New AP Top 25: Clemson in top spot, Wisconsin No. 3, Alabama No. 5

Well, that was weird. The initial sight Sunday of the new Associated Press Top 25, that is.

No Alabama in the No. 1 spot? We knew it was coming after the Crimson Tide’s 26-14 defeat at Auburn, but it’s still odd to see after Nick Saban’s machine had lorded over the poll every week dating to the preseason.

After the AP’s previous Nos. 1 and 2 teams — Alabama and Miami — lost on the same weekend for the first time since 2012, we’ve got Clemson atop the new poll, followed by Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Auburn. The Tide are fifth, trailed by Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Penn State and TCU to round out the top 10.

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The voter poll has lost nearly all its influence in the College Football Playoff era, but is it a useful guide as we head toward a huge shake-up in the next playoff rankings? This week, anyway, the answer is yes. Expect the committee to unveil this Tuesday night: Clemson as its new No. 1, followed by Oklahoma at No. 2 and either unbeaten Wisconsin or two-loss Auburn at No. 3. If the Badgers are third, the Tigers will be fourth — and vice versa.

Alabama is the only other team with a wisp of hope to be in the new playoff top four, but even that’s a huge reach. The Tide just don’t have the quality victories a team needs at this point in the season to withstand a loss.

Question of the week

Realistically speaking, who’s still alive for the playoff?

Let’s look at it by conference, starting with the ACC. The winner of the title game Saturday between Clemson and Miami in Charlotte, North Carolina, will be in great shape. If the Tigers win, they’ll be a shoo-in for the No. 1 seed in the playoff. If the Hurricanes win, they should get back into the four (bumping Clemson out) on the strength of their victories against the defending national champion, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech.

The Big 12 has Oklahoma locked in to no worse than the No. 2 spot if it beats TCU for the second time this season. If the 10-2 Horned Frogs pull off an upset in Arlington, Texas, and win the Big 12, they might have a tiny sliver of a chance. But not really. The folks in the league office definitely have their pompons out for the Sooners.

The SEC winner Saturday in Atlanta — Auburn or Georgia — will be in the playoff. The loser will not be under any circumstances. Simple, right? Alabama will be rooting for underdogs and waiting to make its case, regardless of the outcomes. Not so simple.

The Pac-12 is a total long shot. If USC beats Stanford for the second time, we might have something to talk about. Again, but not really.

Then, of course, there’s the Big Ten. If Wisconsin beats Ohio State in Indianapolis, the undefeated Badgers will be in the playoff four. (Imagine them at No. 1 if Clemson and Oklahoma go down.) If the two-loss Buckeyes win, the debate about their worthiness will be instant and deafening. Prepare to pick a side: Ohio State or Alabama?

Say what?

‘‘Mike Riley has brought tremendous professionalism and energy to the Nebraska football program.’’

Lost amid the silly-season flurry — with heavy hitters from Florida to Texas A&M to UCLA and many points between riding the coaching carousel — was that hilarious line from Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos’ official statement on Riley’s firing.

Energy? Mike Riley? Seriously.

Maybe for its next act, Nebraska will change its mascot to a sloth.

Big Ten power rankings

1. Wisconsin (12-0, 9-0): Best defense in the country! Best freshman running back ever! So why are the Badgers the underdogs — by nearly a touchdown — to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game?

2. Penn State (10-2, 7-2): Best two-loss team in America? Nah, we’ll give that to Auburn. But the Nittany Lions are next.

3. Ohio State (10-2, 8-1 Big Ten): We know what the Good Buckeyes can do. But do we know when the Bad Buckeyes will show up? Because the Bad Buckeyes can’t beat Wisconsin.

4. Northwestern (9-3, 7-2): Best three-loss team in America? Probably not, but who cares? The Wildcats have improved more than anybody since September.

5. Michigan State (9-3, 7-2): And here’s your most improved team from last season. Flipping that 2016 record of 3-9 took some incredibly heavy lifting.

6. Iowa (7-5, 4-5): Good enough to beat anybody and bad enough to lose to anybody. It’s the Kirk Ferentz way.

7. Michigan (8-4, 5-4): If only Jim Harbaugh got to coach Andrew Luck every year, he’d be on to something.

8. Purdue (6-6, 4-5): Boiler Up! Maybe a few dozen people will watch this team’s bowl game, but it’ll still be cool as heck.

9. Indiana (4-8, 2-7): Coach Tom Allen is signed through 2022. Seems relevant after the man’s big bummer of a first full season.

10. Minnesota (5-7, 2-7): When P.J. Fleck talks about rowing the boat, he doesn’t mean on a long, bowl-less vacation over winter break.

11. Nebraska (4-8, 3-6): Scott Frost to the Huskers? Everyone in Lincoln is dying to bring their boy back home from UCF.

12. Rutgers (4-8, 3-6): We just checked, and, yep, they’re still in the Big Ten. So there’s that.

13. Maryland (4-8, 2-7): With members like these, who needs enemies? But we kid the Scarlet Knights and Terrapins.

14. Illinois (2-10, 0-9): ‘‘We Will Win’’? So far, it’s just empty rhetoric.

Follow me on Twitter @SLGreenberg.

Email: sgreenberg@suntimes.com