Gophers ranked No. 10 in final AP top-25 poll

NEW ORLEANS — LSU finished No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the third time in school history, with Clemson No. 2 and Ohio State No. 3.

Minnesota came in at No. 10, the Gophers’ highest ranking since 1962, when they also finished at No. 10.

This year’s final ranking marks the first time that Minnesota is included in the final poll since it was No. 20 in 2003 and is just the third time since 1962 that the Gophers are ranked in the final AP Poll (the Gophers were No. 19 in the final poll of the 1999 season).

The Gophers, which went 11-2 this season, made 10 appearances in the AP Poll this year, which is tied for the most in school history.

The Tigers (15-0) beat Clemson 42-25 in the national championship game Monday night and then received all 62 first-place votes from the media panel in the season’s final Top 25 presented by Regions Bank.

LSU was No. 1 for the final eight weeks of the season and set a record by beating seven teams ranked in the top 10 at the time of the game. Miami in 1987 and Alabama in 2015 each beat five teams ranked in the top 10 at the time of their games.

LSU also did it impressively: The Tigers beat teams that were ranked 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8 in the final Top 25 by an average margin of 20 points.

“Now I think that this team is going to be mentioned as one of the greatest teams in college football history,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “15-0, one of the greatest teams in LSU history, led by some of the greatest players. Give them all the credit.”

The Tigers also won AP titles in 2007 and 1958.

Georgia, LSU’s Southeastern Conference rival, was fourth and Pac-12 champion Oregon was fifth. Florida was sixth and Oklahoma, which made the playoff, was seventh.

Alabama finished eighth, its lowest final ranking since 2010, giving the SEC four of the top 10. It’s the fifth time one conference has had four teams in the final top 10, and fourth for the SEC.

No. 9 Penn State and No. 10 Minnesota gave the Big Ten three teams in the top 10.

Navy finished No. 20 and Air Force was ranked No. 22, marking the first time two service academies were in the final AP poll of the season since 1958.

Navy was one of four American Athletic Conference schools in the final rankings, a new high for the conference. Memphis was 17th, Cincinnati 21st and UCF 24th.

Click here to view the complete final AP top 25.