Final AP Poll Top 25: Indiana Claims National Championship!

The final college football AP Poll Top 25 rankings were revealed following the national championship game between Indiana and Miami. It was the Hoosiers who came out on top. Indiana and Miami traded blows during Monday’s national championship game, but Fernando Mendoza took matters into his own hands late. He powered his way into the end zone on fourth down to put the Hoosiers ahead 24-21, and they eventually sealed the 27-21 victory by intercepting Carson Beck in the final seconds. Without further ado, let’s dive into the final college football AP Poll of the year, until this summer of course. We start with the champs at the top. 1. Indiana Indiana finished the season on top of the AP Poll with a perfect 16-0 record and a national championship victory. The 27-21 win over Miami will go down in history as the Hoosiers were perfect. Curt Cignetti was the architect of the greatest turnaround in the sport’s history. He promised he’d win, you just had to Google him, and at this rate, he might’ve just changed the game. 2. Miami (+8) Miami fell just short on Monday night at home in the title game. They were that close to the top of the AP Poll and college football immortality. Down 27-21 on their final drive, the Hurricanes’ offense had one last chance to win it, but an interception sealed it. Mario Cristobal brought Miami back to the forefront and they should be able to contend for years to come. 3. Ole Miss (+3) Ole Miss proved it did not need Lane Kiffin in the postseason. Pete Golding took over as head coach and delivered two playoff wins, coming within a few plays of the national championship game. Finishing high up the AP Poll is a nice accomplishment, but they’ll look to run it back in 2026. Ole Miss will certainly be a contender next fall. 4. Oregon (+1) Oregon made more of a run this year, getting to the CFP semifinals and they finished high up the AP Poll. The Ducks could not beat Indiana in their second meeting though, falling well short in the semifinals. Still, Dan Lanning seems to get this team to rise up each year so the expectation should be to win a national championship next season. QB Dante Moore is set to return too. 5. Ohio State (-2) Ohio State came into the season as a popular pick to repeat as national champions. But they fell to Indiana in the Big Ten championship game and were picked off by Miami in the quarterfinals. Julian Sayin is back at QB, as well as WR Jeremiah Smith. The defense will have holes to fill across the board though, so next year will have some questions. Still, the AP Poll should be kind to the Buckeyes. 6. Georgia (-4) Georgia, like Ohio State, had a bye in the CFP this year. But, the Bulldogs fell right away to Ole Miss in a rematch. This will be a top 10 team in the AP Poll next year too, and certainly Kirby Smart will have the team ready to compete for a title. But, that’s back to back slip ups after a bye for Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Still, they won the SEC this year so there’s no doubt they’re talented enough to be at the top year to year. 7. Texas Tech (-3) Texas Tech went all in on the transfer portal and NIL this offseason and it paid off with a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff appearance. However, they fell to Oregon in the quarterfinals and now there’s questions if they can do it again. As long as there is investment, there’s no doubt Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders can run through the conference again. A top 10 AP Poll team to end the year? Pretty good. 8. Texas A&M (-1) The Aggies raced to an 11-0 record and it seemed like they could be No. 1 in the AP Poll by season’s end. However, they lost to Texas and then to Miami in the first round of the playoff. Can Mike Elko duplicate the success next season? They have the resources to do so, but finishing here in the rankings certainly feels like a missed opportunity. 9. Alabama (+2) Alabama needed to get to the playoff and be a top 10 team in the AP Poll at minimum this year it seems. Well, Kalen DeBoer got the Crimson Tide to the SEC title game in Year 2 and won a playoff game on the road over Oklahoma. Was it Nick Saban-esque? No it wasn’t. But, there’s plenty to keep building on going into Year 3 in Tuscaloosa. 10. Notre Dame (-1) Notre Dame just missed out on the College Football Playoff to Miami. The Hurricanes proved their mettle but the Fighting Irish perhaps could’ve made a run too. We’ll never know. Marcus Freeman and crew finished 10-2 and opted out of a bowl game so this team is a big “what if?” Still, their core and coaching staff should have them back in contention in 2026. 11. BYU (+1) 12. Texas (+2) 13. Oklahoma (-5) 14. Utah (+1) 15. Vanderbilt (-2) 16. Virginia (+4) 17. Iowa 18. Tulane (-1) 19. James Madison 20. USC (-4) 21. Michigan (-3) 22. Houston 23. Navy (-1) 24. North Texas (-1) 25. TCU