Urban Meyer spent Monday night in Arizona at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, but instead behind an ESPN television desk as an analyst and not on the sideline coaching.
Meyer was stuck watching—along with the rest of his 2015 Ohio State team—the game they played in one year ago. After a 44-28 victory against Notre Dame on the same field 11 days earlier, however, the Buckeyes jumped three spots in the final AP Poll of the 2015 season to finished at No. 4. Ohio State is one of four Big Ten teams ranked in the top 12, leading the way above No. 6 Michigan State, No. 9 Iowa and No. 12 Michigan. It's the 10th final AP Poll in the last 14 years that Ohio State garnered a top-5 finish.
Alabama beat Clemson, 45-40, Monday to claim its fourth national title in seven seasons so the Crimson Tide finish No. 1. The Tigers are No. 2 and Stanford jumped two spots to No. 5 after its resounding 45-16 victory against Iowa in the Rose Bowl.
Other Big Ten teams include Wisconsin at No. 21 and Northwestern at No. 23. The six Big Ten schools are the most of any conference in the final rankings.
| Rank | Team | 1st Votes | POINTS | RECORD | CHANGe | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALABAMA | 61 | 1,525 | 14-1 | +1 | SEC |
| 2 | CLEMSON | 1,464 | 14-1 | -1 | ACC | |
| 3 | STANFORD | 1,360 | 12-2 | +2 | PAC-12 | |
| 4 | OHIO STATE | 1,342 | 12-1 | +3 | BIG TEN | |
| 5 | OKLAHOMA | 1,270 | 11-2 | -1 | B1G 12 | |
| 6 | MICHIGAN STATE | 1,227 | 12-2 | -3 | BIG TEN | |
| 7 | TCU | 1,098 | 11-2 | +4 | BIG 12 | |
| 8 | HOUSTON | 1,050 | 13-1 | +6 | AAC | |
| 9 | IOWA | 981 | 12-2 | -3 | BIG TEN | |
| 10 | MISSISSIPPI | 975 | 10-3 | +6 | SEC | |
| 11 | NOTRE DAME | 953 | 10-3 | -3 | INDEPENDENT | |
| 12 | MICHIGAN | 911 | 10-3 | +5 | BIG TEN | |
| 13 | BAYLOR | 820 | 10-3 | +5 | BIG 12 | |
| 14 | FLORIDA STATE | 630 | 10-3 | -5 | ACC | |
| 15 | NORTH CAROLINA | 563 | 11-3 | -5 | ACC | |
| 16 | LSU | 546 | 9-3 | +6 | SEC | |
| 17 | UTAH | 499 | 10-3 | +3 | PAC-12 | |
| 18 | NAVY | 465 | 11-2 | +3 | AAC | |
| 19 | OREGON | 391 | 9-4 | -4 | PAC-12 | |
| 20 | OKLAHOMA STATE | 372 | 10-3 | -7 | BIG 12 | |
| 21 | WISCONSIN | 332 | 10-3 | +2 | BIG TEN | |
| 22 | TENNESSEE | 260 | 9-4 | +7 | SEC | |
| 23 | NORTHWESTERN | 203 | 10-3 | -11 | BIG TEN | |
| 24 | WESTERN KENTUCKY | 128 | 12-2 | +1 | C-USA | |
| 25 | FLORIDA | 126 | 10-4 | -6 | SEC |
