For the second straight year, Utah finished the season ranked in the Associated Press’ final Top 25 poll.
The Utes came in at No. 10 in the final AP poll of the season, released Monday night after the national championship game.
It’s the program’s highest final ranking since finishing No. 2 following the 2008 season, when the Utes went undefeated and won the Sugar Bowl.
For Utah, it’s the program’s fourth time finishing the year ranked in the Top 10. In addition to this season and 2008, the Utes ended the year No. 4 in 2004 and No. 10 in 1994.
Utah (10-4) fell three spots from No. 7 in this year’s final poll after losing to Penn State 35-21 in the Rose Bowl.
The Utes, though, won their second straight Pac-12 championship in a year where Utah was ranked among the nation’s Top 25 all year — the team started the season ranked No. 7 in the preseason poll.
No. 1 Georgia, after rolling to a 65-7 win over TCU in Monday’s national championship game, won their second straight national title.
The Horned Frogs, despite the blowout loss, came in at No. 2 in the final poll, followed by Michigan at No. 3, Ohio State at No. 4 and Alabama at No. 5.
The Pac-12 finished with six teams ranked in the Top 25. In addition to Utah, Washington came in at No. 8, USC at No. 12, Oregon at No. 15, Oregon State at No. 17 and UCLA at No. 21.
Utah is ranked in the AP final rankings for the sixth time in the past nine seasons.
Last year, the Utes finished the year ranked No. 12 following their first Pac-12 title and Rose Bowl appearance.
Utah also ended the year ranked in 2019 (No. 16), 2016 (No. 23), 2015 (No. 17) and 2014 (No. 22).