Ohio State Finishes Third in Final AP Poll for Second Consecutive Season

Ohio State is ranked third in this year's final AP Top 25, behind national champion LSU and runner-up Clemson, marking the second consecutive year that the Buckeyes have finished at No. 3 in the year-end poll.

The Buckeyes' final ranking of the year comes as no surprise, as Ohio State was clearly one of the three best teams in college football this year – other than Monday night's national championship game participants, Appalachian State was the only other team that finished this year with 13 or more wins – but missed out on its chance to earn the top spot in this year's rankings when it lost to Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl.

No. 3 certainly isn't where Ohio State hoped to finish in this year's rankings, especially after winning all of its regular season games and its third consecutive Big Ten Championship Game to earn its berth in the CFP, but it is a recognition of the Buckeyes' continued standing as one of college football's best and most consistent teams.

Ohio State has now finished in the top three of the final AP poll in 15 different seasons. The Buckeyes have finished in the top six in each of the last six seasons – no other school has accomplished that – and in the top 10 of the final rankings in 15 of the last 18 seasons.