Coaches Poll Top 25 College Football Rankings released after national championship

The final Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings were released following the national championship game, won by Ohio State.

It’s pretty obvious they are the best team right? In fact, the Buckeyes were probably the best team all year. But it’s interesting to see where everyone ended up at the conclusion of football season.

Let’s dive into the final Coaches Poll Top 25 rankings following the national championship.

1. Ohio State (+6)

The national champions did it! Four playoff wins in a row to claim college football’s top prize after seeming so far away.

Ryan Day is vindicated and Buckeye fans can forget, mostly, about that Michigan loss. The best team in college football managed to live up to the preseason expectations.

2. Notre Dame (+1)

Marcus Freeman nearly pulled it off. The Fighting Irish fought back from a loss to NIU and ripped through to the national championship.

In the end, they didn’t have enough gas to beat the Buckeyes. It was a valiant effort but surely, this might’ve been a title team had they not played Ohio State.

3. Texas (+1)

The Longhorns got to the semifinals for the second straight season but fell short of the ultimate prize. There’s no doubt Steve Sarkisian has set up this program for success long term.

But now the attention turns to Arch Manning in 2025. Can the legacy of a legendary family lead Texas to the promised land next season? Quite possible. But there’s no mistaking Texas was one of the best this year before he stepped in full time.

4. Oregon (-3)

Dan Lanning is only getting better and they might’ve been hampered by the way the playoff worked this season. Still, they were the No. 1 seed and were undefeated before losing to the champs.

Oregon did in fact beat Ohio State earlier this season and were one of the best teams all season long. It’s just a shame their playoff run was shorter than anticipated.

5. Penn State

James Franklin finally won some big games. However, they fell short to Notre Dame in the semifinals and could not seal the deal.

The Nittany Lions are going to run it back next year with key cogs Drew Allar and others. Are they next year’s Ohio State? TBD. 

6. Georgia (-4)

Georgia got hampered by injuries, including to QB Carson Beck and went one and done in the playoffs. However, Kirby Smart is one of the best coaches in the country, if not the best, and the Bulldogs should be back.

This year, they beat Texas twice to win the SEC but had that thrilling loss to Alabama. Otherwise, Georgia might’ve finished higher in the coaches poll.

7. Arizona State (+3)

Kenny Dillingham was awesome this season after the Sun Devils were picked to finish last in the Big 12. Well, they won the Big 12 and made it to the College Football Playoff.

Cam Skattebo was a star this year and should be one in the NFL. Sam Leavitt could end up being one of the best quarterbacks in the country next year so the future is bright.

8. Tennessee (-2)

Josh Heupel is going to have Tennessee in contention year to year it seems. Nico Iamaleava will be back next season and if he takes the next step, this team will be really dangerous.

A bad loss to Arkansas put a damper on their schedule, but they at least made the playoff. A shame it ended early, but to be fair, Tennessee lost to the champs.

9. Boise State (-1)

The 9th ranked team should just be Ashton Jeanty. All kidding aside, Boise State practically answered every question this season, took Oregon to the brink and made the College Football Playoff.

They couldn’t quite get it going against Penn State in the quarterfinals but a statement was made. A Group of Five team can contend. Can the Broncos do it again next season?

10. Indiana (-1)

The Hoosiers were an underdog story all season long and ran with it. Curt Cignetti took Indiana to new heights in Year 1, winning 11 games.

Blowing out nearly everyone and only losing to the top two teams in the country? Yeah, that’s pretty good. We’ll see how they follow it up in 2025.

Coaches Poll Top 25 after National Championship

T-11. SMU (+1)
T-11. Clemson (+2)
13. Ole Miss (+2)
14. BYU (+3)
15. Iowa State (+4)
16. Illinois (+5)
17. Alabama (-6)
18. Miami (-2)
19. South Carolina (-5)
20. Missouri
21. Army (-3)
22. Syracuse (+3)
23. Memphis
24. UNLV
25. Colorado (-3)

Others receiving votes in Coaches Poll: LSU 44; Navy 28; Louisville 28; Michigan 20; Kansas State 20; Ohio 6; TCU 5; Marshall 1