Miss any bowl games so far? We've got you covered here, with links to more coverage for each, mini-recaps, and some fun stuff along the way.
BCS bowls
BCS Championship: No. 1 Florida State 34, No. 2 Auburn 31
The final game of the BCS era couldn't have been more compelling, and it was also a fitting end to a college football season with a lot of twists but one overriding theme: the outstanding play of Florida State. For the first time all year, Florida State had to rally late to secure a victory, but the Seminoles answered that challenge in dramatic fashion, topping Auburn with a touchdown in the final minute.
When Tre Mason bruised his way into the end zone to give the Tigers a four-point lead in the final 90 seconds, it appeared that Auburn's miraculous bounce-back season would have a happy ending, but that score ultimately meant nothing but heartbreak. After a couple of incredible come-from-behind wins that were necessary just to place Auburn in the national championship game, it was a difficult way to go out.
Florida State, meanwhile, accomplished what was expected of it by just about everybody during the month leading up to the game, just not in the way anyone anticipated. The Seminoles came back from a 21-3 deficit in the first half to pull off the victory, cementing their place as one of the best teams of the BCS era. For the Noles, this might only have been the start -- they are in a position to make this a lengthy run of excellence. -- Steven Muma
Harry How, Getty Images.
Fiesta Bowl: No. 15 UCF 52, No. 6 Baylor 42
"How long can UCF keep up, from a big-play perspective?" That was the biggest question entering this game.
The answer: 60 minutes. Baylor's offense had some success, including a head-over-heels touchdown from quarterback Bryce Petty, but Blake Bortles and the Knights were better than the Bears over the course of the entire game. Bortles finished with 301 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions, and the Knights finished with the biggest win in school history and perhaps the biggest upset in BCS history.
For Baylor fans, the disappointment is palpable. But that tends to be the case when your team is a 17-point favorite and looking for its first-ever BCS bowl win. Whatever the reason, the Bears didn't play at the high level seen throughout the year, and that simply wasn't good enough against a solid game-planner like George O'Leary.
In SB Nation's big New Year's Day live chat, the major discussion was over the name of a hypothetical UCF blog. There were many great options, but one choice reigned supreme. -- Chris Fuhrmeister
Bortles. Bortles. Bortles. Bortles. Bortles. Mark J. Rebilas, USA Today.
Orange Bowl: No. 12 Clemson 40, No. 7 Ohio State 35
In arguably the most entertaining of the four BCS bowls — and that's saying something — Clemson and Ohio State put together a slugfest filled with big plays on offense and big hits and takeaways on defense; at the end, it was the Tigers standing strong, and the Buckeyes' whiteboard taking the punishment.
Tajh Boyd had a ridiculous day: 30-for-39 passing, five passing touchdowns, 370 passing yards, 20 carries for 127 yards (leading all rushers) and one more score on the ground. But since this is Clemson and nothing is ever boring or perfect with Clemson, Boyd did throw an interception with 1:27 left, giving the Buckeyes one last shot at a rally. That opportunity lasted precisely one play, as the battered Braxton Miller threw an (ahem, questionable) interception on the ensuing snap, snuffing OSU's hopes one last time.
Boyd's target of choice was the electric Sammy Watkins, whose final numbers were absurd: 16 catches, 227 yards and two TDs. The yardage set records for both Clemson and the Orange Bowl, and it's hard to imagine a more dynamic playmaker in the 2014 NFL Draft. He's the real deal, and so is Clemson. -- Adam Jacobi
Even Dabo Swinney was finding open receivers in the Orange Bowl. Brad Barr, USA Today.
Rose Bowl: No. 4 Michigan State 24, No. 5 Stanford 20
In a hard-hitting game that lived up to the hype, Michigan State out-slugged Stanford to pick up its first Rose Bowl win since 1988. Spartans quarterback Connor Cook made a few bad throws, including an awful pick-six that put his team in a 10-point hole shortly before halftime, but he was resilient. Cook finished with 332 yards and two touchdowns.
Sparty was certainly feeling California love, and there were plenty of great moments for those in green. Fullback Trevon Pendleton recorded a sweet karate-kick touchdown, and the whole team celebrated with Spartans rapper mascot Rich Homie Quan in the postgame revelry.
Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio showed his integrity by suspending middle linebacker and team captain Max Bullough for a violation of team rules, and he was rewarded with a flying, game-ending stop from replacement middle linebacker Kyler Elsworth. -- Chris Fuhrmeister
The biggest play by Michigan State football in at least 25 years. Gary A. Vasquez, USA Today.
Sugar Bowl: No. 11 Oklahoma 45, No. 3 Alabama 31
Nobody gave Oklahoma much of a chance. Many still considered Alabama the best team in the country (or at least the 1B to Florida State's 1A) despite a season-ending loss to Auburn. Oklahoma had been inconsistent all season and was considered one of the weaker teams in the BCS slate after regular-season losses to Texas and Baylor.
But "Big Game Bob" is back, and the dynasty is officially done.
The Crimson Tide got on the board first with T.J. Yeldon's touchdown run early in the first quarter, but Trevor Knight's 45-yard touchdown pass to Lacoltan Bester tied it up just a few minutes later. Cade Foster took the lead back with a 27-yard field goal, and the Sooners took their first lead of the game when Knight found Jalen Saunders for an eight-yard score before the end of the quarter.
Oklahoma really took a hold in the second quarter when, after allowing an Alabama touchdown, they scored three straight times (including two touchdowns) to take a 31-17 lead they would never look back from. Knight had a breakout game for the Sooners, throwing for 348 yards and four touchdowns despite a reputation as a run-first quarterback (his previous career high was 171 passing yards).
Katherine Webb was sad, and celebrating Sooners broke ESPN's stage. -- Pete Volk
Bob Stoops struggles to lift a surprisingly heavy Sugar Bowl trophy as his players advise against the effort. That's a good struggle to have to face. Derick E. Hingle, USA Today.
Non-BCS bowls
AdvoCare V100 Bowl: Arizona 42, Boston College 19
In arguably the top running back battle of the bowl season, Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey outworked Boston College's Heisman finalist Andre Williams and delivered an easy victory to the 8-5 Wildcats. Carey racked up 169 yards and two touchdowns in the win, compared to Williams' 75 yards (on fewer than three yards per carry) and one score.
Of course, not even this game was just about the tailbacks, and Carey wasn't even his team's offensive MVP on the day; that was QB B.J. Denker, who threw for 275 yards and scored three total scores in the process. -- Adam Jacobi
If this game was the deciding battle between the country's two best running backs, this one won. Crystal LoGiudice, USA Today.
Alamo Bowl: No. 10 Oregon 30, Texas 7
It was sad, but not surprising to see Texas get dominated by Oregon on Monday night, a perfect encapsulation of how far the departing Mack Brown's Longhorns had fallen against the new guard of college football. Meanwhile Oregon sent off its own retiring coach—DC Nick Aliotti—in style with two Case McCoy pick-sixes, dooming the Longhorns before the Ducks' offense even stepped on the field. This guy's reaction pretty much said it all.
So now, the Texas focus shifts to finding a new head coach, a process that could be more of a spectacle than anything that happened on the field in San Antonio.
For Oregon, it's yet another top-10 finish, the program's fifth in the last six years. That sixth year? 2009, when it finished 11th. -- Adam Jacobi
Goodbye, Mack Brown. Soobum Im, USA Today.
Armed Forces Bowl: Navy 24, Middle Tennessee 6
Navy closed out another stellar season under Ken Niumatalolo by throttling overmatched Middle Tennessee. Keenan Reynolds tacked on two more rushing touchdowns to bring his season total to 31 scores, and the Blue Raiders were flustered and sloppy all game long—MTSU committed five personal foul penalties and scored only six points on the day, which is generally not a winning formula.
Plus, how are you going to personally foul a Navy player? They're our nation's heroes!
Also, SPORTS! -- Adam Jacobi
Heads up, reader. You're being pitched to. Tim Heitman, USA Today.
Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl: ECU 37, Ohio 20
Ohio's Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl experience didn't begin or end well, but the middle part was okay! East Carolina jumped out to a 14-0 lead, only to watch the Bobcats rally to take a 20-17 edge early in the fourth quarter. After nabbing a surprise onside kick and missing a field goal on the subsequent drive, though, Ohio crumbled, and ECU re-asserted itself to claim the win.
For Ohio, the loss was indicative of the Bobcats' entire 2013 season. For East Carolina, the victory was redeeming -- the Pirates were coming off a disappointing loss to Marshall that cost them a shot at a conference title. ECU finished the season with 10 wins for just the second time in program history. -- Steven Muma
Travis Carrie and Bryce Williams battle for a ball near the goal line. A Bobcat lounges in the Tropicana Field distance. Kim Klement, USA Today.
Belk Bowl: North Carolina 39, Cincinnati 17
Within 15 minutes, the Bearcats were already down 16-0, thanks to a kickoff return for touchdown by North Carolina's T.J. Logan, a safety, and a two-yard score from Romar Morris. By the time they woke up, it was already too late, as the Tar Heels cruised.
North Carolina's Ryan Switzer returned his fifth punt of the year for a touchdown, which tied an NCAA record. He's gonna be really fun to watch for at least two more years.
Neither team played an excellent game on offense, but the Tar Heels got enough from theirs, plus some inspired defensive play to take home the victory. -- Nam Le
There's allegedly a coach somewhere in there. Jeremy Brevard, USA Today.
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Kansas State 31, Michigan 14
Kansas State quarterback Jake Waters completed 21 of 27 pass attempts for 271 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats coasted. K-STate opened a 14-3 first quarter lead on a pair of Tyler Lockett (who was unstoppable) touchdown receptions, with a third coming 4:30 before halftime. Lockett finished the night with 116 yards receiving and broke the Kansas State record for catches in a bowl game.
Michigan freshman quarterback Shane Morris, filling in for the injured Devin Gardner, led the Wolverines in both passing and rushing yards. His 40-yard run to set up Michigan's only touchdown came far too late to matter, though, as the Wolverines were already behind 31-6. It's going to be a long, cold winter in Ann Arbor. -- Patrick Vint
This is what keeping your opponent below 200 yards until the 58th minute looks like. Mark J. Rebilas, USA Today.
Capital One Bowl: No. 9 South Carolina 34, No. 19 Wisconsin 24
Jadeveon Clowney made headlines by confirming his intent to declare for the Draft, but the story of the Capital One Bowl really belongs to Connor Shaw, who was simply spectacular.
The senior from Flowery Branch, Georgia, had a hand in all five South Carolina touchdowns, throwing three, rushing for one, and catching one himself on a trick play. It was a nearly flawless afternoon for Shaw, who finished with 22-of-25 passing for 312 yards. Not exactly a bad way to go out.
Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave suffered an injury in the third quarter, and the Badgers were unable to generate any offense without him at the helm. Kenzel Doe's 91-yard kickoff return for touchdown would cut the lead to 27-24 with 10:54 to play, but Wisconsin could get no closer than that.
South Carolina finishes with double-digit wins for the third year in a row. -- Nam Le
The greatest quarterback in Gamecocks history? David Manning, USA Today.
Chick-fil-A Bowl: No. 21 Texas A&M 52, No. 24 Duke 48
One hundred points, one amazing comeback, one last amazing play by Johnny Football, one hell of a game.
Duke jumped out to a 38-17 lead at the break after scoring on all six of its first-half possessions, but Johnny Manziel was as irrepressible as ever, leading a furious charge back and delivering this gem of a play that was as exciting as any in his career:
A fourth-quarter pick-six with under four minutes to play gave A&M its first lead of the game, and a fluke interception sealed the deal on the next drive, meaning Duke's 12 third- and fourth-down conversions and 661 yards of total offense were all for naught.
As we marched into 2014 this was, hands down, the best bowl of the season thus far. Hats off to both teams. -- Adam Jacobi
Kevin Sumlin and Johnny Manziel, likely their last postgame celebration as Aggies. Paul Abell, USA Today.
Compass Bowl: Vanderbilt 41, Houston 24
Perhaps the weirdest bowl game this year came in Birmingham. It seemed like the game was destined to be a snoozer as Vanderbilt, playing without starting quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels, stormed out to a 24-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Houston couldn't get much of anything going, and VU could do no wrong on either side of the ball.
In the blink of an eye, Houston tied the score at 24-24 in the third quarter. John O'Korn started to pick apart the Commodores' secondary, and it seemed like the Cougars had all the momentum. Vanderbilt looked to be in shock on the sidelines after their big lead went right down the drain.
Just as it seemed the Commodores were out of it, they started to look like the team that dominated the first half once again. Three straight scores – two touchdown runs and a 35-yard field goal – put Vandy up 41-24 in the fourth quarter. In what could have very well been James Franklin's final game as Vanderbilt's head coach, he and his boys sure closed out the season with a bang. -- Scott Coleman
It's looking like the end of two eras for Vandy. James Franklin, probably the second-best coach in program history, is drawing interest from premier jobs all over, and Jordan Matthews, one of the best players in program history, is a senior. Stacy Revere, Getty.
Cotton Bowl: No. 8 Missouri 41, No. 13 Oklahoma State 31
The top non-BCS bowl — really, a de facto BCS game — started slowly and innocently enough, with the Tigers leading the Cowboys 17-14 going into the fourth quarter. What ensued was a 41-point barrage in the final frame, and it took a strip-and-score from deep in Missouri territory with a minute left and the game on the line for the Tigers to finally seal the deal.
The game was a proper send-off for Missouri's gloriously bearded offensive line, which cleared the way for 256 yards rushing and three scores on the ground for the Tigers. Bloody Viking Superman guard Max Copeland helped douse coach Gary Pinkel after the game, and tackle Anthony Gatti showed off moves that ... sure are moves.
Congratulations are in order to Mizzou, who will almost certainly finish the season tied for its best finish in the polls in program history at No. 4 (2007). A finish in the Top 5 is a rare treat for the Tigers, who had only done it once prior to Pinkel's arrival, finishing No. 5 in 1960. These are good days for Missouri football. -- Adam Jacobi
Bearded beasts, the state flag of Missouri, and the JerryTron. Yes. Ronald Martinez, Getty.
Potato Bowl: San Diego State 49, Buffalo 24
The Aztecs jumped out to a 28-10 halftime lead and did not let up, mashing Buffalo 49-24 in a game that was not as close as the final score indicated. SDSU back Adam Muema ran for a season-high 229 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Quinn Kaehler threw for 211 yards and a pair of scores, running for a third.
After giving up two early scores, Buffalo mounted a short comeback. But Muema ran in his second touchdown of the day with 1:11 to play in the half, Marcus Andrews intercepted a Joe Licata pass, and Kaehler connected with Dylan Denso for a touchdown on the very next play. -- Patrick Vint
Aztecs running back Adam Muema grew up in Los Angeles, went to San Diego for college, and wound up in Idaho posing beside the world's biggest anthropomorphic potato. And he's pretty happy about it. Brian Losness, USA Today
Fight Hunger Bowl: Washington 31, BYU 16
Huskies quarterback Keith Price left his final college game in the third quarter with an injury, but the Washington defense was up to the task, blanking BYU in the second half despite missing some contributors of its own. Washington tailback Bishop Sankey ran for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Huskies to their first nine-win season and first bowl win since 2000. And Chris Petersen looks like he'll enter 2014 with a talented team in a tough division.
BYU quarterback Taysom Hill was a busy man all night, passing for 293 yards and running for 133 more. But the one-man offense was shut out on the scoreboard in all but the second quarter, and now the Cougars say goodbye to two fan favorites.
Washington's biggest advantage, however, might've been on special teams. -- Adam Jacobi
Keith Price, one of the Huskies' most prolific quarterbacks ever, didn't get to finish his last game. But he did get to raise the hardware he helped earn. Kirby Lee, USA Today.
Gator Bowl: Nebraska 24, No. 22 Georgia 19
For the second straight year, Nebraska and Georgia met during bowl season, but after a 45-31 win by the Bulldogs last season, the recent series is all tied up at one. The Cornhuskers did it by getting just enough last-minute heroics from a defense that has been much-maligned all season long.
For Georgia, it was a game of missed opportunities and ends a frustrating season. The Bulldogs had several chances to take the lead late, but proved unable to cash in, despite seven red zone trips in the game. Their final one -- a fourth-and-three from the Nebraska 16 -- ended when tight end Arthur Lynch dropped the pass. That would give Nebraska the ball with 25 seconds to go, and the victory along with it.
Two Quincy Enunwa touchdowns -- one a 99-yard catch -- and Ameer Abdullah's 122 rushing yards keyed the Nebraska offense, which gained only 307 total yards, 114 less than their season average. -- Nam Le
Agony, victory. Phil Sears, USA Today.
GoDaddy Bowl: Arkansas State 23, Ball State 20
Arkansas State pulled off a stunning comeback upset over Ball State, as the Red Wolves took down the MAC Champions in the final minute of the GoDaddy Bowl. Backup quarterback Fredi Knighten, in for the injured Adam Kennedy, was efficient in the passing game and dangerous in the running game for the Red Wolves, throwing the winning touchdown pass with 32 seconds left to secure the victory.
The Cardinals took the lead early, when Keith Wenning found Willie Snead for a nine-yard touchdown pass. That was a common connection in the game, as Snead finished with nine receptions for 87 yards and that score. After the teams traded field goals, Sirgregory Thornton's one-yard run tied the game up at 10-10 right before the half.
Two Arkansas State field goals gave them their first lead in the third quarter, but Ball State responded with Scott Secor's 37-yard field goal in the fourth and Jahwan Edwards's one-yard touchdown run with 83 seconds remaining, taking the lead at 20-16 and seemingly winning the game. Knighten went right to work, completing passes of 11 and 26 yards while running for nine more before finding Allen Muse in the end zone for the 13-yard score and the win.
The Cardinals had another chance at it, as a late hit with two seconds left put Ball State in field goal range. Secor's 38-yarder was blocked, giving Arkansas State the victory.
Hawaii Bowl: Oregon State 38, Boise State 23
Oregon State's Biletnikoff-winner Brandin Cooks and quarterback Sean Mannion each set new Pac-12 records for single-season yardage (1,730 and 4,662, respectively). But the star of the island night was Beavers cornerback Rashaad Reynolds, who scored two defensive touchdowns before halftime, which proved to be just about the difference. (Though, of course, he couldn't have done it alone.)
OSU overcame an otherwise spotty defensive performance to secure the weirdest winning season you'll ever see, while Boise State got a final reminder that it's time to start over. Nothing made that clearer than the moment when new head coach Bryan Harsin, speaking to the broadcast booth via telephone, talked all the way through one of Reynolds' touchdowns.
How was the attendance? Oh, it was islandy. -- Jason Kirk
Christmas Eve beneath a rainbow in Honolulu. Life's rough sometimes. Marco Garcia, USA Today.
Heart of Dallas Bowl: North Texas 36, UNLV 14
They're mean, they're green, and they are Heart of Dallas Bowl victors.
Thanks to solid play from Derek Thompson and Brelan Chancellor, North Texas was able to secure its first bowl win since 2002. Thompson threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns, while Chancellor, a senior receiver, had 121 all-purpose yards to go with two scores of his own.
The Mean Green were also able to get a suffocating performance from their defense, which held UNLV to just 262 yards on the game and a 2.4 yards per carry average. They also sacked Rebel quarterback Caleb Herring five times, intercepting him once for good measure. The win secures North Texas' best season since 2003, when they went 9-4 under Darrell Dickey. -- Nam Le
It's a dancing eagle. Jerome Miron, USA Today.
Holiday Bowl: Texas Tech 37, No. 14 Arizona State 23
Raise your hand if you saw Texas Tech winning this one ... by double digits. Those with your hands still raised? Y'all are liars.
Kliff Kingsbury's crew ended a five-game losing streak in unexpected fashion, rolling up a 21-point lead in the first half and coasting to victory. At no point in the last three quarters of play did Arizona State have the ball with so much as a chance to tie, which should indicate how complete the Red Raider domination was. The scary part? This is just the start for TTU.
ASU was missing tailback Marion Grice for the game, but unless Grice planned to suit up in the secondary, it wouldn't have mattered. Texas Tech threw for touchdowns on its first four possessions, meaning the Red Raiders had enough points to win the game before the Sun Devils ever managed a stop. Woof. -- Adam Jacobi
A rookie head coach and his demon-helmeted players celebrate. Christopher Hanewinckel, USA Today.
Las Vegas Bowl: No. 25 USC 45, No. 20 Fresno State 20
The Trojans in a mid-December bowl game in chilly Nevada, with their spiritual leader gone? Would they even show up?
Those concerns were gone after six minutes, when Cody Kessler completed the first of his four touchdown passes, this one to Marqise Lee. When Kessler again connected with Lee in the last minute of the first half, the Trojans had built a 35-6 lead. The second half was little more than an extended Gatorade shower for interim coach Clay Helton.
Kessler finished with a career-high 344 yards. Lee, possibly playing his last game at USC, caught seven for 118. On the other sideline, Derek Carr struggled, just 217 yards on 54 attempts.
Afterwards, the talk was of Southern Cal's 2013 odyssey and the legacy of Ed Orgeron. "This was the best team I've ever been a part of," tweeted one player. -- Patrick Vint
Marqise Lee, likely the most talented and memorable Trojan of the Lane Kiffin era, embraces offensive coordinator and interim Clay Helton, his team's third head coach this year. Ethan Miller, Getty.
Liberty Bowl: Mississippi State 44, Rice 7
Look, Rice was good by Conference USA standards this year, but C-USA and the SEC might as well be in different subdivisions of football. It was painfully obvious as Mississippi State obliterated Rice in a game that wasn't even as competitive as the score indicated. MSU quarterback Dak Prescott accounted for five of his team's six touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) and led the Bulldogs to 533 yards of total offense to Rice's 145.
Also, Rice is a foodstuff, so it was open season on headlines like these. -- Adam Jacobi
Crazy things happen in Memphis. Stacy Revere, Getty.
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl: Pitt 30, Bowling Green 27
Without head coach Dave Clawson, who left for Wake Forest, surprise MAC champions Bowling Green had a tough time in Detroit. The Panthers jumped out to a quick 17-3 lead thanks to touchdowns from James Conner and Tyler Boyd (who bring hope for Pitt's 2014 chances, as do a number of freshman stars), but Bowling Green fought back to take a 20-17 lead. The Falcons tied the game on BooBoo Gates' 94-yard kick return for a touchdown, which included a Bowling Green player punching an opponent in the head during the play.
With 77 seconds left to play, Pitt hit a 39-yarder to take the lead and eventually win the game, capping off a night filled with big special teams plays.
The biggest failure of the game? The Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl ran out of pizza at one point. For shame, Pizza Bowl. For shame. -- Pete Volk
The Pizza Bowl's trophy is not a WWE championship belt. Why is Tyrone Ezell celebrating with a WWE championship belt? You can try and take it from him if you'd really like to find out. Andrew Weber, USA Today.
Military Bowl: Marshall 31, Maryland 20
Rakeem Cato capped a brilliant junior season by shredding the Maryland secondary, and Marshall overpowered the Terrapins en route to a 31-20 Military Bowl victory. His 337 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions pushed his season totals to 39 scores and nine picks to go along with 3,916 yards.
Maryland did take a brief lead in the fourth quarter, using a two-yard strike from C.J. Brown to Dave Stinebaugh (after a 99-yard drive!) to go up 20-17, but Cato and company roared down the field in under three minutes of game time to retake the lead, this time for good.
Still, let's note the underrated job Randy Edsall's done this year at Maryland, where the future's reasonably bright.
Special credit goes to Marshall punter Tyler Williams, whose leg led to four different Maryland drives starting inside their own 10-yard line. Punting is winning! -- Adam Jacobi
That 75 on the side of Gator Hoskins' helmet? Marshall players elected to start wearing that emblem every game in honor of the 75 who lost their lives in the program's 1971 plane crash. And then they put together the Herd's first 10-win season since 2002. Rob Carr, Getty.
Music City Bowl: Ole Miss 25, Georgia Tech 17
This was a bit of a mess of a game, with special teams woes plaguing the Rebels and Georgia Tech looking so out of sorts on basic stuff that From The Rumble Seat can't really handle it.
Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace set a school record for total offense, topping some guy named Eli Manning in the process, and a clutch throw from Wallace to Laquon Treadwell effectively sealed the game in the fourth quarter.
Sure, Georgia Tech got the ball back with a few seconds left and no timeouts, but a Vad Lee deep pass ended... bad-lee. -- Adam Jacobi
An oft-ostracized mascot finds a friend in victory. Jim Brown, USA Today.
New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State 48, Washington State 45
This game had it all: a bowl record-tying six touchdown passes by Connor Halliday, a profanity-filled altercation between Halliday and a Colorado State assistant, and a 22-point comeback, capped with 18 points in the last three minutes. Two straight WSU fumbles and some bad clock management set up CSU kicker Jared Roberts for a game-winning 41-yard field goal as time expired.
"This one will hurt for a while," wrote Coug Center's Brian Floyd.
Halliday and CSU quarterback Garrett Grayson combined for an absurd 68 completions, 108 pass attempts, and 779 yards passing. Halliday's six touchdown passes tied him with Geno Smith and Chuck Long for the most in a bowl game. Bibbs ran for 169 yards on 27 carries, while Wazzu wideout River Cracraft caught a New Mexico Bowl-record nine passes for 125 yards. -- Patrick Vint
What an 18-point swing in the season's last quarter looks like for both sides. Mark J. Rebilas, USA Today.
New Orleans Bowl: UL Lafayette 24, Tulane 21
Tulane's Groza Award-winning kicker Cairo Santos missed a 48-yard game-tying field goal attempt with nine seconds left, giving ULL its third straight New Orleans title and denying Tulane a comeback in its first bowl appearance since 2002. All in front of a game-record 54,728 fans.
The Cajuns jumped out to a 21-0 lead just 18 minutes into the game, when Corey Trim intercepted a Nick Montana pass and returned it 82 yards for a touchdown. Tulane coach Curtis Johnson benched Montana in favor of freshman Devin Powell on the next series. Powell led the Green Wave to a pair of second-quarter touchdowns, cutting the halftime lead to just seven points. An Orleans Darkwa 22-yard touchdown run tied the game with a quarter to play, but Hunter Stover's 27-yard field goal with 11 minutes to play proved to be the difference. -- Patrick Vint
Cajuns players hold up three fingers, one for each New Orleans Bowl in a row they've won. Each of them by playing frantic and fearless football (and with a little late magic here and there). Chuck Cook, USA Today.
Outback Bowl: No. 16 LSU 21, Iowa 14
Jeremy Hill and the defense carried the Zach Mettenberger-less Tigers to an Outback Bowl victory, accounting for 216 of their 302 yards of total offense by himself. Hill's second touchdown of the day -- a 37-yard scamper -- essentially iced the game by giving LSU a 21-7 lead with 2:02 to play. Iowa would make it interesting with a touchdown just 20 seconds later, but they were unable to recover the onside, leaving the final score at 21-14.
LSU's defense held the Hawkeyes to just 233 total yards and forced three turnovers.
Still, the future is suddenly bright at Iowa. And everyone gets free Bloomin' Onion now. -- Nam Le
Jeremy Hill, lord of Tampa. Kim Klement, USA Today.
Pinstripe Bowl: Notre Dame 29, Rutgers 16
It was a field goal extravaganza in Yankee Stadium, with a total of eight attempted. The Irish made five of their six tries, and got two scores on the ground from Tarean Folston and T.J. Jones, too much for a mistake-prone Rutgers team.
Irish quarterback Tommy Rees threw for 319 yards on 27-of-47 passing, while running backs Cam McDaniel and Folston combined for 153 yards on the ground. The Irish had two players suspended, plus several others who were fighting off the flu.
After, reports broke that current Jets assistant Brian VanGorder would replace Bob Diaco, who left for UConn, as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator. -- Nam Le
Make fun of the haughtiness of a bowl game in Yankee Stadium all you like, but it does turn out pretty. As far as the photos go, at least. Jeff Zelevansky, Getty.
Poinsettia Bowl: Utah State 21, No. 23 NIU 14
It was a bad Boxing Day for the MAC, as both division champions fell to teams with worse win-loss marks. After Bowling Green lost to Pittsburgh, Northern Illinois (undefeated in the regular season) fell to Utah State in Jordan Lynch's disappointing last game.
Northern Illinois led 7-6 at halftime in a game that Jeremy Mauss said "was either filled with poor play or a defensive struggle; depending on one's view," but Utah State was able to win the game on two second half touchdowns. The Aggies' first trip to the end zone came in the third quarter, on Darell Garretson's five-yard pass to Brandon Swindall. The second was more deadly, as Utah State drove for more than four minutes en route to Joey DeMartino's one-yard touchdown run. -- Pete Volk
Utah State, long one of the worst jobs in all of FBS, has suddenly won 19 games in two years and gone 2-0 in the postseason. And part of that is despite losing former head coach Gary Andersen to Wisconsin and star quarterback Chuckie Keeton to injury. Matt Wells, you've earned a dousing. Christopher Hanewinckel, USA Today.
Russell Athletic Bowl: No. 18 Louisville 36, Miami 9
Teddy Bridgewater threw for a career-high 447 yards and three touchdowns, then ran for another. In many ways, he resembled the hurricane here -- utterly unstoppable, with only intermittent breaks in the destruction. He said afterwards that he had not made a decision on the NFL yet (kind of), but if it proves to be his final collegiate appearance, it was certainly Bridgewater at his finest.
He was helped by a ferocious Louisville defense, which held Stephen Morris and Miami to fewer than 200 yards on the evening and forced the Hurricanes to go 0-11 on third downs. -- Nam Le
One of the last things Teddy Bridgewater did during his college career: tack one more touchdown on his hometown school in his home state. Rob Foldy, USA Today.
Sun Bowl: No. 17 UCLA 42, Virginia Tech 12
Stop us if you've heard this one before: a bowl game ended in a blowout. This time, it was UCLA pulling away from Virginia Tech late as UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley dominated on the ground (161 rushes, two touchdowns) and through the air (226 passing yards, two touchdowns).
Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas was knocked out of the game early after a flagged hit to the chin, ending his college career, and replacement Mark Leal was woeful in relief: 12-25, 130 yards, two interceptions. So it goes. -- Adam Jacobi
Brett Hundley against an El Paso skyline that matches his school colors -- usually, at least. Andrew Weber, USA Today.
Texas Bowl: Syracuse 21, Minnesota 17
Syracuse took a 14-3 lead in the third and looked to be ready to coast to an easy win before Minnesota roared back for a 17-14 lead. With an opportunity to salt the game away, the Gophers gave up a 70-yard punt return to Brisly Estime, setting up a game-winning scramble by Syracuse QB Terrel Hunt.
Minnesota's offense made for a disappointing end to a great season, while the Orange now have high quarterback hopes for the future.
The game featured about 1,500 local children in the stands thanks to the surreal fundraising efforts of Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, plus three grown men dressed as Oompa Loompas. --Adam Jacobi
SB Nation's Syracuse site, Troy Nunes Is an Absolute Magician, raised $44,444 to send about 1,500 Houston-area kids to the Texas Bowl. Here a few of them are on the scoreboard. The scoreboard turned out well for the Orange all around. @TexasBowl.
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