Re-ranking the FBS: Our list from 1-124

And then there was one – or two, when it comes to the 1-124 re-ranking. Ohio State might be ineligible for the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and the BCS standings due to NCAA sanctions, but the Buckeyes slot in at No. 2 on this week's list, ahead of one-loss teams like Alabama, Oregon, Georgia and others.

Ohio State's stay among the top two might be short-lived. The Buckeyes could lose to Michigan on Saturday, for one, but win or lose, the season ends there: OSU won't head to the Big Ten championship game, won't head to Pasadena, won't pass go, won't collect $200.

Meanwhile, a team like Alabama could beat Auburn, Georgia and Notre Dame. That would be enough to move the Buckeyes down at least one spot. Oregon could beat Oregon State, earn a Pac-12 championship and trounce Nebraska in the Rose Bowl. That'll knock the Buckeyes down another spot.

And so on down the line. But if USC beats Notre Dame to end the regular season, leaving OSU as the lone undefeated team in the FBS, the Buckeyes will end their season as the No. 1 team in the 1-124 re-ranking.

That's meaningless, but it's one way to properly illustrate the outstanding work Urban Meyer and his staff have put in during their first season in Columbus. And finishing 12-0 would have another beneficial effect: Ohio State would likely start next season no lower than No. 3 in the preseason polls.

1. Notre Dame (11-0, 0-0)
2. Ohio State (11-0, 7-0)
3. Alabama (10-1, 6-1)
4. Oregon (10-1, 7-1)
5. Kansas State (10-1, 7-1)
6. Georgia (10-1, 7-1)
7. Florida State (10-1, 7-1)
8. Florida (10-1, 7-1)
9. Texas A&M (9-2, 5-2)
10. Stanford (9-2, 7-1)
11. Clemson (10-1, 7-1)
12. LSU (9-2, 5-2)
13. Oklahoma (8-2, 6-1)
14. South Carolina (9-2, 6-2)
15. UCLA (9-2, 6-2)
16. Nebraska (9-2, 6-1)
17. Louisville (9-1, 4-1)
18. Oregon State (8-2, 6-2)
19. Northern Illinois (10-1, 7-0) – UP 5
20. Texas (8-2, 5-2)
21. Utah State (9-2, 5-0) – UP 4
22. Rutgers (9-1, 5-0)
23. Michigan (8-3, 6-1)
24. Boise State (9-2, 6-1)
25. Kent State (10-1, 7-0) – UP 5

26. Oklahoma State (7-3, 5-2) – UP 10
27. Louisiana Tech (9-2, 4-1) – DOWN 13
28. Northwestern (8-3, 4-3)
29. San Diego State (8-3, 6-1)
30. Tulsa (9-2, 7-0) – UP 13
31. Mississippi State (8-3, 4-3)
32. Arizona (7-4, 4-4)
33. Wisconsin (7-4, 4-3)
34. Southern California (7-4, 5-4) – DOWN 11
35. Washington (7-4, 5-3)
36. Fresno State (8-3, 6-1)
37. San Jose State (9-2, 4-1) – UP 10
38. Penn State (7-4, 5-2)
39. Ball State (7-3, 5-2)
40. Vanderbilt (7-4, 5-3) – UP 9
41. Central Florida (8-3, 6-1) – DOWN 10
42. Texas Tech (7-4, 3-4) – DOWN 10
43. TCU (6-4, 3-4)
44. Toledo (8-3, 5-2) – DOWN 11
45. Cincinnati (7-3, 3-2)
46. Arkansas State (8-3, 6-1)
47. North Carolina (7-4, 4-3)
48. Brigham Young (6-5, 0-0)
49. East Carolina (7-4, 6-1)
50. Ohio (8-3, 4-3) – DOWN 8

51. Navy (7-4, 0-0)
52. Syracuse (6-5, 4-2) – UP 8
53. Bowling Green (7-4, 5-2)
54. West Virginia (5-5, 2-5)
55. Georgia Tech (6-5, 5-3)
56. Iowa State (6-5, 3-5)
57. Louisiana-Lafayette (6-4, 4-2)
58. North Carolina State (6-5, 3-4)
59. Arizona State (6-5, 4-4)
60. Baylor (5-5, 2-5) – UP 11
61. Michigan State (5-6, 2-5) – DOWN 11
62. Miami (Fla.) (6-5, 4-3)
63. Nevada (7-4, 4-3)
64. Louisiana-Monroe (7-4, 5-2)
65. Middle Tennessee (7-3, 5-1)
66. Mississippi (5-6, 2-5)
67. Virginia Tech (5-6, 3-4)
68. Missouri (5-6, 2-5) – DOWN 11
69. Air Force (6-5, 5-2)
70. Duke (6-5, 3-4)
71. Troy (5-6, 3-4)
72. Wake Forest (5-6, 3-5)
73. Minnesota (6-5, 2-5)
74. Purdue (5-6, 2-5)
75. Pittsburgh (4-6, 1-4)

76. Western Kentucky (6-5, 3-4)
77. Utah (4-7, 2-6)
78. Indiana (4-7, 2-5)
79. Marshall (5-6, 4-3) – UP 14
80. Arkansas (4-7, 2-5)
81. Rice (5-6, 3-4)
82. Virginia (4-7, 2-5)
83. Iowa (4-7, 2-5)
84. Temple (4-6, 2-4)
85. Maryland (4-7, 2-5)
86. Central Michigan (5-6, 3-4)
87. Tennessee (4-7, 0-7)
88. Connecticut (4-6, 1-4)
89. North Texas (4-7, 3-4)
90. Southern Methodist (5-6, 4-3) – DOWN 15
91. Miami (Ohio) (4-7, 3-4)
92. Buffalo (4-7, 3-4)
93. Wyoming (4-7, 3-4)
94. New Mexico (4-8, 1-6)
95. South Florida (3-7, 1-4)
96. California (3-9, 2-7)
97. Western Michigan (4-8, 2-6)
98. Texas State (3-7, 1-3)
99. Washington State (2-9, 0-8)

100. Texas-San Antonio (7-4, 2-3)
101. Houston (4-7, 3-4)
102. UTEP (3-8, 2-5)
103. Florida International (3-8, 2-5)
104. Boston College (2-9, 1-6)
105. Auburn (3-8, 0-7)
106. Kansas (1-10, 0-8)
107. Colorado State (3-8, 2-5)
108. UNLV (2-10, 2-5)
109. Army (2-9, 0-0)
110. Illinois (2-9, 0-7)
111. Kentucky (2-9, 0-7)
112. Memphis (3-8, 3-4)
113. Florida Atlantic (3-8, 2-5)
114. Eastern Michigan (2-9, 1-6)
115. Colorado (1-10, 1-7)
116. Alabama-Birmingham (3-8, 2-5) – DOWN 6
117. Tulane (2-9, 2-5)
118. South Alabama (2-9, 1-6)
119. Hawaii (1-9, 0-7)
120. Massachusetts (1-10, 1-6)
121. Akron (1-10, 0-7)
122. Idaho (1-10, 1-4)
123. New Mexico State (1-9, 0-5)
124. Southern Mississippi (0-11, 0-7)

Five noteworthy jumps

1. Baylor, 11 spots (No. 71 to No. 60). Historically, beating a top-two team leads to a significant leap in the re-ranking.

2. Oklahoma State, 10 spots (No. 36 to No. 26). OSU cleared up a muddied Big 12 by shellacking Texas Tech.

3. San Jose State, 10 spots (No. 47 to No. 37). After outlasting Brigham Young, SJSU is one game away from double-digit wins.

4. Northern Illinois, 5 spots (No. 24 to No. 19). The Huskies clinched the MAC West Division with a win over Toledo.

5. Kent State, 5 spots (No. 30 to No. 25). It'll be NIU-KSU in the MAC title game, and that sounds fantastic.

Five noteworthy drops

1. SMU, 15 spots (No. 75 to No. 90). June Jones' Mustangs have lost to both Tulane and Rice, which is impossible to fathom.

2. Louisiana Tech, 13 spots (No. 14 to No. 27). So long, BCS, and so long, hopes of winning the WAC championship.

3. Michigan State, 11 spots (No. 50 to No. 61). It's a long way down from Big Ten favorite – according to some, who won't go named here – to the outskirts of bowl eligibility.

4. UCF, 10 spots (No. 31 to No. 41). A loss to Tulsa hurts, but UCF can still get some revenge in the Conference USA title game.

5. Ohio, 8 spots (No. 42 to No. 50). The Bobcats have dropped three of four after a perfect start.

All of the best photos from week 12 of college football: