Notre Dame ends season No. 1 in AP poll; Bama 2

NEW YORK (AP) -- Notre Dame ends the regular season as the No. 1 team in The Associated Press college football for the first time since 1988, the last championship season for the Fighting Irish.

The Irish (12-0) completed their regular season last week and will play No. 2 Alabama in the BCS championship game in Miami on Jan. 7.

The Tide holds its spot in the rankings after beating Georgia 32-28 in the Southeastern Conference title game.

Ohio State (12-0), which is banned from the postseason because of NCAA sanctions, moves up a spot to No. 3. Florida is No. 4, Oregon is fifth and Georgia fell to sixth.

Northern Illinois jumped to No. 16 after beating Kent State for the Mid-American Conference title. Kent State dropped seven spots to No. 25.

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 1, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:

Record Pts Pv

1. Notre Dame (60) 12-0 1,500 1

2. Alabama 12-1 1,424 2

3. Ohio St. 12-0 1,302 4

4. Florida 11-1 1,279 5

5. Oregon 11-1 1,250 6

6. Georgia 11-2 1,213 3

7. Kansas St. 11-1 1,129 7

8. Stanford 11-2 1,094 8

9. LSU 10-2 1,051 9

10. Texas A&M 10-2 1,025 10

11. South Carolina 10-2 907 11

12. Oklahoma 10-2 851 12

13. Florida St. 11-2 789 13

14. Clemson 10-2 691 15

15. Oregon St. 9-3 638 16

16. N. Illinois 12-1 534 19

17. UCLA 9-4 440 17

18. Utah St. 10-2 379 20

19. Michigan 8-4 306 21

20. Boise St. 10-2 276 25

21. Northwestern 9-3 266 22

22. Louisville 10-2 248 NR

23. Nebraska 10-3 227 14

24. San Jose St. 10-2 157 NR

25. Kent St. 11-2 117 18

Others receiving votes: Penn St. 83, Vanderbilt 67, Wisconsin 62, Texas 51, San Diego St. 22, Fresno St. 20, Baylor 15, Cincinnati 15, Oklahoma St. 15, TCU 14, Arkansas St. 13, Southern Cal 11, Tulsa 9, Rutgers 6, Ball St. 2, North Carolina 1, West Virginia 1.