Bowl Grades For Every Team, Conference: How Did Everyone Do This Bowl Season?

What grade did each team and conference earn this bowl season? Which leagues and teams did the best job?

Mountain West Bowl Grades

2020-2021 Team, Conference Bowl Grades
ACC | American | Big Ten | Big 12 | C-USAInd
MAC | Mountain West | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt

Mountain West Bowl Grade: B

It would’ve been nice if Boise State was in the bowl season and if San Diego State and Air Force were in the mix, but Hawaii and Nevada each winning by double-digits was great for the league. The San Jose State disaster soured the bowl season, but the program caught a really, really bad break.

Mountain West Straight Up: 2-1
Mountain West Against The Spread: 2-1

Hawaii Bowl Grade: A

New Mexico Bowl

Line: Houston -10, o/u: 60
Prediction: Houston 34, Hawaii 20
Final Score: Hawaii 28, Houston 14
10 Things To Know from the New Mexico Bowl

The team from Hawaii took care of the Texas team from the American Athletic Conference in the New Mexico Bowl played in Frisco, Texas. It wasn’t anything pretty, but the defense stuffed the Cougar running game, came up with three picks, and got up 21-0 at halftime and overcame a second half scare with a kick six just as it looked like things were about to get close. Don’t get caught up in how the game looked or how mediocre the offense was – the Rainbow Warriors were double-digit dogs and won by two touchdowns.


Nevada Bowl Grade: A-

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Line: Tulane -1.5, o/u: 57
Prediction: Tulane 30, Nevada 27
Final Score: Nevada 38, Tulane 27
10 Things To Know from the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

The only thing keeping this from being an A – it was a double-digit win for the underdog, after all – were the ten penalties along with the struggles early in the second half. The passing game was great, the offense dominated the time of possession fight, and it was a fantastic end to a somewhat surprising season.


San Jose State Bowl Grade: Incomplete

Oferpad Arizona Bowl

Line: San Jose State -8.5, o/u: 65.5
Prediction: San Jose State 34, Ball State 24
Final Score: Ball State 34, San Jose State 13
10 Thoughts on the Arizona Bowl

This wasn’t fair to San Jose State’s season, its program, or its players. The game probably should’ve been canceled after so many key parts couldn’t go – with it all announced an hour before the game – but the Spartans pushed forward and tried to play anyway. It was a complete and total nightmare of a game for a team that was a shadow of the champion that put together such an epic campaign, getting down 27-0 in the first quarter and 34-0 before finally getting on the board.

NEXT: Pac-12 Bowl Grades