Paul Myerberg

USA TODAY Sports

Florida State ends the year No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports 1-125 college football re-rank

Rounding out the top five are Michigan State%2C Auburn%2C South Carolina and Missouri

Alabama falls to No. 8 after losing to Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl to finish 11-2

The Bowl Championship Series left college football with two parting gifts: one, a memorable, back-and-forth national championship game between Florida State and Auburn, and two, a drama-free No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports' 1-125 re-ranking.

It's Florida State. The Seminoles capped an undefeated season by knocking off the Tigers, 34-31, in a title game complete with four lead changes in its final five minutes. With no other undefeated teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, FSU is a no-brainer selection.

FSU's win marks a 1-125 first: A team outside of the SEC ends the year atop the list. The SEC still dominated the top of the re-ranking, however, with four teams among the top 10. In all, the top 25 included six teams from the SEC, six from the Pac-12, four from the Big Ten, three from the ACC, three from the Big 12, two from the American Athletic Conference and Notre Dame.

But this is it – the year is over, and so are the weekly re-rankings. This final installment accounts for every game between conference championship weekend on Dec. 7 and the end of the postseason. It's time to close the book on the 2013 season.

1. Florida State (14-0, 8-0)

2. Michigan State (13-1, 8-0) – UP 2

3. Auburn (12-2, 7-1)

4. South Carolina (11-2, 6-2) – UP 4

5. Clemson (11-2, 7-1)

6. Missouri (12-2, 7-1)

7. Oklahoma (11-2, 7-2)

8. Alabama (11-2, 7-1)

9. Oregon (11-2, 7-2)

10. Ohio State (12-2, 8-0)

11. Central Florida (12-1, 8-0) – UP 9

12. Stanford (11-3, 7-2) – DOWN 7

13. Baylor (11-2, 8-1) – DOWN 7

14. UCLA (10-3, 6-3)

15. Louisville (12-1, 7-1) – UP 5

16. LSU (10-3, 5-3)

17. Oklahoma State (10-3, 7-2) – DOWN 4

18. Texas A&M (9-4, 4-4)

19. Arizona State (10-4, 8-1)

20. USC (10-4, 6-3) – UP 8

21. Wisconsin (9-4, 6-2)

22. Duke (10-4, 6-2)

23. Notre Dame (9-4, 0-0)

24. Washington (9-4, 5-4) – UP 7

25. Northern Illinois (12-2, 8-0)

26. Nebraska (9-4, 5-3) – UP 12

27. Vanderbilt (9-4, 4-4) – UP 8

28. Fresno State (11-2, 7-1) – DOWN 9

29. Kansas State (8-5, 5-4) – UP 9

30. Georgia (8-5, 5-3)

31. Iowa (8-5, 5-3)

32. Arizona (8-5, 4-5) – UP 11

33. Marshall (10-4, 7-1) – UP 9

34. Miami (Fla.) (9-4, 5-3)

35. Mississippi (8-5, 3-5) – UP 14

36. Texas (8-5, 7-2)

37. Utah State (9-5, 7-1) – UP 12

38. Brigham Young (8-5, 0-0)

39. Texas Tech (8-5, 4-5) – UP 14

40. East Carolina (10-3, 6-2)

41. Ball State (10-3, 7-1)

42. Bowling Green (10-4, 7-1)

43. Navy (9-4, 0-0)

44. Louisiana-Lafayette (9-4, 5-2)

45. Boise State (8-5, 6-2) – DOWN 8

46. Virginia Tech (8-5, 5-3)

47. Mississippi State (7-6, 3-5)

48. Rice (10-4, 7-1) – DOWN 14

49. Penn State (7-5, 4-4)

50. North Carolina (7-6, 4-4) – UP 9

51. Cincinnati (9-4, 6-2) – DOWN 12

52. Minnesota (8-5, 4-4)

53. Oregon State (7-6, 4-5)

54. Houston (8-5, 5-3)

55. North Texas (9-4, 6-2)

56. Georgia Tech (7-6, 5-3)

57. Michigan (7-6, 3-5) – DOWN 11

58. San Diego State (8-5, 6-2)

59. Arkansas State (8-5, 5-2) – UP 12

60. Western Kentucky (8-4, 4-3)

61. Middle Tennessee State (8-5, 6-2) – DOWN 10

62. Pittsburgh (7-6, 3-5)

63. Boston College (7-6, 4-4)

64. Colorado State (8-6, 5-3)

65. Buffalo (8-5, 6-2) – DOWN 8

66. UTSA (7-5, 6-2)

67. Toledo (7-5, 5-3)

68. Tulane (7-6, 5-3)

69. UNLV (7-6, 5-3)

70. Syracuse (7-6, 4-4)

71. Maryland (7-6, 3-5) – DOWN 6|

72. San Jose State (6-6, 5-3)

73. Washington State (6-7, 4-5) – DOWN 5

74. Louisiana-Monroe (6-6, 4-3)

75. Utah (5-7, 2-7)

76. Rutgers (6-7, 3-5)

77. Ohio (7-6, 4-4)

78. Indiana (5-7, 3-5)

79. TCU (4-8, 2-7)

80. South Alabama (6-6, 4-3)

81. Florida (4-8, 3-5)

82. Troy (6-6, 4-3)

83. Tennessee (5-7, 2-6)

84. Northwestern (5-7, 1-7)

85. Wake Forest (4-8, 2-6)

86. SMU (5-7, 4-4)

87. Central Michigan (6-6, 5-3)

88. West Virginia (4-8, 2-7)

89. Florida Atlantic (6-6, 4-4)

90. Texas State (6-6, 2-5)

91. Nevada (4-8, 3-5)

92. Wyoming (5-7, 3-5)

93. Arkansas (3-9, 0-8)

94. Illinois (4-8, 1-7)

95. Akron (5-7, 4-4)

96. Iowa State (3-9, 2-7)

97. Colorado (4-8, 1-8)

98. Kent State (4-8, 3-5)

99. Louisiana Tech (4-8, 3-5)

100. Connecticut (3-9, 3-5)

101. Tulsa (3-9, 2-6)

102. North Carolina State (3-9, 0-8)

103. South Florida (2-10, 2-6)

104. New Mexico (3-9, 1-7)

105. Kansas (3-9, 1-8)

106. Virginia (2-10, 0-8)

107. Memphis (3-9, 1-7)

108. Army (3-9, 0-0)

109. Kentucky (2-10, 0-8)

110. Temple (2-10, 1-7)

111. UTEP (2-10, 1-7)

112. California (1-11, 0-9)

113. Air Force (2-10, 0-8)

114. Hawaii (1-11, 0-8)

115. Purdue (1-11, 0-8)

116. Eastern Michigan (2-10, 1-7)

117. New Mexico State (2-10, 0-0)

118. UAB (2-10, 1-7)

119. Florida International (1-11, 1-7)

120. Massachusetts (1-11, 1-7)

121. Southern Mississippi (1-11, 1-7)

122. Western Michigan (1-11, 1-7)

123. Idaho (1-11, 0-0)

124. Miami (Ohio) (0-12, 0-8)

125. Georgia State (0-12, 0-7)

New to the top 25 (previous ranking) :

— No. 20 USC (No. 28). After a wild and rocky season, USC ends the year with 10 wins and inside the top 20.

— No. 24 Washington (No. 31). Steve Sarkisian – now of USC – saved his best team for last, finally cracking beyond the seven-win mark and leaving a great foundation for his successor, Chris Petersen.

Out of the top 25 :

— No. 28 Fresno State (No. 19). A wonderful start to 2013 ended poorly for the Bulldogs, but between the play of quarterback Derek Carr and the team's success, this was one of the most satisfying seasons in program history.

— No. 30 Georgia (No. 23). The Bulldogs simply couldn't survive injury after injury, eventually slipping to five losses after falling to Nebraska in bowl play.

Three big leaps :

— No. 2 Michigan State (No. 4). Auburn has a case for No. 2, but the Spartans get the nod after ending the year with wins against Ohio State and Stanford.

— No. 26 Nebraska (No. 38). It wasn't a perfect year by any means, but the Cornhuskers developed some much-needed momentum for the offseason by knocking off Georgia.

— No. 39 Texas Tech (No. 53). Here's one way to end the year: Texas Tech capped a strong debut under coach Kliff Kingsbury by dismantling Arizona State.

Three big drops :

— No. 73 Washington State (No. 67). The Cougars kicked off the postseason by failing to hold onto a late lead against Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl.

— No. 57 Michigan (No. 46). The best thing to say about Michigan's 2013 season is that it's over.

— No. 48 Rice (No. 34). Much of the feel-good vibe developed in the Owls' charge to the Conference USA championship evaporated in a lopsided bowl loss to Mississippi State.