2 in 1991. That year, Washington was No. 1 in the final coaches' poll and captured its only national title.
Texas (12-2) finished third, its best finish since second place in 2009. Georgia (13-1) was fourth and Alabama (12-2), which snapped the Bulldogs' 29-game winning streak in the Southeastern title games Conference finished to make the playoffs, finishing fifth.
Florida State (13-1) and Oregon (12-2) were tied for sixth place. The Seminoles' only loss came in a one-sided Orange Bowl against Georgia after they became the first undefeated Power Five conference champions to be eliminated from the playoffs and many of their top players were eliminated from the bowl.
Missouri finished eighth and Mississippi ninth, giving the SEC four teams in the top 10. For the Tigers, it was their best finish since finishing fifth in 2013.
Ohio State finished 10th, the Buckeyes' worst finish since their 12th place finish in 2013.
Clemson rose to No. 20 in the poll, extending its season-ending winning streak to 13 years, the second-longest in the country behind Alabama's 16 years.
___
Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com.
___
AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football