After a suffocating defensive performance in the BCS championship game, Alabama is the top team once again in the Scripps Legends Poll.

The legendary voting panel was high on Alabama all year. The Crimson Tide held the No. 1 spot for six consecutive weeks, before being unseated by unbeaten LSU.

But in the season’s final rankings, Alabama received all 19 first-place votes, swapping spots with No. 2 LSU.

“Alabama’s defense was just outstanding,” former Crimson Tide coach Gene Stallings. “Even after LSU won the first game this year, I wasn’t so sure Alabama wasn’t the better team. I think they proved they were the better team (Monday) night.”

Oklahoma State remained third in the rankings, one spot behind LSU. The Cowboys finished with just one blemish on their record and outlasted Stanford in spectacular fashion in the Fiesta Bowl, 41-38.

No. 4 Oregon moved up a spot after its 45-38 Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin. The Badgers fell four spots to No. 12.

Despite the Fiesta Bowl defeat, Stanford rounded out the top five.

No. 6 Arkansas moved up three spots, followed by Boise State, Houston, USC and Michigan State.

Sugar Bowl champion Michigan finished the season at No. 13, and Orange Bowl champs West Virginia moved up three spots to No. 20.

No. 14 Oklahoma was the second-biggest mover in the rankings, jumping eight spots. No. 23 Clemson fell 10 spots, which was the biggest drop in the final rankings.

The SEC finished with the most teams in the final top 25 with five, followed by the Big 12 and Big Ten which each had four.

Penn State was the only team to drop from the rankings. The Nittany Lions were replaced by No. 25 Cincinnati.