Bowl Grades For Every Team, Conference: How Did Everyone Do? – Page 4

Big 12 Bowl Grades

Big 12 Bowl Grade: C

Big 12 Straight Up: 2-7
Big 12 Against The Spread: 4-5

Yeah, it was great that a Big 12 team got to the national championship … right up until it was historically annihilated.

The problem overall was how the bowl season exposed just how far behind the Big 12 is from the rest of the pack – and it didn’t help that Houston, UCF, Cincinnati, and BYU were so mediocre, too. Yes, there were a ton of opt-outs and transfers, but everyone had that.

Baylor got doubled up by a Mountain West team. Oklahoma State got rolled over by a mediocre Wisconsin squad. Texas Tech was great, Kansas was amazing in defeat, and Oklahoma put up a good fight in a loss, but Texas dropped an Alamo home game to Washington because the O didn’t work until it was too late.

And yes, Alabama is good is football, but it’s not a good look when your conference champion gets whacked by 25.

Baylor Bowl Grade: D

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Prediction: Air Force 26, Baylor 24
Line: Baylor -5.5, o/u: 48.5
Final Score: Air Force 30, Baylor 15
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

Air Force is good, but if you have Dave Aranda as your head coach, and you’re the Big 12 team going against a Group of Fiver, and you have several weeks to prepare, you figure it out. Having problems with the Air Force option style is okay – everyone does. Going 0-of-11 on third downs and being down 30-7 with four minutes to go, isn’t.

Kansas Bowl Grade: A-

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Prediction: Arkansas 38, Kansas 34
Line: Arkansas -1.5, o/u: 70.5
Final Score: Arkansas 55, Kansas 53 3OT
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

Yeah, Kansas lost, but who cares? All anyone will remember is one of the wildest and most amazing comebacks ever in a bowl game. It’s Kansas in a bowl, and it balled out hard even when all was lost. It was a heartbreaking finish, and no, the team shouldn’t have been in a position to need heroics in the first place, but … again, it was Kansas in a bowl, and it was good.

Kansas State Bowl Grade: C-

Allstate Sugar Bowl
Prediction: Alabama 34, Kansas State 20
Line: Alabama -6, o/u: 56
Final Score: Alabama 45, Kansas State 20
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

Aren’t you supposed to be the Big 12 Champion? Yeah, it’s Alabama, but it’s also the Alabama that struggled throughout the year against a slew of mediocre teams and almost – and should’ve – lost to Texas, who’s very much not the Big 12 Champion. Worse yet, the Big 12 Champion had a 10-0 lead lat in the first quarter. Okay, so Alabama is still Alabama, but still …

Oklahoma Bowl Grade: B

Cheez-It Bowl
Prediction: Florida State 34, Oklahoma 20
Line: Florida State -10.5, o/u: 66
Final Score: Florida State 35, Oklahoma 32
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

It was a loss, and that’s never going to be okay for Oklahoma fans. However, it was a great fight from a team that was supposed to get rolled, the running game was fantastic, and Dillon Gabriel came up with a whole lot of big plays. The D couldn’t hold on late, but OU made what should’ve been a blowout a fun four quarter battle. Going into the offseason for a rebuilding power, yes, there is such a thing as a good loss.

Oklahoma State Bowl Grade: C

Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Prediction: Wisconsin 23, Oklahoma State 19
Line: Wisconsin -3, o/u: 43
Final Score: Wisconsin 24, Oklahoma State 17
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

Both sides were hit with opt-outs and missing parts, but Oklahoma State’s coaches were a tad more entrenched with Wisconsin going through the transition process to Luke Fickell. The Cowboys couldn’t get the O going, but they gave it a good fight and made it interesting late. They could’ve packed it in with Wisconsin in total control, and didn’t.

TCU Bowl Grade: A-

College Football Playoff: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
Prediction: Michigan 34, TCU 17
Line: Michigan -7.5, o/u: 58.5
Final Score: TCU 51, Michigan 45
5 Thoughts on TCU’s win over Michigan

College Football Playoff National Championship
Prediction: Georgia 44, TCU 23
Line: Georgia -13, o/u: 62.5
Final Score: Georgia 65, TCU 7
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

Whatever. So TCU suffered the worst lost in the history of college bowl games – it got to make the trip. Georgia was Georgia, it was too talented, and it would’ve ripped through everyone that night. TCU will be forever remember for the shocking and thrilling win over Michigan in the first crazy upset in the nine-year history of the College Football Playoff.

Okay, so it’ll be remembered for looking like it was playing with eight guys on the field against the Bulldogs, too. It would’ve been nice if it had some sort of an answer or idea in LA, but again, whatever. TCU played for the national title.

Texas Bowl Grade: C+

Alamo Bowl
Prediction: Texas 40, Washington 38
Line: Texas -3, o/u: 66.5
Final Score: Washington 27, Texas 20
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

It was a good, fun game between two even teams, but Texas got down 27-10 and had too much ground to make up. The Washington defense was mediocre-to-blah for most of the year, it was missing some players, and Texas still couldn’t quite push through. Yes, not having Bijan Robinson hurt, and it was sort of a home game, but the Longhorns should’ve been better early.

Texas Tech Bowl Grade: A

TaxAct Texas Bowl
Prediction: Ole Miss 34, Texas Tech 30
Line: Ole Miss -4.5, o/u: 72.5
Final Score: Texas Tech 42, Ole Miss 25
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

Everyone was missing players, but Ole Miss is the SEC program with the hot shot head coach who’s supposed to overcome all of the issues. Instead, Texas Tech came out roaring up 26-7 at halftime. The defense might have allowed a ton of yards in the second half, and Ole Miss was able to get it within ten late, but none of it mattered thanks to the five takeaways. The Red Raiders – with a huge game from Tyler Shough – put this away fast and coasted.

NEXT: Conference USA Bowl Grades

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