Champion Ohio State, Notre Dame 1-2 in final Top 25 poll

Field Level Media|published: Tue 21st January, 12:12 2025

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day reacts after defeating Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 21, 2025.

National champion Ohio State was a unanimous selection as No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll of the 2024 season, with Notre Dame finishing No. 2.

The Buckeyes (14-2) defeated the Fighting Irish (14-2) on Monday night 34-23 in Atlanta to win the College Football Playoff title game, making history as the first national champion in the 12-team CFP era.

It was the first title for Ohio State since 2014. Notre Dame concluded the season with its highest end-of-season ranking since 1993.

Oregon (13-1) topped the poll for eight straight weeks before losing to Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinal and finished No. 3, followed by CFP semifinalists

Texas (13-3) and Penn State (13-3).

It was the first top five finish for the Nittany Lions in 20 years.

The Big Ten, expanded this season with the addition of four schools, placed three teams in the final top five for the first time ever.

Rounding out the top 10 were No. 6 Georgia (13-3), which was the second seed in the CFP, followed by Arizona State (11-3), Boise State (12-2), Tennessee (10-3) and Indiana (11-2).

The Southeastern Conference finished with seven teams in the Top 25, while the Big Ten had five, and the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 had four each.

The remainder of the AP Top 25 final poll:

11. Ole Miss (10-3)

12. SMU (11-3)

13. BYU (11-2)

14. Clemson (10-4)

15. Iowa State (11-3)

16. Illionis (10-3)

17. Alabama (9-4)

18. Miami (10-3)

19. South Carolina (9-4)

20. Syracuse (10-3)

21. Army (12-2)