AP Top 25: Alabama reclaims No. 1; Georgia slips to No. 3

Alabama will head into the postseason the same way it started the regular season: No. 1 in the nation.

The Crimson Tide reclaimed the top spot in The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday after beating previously top-ranked Georgia.

Defending national champion Alabama, which was No. 1 for the first six weeks of this season in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank, jumped three spots after dominating Saturday’s Southeastern Conference title game.

Alabama received 50 of 62 first-place votes from the media panel. The Bulldogs fell to No. 3.

In between, Michigan was No. 2 for a second straight week after winning the Big Ten Conference championship for the first time since 2004. The Wolverines received 9 firstplace votes.

Cincinnati slipped a spot to No. 4, though it is only four points behind Georgia and received three firstplace votes. The Bearcats are the only remaining unbeaten FBS team in the country.

The College Football Playoff field was to be set later Sunday, with those same teams expected to hold the top four spots.

Notre Dame will head into the postseason at No. 5 after moving up a spot while idle, and Baylor jumped three places to No. 6 after beating Oklahoma State to win the Big 12 Conference title.

Ohio State is No. 7, ahead of Mississippi and Oklahoma State, which dropped four spots to No. 9 after the dramatic loss to Baylor.

Utah reached a seasonhigh 10th after beating Oregon on Friday night to win the Pac-12 Conference.

POLL POINTS » Alabama is No. 1 in the AP poll for the 137th time, the most in the history of the ranking, which date to 1936.

Ohio State is second with 105 appearances at No. 1, and Oklahoma is third at 101.

IN-AND-OUT » Just one team moved back into the Top 25 after championship weekend: UTSA is No. 24 after winning Conference USA.

San Diego State fell out of the ranking after it lost the Mountain West Conference championship game to Utah State.

CONFERENCE CALL » SEC — 6 (Nos. 1, 3, 8, 22, 23, 25).

ACC — 4 (Nos. 13, 18, 19,

20).

Big Ten — 4 (Nos. 2, 7, 11, 17).

Big 12 — 3 (Nos. 6, 9, 14). American — 2 (Nos. 4, 21).

Pac-12 — 2 (Nos. 10, 15).

Conference USA — 1 (No. 24)

Sun Belt — 1 (No. 16). Independents — 2 (Nos. 5, 12).

BRYNN ANDERSON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Alabama wide receiver Shatarius Williams (31) celebrates the teams win after the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game between Georgia and Alabama, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Atlanta. Alabama won 41-24.