College Football Playoff Semifinal - Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: Miami v Ole Miss
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It's unbeaten and top-ranked Indiana against 10th-seeded Miami for the College Football Playoff National Championship later this month in Miami Gardens, Florida — just like we all thought. The 2025 season was anything but predictable and that has continued throughout the bowl slate, which culminates on Jan. 19 when a national champion is crowned.

We saw plenty of opt outs in recent weeks and mass coaching changes impact results, but for every rout, there were competitive matchups across the board. The SEC took one on the chin during the postseason and failed to push a team into the CFP final for the third straight campaign.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl -- even without Notre Dame -- was the most-watched game of the postseason outside of the playoff, a result of how well that matchup is marketed through edible mascots, hilarious shenanigans and a trophy that moonlights as a working toaster.

Here's how we rank the 41 bowl results since mid-December ahead of the national championship game featuring the Hoosiers and Hurricanes.

Indiana flirting with all-time great status as Hoosiers plow through Oregon, into CFP National Championship
John Talty
Indiana flirting with all-time great status as Hoosiers plow through Oregon, into CFP National Championship

41. LA Bowl

Washington 38, Boise State 10: Four touchdown passes by Demond Williams Jr. along with 86 yards rushing and a score from Jonah Coleman in his final game led a Huskies team that was free of opt outs under coach Jedd Fisch. Several tams failed to show during the postseason and surprisingly, Boise State was one of them. The Mountain West champions turned it over five times in a matchup that was never competitive.

Pregame ranking: No. 23

40. Myrtle Beach Bowl

Western Michigan 41, Kennesaw State 6: Western Michigan won 10 games for the second time in program history thanks to a 27-point first quarter at the beach before Christmas. Jalen Buckley rushed for 174 yards for the Broncos, were who coming off a win over Miami (OH) to win the MAC. The Myrtle Beach Bowl was the only bowl game outside of the College Football Playoff to feature a pair of conference champions, but only one showed up. Kennesaw State was making its first bowl appearance as an FBS team after joining last season.

Pregame ranking: No. 26

39. First Responder Bowl

UTSA 57, FIU 20: FIU ended a six-year bowl drought with the game's first 14 points before UTSA ran off 38 straight at one point, fueled by three touchdowns from Will Henderson III. It was an ugly outing for the Panthers following the early two-score lead.

Pregame ranking: No. 33

38. GameAbove Sports Bowl

Northwestern 34, Central Michigan 7: Make that six straight postseason wins for the Wildcats, who haven't lost a bowl game since the 2015 Outback Bowl. Preston Stone finished with three touchdowns passes and Northwestern never trailed after breaking open a scoreless game with a 21-point second quarter.

Pregame ranking: No. 28

37. Arizona Bowl

Fresno State 18, Miami (OH) 3: Snoop Dogg caught the opening kickoff with a diving snare in the back of the end zone, but unfortunately, that was the lone highlight in this one. Dylan Lynch kicked four field goals for Fresno State to help get first-year coach Matt Entz his first bowl win.

Pregame ranking: No. 35

36. Fenway Bowl

Army 41, UConn 16: Black Knights quarterback Cale Hellums accounted for four touchdowns and Army won its second straight bowl game under Jeff Monken. UConn played without quarterback Joe Fagnano, who threw for 3,448 yards, 28 touchdowns and one interception this season before opting out in prep for the NFL Draft. The Huskies were also without coach Jim Mora, who assumed the role at Colorado State.

Pregame ranking: No. 34

35. Liberty Bowl

Navy 35, Cincinnati 13: In his final game for the Midshipmen, senior quarterback Blake Horvath threw two touchdown passes and ran for another to assist Navy in winning its 11th game. More than a half-dozen regulars missed the contest for the Bearcats, who played without quarterback Brendan Sorsby and leading rusher Tawee Walker after both entered the transfer portal.

Pregame ranking: No. 20

34. Armed Forces Bowl

Texas State 41, Rice 10: One of a couple five-win squads to fill out the bowl schedule, Rice struggled to contain Texas State's explosive offense during a contest that opened up in the third quarter after the Bobcats ran off 17 straight points. Texas State signal caller Brad Jackson was responsible for four total touchdowns in the win. 

Pregame ranking: No. 30

33. Independence Bowl

Louisiana Tech 23, Coastal Carolina 14: Trailing 14-6 entering the fourth quarter in Shreveport, Louisiana, the Bulldogs outscored the Chanticleers 17-0 in the final frame to pick up their eighth win. This one was marred by flags in the first half after the teams combined for 17 penalties, the most in a half during any FBS game this season.

Pregame ranking: No. 36

32. Birmingham Bowl

Georgia Southern 29, Appalachian State 10: Make that two wins for Georgia Southern over Appalachian State this season after the Mountaineers jumped in line for a bowl opportunity following several eligible teams opting out of the postseason. This time around, this rivalry matchup wasn't close thanks to OJ Arnold's 152 yards rushing on 11 carries. Fourth-year Georgia Southern coach Clay Helton has now led the Eagles to four consecutive bowl appearances, a program first.

Pregame ranking: No. 40

31. 68Ventures Bowl

Delaware 20, Louisiana 13: The Fightin' Blue Hens' first year in the FBS ranks was a raging success, culminating with the program's bowl victory over the Ragin' Cajuns. Delaware petitioned the NCAA for a postseason waiver at 6-6 overall since teams are not often chosen during the first season of transition from the FCS. A goal line stand in the final seconds preserved the win for Delaware.

Pregame ranking: No. 41

30. Cure Bowl

Old Dominion 24, South Florida 10: Old Dominion won 10 games for the first time since 2016. Monarchs second-team quarterback Quinn Henicle rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns, including a 51-yard score with 2:57 left that clinched the victory. It was Old Dominion's sixth straight win to end the campaign and came against a USF squad that was once ranked inside the top 25 before floundering late under outgoing coach Alex Golesh and star Byrum Brown, who both went to Auburn.

Pregame ranking: No. 24

29. Gasparilla Bowl

NC State 31, Memphis 7: Before announcing he would return for another season with the Wolfpack, quarterback C.J. Bailey threw for 221 yards, two touchdowns and ran for another during NC State's eighth win. It was the Wolfpack's first postseason victory since the 2017 Belk Bowl while Memphis is one of seven FBS programs with an active streak of 12 or more consecutive bowl invitations.

Pregame ranking: No. 17

28. New Orleans Bowl

Western Kentucky 27, Southern Miss 16: Toast to Maverick McIvor, WKU's backup quarterback who led three touchdown drives in the second half off the bench to fuel his team's rally inside the Superdome. The Hilltoppers have now played in a bowl game seven consecutive seasons and are 5-2 during that postseason stretch.

Pregame ranking: No. 29

27. Potato Bowl

Washington State 34, Utah State 21: A precursor to 2026's new-look Pac-12 for both teams, the Cougars piled up 628 yards of total offense with defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit calling the shots following head coach Jimmy Rogers' exit for Iowa State. Washington State hired Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore to take over and he was able to watch Zevi Eckhaus throw for a season-high 334 yards with three touchdowns.

Pregame ranking: No. 32

26. Xbox Bowl

Arkansas State 34, Missouri State 28: One standout within the Group of Five who did not opt out of his postseason opportunity was Arkansas State's Corey Rucker, a multi-year starter who finished his career with a 166-yard performance. Arkansas State's all-time leader in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, Rucker's 71-yard score in the second quarter gave the Red Wolves a 14-0 advantage which was pushed to 24 points by the end of the third quarter.

Pregame ranking: No. 39

25. Mayo Bowl

Wake Forest 43, Mississippi State 29: Demon Deacons coach Jake Dickert brought his entire family on the postgame stage for the mayo bath and licked a handful off his shirt. "Tastes like victory," Dickert said after Wake Forest's ninth win, much of the production coming via quarterback Robby Ashford. The South Carolina transfer's final game featured 353 yards of total offense and five touchdowns for Wake Forest against a five-win Bulldogs team.

Pregame ranking: No. 21

24. Las Vegas Bowl

Utah 44, Nebraska 22: No Kyle Whittingham, no problem for the Utes, who disposed of a Dylan Raiola-less Huskers team with a flurry of explosive plays from quarterback Devon Dampier. Dampier threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 148 yards and three scores to lead the rout in Morgan Scalley's first game as Utah's new coach.

Pregame ranking: No. 15

23. Salute to Veterans Bowl

Jacksonville State 17, Troy 13: Andrew Paul's 1-yard run on a direct snap pushed Jacksonville State ahead with 5:44 remaining and the Gamecocks prevailed after batting down a Hail Mary attempt in the end zone as time expired. The win snapped Troy's seven-game winning streak in the rivalry that had not been played since 2001 despite the programs being separated by just 160 miles.

Pregame ranking: No. 38

22. Frisco Bowl

Ohio 17, UNLV 10: UNLV's first season under Dan Mullen ended with a dud against the Bobcats, who have now won their last seven bowl games dating back to 2017. UNLV's run of scoring 20 or more points ended at 35 games, which led college football, and the Rebels fell short of grabbing that elusive 11th win as the Mountain West's runner-up.

Pregame ranking: No. 31

21. Orange Bowl

Oregon 23, Texas Tech 0: Only two of the four CFP quarterfinal matchups were competitive this season and this was not one of them. Oregon held one of college football's most high-powered offenses to 215 total yards and 10 first downs, dominating the Big 12 champions while forcing four turnovers. It wasn't the Ducks' best offensive performance, but the defensive showing was enough to carry Oregon into the semifinals.

Pregame ranking: No. 5

20. Rose Bowl

Indiana 38, Alabama 3: Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza had more touchdown passes (3) than incompletions (2) during the Hoosiers' second appearance in Pasadena and led a memorable beatdown of the SEC runner-up. The most-lopsided bowl loss in program history for the Crimson Tide resulted in Alabama's second consecutive four-loss season under Kalen DeBoer. Last season's Rose Bowl -- which included a 34-point, first-half lead by eventual national champion Ohio State -- was more entertaining than this one. Then again, if you appreciate greatness, it was one for the ages for the Indiana faithful.

Pregame ranking: No. 4

19. Peach Bowl

Indiana 56, Oregon 22: Leave it to Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers to own a pair of lopsided CFP wins this bowl season, the punctuation mark coming in Friday night's showdown against the Ducks in Atlanta. From the pick six on the first play from scrimmage to Mendoza's three first-half touchdown passes, this was over in a hurry for the title game-bound Hoosiers. One more win and Indiana becomes the first 16-0 team in college football history.

Pregame ranking: No. 2

18. Holiday Bowl

SMU 24, Arizona 19: Despite three interceptions from Kevin Jennings, the Mustangs held on to snuff out Arizona's shot at a 10th win with an onside kick recovery in the final moments after a valiant comeback attempt from the Wildcats. Trailing 24-0 at halftime, Noah Fifita's touchdown pass with 33 seconds left trimmed the deficit to five.

Pregame ranking: No. 16

17. Boca Raton Bowl

Louisville 27, Toledo 22: These two teams combined for 32 fourth-quarter points after Toledo nearly rallied from an 18-point deficit. Louisville quarterback Miller Moss finished his college career with two touchdown passes while Isaac Brown added a couple scores on the ground for the Cardinals. Louisville finished 9-4 under Jeff Brohm, whose best win came against then second-ranked Miami in mid-October.

Pregame ranking: No. 37

16. Gator Bowl

Virginia 13, Missouri 7: Despite playing without star running back J'Mari Taylor, leading receiver Trell Harris and linebackers Kam Robinson and Maddox Marcellus, Virginia capped a "special year" under Tony Elliott with its 11th win -- a program first. Harrison Waylee capped a 19-play, 75-yard drive that chewed minutes off the clock to open the second half and that proved the difference for Virginia, the ACC runner-up.

Pregame ranking: No. 14

15. Pinstripe Bowl

Penn State 22, Clemson 10: Despite droves of opt-outs for both underachieving teams, this was the most-watched Pinstripe Bowl of all-time on a frigid field inside Yankee Stadium. Trebor Pena's 73-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter put it away for Penn State. The Nittany Lions ended their season on a four-game winning streak under interim coach Terry Smith following the firing of James Franklin.

Pregame ranking: No. 8

14. Rate Bowl

Minnesota 20, New Mexico 17 (OT): Thanks to Jalen Smith's diving touchdown catch in overtime, the Golden Gophers joined USC and Utah for the second-longest bowl winning streak in college football history (9). Only Florida State has won more (11), doing so from 1985 through the 1995 season. This one went to an extra session after a wild sequence in the fourth quarter highlighted by Damon Bankston's 100-yard kickoff return for a score and New Mexico's trick play two-point conversion to tie it.

Pregame ranking: No. 27

13. Texas Bowl

Houston 38, LSU 35: The Cougars erased an early two-touchdown deficit behind four touchdown passes and 236 yards passing from Conner Weigman, a former Texas A&M transfer who beat an ex-SEC rival. Houston managed a six-win improvement in Willie Fritz's second season and should finish inside the top 25 at 10-3 overall. For LSU, a forgettable campaign as a preseason national championship hopeful ended outside of the national rankings.

Pregame ranking: No. 18

12. Music City Bowl

Illinois 30, Tennessee 28: David Olano's 28-yard field goal as time expired lifted Illinois to its second straight bowl win over an SEC team as a betting underdog and gave coach Bret Bielema more bragging rights against his former league. Illinois managed the first back-to-back nine-win seasons in program history and did so by limiting one of the nation's most explosive offenses to just 278 total yards.

Pregame ranking: No. 19

11. ReliaQuest Bowl

Iowa 34, Vanderbilt 27: The Hawkeyes bolted to a 21-3 lead in the third quarter against Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia and the Commodores, but Vanderbilt pulled to within a single possession three separate times the rest of the way. Iowa remained in control thanks to three total touchdowns from Mark Gronowski to deny Vanderbilt of its 11th win. Pavia finished with 383 yards of total offense and three scores in his final game after all but guaranteeing his team would finish bowl season with a victory.

Pregame ranking: No. 10

10. Military Bowl

East Carolina 23, Pittsburgh 17: Playing without both coordinators along with their star quarterback and running back, the Pirates still managed to hold off the Panthers as a double-digit underdog in Annapolis. This one featured one of the craziest momentum swings of the postseason during the third quarter. After ECU running back Marlon Gunn's long touchdown run was wiped off the board due to a penalty, Pitt's Rasheem Biles returned a fumble for a touchdown to give the Panthers the lead. On ECU's next possession, Anthony Smith's 72-yard score regained the lead for the Pirates. ECU forced five turnovers in the contest.

Pregame ranking: No. 11

9. Citrus Bowl

Texas 41, Michigan 27: Arch Manning's brilliance pushed the Longhorns to win No. 10 after the first-year starter capped a season-best effort on the ground with a clinching 60-yard touchdown run late. Manning galloped his way to 155 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while adding 221 yards through the air and two scores to lead Texas. Interim coach Biff Poggi tried to unleash Wolverines freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood and the passing game (199 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions on 42 attempts) in this one, but Texas managed several takeaways in the second half.

Pregame ranking: No. 7

8. Cotton Bowl

Miami 24, Ohio State 14: Keionte Scott will never forget his interception return for a touchdown on an errant screen pass in the first half that spearheaded Miami's second-round playoff win over the favored Buckeyes. The Hurricanes' defense had its way against the defending national champions, who never led and only managed six yards on their final nine plays from scrimmage after trimming what was once a 14-point deficit to three points early in the fourth quarter. This was Mario Cristobal's finest hour at Miami.

Pregame ranking: No. 3

7. Alamo Bowl

TCU 30, USC 27 (OT): Facing third-and-20 from the 35 in overtime, TCU quarterback Ken Seals dumped a pass to running back Jeremy Payne in the flat in hopes of improving field goal positioning before the ballcarrier found the end zone with a tip-toe dance down the sideline. The walk-off win for the Horned Frogs came without several starters, along with OC Kendal Briles. USC failed to win 10 games for the third straight campaign under Lincoln Riley.

Pregame ranking: No. 13

6. Sun Bowl

Duke 42, Arizona State 39: The ACC champions won their ninth game in shootout fashion behind four touchdown passes and 327 yards from Darian Mensah. His 17-yard strike to Que'Sean Brown with 2:10 left was the dagger for the Blue Devils, who were left out of the playoff in favor of James Madison despite winning the league title over Virginia in early December. Nate Sheppard rushed for 170 yards and a score for Duke, which won despite allowing 619 yards of total offense to the Sun Devils.

Pregame ranking: No. 12

5. Pop-Tarts Bowl

BYU 25, Georgia Tech 21: The Cougars rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win thanks to Jovesa Damuni's 4-ayrd touchdown run with two minutes left that capped a 9-play, 70-yard drive. Georgia Tech veteran star Haynes King put his team in position in the final seconds to win, but his fourth-down toss from BYU's 18-yard line was intercepted to end it. It marked BYU's first 12-win season since 2001, while King eclipsed 10,000 yards of total offense for his career, joining Joe Hamilton as the only Yellow Jackets quarterbacks to do so.

Pregame ranking: No. 9

4. New Mexico Bowl

North Texas 49, San Diego State 47: No one saw this highest-scoring game of bowl season coming from the Mean Green and Aztecs two days after Christmas. Drew Mestemaker finished 27-of-47 for 250 yards and three touchdowns to push North Texas to its school-record 12th win before transferring to Oklahoma State, where he follows coach Eric Morris. Caleb Hawkins rushed for 197 yards and tallied three scores as North Texas built a 22-point lead after the third quarter before San Diego State's 27-point barrage in the fourth.

Pregame ranking: No. 22

3. Hawaii Bowl

Hawaii 35, California 31: We're probably overselling this one with personal bias as the Christmas Eve appetizer, but just before Santa touched down in the states, Warriors backup quarterback Luke Weaver threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left to win. Hawaii's 21-point comeback was complete after a 22-point fourth quarter.

Pregame ranking: No. 25

2. Sugar Bowl

Ole Miss 39, Georgia 34: The Rebels' second playoff win under new coach Pete Golding was an all-timer in Ole Miss lore thanks to Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy and the right foot of Lucas Carneiro, who booted a pair of Sugar Bowl-record field goals. Chambliss was incredible down the stretch, keeping drives alive with his feet and a couple well-placed missiles beyond the Georgia secondary. Failed red zone execution derailed the SEC champions, who lost for a second straight season in New Orleans.

Pregame ranking: No. 6

1. Fiesta Bowl

Miami 31, Ole Miss 27: Controversial ending. 'The U' going back to South Beach with a national championship opportunity for the first time in two-plus decades. Late-game heroics from both transfer quarterbacks. The Fiesta Bowl delivered in epic fashion like we assumed it would between Miami and Ole Miss. Twenty-five total points were scored in the final seven minutes of action, capped by Carson Beck's 3-yard touchdown run on a scramble with 18 seconds to play. Ole Miss played in two of college football's three best bowl games this season. That's a lifetime for most fanbases.

Pregame ranking: No. 1