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AP College Football Poll 2017-18: Final Top 25 Rankings After CFP Championship
January 9, 2018
Alabama topped the final Associated Press Top 25 Poll of the 2017-18 season Tuesday following its College Football Playoff National Championship Game win over Georgia on Monday.
The Crimson Tide moved up from No. 4 to No. 1, while Georgia finished at No. 2. Fellow CFP participants Oklahoma and Clemson were third and fourth respectively, and Ohio State rounded out the top five.
Here is a rundown of the full top 25 courtesy of the Associated Press:
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Oklahoma
4. Clemson
5. Ohio State
6. UCF
7. Wisconsin
8. Penn State
9. TCU
10. Auburn
11. Notre Dame
12. USC
13. Miami (Fla.)
14. Oklahoma State
15. Michigan State
16. Washington
17. Northwestern
18. LSU
19. Mississippi State
20. Stanford
21. South Florida
22. Boise State
23. NC State
24. Virginia Tech
25. Memphis
Also of note in the final rankings was UCF, which jumped from 10th to sixth. The Knights beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl and finished the season as the only undefeated team in FBS.
Last week, Central Florida athletic director Danny White announced the program was claiming a national title despite being left out of the College Football Playoff, per 96.9 The Game (h/t ESPN.com's Andrea Adelson).
While Alabama is the recognized national champion, it received just 57 of the 61 first-place votes in the final AP poll, with UCF taking the remaining four.
The Crimson Tide returned to the top of the college football world Monday night in a stirring, come-from-behind victory over the Bulldogs.
Georgia led 13-0 at halftime, but a gutsy coaching decision by Nick Saban to bench quarterback Jalen Hurts in favor of freshman Tua Tagovailoa paid off.
Tagovailoa went on to throw for 166 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, including the game-winning, 41-yard score to DeVonta Smith in overtime to seal the 26-23 final.
The win marked Alabama's fifth national championship since Saban took over as head coach.