Ohio State again ends season at No. 3 in AP college football poll
![Ohio State takes the field for the College Football Playoff semifinal against Clemson at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. on Dec. 28. [Adam Cairns]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/2020/01/14/NBUX/ghows-OH-f557f59e-742d-472a-b2e2-907e3a909aa4-1f77361e.jpeg?width=660&height=463&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
In the final Associated Press poll of the college football season, Ohio State was ranked third, ending the season behind national champion Louisiana State and runner-up Clemson.
The final ranking was released in the hours after the national title game ended after midnight Monday.
It was the second consecutive season in which the Buckeyes finished No. 3 in the final top-25 ranking.
Though they missed the College Football Playoff in 2018, the Buckeyes overtook Notre Dame and Oklahoma after their semifinal losses.
Ohio State had been ranked second in the penultimate rankings for 2019, but dropped a spot in the aftermath of its loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, one of the playoff semifinals.
Not since their last national championship in 2014 have the Buckeyes finished higher than No. 3 in the final AP poll.
To round out the top five for this season, Georgia was ranked No. 4 and Oregon was No. 5. After a blowout loss to Louisiana State in the other semifinal matchup, Oklahoma dropped to No. 7.
Louisiana State received all 62 first-place votes as only the third team ever to finish 15-0 overall.
jkaufman@dispatch.com
@joeyrkaufman