Kansas University’s football team finished ranked No. 7 in both the Associated Press and the USA Today coaches poll.

The Jayhawks entered bowl season ranked eighth. After beating Virginia Tech, 24-21, in the Orange Bowl, Kansas passed Oklahoma and VT in the polls, but dropped behind West Virginia.

The 2007 team ties the 1968 team as earning the highest-ever final ranking at Kansas. The 1995 team finished 10-2 and was ranked No. 9 in the AP poll at season’s end.

The SEC – heralded by many as college football’s top league – held the final two slots in the final AP poll. LSU, who smacked Ohio State 38-24 in Monday’s BCS Championship game, is the obvious number one, followed by Georgia. The Bulldogs picked apart Hawaii 41-10 in the Sugar Bowl last Tuesday. After starting the season 4-2, Georgia finished 11-2, defeating four ranked opponents during its seven-game win streak to close out the year.

Southern Cal, after defeating Illinois on New Year’s Day 49-17 in the Rose Bowl, finished ranked third. The Trojans were followed by Missouri. The Tigers, who many thought were the biggest BCS snub, ousted Arkansas 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1. The Tigers also dealt KU its lone defeat of the season – 36-28 on Nov. 24 in Arrowhead Stadium.

For more on this story, read tomorrow’s Journal-World and log back onto KUSports.com.