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Monday night’s College Football Playoff finale saw Clemson defeat Alabama in a fantastic game that probably kept most fans up well past their bedtimes. That said, Florida State fans should be pleased to wake up and learn that their Seminoles rose in the final AP poll, rounding out the year as the No. 8 team in the country.
The ‘Noles punctuated the tumultuous 2016 season with a dramatic victory over Michigan in the Orange Bowl, and jumped the Wolverines to wind up as the third highest ranked three-loss team in the country. The red-hot USC Trojans, fresh off a thrilling Rose Bowl win over Penn State, came in at No. 3, which is probably beyond generous given their trio of losses. And the Nittany Lions finished a spot ahead of FSU— no big deal, given their Big Ten title.
Other ACC teams in the final AP poll, aside from the national champion Clemson Tigers, at No. 1, include No. 16 Virginia Tech, No. 20 Miami, and No. 21 Louisville. The Florida Gators wound up 14th.