Indiana achieved one more first to end its magical season full of firsts: The national champion Hoosiers are No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll.
After beating Miami in the College Football Playoff title game to cap a 16-0 season that was unprecedented in the modern era, the Hoosiers on Tuesday became the third straight Big Ten team to finish on top of the rankings. Indiana’s championship and No. 1 final ranking followed those of fellow Big Ten teams Ohio State in 2024 and Michigan in 2023.
No. 2 Miami (13-3) moved up eight spots and ended with its highest ranking since the 2002 season, when it was second behind Ohio State. The 2003 Miami team had been the most recent to finish in the top 10.
Mississippi (13-2), which lost to Miami in the CFP semifinals after it beat Tulane and Georgia following coach Lane Kiffin’s departure for LSU, was No. 3, its highest final ranking since 1962.
No. 4 Oregon (13-2) finished in the top 10 for a third straight year and No. 5 Ohio State was in the final top 10 for the 12th straight year. The Big Ten had three teams in the final top five for the second straight year.