From AP Top 25 College Football Poll to National Championship every Season

From AP Top 25 College Football Poll to National Championship every Season

Each week of the college football season, the AP organization establishes the AP Top 25 College Football Poll with the best team’s statistical and performance rankings.

The ranking serves several purposes, one of them is for the Fans to have the opportunity to follow the winningest teams in the tournament from Week 1 through the playoffs.

It also serves as a way for the Playoff Selection Committee to define the path of the top 12 teams at the end of the season.

 

National Championship Champions after being in the AP Top 25 College Football Poll

 

How that works is important, but we’ll get to that later. What you have to ask yourself, though, is how many of these AP Top 25 teams have been in the Ranking all regular season, and then how many and which of those teams have been champions. Usually, it usually comes down to 2 teams, No.1 and No. 2.

This is what we will see here, discovering for the fans the jewels of this sport.

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History and operation of the AP Top 25

AP Top 25 College Football Poll - Journalist Alan J. Gould, an editor and writer of the AP

There has been a tradition of ranking NCAAF teams since 1936, when journalist Alan J. Gould, an editor and writer, decided to do it himself. However, several fellow journalists decided to build on Gould’s idea by conducting a poll with different sports editors instead of just one, and the first weekly AP poll was born.

Since then, the poll practically decides the favorite teams competing in the national championship race.

More than 60 writers and broadcasters from across the U.S. cast their individual votes, which are chosen by the AP agency based on their expertise in the sport.

 
  1. Voters first create a list of the top 25 teams in their criteria.
  2. Based on the previous point, each team is assigned a number of points, giving the best team 25 points.
  3. Likewise, they themselves assign the second lowest number to the second team, and so on.
 
  • No. 1 team: 25 points
  • No. 2 team: 24
  • No. 3 team: 23
  • No. 4 team: 22
  • No. 5 team: 21
  • No. 6 team: 20
  • No. 7 team: 19
  • No. 8 team: 18
  • No. 9 team: 17
  • No. 10 team: 16
  • No. 11 team: 15
  • No. 12 team: 14
  • No. 13 team: 13
  • No. 14 team: 12
  • No. 15 team: 11
  • No. 16 team: 10
  • No. 17 team: 9
  • No. 18 team: 8
  • No. 19 team: 7
  • No. 20 team: 6
  • No. 21 team: 5
  • No. 22 team: 4
  • No. 23 team: 3
  • No. 24 team: 2
  • No. 25 team: 1
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After the individual selection and scoring process, the AP combines the numerical value of each voter’s poll and ranks the teams by number of points in descending order to create the final ranking.

 

Evolution of the Poll

1936 to 1940: Back then they ranked 20 teams each week and were #1 Minnesota, #2 Duke, #3 Army and #4 Northwestern the top 4 spots.

1961 to 1967: For these years, only 10 teams were ranked each week.

1989: The ranking expands to 25 teams.

 

How the AP Poll Top 25 Work

Currently there are two types of surveys, the ones that editors and broadcasters update, while on the other hand, there is also the coaches’ poll. Here at MyBookie we will concentrate on the one done by journalists.

There are 62 journalists and broadcasters from all over the United States who conduct the Top 25 poll from the preseason, and so on each week of the regular season, as well as the Bowls and the College Football Playoff.

The poll is published on Sundays and as a detail to take into account, the participants of the poll are not obliged to rank the winner of the CFP in the #1 position.

That’s how Southern California, LSU and UCF have all finished first by achieving surprising results in Bowls and Championship games. That’s why competition prevails in NCAA Football, as all teams can earn rankings in the poll.

Here the biggest winner in the AP Top 25 Poll has been Alabama, which has the most No. 1 rankings at the end of the season in the history of the AP Poll with 12: 1961, 1964, 1965, 1965, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 y 2020.

Below, take a look at the last number 1 teams in the AP since 2000:

  • 2000: Oklahoma
  • 2001: Miami (FL)
  • 2002: Ohio State
  • 2003: Southern California
  • 2004: Southern California
  • 2005: Texas
  • 2006: Florida
  • 2007: LSU
  • 2008: Florida
  • 2009: Alabama
  • 2010: Auburn
  • 2011: Alabama
  • 2012: Alabama
  • 2013: Florida State
  • 2014: Ohio State
  • 2015: Alabama
  • 2016: Clemson
  • 2017: Alabama
  • 2018: Clemson
  • 2019: LSU
  • 2020: Alabama
  • 2021: Georgia
  • 2022: Georgia
  • 2023: Michigan
Number 1 teams in the AP Top 25 since 2000: Michigan and Alabama
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From AP Top 25 NCAAF Poll to National Championship

In case you didn’t know, here are the years and teams that reached the National Championship as the No.1 and No.2 in the poll during the regular season, and that obviously were the opponents in the final game to define the College Football National Championship.

Year Team No.1 Scores Team No.2 Venue
2023 Michigan 34-13 Washington NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
2022 Georgia 27-13 Tennessee Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia
2019 LSU 46-41 Alabama Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
2018 Alabama 16-44 Clemson Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
2015 Clemson 40-45 Alabama University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
2013 Florida State 34-31 Auburn Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
2012 Notre Dame 14-42 Alabama Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
2011 LSU 0-21 Alabama Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
2011 LSU 9-6 (OT) Alabama Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
2010 Auburn 22-19 Oregon University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
2009 Alabama 37-21 Texas Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
2009 Florida 13-32 Alabama Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
2008 Florida 24-14 Oklahoma Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
2008 Alabama 20-31 Florida Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
2007 Ohio State 24-38 LSU Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
2006 Ohio State 42-39 Michigan Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
2006 Ohio State 24-7 Texas DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas
2005 USC 38-41 Texas Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
2004 USC 55-19 Oklahoma Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
2002 Miami 31-24 (2 OT) Ohio State Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
1999 Florida State 46-29 Virginia Tech Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
1998 Tennessee 23-16 Florida State Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
1996 Florida 21-24 Florida State Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
1995 Nebraska 62-24 Florida Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
1993 Florida State 18-16 Nebraska Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
1993 Florida State 24-31 Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana
1992 Miami 13-34 Alabama Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
1991 Florida State 16-17 Miami Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
1989 Notre Dame 24-19 Michigan Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
1988 Notre Dame 27-10 USC Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
1987 Oklahoma 14-20 Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
1986 Miami 10-14 Penn State Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
1986 Oklahoma 16-28 Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
1985 Iowa 12-10 Michigan Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
1982 Georgia 23-27 Penn State Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
1981 USC 28-24 Oklahoma Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
1978 Penn State 7-14 Alabama Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
1971 Nebraska 38-6 Alabama Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
1971 Nebraska 35-31 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium | Norman, Oklahoma
1969 Texas 15-14 Arkansas Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas
1968 Ohio State 27-16 USC Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
1968 Purdue 37-22 Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana
1966 Notre Dame 10-10 Michigan State Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
1963 Texas 28-6 Navy Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
1963 Oklahoma 7-28 Texas Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
1962 USC 42-37 Wisconsin Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
1946 Army Tie, 0-0 Notre Dame Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
1945 Army 32-13 Navy Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1945 Army 48-0 Notre Dame Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
1944 Army 23-7 Navy Municipal Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
1943 Notre Dame 14-13 Iowa Pre-Flight Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana
1943 Notre Dame 35-12 Michigan Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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NCAAF Championship History

Season Champion Result Runner-up
2024
2023 Michigan 34-13 Washington
2022 Georgia 65-7 TCU
2021 Georgia 33-18 Alabama
2020 Alabama 52-24 Ohio State
2019 LSU 42-25 Clemson
2018 Clemson 44-16 Alabama
2017 Alabama 26-23 (OT) Georgia
2016 Clemson 35-31 Alabama
2015 Alabama 45-40 Clemson
2014 Ohio State 42-20 Oregon
2013 Florida State 34-31 Auburn
2012 Alabama 42-14 Notre Dame
2011 Alabama 21-0 Texas
2010 Auburn 22-19 Oregon
2009 Alabama 37-21 Texas
2008 Florida 24-14 Oklahoma
2007 Louisiana State 38-24 Ohio State
2006 Florida 41-14 Ohio State
2005 Texas 41-38 USC
2004 Southern California* 55-19 Oklahoma
2003 LSU 21-14 Oklahoma
2002 Ohio State 31-24 Miami (FL)
2001 Miami (FL) 37-14 Nebraska
2000 Oklahoma 13-2 Florida State
1999 Florida State 46-29 Virginia Tech
1998 Tennessee 23-16 Florida State
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And how are the Classifications going this year 2024?

Everything you need to know about the current rankings can be found here in MyBookie’s AP Top 25 College Football Poll.

Each week we are updated with the AP Top 25, so you will have first hand information about the teams that are on a clear path to the playoffs and the National Championship.

RANK SCHOOL POINTS RECORD PREV
1 Oregon (62) 1550 10-0 1
2 Ohio State 1484 8-1 3
3 Texas 1409 8-1 5
4 Penn State 1274 8-1 6
5 Indiana 1273 10-0 8
6 Tennessee 1270 8-1 7
7 BYU 1161 9-0 9
8 Notre Dame 1095 8-1 10
9 Alabama 1036 7-2 11
10 Ole Miss 966 8-2 16
11 Georgia 964 7-2 2
12 Miami (FL) 907 9-1 4
13 Boise State 839 8-1 12
14 SMU 788 8-1 13
15 Texas A&M 674 7-2 15
16 Army 533 9-0 18
17 Clemson 524 7-2 19
18 Colorado 463 7-2 21
19 Washington State 456 8-1 20
20 Kansas State 333 7-2 22
21 LSU 265 6-3 14
22 Louisville 240 6-3 25
23 South Carolina 203 6-3 NR
24 Missouri 176 7-2 NR
25 Tulane 98 8-2 NR
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Which teams will make it to the National Championship? Will the Rankings change?

Without a doubt, College Football action is based on the AP Rankings. Therefore, the best way to know the details is to be sure to keep an eye on the table, and at the same time the news around the teams is undoubtedly necessary to know them in order to adjust the betting plans that many fans base on this important poll.

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Who are the favored teams to win the College Football National Championship 2024/25?

We are heading into the homestretch of the college football season, with the majority of teams now having just 2 or 3 games left on their schedule. That is not a lot of time to make a move, especially for those teams sitting outside the top 12 looking in.   My NCAAF Betting Analysis The final 3 weeks of the … click title for full article.
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College Football Specials & Trends for 2024/25

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