The Best Bowl Games - Ranking the Top 10

(Rankings Based of the CFP Poll)

1. (2) Washington Vs. (3) Texas - After an incredible season, the undefeated Huskies get to take on the tenacious Longhorns for a right to play in the national championship. Washington has slayed every foe they’ve came across, including Oregon twice. Texas has played up to competition, knocking off Alabama and playing Oklahoma closely. The beauty of the playoffs is that no player is going to opt out, so each team gets to go at full force, barring injuries. And for Texas, injuries have been a common theme this season. Quinn Ewers missed a few games, but Texas survived them, including a 33-30 win over Kansas State. The biggest injury that has hampered Texas’ season was the injury to Jonathan Brooks. Brooks was the leading back for the whole season, but tore his ACL against TCU, coincidentally the first game Ewers came back from his injury. Brooks was out for the season since then, and finished with 187 carries for 1,140 yards and 10 touchdowns. Texas’ started out hot this season, with that big upset win over Alabama that I’ll get to later. They then had a colossal matchup against Oklahoma, and although they lost, they got back on track two weeks later, although it ended in heartbreak. They beat Houston 31-24, but that was the game where Ewers got hurt. Maalik Murphy stepped in for two games, and played well. In Ewers game back, Brooks got hurt, but Texas’ backup running backs filled in well. Texas beat Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game, and big defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat even caught a touchdown. Sweat also won the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the best interior lineman in college football. He had 42 tackles, 5 pass deflections, 7 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. Sweat is one of the reasons why Texas stops the run so well, allowing just 81 rush yards per game, first in the Big 12. Texas’ defense has been great, but there aren’t many standouts. They lead the Big 12 in sacks with 32, and do the same with points per game and yards per game, allowing 17.5 and 322, respectively. No player has more than 3 picks, and Ethan Burke leads the team with just 5.5 sacks. No one has 2 or more forced fumbles or fumble recoveries. Texas’ whole defensive unit is strong, but they’re going to be tested heavily against the Washington offense. Washington averages 469 yards per game and 38 points per game. They lead the Pac 12 in passing yards per game, with 344 yards per game. That’s because Michael Penix Jr., the runner-up for the Heisman, has been lighting it up. He’s thrown for 4,220 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. Penix makes this offense click, and without him, Washington wouldn’t have been in this situations with a national championship on the line. Penix started out hot, with 1,330 yards through the first 3 weeks. He also had 12 touchdowns to just 1 interception. Just like Michael Penix Jr., Washington started out hot, thrashing all of their opponents until Arizona, which they won by 7. However, they were never down in that game. That set up a big matchup with Oregon, which they beat by 3 after the Oregon kicker missed a game-tying field goal. Washington then had an ugly game against Arizona State, but they survived and advanced. That same theme was evident against Stanford and USC, both were double digit wins, but still somewhat close. They beat Utah by a touchdown, and then defeated Oregon State in a rain game, but at this point, you could see the cracks in the Washington offense. Jalen McMillan was out for a long time at this point, and Oregon State shut down shut down Ja’Lynn Polk, which made the offense run through Rome Odunze. Odunze was practically unstoppable, so he still had good games, but you could see it in Penix’ numbers. Against Oregon State, he had just 162 yards. Washington finished the season with a 24-21 win over rival Washington State, in a game where Penix had 204 yards. The offense was once again buffed by Rome Odunze, even with McMillan back in the lineup. For the second straight game, Ja’Lynn Polk didn’t have a single catch. He got back on track against Oregon in the Pac 12 championship game, catching 5 passes for 60 yards. McMillan had a big game, with 9 catches for 130 yards, a big reason why Washington beat the Ducks 34-31. However, the biggest reason of all that Washington won these close games, especially the Pac 12 championship game and the game against USC, is Dillon Johnson. Unlike the rest of the team, Johnson started out slow, with just 346 yards in his first 6 games. He tacked on 5 touchdowns as well. He had 2 touchdowns in the win over Arizona, and had a 100 yard game against Oregon, but the second half of the season is where he really started to explode. He had an alright game against Stanford, with 18 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown. He then exploded for 256 yards against USC, and also had 26 rushes for 4 touchdowns. He was unstoppable, and has been like that since, with not one game under 80 yards. Against Oregon, Johnson had 28 carries for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with the game sealing rush. Johnson finished the year with 201 carries for 1,110 yards and 14 touchdowns. Only two other players have more than one touchdown, one of them being Michael Penix Jr., who has 3. The other is Germie Bernard, who has 2. Bernard has also been a great receiver, with 31 catches for 370 yards and 2 touchdowns. He stepped up while McMillan was out, and McMillan now has 34 catches for 470 yards and 3 touchdowns. They’re both going to be sneaky players that Texas is going to have a hard time guarding. McMillan had a big game last week against Oregon, and Bernard can do a lot more things than just catch the ball. The main shows are Ja’Lynn Polk and Rome Odunze, of course. Polk has caught 60 passes for exactly 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns, and he didn’t catch a pass in two games this season. Like I stated earlier, Polk got back on track against Oregon, but if he can get back to that early to mid season form, Washington will blow Texas out of the water. Odunze, a Biletnikoff finalist, has caught 81 yards for 1,430 yards and 13 touchdowns. Odunze started the year with 4 100 yard games, and has had 4 straight 100 yards games to end the season. Odunze is littered near the top of the list for receiving catches, yards, and touchdowns for Pac 12 players and the country. He will have a big game, and will show Texas’ secondary something they haven’t seen yet. The secondary is battle tested, as they had to go up against Alabama’s and Oklahoma’s stacked receiving rooms. Washington’s defense is a little different than Texas’, allowing 397 yards per game, but just 23.6 points per game. Jabbar Muhammad has 3 picks, tied for the most on the team, but 2 of them came against Oregon State. He can be either a really big player, or a non-factor. The only stat that he had in the Pac 12 championship game was a pass deflection. Hopefully he has a big game this time around, because Washington is going to need him. Thats because Texas has a stacked receiver corps. Xavier Worthy has caught 73 passes for 970 yards and 5 touchdowns. He hasn’t had insane numbers, and only has only gone over 100 yards twice this season. He’s silent but deadly, and that’s the only way I can describe his play. Adonai Mitchell has been a touchdown machine, with 10 of them this season. He also has 51 catches for 810 yards. Mitchell has played in big stages and performed well this season and in his college career. He had 3 catches for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns against Alabama. Going back to last year, when he was at Georgia, he had just 3 catches against Ohio State, and went for 43 yards and 2 touchdowns. He then had one catch in the national championship game, but it went for 22 yards and a touchdown. Mitchell also caught a touchdown in both the semifinal game and the national championship game back in 2021. That means that he’s scored in every playoff games he’s played in, and that’s should continue this year. Then there’s Ja’Tavion Sanders, who had a big game against Alabama. He caught 5 passes for 114 yards, and now has 39 catches for 610 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s also played good on big stages, with him having 8 receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown in the Big 12 championship game. These guys are reasons why Ewers has thrown for 3,160 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He’s also ran for 5 touchdowns, the most on the team outside of Jonathan Brooks. Like I stated earlier, many different running backs have stepped up. CJ Baxter has 129 carries for 595 yards and 4 touchdowns. He ran for just 43 yards last week, but also had a touchdown. Keilan Robinson lead the team in yards against Oklahoma State, and he had just 4 carries for 75 yards. He also had 2 touchdowns, one of them being a 57 yard touchdown. Expect more of him against Washington, and do the same for Jaydon Blue. He’s ran for 340 yards and 2 touchdowns off 56 carries this week, and should have at least one clutch play. Texas is favored in this one, but like the two other times Washington weee underdogs this year, against Oregon State and in the Pac 12 championship game against Oregon, they’ve proved Vegas wrong. That happens again, and Washington has the chance to win the national championship against either Michigan or Alabama, winning 41-38. Odds: Texas -4.5, O/U 63.5
2. (1) Michigan Vs. (4) Alabama - Historically, the 1 Vs. 4 matchup has been practically unwatchable. Last year, we had a good matchup between Georgia and Ohio State. But past last year, only one matchup was decided by one score, which was all the way back in the first playoffs. Ohio State, who were the 4 seed, upset Alabama, winning 42-35. Every other game thanks to those two were big wins for the 1 seed, although Oklahoma lost by 11 back in 2018, aided by a second half comeback. This year, however, is going to be wildly different. Michigan destroyed everyone, including their rival Ohio State, and got the one seed, although they had a very easy strength of schedule. Alabama came into the playoffs with a lot of controversy, but I’ll get into that in the Georgia-Florida State game. For right now, I’ll I’m going to write about is that Alabama made into the playoffs. Even though they sneaked in, they’re not a bad team. Their only loss came in the second week to Texas, and now star quarterback Jalen Milroe did not play the way people were expecting him to. After the loss, he was doubted, and so was the dynasty. Jalen Milroe was benched the next week against USF, and the offense struggled, scoring just 17 points. Milroe was then reinstated as the starter against Ole Miss, and Bama got a key win for the SEC West hopes. They then played pretty well and survived some close games before bashing Tennessee. Following the bye week, Alabama defeated LSU at home, clinching the SEC West. They then had 2 easy games against Kentucky and Chattanooga, and Milroe set school records in the former. Alabama then needed a miracle throw from Milroe to Isaiah Bond to beat their rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Entering the SEC Championship game, Alabama was at 8 in the CFP rankings, but if they lost, they would be eliminated. Even if they did win, they would still have an outside shot at making it in. In the biggest game of their season, with a trip to the playoffs in the line, Alabama delivered. They upset Georgia 27-24, and Jalen Milroe played great, especially as this was the biggest stage that’s he’s had to play on yet. He threw for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns, and also ran for 30 yards. However, his effect was much more than his stats. He made the big plays, and was one of the biggest leaders for the Crimson Tide in that game. Nick Saban and the rest of the coaching staff are going to need him to do the same against Michigan. Milroe finished the year sixth in Heisman voting, and for good reason. He threw for 2,720 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He’s also ran for 470 yards and 12 touchdowns. Remember, this is the same guy that was benched the third game into the season. Now, if you take Jalen Milroe off this team, I’m confident that Alabama wouldn’t even be close to a New Years Six, let alone the playoffs. Milroe should be the betting favorite for the Heisman to start next year, and that’s going to be well deserved. Although he has two great wide receivers and some excellent running backs, Milroe doesn’t really have much help. I’ll start with the wide receivers, and although Jermaine Burton has better stats, Isaiah Bond made the biggest play of Alabama’s season. I’ll start with Jermaine Burton, who’s caught just 35 passes for 780 yards and 8 touchdowns. He had a touchdown catch against his former team in the SEC title game, but only had one other catch. Milroe has had some good games, and finished the regular season with two 100 yard games, and had a touchdown in both. He’s been more of a deep threat, as he had 4 catches again at Auburn, but 110 yards. He also had a 68 yard touchdown against the Tigers. Against Chattanooga, Burton had 100 yards on just 3 catches. Burton can either beat your defense the whole game, or get shut down like he was against Georgia. It’ll be up to the Michigan defense if Burton has a good game or not. Like I stated earlier and many times before, Isaiah Bond is the only reason why Alabama is in this situation. He had an insane catch on fourth down against Auburn to give Bama the win, and I’m sure everyone has seen that play by now. Bond has caught 44 passes for 620 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had a controversial call go his way against Georgia, and that’s was one of the key factors in Alabama’s win over Georgia. Bond finished with 5 catches for 80 yards. He’s going to show up in big situations for the Tide this week, but none of that matters if he can beat Michigan’s defense, the best in the nation. They allow just 9.5 points per game, the best in the Big Ten, and 240 yards per game, second in the conference. They’ve also sacked opposing quarterbacks 33 times, which has led to 16 picks, tied for the fourth most in the country. Michigan’s defensive line does more than just getting after quarterbacks, as they have the second best run defense in the Big Ten, allowing just 87 rush yards per game. Mike Sainristil has been a shutdown corner, with 5 interceptions this year, returning 2 for touchdowns. Sainristil forced a fumble in the Big Ten championship game against Iowa, along with 2 tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection. Whichever receiver he guards for most of the game should struggle. Michigan, however, isn’t all defense. They have two players that finished top 10 in Heisman voting, those being JJ McCarthy and Blake Corum. McCarthy finished tenth, and although he had a good season, it wasn’t top 10 worthy. He threw for 2,630 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He also ran for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns. Last year, McCarthy had more passing yards, touchdowns, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. However, he’s thrown one less pick and his completion percentage has gone way up. He wasn’t in the top 10 this year; and I don’t think that completion percentage constitutes a player jumping into the top 10. Most votes are probably from people who haven’t covered college football in a while, and they hear see all of the hype surrounding him, but he’s really just a glorified game manager. Yes, he can make some throws that others can’t, but you can’t deny that McCarthy hit carried my Michigan’s defense and their other top 10 Heisman finisher, Blake Corum. Unlike McCarthy, Blake Corum deserves to be in this list. Corum has ran for 1,030 yards and 24 touchdowns on 218 carries this season. He’s scored in the every game this year for Michigan, which means the last time he played a full game that he hasn’t scored in, which excludes the Ohio State game last year when he got hurt early, was the semifinal back in 2021 against Georgia. His touchdowns leads all players in rushing touchdowns, and also leads the country in total points this year with 144. However, 22 of his touchdowns have came inside the 10. You have to give him credit though, 22 touchdowns against stacked defensive lines with their biggest guys are impressive. Donovan Edwards hasn’t been able to capture the same level of play he did last year, but showed up big against Penn State. If he can do that again against Alabama, Michigan has a shot at finally making the national championship game. Going back to McCarthy, it also doesn’t help that no receiver has really been a standout, or been super impressive. Roman Wilson leads the team with 660 yards, and he also has 41 catches and 11 touchdowns. He had 6 touchdowns through the first 3 games this season, and 8 in the first 5. He’s only gotten into the end zone 3 times since, with the last touchdown coming against Ohio State. He had just 1 catch for 14 yards against Iowa, and has been shut down as of recent. Tight end Colston Loveland has been good, with 40 catches for 570 yards and 4 touchdowns this year. However,  he hasn’t scored since Michigan beat Michigan State. Loveland was Michigan’s leading receiver against Maryland, and that’s might not seem important, but he did it with just 36 yards. He was also tied for the most catches on the team that game with 6. Sure, McCarthy had just 141 yards, but you have to have one receiver play well and get the ball more. Other than these two, only one other player has more than 1 touchdown. That’s Semaj Morgan, and he also has 2 rushing touchdowns. Michigan is a good team, but they might be one of the most overrated teams in the country. They’re worthy of being the number one seed, but there’s way too much hype surrounding this team. A unit that isn’t overrated, however, is Alabama’s defense. They allow 18.4 points per game and 313 points per game, second and third in the SEC, respectively. They also have 38 sacks, also second in the conference. Dallas Turner leads the team in sacks with 9, and he also has 50 tackles and 2 forced fumbles. He was also a finalist for the Bednarik award, given to the best defensive player in college football. He’s going to be scary chasing down McCarthy and Corum all game, and should come up clutch if Bama needs a big defensive play. However, they might not even need that, as they can chew clock efficiently with their rushing game, which averages 173 rush yards per game. Jase McClellan has 166 carries for 800 yards and 6 touchdowns, but he didn’t play against Georgia. Hopefully he can play, as Alabama is going to need all the help they can get to beat Michigan’s great defense. If he can’t go, Roydell Williams will have to carry the load again. He has 110 carries for 560 yards and 5 touchdowns. He had 16 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown. Jam Miller also caught a touchdown against Georgia, and he should give a boost as the backup running back if McClellan can’t go. This is by far the farthest Alabama has had to travel for a game this season, so they’re going to start out slow, although it’s also a long trip for Michigan. However, I think U of M’s lack of depth gives Alabama the upset win, and they get to play for their 19th national championship. Alabama wins 28-24. Odds: MICH -1, O/U 45.5
3. (6) Georgia Vs. (5) Florida State - Both teams feel robbed of the playoffs, but Florida State is definitely more upset, and for good reason. They went undefeated and won their conference. No undefeated power 5 conference winner that’s gone undefeated has ever missed out in the playoffs. The reason why they were left out: their starting quarterback was out for the year. The committee made a bad move including Alabama over Florida State, but I’m sure you’ve heard every argument and countless videos and posts about this situation. As for Georgia, Kirby Smart simply stated that the playoffs were the best four teams, so Georgia should still be in, regardless of their loss. But under that logic, Florida State should also be in, leaving Texas out most likely. Then we have this same situation, just with different teams. Florida State’s season started out great, with a big win over LSU. However, cracks began to show against Boston College and Clemson, although they won. They then destroyed the rest of the competition until Miami, when they won by just 7. The next game they took on North Alabama, and everyone knew it was going to be a cake walk. It was, but Jordan Travis injured his leg, and was out for the rest of the season from there. After being down 13-0, Tate Rodemaker and the running game led Florida State to a 58-13 win. The following week, Rodemaker started against Florida. Although they fell behind early, down 12-0, Trey Benson led them back to a win with 3 touchdowns. However, Tate Rodemaker suffered a big hit, and was pronounced out for the ACC Championship game with a concussion. That led to 3rd stringer Brock Glenn starting the game against Louisville. Florida State barely won 16-6, with Glenn not looking good at all. He went 8-21 for just 55 yards, a QBR of 12.7. If Glenn has to play again this week, Georgia is going to blow them out. Right now, it’s too early to tell(?). However, who starts will have some time to prepare, as this game takes place on December 30th. Tate Rodemaker has thrown for 510 yards and 5 touchdowns in mostly garbage time this year. In the Florida game, he went 12-25 for just 134 yards. He did have 217 yards and 2 touchdowns against North Alabama, but that’s against an FCS defense, not an SEC defense. Nobody can replace the hole of Jordan Travis, but if Rodemaker can start, Florida State is going to be much better than with Glenn. Johnny Wilson has already opted out of this game to declare for the NFL draft, and he’s going to be a big hit to the offense. He’s caught 41 passes for 620 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 games this year. Whichever quarterback starts, the running game is still going to carry the offense. Trey Benson has 156 carries for 905 yards and 14 touchdowns. Benson has showed up in some big places, like against Florida, when he had 95 yards and 3 touchdowns on 19 carries. When Jordan Travis hasn’t played the best, Benson has been big, and even though he wasn’t the best against Louisville, Benson was still productive,  with 18 carries for 70 yards. Lawrance Toafili was instead carrying the load for Florida State, with 120 yards and the only touchdown of the game, all on 10 carries. On the year, Toafili has 69 carries for 460 yards and 4 touchdowns. Even with potential opt-outs, we saw everyone in the rushing game involved against North Alabama. 5 different players scored in the ground, including Brock Glenn. This team is full of depth, and that’s the same on defense. FSU allows 16 points per game, 306 yards per game, and 45 sacks. All of these games are in the top 2 of the ACC. Florida State has also allowed just 8 passing touchdowns this year, the only team in the conference that’s allowed under 10 passing touchdowns. On top of that, they’ve allowed 12 rushing touchdowns, but also have 12 fumbles. Georgia is one of the most talented teams when it comes to the defense, and that’s very well documented. They allow 295 yards per game, second in the SEC, and 16.6 points per game, first in the conference. However, Georgia only has 29 sacks. They make up for this with their secondary, with 12 picks. Georgia has dominated every good team that’s came their way, except for Alabama, in which they lost to the Tide. Their main problem was their running game, and they’re only had 80 yards. For context, Georgia averages 177 rush yards per game. Kendall Milton lead the team with just 40 yards, but also had 2 touchdowns. Milton has 112 carries for 686 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s been on a tear lately, as he had 2 games with 130 or more yards out of 3 to end the regular season. He also had 2 touchdowns in both games. However, Milton isn’t the leading rusher for the Dawgs. That’s Daijun Edwards, who has 157 carries for 820 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 10 carries for just 40 yards. Carson Beck did have -2 yards, but a touchdown. Speaking of Beck, he had 240 yards against Alabama, and went 21/29 passing. He spread the ball out evenly, as 10 different players caught the ball. Brock Bowers led the team with 5 catches for 50 yards, not a typical Brock Bowers performance. Bowers has caught 56 passes for 714 yards and 6 touchdowns, in just 10 games for Georgia. Another player that’s missed some time this year is Ladd McConkey. McConkey has played in just 7 games this year, and has 29 catches for 456 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has just 3 catches for 40 yards against Bama. It was his first game back from an injury, however. These two and other players are one of the reasons why Carson Beck has turned into a star over night. He’s thrown for 3,740 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He’s also ran for 4 touchdowns. Beck is going to be a pivotal player in this game, just like he has this season for Georgia. In clutch situations, he’s taken Georgia down the field and has either scored himself or the running backs have taken it in. Both teams are going to be mad, and even though they’re missing their starting quarterback and their top receiver Johnny Wilson, Mike Norvell is going to have his team playing good. However, Georgia is stronger and have better players than FSU, so they’re win 42-35. Odds: UGA -14, O/U 44.5
4. (11) Ole Miss Vs. (10) Penn State - In the 12 team playoff, these two teams would not play each other. However, this game has a playoff feel to it. Ole Miss and Penn State feel like the same team every year, where they look like they could upset a big power in either the SEC or the Big Ten, but they never do. Ole Miss lost to both Alabama and Georgia, although they did beat LSU. Penn State lost to both Ohio State and Michigan, and even fired their offensive coordinator because of the Michigan loss. That’s going to be a key for this game, seeing how the offense looks against a good team. They do have a new offensive coordinator, but new hires usually don’t coach for their new team in the bowl game. They’re also going to be handicapped on defense, as Chop Robinson has opted out of this game, while Manny Diaz has left to become the head coach at Duke. Drew Allar has shown some flashes this season, but has been mainly stuck in one spot this year, which was handing the ball off to the star running backs, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Starting with Allar, he’s thrown for 2,336 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just 1 interception. He’s also ran for 4 touchdowns. The offensive coordinator is one of the main problems, and we saw that after Mike Yurcich left, he was great. He played 2 games, and was knocked out of one of them, that being the contest against Rutgers. The following week, Penn State took on Michigan State, and destroyed them. They scored 42 points, with Allar throwing for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns. This is only one game, but this could turn into something big. Even without the OC, the offense is most likely going through the running game. Kaytron Allen has 162 carries for 850 yards and 6 touchdowns, and had 140 yards against MSU. Nicholas Singleton has 163 carries for 700 yards and 8 touchdowns. Both have taken a step down from their freshamn seasons, but are still threats that the Ole Miss defense needs to watch out for. Speaking of the Ole Miss defense, they’ve improved this season. They allow just 372 yards per game and 22.4 points per game, a big step up from last year. They also have 34 sacks, which is inside the top 5 of the conference. Ole Miss has won a bulk of their games by their defense, but one in particular was all because of their offense. That was against LSU. They won 55-49, with Jaxson Dart throwing for 390 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown. Quinshon Judkins also had a big game, with 33 carries for 180 yards, 1 rushing touchdown, and 1 receiving touchdown. Ole Miss finished with 706 yards and 32 first downs, while the Landsharks allowed 640 yards and 34 first downs. Dart ended the regular season with 2,985 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. He’s been a little underwhelming, but won his spot against a great quarterback, that being Spencer Sanders, so he has to be good enough for Ole Miss, and he was one of the main reasons why Ole Miss is in this position. However, the biggest reason why they’re here is because of Quinshon Judkins. He has 237 carries for 1,050 yards, and 15 touchdowns. Ole Miss struggled against Mississippi State, but Judkins didn’t. He had 28 carries for 120 yards and 1 touchdown. Judkins leads the SEC in rushing touchdowns, and is top 5 in carries and yards as well. Against a Penn State defense at less than full force, Judkins should go off and have a big game. Speaking of the Penn State defense, I already mentioned that Chop Robinson poet out, and Manny Diaz has left for Duke. Penn State had a lot of people opt out for the Rose bowl last year, so I think we’ll see the same this time around, we just have to wait and see who.Penn State’s defense has been great this year, allowing 11.4 points per game, 223 yards per game, and 49 sacks. All are top 3 in the conference. The sacks are the most in FBS. Even without the stars, Ole Miss’ offense is going to struggle. They have a great trio of wide receivers, all of which have more than 700 yards. Tre Harris has 47 catches for 850 yards and 8 touchdowns, while Dayton Wade has 52 catches for 770 yards and 4 touchdowns. Jordan Watkins has 53 catches for 740 yards and 3 touchdowns. These guys have all made spectacular catches this year, with Tre Harris making some insane ones as well. Penn State’s secondary is weaker than the front seven, but that’s just because the run defense is so good. It’s going to be a struggle between the Ole Miss offense and the Penn State defense l, and this is going to be one of the most even matchups you’ll see this season. Ole Miss can’t get it done though, as Allar has a big game. Penn State wins, 34-32. Odds: PSU -3.5, O/U 48.5
5. (9) Missouri Vs. (7) Ohio State - After a surprising season, Missouri is looking to cap it off with a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Ohio State’s season once again ended with a loss to Michigan, and are now playing without their starting quarterback, as Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal. McCord has thrown for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. 2 of them came against Michigan, the last game he’ll play in an Ohio State uniform. Instead, it’ll be Devin Brown, who we’ve only seen in limited action from. On the year, he has 200 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He’ll have to rely heavily on Marvin Harrison Jr., but he might not even play, as he’s undecided on if he wants to go to the draft or not. He was a Heisman finalist, finishing fourth. He caught 67 passes for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns. If he does stay at Ohio State, Brown’s day is going to get a lot easier. However, both Julian Fleming and Chip Trayanum are also opting out because of the portal, so Ohio State is going to be without some key players to this team. One player that is for sure playing in this game is TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson has 137 carries for 854 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has been in and out of the lineup this season, but is healthy, so he’ll be playing in this game. Like I previously stated, however, Chip Trayanum is opting out. He has 85 carries for 370 yards and 3 touchdowns. When Henderson and Miyan Williams were both out with injuries, Trayanum was the top back. However, with Trayanum opting out and Miyan Williams entering the draft, Ohio State could be in trouble at running back if Henderson, an injury prone player this year, get’s hurt, the Buckeyes could be in trouble. At least Emeka Egbuka will play against Mizzou. Although he’s taken a step down from last year, he’ll be in the wide receiver one position this game, so hopefully he can get back to his 2022 form. he has been injured at some times this year, but when he has played, he hasn’t looked the best. This year, Egbuka has 35 catches for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns. He showed out in the semifinals against Georgia last year, catching 8 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Cade Stover should also play, and he has 41 catches for 576 yards and 5 touchdowns. On defense, they’ve been dominant this year. They allow 11 points per game and 260 yards per game, both top 3 in the Big Ten. They won’t be a full force, but should still be able to shut down one of Missouri’s star players. One of those is Cody Schrader, who’s been a monster this year for the Tigers. He has 247 carries for 1,490 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. He finished the regular season with 27 carries for 220 yards and a touchdown against Arkansas. He’s been the leader of the team as of late, and should continue to lead the team into this one. The duo of Brady Cook and Luther Burden III has been one of the best in the SEC. Cook has thrown for 3,190 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He hasn’t had insane numbers, but out together, he’s in the top 5 for some stats in the SEC. Luther Burden is a player littered in the top of the leaderboards for SEC players, and for good reason. He’s caught 83 passes, the second most in the SEC, for 1,200 yards, and 8 touchdowns. Cook to Burden will be a big play threat against the Ohio State defense, and we’ll see if they can keep up with Missouri this game. But even if the OSU defense keys in on Burden, they also have to watch Theo Wease Jr., who can work his way past the defense. He’s caught 45 passes for 640 yards and 6 touchdowns. Missouri’s defense isn’t as prolific as Ohio State’s, but still pretty good. The Tigers allow 22 points per game, 347 yards per game, and 35 sacks. All are in the top 5 of the SEC. If Ohio State had everybody playing, they would’ve won. However, don’t, so Missouri gets the big win, 42-34. Odds: MIZ -2.5, O/U 48.5
6. (8) Oregon Vs. (23) Liberty - After an undefeated season, Liberty has a chance to get the biggest win in their program’s history, while Oregon is trying to cap off their last game with Bo Nix with their win. That’s right, the third place finisher for the Heisman will play against the Flames in the Fiesta Bowl. He’s had an incredible season, throwing for 4,145 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He’s also ran for 6 touchdowns. Just watching Nix play, you can tell that’s he’s special. If Oregon didn’t lose to Washington in the Pac 12 championship game, Nix most likely wins the Heisman and Oregon would be in the playoffs. Instead, they lost, but they still get to play in a high profile bowl game. Nix has his team right in the edge of that, as he threw for 240 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He also had his best rushing performance of the year, with 70 yards. Oregon only held the ball for 23 minutes, but Nix shined in that amount of time. As for Liberty, they’re only in this game because of SMU’s win over Tulane, making Liberty the highest ranked group of 5 team. They’re certainly not going to be blown out in this game, and that’s because of their rushing attack. They have the best rushing offense in the country, averaging 303 rush yards per game. In their win over New Mexico State in the CUSA championship, the offense put up an insane 712 total yards. 393 of those were on the ground. In that game, one player led the way in the ground. Kaidon Salter. Salter had 165 yards and a touchdown on the ground, all of this as a quarterback. He now has over 1,000 rushing yards this season, 1,064 to be exact. He also has 12 touchdowns. He’s thrown for 2,750 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. If Salter enters the transfer portal and goes to a bigger school, or buffs up his passing numbers, he could very well be in the Heisman race come next year. The best example of Liberty’s rushing attack taking over was against UTEP to end the year. Salter threw only 11 passes, but Liberty still won. They had 470 total yards, 440 of which came on the ground. Although Liberty led the ball for 36 minutes and 23 seconds, they did lose 3 fumbles. Liberty knows that the rushing game comes with some cons to it, but that’s hasn’t affected them much this year. They’ve only lost 11 fumbles, but you think it would’ve been so much more based of how much they run the ball. Salter doesn’t carry the running game, however, as Quinton Cooley has also gone over 1,000 yards this year. He has 213 carries for 1,320 yards and 16 touchdowns. He had 70 yards against New Mexico State in the conference championship game, but had 3 touchdowns. Cooley has a nose for the end zone, so that will be a key for Oregon’s defense. The duo of Salter and Cooley should be a tough task for Oregon’s defense, but they’ve had no problem stopping other teams from scoring in the ground. They’ve allowed just 10 rushing touchdowns all season, second least in the Pac 12. They also allow just 320 yards per game and 17 points per game, both top 3 in the Pac 12. The Ducks have been a tough foe to go up against on defense, but also on offense. They average 527.4 yards per game and 44 points per game. This is mainly because of Bo Nix, but the skill positions are also a big reason why. Troy Franklin is the leading receiver, with 81 catches for 1,380 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was shut down against Washington, with only 4 catches for 34 yards. If he can get back on track in this one, Oregon should be running away with it. He’s been more of a first half player, with 55 catches for 960 yards and 11 touchdowns in the first 2 quarters. Against Washington, Tez Johnson was the leading receiver, with 5 catches for 70 yards. He’s been the wide receiver 2 for the year, and has quality numbers for someone that isn’t talked about that much. With the game against Washington, he now has 75 catches for 1,010 yards and 9 touchdowns. Terrance Ferguson caught 2 touchdowns against Washington, and finished the year with 40 catches for 400 yards and 5 touchdowns. The running backs were also hindered by Washington’s defense, as Bucky Irving and Jordan James combined for 55 yards and 14 carries. Jordan James did have a touchdown. Bucky Irving now has 172 carries for 1,060 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s also caught 53 passes for 395 yards and 2 touchdowns. In his past 3 games, he hasn’t had the best numbers, and he’ll have a tough matchup against this time around. Liberty allows only 111.6 rush yards per game, and 356.4 yards per game overall. They also allow 23 points per game. They should also shut down Jordan James, who has 98 carries for 700 yards and 11 touchdowns. Both James and Irving should still be able to have a productive game, but probably not enough to take over the game. If Nix didn’t play, Oregon would have no chance. However, Liberty should be able to hang around, as they can control the clock. On the other hand, Oregon can do a lot with not a lot of time. Oregon does pull it out, 43-38. Odds: ORE -17.5, O/U 65.5
7. (14) Arizona Vs. (12) Oklahoma - This probably would’ve been over at least one of the NY6 bowls, but the transfer portal struck once again. Well, It actually struck multiple times. A handful of meaningful Oklahoma players, including Dillon Gabriel, entered the portal, and won’t play in the bowl game. After throwing for 3,660 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions, and running for 370 yards and 12 touchdowns, Dillon Gabriel will transfer to Oregon. In his spot will be Jackson Arnold. He’s thrown for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns this year. He’s also ran for a touchdown. He had to fill in for Gabriel to finish the BYU game, and played good. He threw for 33 yards off 5/9 passing. Obviously he isn’t going to wow the college football world, but he can help out OU’s offense. The problem is, however, the offense. Tawee Walker has opted out as he’s entered the portal as well. He’s ran for 500 yards and 7 touchdowns on 95 carries. So now, Oklahoma’s second and best rushing threats are out. At least Gavin Sawchuk will be playing, and he leads the team in rushing with 610 yards. He also has 105 carries for 8 touchdowns. However, even though the Oklahoma offense will be resting on his shoulders, Jeff Lebby left to be the head coach at Mississippi State, so Oklahoma’s offense is going to look a lot different. On defense, Danny Stutsman will be returning, so he’ll play for OU in this one. He’s done everything for the defense this year, 99 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception that was returned for a touchdown, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. Another face of familiarity will be Drake Stoops, and this game will be not only his last game as a member of the team, but also the last game of the past 25 years that a Stoops won’t be either playing or coaching the Sooners. Stoops has caught 78 passes for 880 yards and 10 touchdowns this year. Stoops has racked up receptions and touchdowns as of late, and even with Arnold starting at quarterback, he should continue to do the same. Jalil Farooq and Nic Anderson have also been valuable members in the receiving game. Farooq has 41 catches for 640 yards and 2 touchdowns. He only had one catch against TCU to end the season, something that has to change in this game. Anderson has 31 catches for 725 yards and 9 touchdowns. It’s also been hard for him to get going as of late, and I don’t think a while month of not playing will help both players magically play better. The same could be said for Arizona, but at least they aren’t destroyed by the portal and coaches being hired away. Since taking over for Jayden de Laura, Noah Fifita has shined. He’s thrown for 2,515 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Against ASU, Fifita threw for 530 yards and 5 touchdowns. Fifita has a strong and accurate arm, as he also has a 73.6 completion percentage. He also has a great group of receivers. Tetairoa McMillan has caught 80 passes for 1,240 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had a monster game against Arizona State, catching 11 passes for 266 yards and 1 touchdown. He’s now scored in 5 straight games. Before that, he had 2 straight games of being shut out of the end zone. Jacob Cowing has also been a valuable contributor to the passing game, with 83 catches for 700 yards and 11 touchdowns. After weeks of not doing much, he exploded against ASU. He caught 9 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown. However, he has opted out for the NFL draft. Tight End Tanner McLachlan has 42 catches for 500 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had 2 touchdowns against ASU. With Cowing opting out, he’s targets should go up. Michael Wiley hasn’t done too much on the ground this season, with 63 carries for 290 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, he has 28 catches for 306 yards and 5 more touchdowns. Johan Coleman has been leading the way on the ground, with 123 carries for 850 yards and 5 touchdowns. All though he had 5 carries for just 17 yards last week he got into the end zone. Hopefully he can have a more productive game against OU. Arizona’s defense is also on a hot streak, shutting done both Utah and Arizona State to end the season. They allow 21 points per game, 341 yards per game, and they also have 31 sacks, all in the top 5. Against a hindered Oklahoma offense, they should have their way. However, I think the OU offense can put up a fight. In the end, Arizona wins a close one, 24-17. Odds: ARIZ -3, O/U 62.5
8. (18) NC State Vs. (25) Kansas State - This is the first Pop Tarts Bowl ever, and it shouldn’t disappoint. Both teams are ranked, but the transfer portal has ruined the teams. For Kansas State, Will Howard entered the portal. He’s thrown for 2,643 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He’s also ran for 350 yards and 9 touchdowns. He missed time with an injury this year, so we saw Avery Johnson, the starter for this game, play. He’s thrown for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns this season. He’s also a mobile quarterback, as he has 225 yards and 6 touchdowns. However, 5 of his rushing touchdowns came against Texas Tech. I’m not saying he can’t get into the end zone on the ground again, but that’s his numbers are kinda misleading. Kansas State’s backup running back, Treshaun Ward, also entered the portal. He has 124 carries for 640 yards and 5 touchdowns this season. Ben Sinnott, who has 49 catches, 676 yards, and 6 touchdown, is opting out along with Phillip Brooks. Brooks has 53 catches for 590 yards and 5 touchdowns. It’s going to be tough for the first time starting quarterback to have a good game with the top 2 pass catchers out. Other receivers that haven’t done much this year are also transferring. That means that the backups that would’ve been the starters have also left. Jayce Brown isn’t leaving, and he’ll be the WR1 for this matchup. On the year, Brown only has 22 catches for 385 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s also a freshman. DJ Giddens is staying, and has been electric for the Wildcats this season. He’s ran the ball 195 times for 1,075 yards and 9 touchdowns. He should take on most of the offensive snaps at running back. The defense is also losing a lot of talent, and they’ve been good all season. They allow just 21 points per game and 370 yards per game. With a lot of their talent leaving, I don’t think K-State can keep up with NC State, on defense or offense. After being benched halfway into the season, Brennan Armstrong was reinstated as the starter after MJ Morris opted to keep his redshirt season. Since then, Armstrong has looked great. Armstrong has thrown for 1,620 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He’s also ran for 544 yards and 6 touchdowns, making him the leading rusher for the Wolfpack. In his second stint as a starter, he’s thrown for 644 yards, 6 touchdowns, and no interceptions. He’s also ran for 206 yards and 3 touchdowns. All 3 games have also been a win. However, that’s mainly because of their defense, although Armstrong’s good play has made a difference. NCSU allows 20 points per game and 323.5 yards per game, both in the top 5 of the ACC. Payton Wilson locked up the Chuck Bednarik Award with 138 tackles, 6 sacks, and 1 pick six. He had 2 other interceptions as well. Watson has done everything for this defense, but he is expected to opt out. That’s going to be a big hit for this defense, but star receiver, Kevin Concepcion, is playing. Outside of Armstrong, Concepcion is NC State’s whole offense. He’s caught 64 passes for 770 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s also the second leading rusher, with 38 carries for 300 yards. He also has a passing touchdown this year. He’s going to have a big game against a hindered defense. If Kansas State had most of their players that are in the portal playing, they would’ve won. However, they don’t, so  NC State wins, 28-24. Odds: KSU -3, O/U 47.5
9. (17) Iowa Vs. (21) Tennessee - This game is going to be a weird one. We all now how bad Iowa’s offense has been this season, which leads to them not being able to control the ball for a long time. After all, their punter won the Ray Guy award for the best punter in the nation. He punted 7 times in the loss to Michigan in the Big Ten championship game. He’s only had to punt less than 5 times in a home twice this year, against Western Michigan and Rutgers. He punted 4 times against Western Michigan and 3 times against Rutgers. They want him to punt less, but that’s probably not going to happen. Iowa averages 240 yards per game and 16.6 points per game, both in the bottom two of the Big Ten. After starting out slow, Deacon Hill started to pick up the pieces for Iowa. He’s thrown for 1,100 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He’s done all of this with a 49.4 completion percentage. Like the rest of the team, he struggled against Michigan. He had only 120 yards. If he can get back on track, Iowa might have a chance. However, the top 2 tight ends aren’t playing because of injury. Other players have steeped up, but Erick All, who’s out due to injury, is still the leader receiver with 300 yards. Something that has been slightly working is the running game. Leshon Williams has 164 carries for 804 yards and a touchdown. Kaleb Johnson has 110 carries for 430 yards and 3 touchdowns. Iowa’s defense is a complete 180 of their offense, allowing 275 yards per game and 13 points per game, both top 4 in the Big Ten. It’s going to be key for them to shut down Tennessee’s offense, especially the running game. Everyone thought that Tennessee was going to throw the ball a lot this season, and throw it deep with Joe Milton’s arm. However, the opposite has been true. They average 453.5 yards per game per game, 202.6 of them coming on the ground. Milton still has good numbers, with 2,810 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Again, still good numbers, but we all thought he would’ve thrown for something like 4,000 yards and be in the Heisman consideration. He’s also ran for 300 yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s going to have to step up more in the rushing game, as Jaylen Wright has opted out. He has 137 carries for 1,010 yards and 4 touchdowns. Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson will also have to step up. Small has 95 carries for 475 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Sampson has 86 carries for 470 yards and 7 touchdowns. If Tennessee does go to a pass first offense this game, Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton should get big games. White has 64 catches for 764 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Keyton has 32 catches for 590 yards and 6 touchdowns. As for the Tennessee defense, they should have a field day. They allow 349 yards per game and 22 points per game. It becomes a defensive game, but Tennessee pulls it out, 17-13. Odds: TENN -8.5, O/U 36.5
10. North Carolina Vs. West Virginia - This matchup had the potential to be higher than Iowa-Tennessee if Drake Maye was playing. But he’s not, and I’m pretty sure no one is surprised. Maye is going to be a tough hole to fill for the Tar Heels, as he’s thrown for 3,610 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions this year. He’s also ran for 450 yards and 9 touchdowns. It gets even worse, however, for UNC. Tez Walker is opting out for the NFL draft. Walker has caught 41 passes for 700 yards and 7 touchdowns. Those two are going to be hard to replace. For Walker, that’ll be JJ Jones. Jones has had a good season, and was the WR1 before Walker was deemed eligible to play. Jones has caught 42 passes for 660 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tight End Bryson Nesbit and Nate McCollum should also have more targets by backup quarterback Conner Harrell. He’s thrown for 71 yards and a touchdown this season. He’s also ran for 61 yards and a touchdown. UNC should lean on the running game a bit more, especially because they have a great running back. Omarion Hampton has been a beast, with 234 carries for 1,440 yards and 15 touchdowns this year. He leads the ACC in all of those stats. He’s going to lead the North Carolina rushing game, but the real battle between these two teams is who will control the clock. I presume UNC will the run the ball a lot more without Drake Maye, and West Virginia already runs the ball insanely well. CJ Donaldson Jr. has 171 carries for 800 yards and 11 touchdowns this year. Garrett Greene has 710 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s thrown for 2,180 yards, 15 touchdowns, and just 4 interceptions. He’s been the captain of this team, and could potentially be in the Heisman Trophy race next season as West Virginia continues to rise. Along with Donaldson and Greene, Jahiem White has also been a 700 yard rusher. He has 97 carries for 790 yards and 3 touchdowns. The best part about WVU’s offense is that none of these players are opting out. Their defense is a carbon copy of their offense. They’re pretty mediocre when it comes to gaining yardage and scoring points. They also focus in on the run very well. West Virginia allows 384 yards per game, fifth in the Big 12. They also allow 27.5 points per game. As for the running offense and defense, West Virginia allows 144 rush yards per game, fourth in the conference. They’re going to focus in on Omarion Hampton, which leads to the 31-24 win for West Virginia. Odds: WVU -6.5, O/U 55.5