No Texas teams in final poll

Clemson finished atop the Associated Press College football poll Tuesday, knocking Alabama from the spot it held all season, and Southern California became the first team to finish as high as No. 3 with three losses.

The Tigers were voted No. 1 in the final poll for the first time since 1981. The Crimson Tide were trying to become only the third team to go wire-to-wire as No. 1, but they lost 35-31 to Clemson on Monday night in the College Football Playoff championship game.

Southern Cal, which started the season 1-3 — including a 52-6 opening loss to Alabama — jumped from ninth in the final regular-season rankings to third.

The state of Texas was shut out in the final poll, the first time that has occurred since 1967, a year in which only 10 teams appeared in the final rankings. Houston was the only school to receive votes in this season’s final poll.