Fresno State Finishes No. 24; USC Bumped

In the final Associated Press college football top 25 poll, Fresno State is in, USC out.

Fresno State’s 24-7 victory over USC in the Freedom Bowl was enough to boost the Bulldogs (9-4), unranked during the regular season, to No. 24.

The Trojans (6-5-1) dropped out after being ranked for 12 consecutive weeks.

Bowl victories also lifted Hawaii, Kansas and Wake Forest, while postseason losses also dropped Penn State, Arizona and Brigham Young out of the rankings.

Alabama won the national championship Saturday when the final top 10 was released. The rest of the poll was released Sunday so it could include the only Saturday game--North Carolina’s 21-17 victory over Mississippi State in the Peach Bowl.

North Carolina finished No. 19, Mississippi State No. 23.

Hawaii (11-2), No. 24 earlier this season, moved up to No. 20 after beating Illinois, 27-17, in the Holiday Bowl.

Kansas (8-4) climbed to No. 22 after defeating Brigham Young, 23-20, in the Aloha Bowl. The Jayhawks were ranked for six consecutive weeks this season before dropping out of the poll.

Wake Forest’s 39-35 victory over Oregon in the Independence Bowl boosted the Demon Deacons (8-4) to No. 25.

Penn State (7-5), No. 21 in the last regular-season poll, fell out of the rankings after losing to Stanford, 24-3, in the Blockbuster Bowl.

Arizona (6-5-1), which lost to Baylor, 20-15, in the Hancock Bowl, fell out of the top 25 for the first time since midseason. The Wildcats were No. 22 before the bowl.

The Football Writers Assn. of America announced Sunday that Alabama was its unanimous choice for national champion.