The College Football Playoff national championship game between Michigan and Washington is the only game left before the summer.
The Wolverines had a successful campaign, finally overcoming adversity in the playoffs with a Rose Bowl victory over Alabama. They will now have the opportunity to win the program’s first unshared national championship since 1948.
Despite the Crimson Tide’s defeat, the SEC had a rather successful bowl season. The Power Five were defeated by Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Missouri, while the Bulldogs overcame their first defeat in two years to defeat Florida State by 60 points.
These are the teams that have won and lost the most from bowl season, with only the national title remaining to be determined:
WINNERS:
Michigan:
Following consecutive playoff defeats to Georgia and TCU, Michigan’s 27-20 overtime victory over Alabama in the Rose Bowl represented a significant program advancement. A perplexing call that saw Alabama running quarterback Jalen Milroe straight into the fangs of the Michigan defense on fourth-and-goal sealed the second overtime game in the history of the playoff semifinals. The Wolverines’ impressive victories over Penn State, Ohio State, and the Tide this year may be attributed to their superior physical and aggressive play. That stop sums up their entire season.
Washington:
Any remaining doubts about Washington’s capacity to meet the level of physicality set by the other three teams in this year’s playoffs were allayed by the team’s victory over the Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl. In addition, the Huskies have a strong quarterback in Penix, who performed admirably versus Texas along with a well-rounded group of receivers. Although the Huskies were marginal favorites going into their game against the Wolverines, it is obvious that they are designed to win one more game and return to the Pac-12 with a national championship before the league folds.
Tennessee:
The Volunteers dominated Iowa 35-0 in the Citrus Bowl, offering a sneak peek at what lies ahead under rookie quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The former five-star recruit made his first career start and completed 12 of 19 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown in addition to three ground scores. All things considered, Tennessee’s 383 offensive yards were the second-highest Iowa has allowed all season, only surpassed by Penn State’s 397 yards in late September.
Mississippi:
Following a 38–25 victory over Penn State in the Peach Bowl, the Ole Miss hype train is about to depart the station. The victory validates the Rebels’ progress under Lane Kiffin and, along with the arrival of the nation’s top transfer class, builds some major momentum for Ole Miss to be among the top teams in the SEC coming into the 2024 season. The Rebels were largely written off throughout the season for falling short in crucial games against Alabama and Georgia. It makes sense that the bandwagon could get crowded with quarterback Jaxson Dart expected to make a comeback.
Missouri:
Missouri overcame Ohio State 14-3 in the Cotton Bowl after being shut down by the Buckeyes’ defense until the penultimate drive of the third quarter. The Tigers strung together two touchdown drives of at least 90 yards in the final 20 minutes. The Tigers’ offense continued to rely primarily on All-America running back Cody Schrader, who finished with 29 attempts for 128 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Luther Burden was largely contained until a late touchdown. Under head coach Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri had a breakout season, going 11-2, and they should place among the top seven in the final US LBM Coaches Poll.
Kansas:
Nine victories in a row for Kansas? Under coach Lance Leipold, who took over the worst school in the Power Five by a wide margin and has made the Jayhawks into one of the best teams in the new-look Big 12, the program is still soaring. In the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, Kansas triumphed 49–36 over UNLV thanks to an offensive shootout that included 449 passing yards, six touchdowns from Jason Bean, and 591 total yards of offense.
Northwestern:
What a year it was for Northwestern, who under new coach David Braun won eight games while experiencing one of the program’s lowest periods ever during the summer hazing controversy. This includes a 14–7 victory over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl, despite the fact that the offense struggled to find open receivers and only managed 211 yards and three turnovers.
LOSERS:
Alabama:
With less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and leading 17–13, Alabama lost an opportunity to put the Wolverines away and had to settle for a 52-yard field goal. Due to Blake Corum’s 17-yard touchdown and the defensive stop, Michigan was able to tie the game with 1:34 left in regulation and win it in one overtime period. Despite the fact that both teams made errors, Nick Saban’s Tide lost in the semifinals for the first time. Ultimately, Alabama wasn’t built to win the national championship, but they should be commended for making it this far after such a slow start in September.
Texas:
For more than thirty-six minutes, Washington maintained possession and kept the Texas offense from settling into a groove. However, considering their ongoing success on the ground, you have to ask why the Longhorns didn’t devote even more to the running game. Turnovers ultimately determined whether the team would go home or advance to the championship game; Texas paid a heavy price for their poor ball protection. Under Steve Sarkisian, this program is growing, but you never know when these kinds of chances will present itself.
Ohio State:
With standout wide receiver Marvin Harrison and starting quarterback Kyle McCord sidelined, as well as McCord’s substitute, Devin Brown, hurting his ankle in the second quarter, Ohio State was only able to muster 203 yards of offense in a 14-3 defeat to Missouri. There are a lot of concerns about this offense going into the upcoming season, with McCord now at Syracuse and Harrison leaving for the NFL. In six postseason games, this marks coach Ryan Day’s fourth defeat.
Florida State:
This was unfair from the beginning because FSU was playing with a far from full roster after losing scores of players to the transfer portal and optouts, making this the least impressive bowl season outcome. Georgia’s stunning 63-3 victory against the Seminoles in the Orange Bowl solidifies the Bulldogs’ status as maybe the team to beat in 2024. Depending on your opinion of the four-team playoff field, your assessment of FSU’s defeat may differ: If you believed that the ‘Noles had no right to be there,Here’s a neat 60-point defeat as proof. On the other hand, it’s simple to look at the Seminoles’ thin roster and say that the bowl game is an inadequate depiction of the team’s season if you thought that FSU, the third-ranked team in the FBS, should have been in the top four.
Auburn:
In the wake of Auburn’s 31-13 loss to Maryland in the Music City Bowl, head coach Hugh Freeze said that he “didn’t get too involved” in the Tigers’ offensive strategy “because of recruiting.” This may be true—in fact, it would be foolish to claim otherwise—but Freeze’s open admission begs the question: With a $6.5 million annual pay, is there any reason why he can’t coach and recruit at the same time? That seems to be what other coaches do, but who knows?
Miami (Fla.)
For Miami, a year has passed. On the one hand, the Hurricanes ended Mario Cristobal’s first season with a losing record, yet they overcame Texas A&M and Clemson to qualify for bowl games. However, they were defeated 31–24 by Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl. This ended Miami’s four-game losing streak in five games during the late season. Though in early November the team appeared poised to gain significant momentum for 2024, it now enters the offseason at an all-time low.
SMU
Boston College, who placed 10th in the conference standings, humiliated SMU 23–14 in the Fenway Bowl, giving the future ACC member a taste of life in the current Power Five league. With all due respect, there are superior teams in the ACC than the Eagles. In addition, the Mustangs are forfeiting nine years of compensation from the ACC broadcast deal in order to play, which is certainly appreciated by the league.
North Carolina
In the Duke Mayo Bowl, North Carolina, formerly 6-0, lost 30-10 against West Virginia to conclude a disastrous second half. The one consolation of the defeat was that Mack Brown was spared the mayonnaise bath. All things considered, this was a huge disappointment for the Tar Heels, who gave up a score on the opening play of the game and struggled to mount an offensive drive behind rookie quarterback Connor Harrell, who is expected to replace NFL star Drake Maye.
Eastern Michigan
In the 68 Ventures Bowl, Eastern Michigan sparked an on-field brawl while the Jaguars were gathered to chant the school’s fight song, adding insult to injury after losing 69-10 to South Alabama. If it’s conceivable at all, that black eye dwarfs even a 59-point devastation.