Shutterstock
The 2023 college football season is in the books, with Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines crowned the national champions following a big win over the Washington Huskies.
As we prepare for the offseason, graduations, draft declarations, and the transfer portal will have teams looking a lot different when the new season kicks off in the fall, but that won’t stop the pollsters from capping off an incredible year.
Before we hit the offseason, the Associated Press released its final AP Top 25 rankings of the season following the Wolverines’ win.
Of course, Michigan is the No. 1 team in the country followed by Washington, with the Texas Longhorns, Georgia Bulldogs, and Alabama Crimson Tide rounding out the top five.
Liberty took the biggest fall, sliding 7 spots to No. 25, while the Tennessee Volunteers and Oklahoma State Cowboys were the biggest movers in a positive direction jumping 8 and 6 spots, respectively.
Where does your favorite team stand entering the offseason in the eyes of the Associated Press voters?
The final AP Top 25 poll of the season can be seen below.
AP Top 25 Poll – Final Rankings
- Michigan (61)
- Washington
- Texas
- Georgia
- Alabama
- Oregon
- Florida State
- Missouri
- Ole Miss
- Ohio State
- Arizona
- LSU
- Penn State
- Notre Dame
- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State
- Tennessee
- Kansas State
- Louisville
- Clemson
- North Carolina State
- SMU
- Kansas
- Iowa
- Liberty
Others Receiving Votes: Oregon St. 96, West Virginia 90, Tulane 76, James Madison 52, Southern Cal 35, Memphis 32, Utah 14, Troy 10, Air Force 8, Toledo 7, Duke 6, Kentucky 4, UCLA 4, Miami (Ohio) 4, UTSA 3, Wyoming 2, Northwestern 2, Ohio 1.
The Associated Press rankings carry more weight than polls like the Coaches Poll and FWAA Poll, as they are part of the deciding factor on which teams reach the College Football Playoff. The Coaches Poll, which is not part of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s formula to determine the four teams that will compete for the College Football Playoff National Championship, is voted on by 65 FBS head coaches.
The Associated Press began its college football poll on Oct. 19, 1936, and it is now the longest-running poll of those that award national titles at the end of the season. The preseason poll was started in 1950. A panel of 63 sports writers and broadcasters from around the country votes on the poll weekly.
