BY RALPH D. RUSSO
Michigan is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time since it won its last national championship in 1997 while Georgia slipped to No. 6 on Sunday after its 29-game winning streak was snapped by Alabama.
Michigan received 51 first-place votes. No. 2 Washington had 11 first-place votes and the Huskies were followed by Texas at No. 3 and Florida State at No. 4. All four are conference champions and all but the Longhorns are unbeaten.
Alabama moved up three spots to No. 5 after beating Georgia 27-24 in the Southeastern Conference title game on Saturday. The Bulldogs had their string of 24 straight weeks at No. 1 snapped. It is the second longest in AP poll history behind Southern California’s 33 straight from 2003-05.
The poll was released shortly before the College Football Playoff rankings, with Alabama, Texas, Florida State and Georgia vying for the final two spots.North Carolina and West Virginia bring 8-win records into the Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Ohio State was seventh, with Oregon, Missouri and Penn State rounding out the top 10.
Michigan is the first No. 1 team from outside the the SEC since Clemson in 2020 and the first No. 1 from outside the South since Big Ten rival Ohio State held the top spot in 2015.
Washington has its best ranking since reaching No. 2 in 1997 and Texas its best ranking since it finished No. 2 in 2009.
