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

Bowl Season Grades – how did all the teams and conferences perform in the 2022-2023 bowl campaign?

What grade did each college football team and conference earn this 2022-2023 bowl season? Which leagues and teams did the best job?


[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

This was the weirdest bowl season ever, and it’s one going to get more interesting going forward with the transfer portal playing a bigger role, NIL money being a factor, and with the expanded College Football Playoff coming in the 2024 season.

What programs showed up for their bowl games and which ones mailed it in?

We assign a grade for each team based on relative performance. Winning the game is all that really matters, but did the team play up to its capabilities, or did it have to push a bit too hard against an inferior opponent? Did the losing team come up with a strong fight, or did it get embarrassed?

These were the final exams. How did everyone do?

2022-2023 Team, Conference Bowl Grades
ACC | American | Big Ten | Big 12 | C-USAInd
MAC | Mountain West | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt
Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking all the Bowl Games
Final Rankings:
CFN 1-131 | CFN Season | AP | Coaches
Top 150 National Champions of All-Time

ACC Bowl Grades

ACC Bowl Grade: B

ACC Straight Up: 5-4
ACC Against The Spread: 6-3

It took down the games it was supposed, to, and it was competitive in some of the bigger ones, but it didn’t do enough in the one it needed to have – the Orange.

Pitt’s wild comeback in the Tony the Tiger Sun over UCLA – a 37-35 win – was the high point, but Clemson got rolled by Tennessee in the Orange, Florida State was meh in its Cheez-It win over Oklahoma, and North Carolina couldn’t come though against Oregon in the Holiday.

Give the league credit for some splash, though. Duke roasted UCF in the Military, Wake Forest got an SEC win over Missouri in the Gasparilla, and Louisville hit the layup against a depleted Cincinnati in the Fenway.

Clemson Bowl Grade: C-

Capital One Orange Bowl
Prediction: Clemson 34, Tennessee 30
Line: Clemson -6, o/u: 61
Final Score: Tennessee 31, Clemson 14
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

For all the talk about transfers and opt-outs and how Clemson does things, this was a bad, bad performance. Tennessee was missing a slew of key parts – more than Clemson – and it didn’t matter much. The Tiger defense was fine and the offense cranked up yards with QB Cade Klubnik the unquestioned starter, but the results weren’t there. With the way Klubnik played, call this loss a step back to take a big leap forward.


Duke Bowl Grade: A

Military Bowl
Prediction: Duke 30, UCF 20
Line: Duke -3, o/u: 62.5
Final Score: Duke 30, UCF 13
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

So how’s that for a bowl game to close out the season with a ninth win? To be fair, UCF was totally gutted and didn’t play like its normal self, but the Blue Devils showed up with a terrific, tight game with no turnovers, one penalty, and a stunningly easy win.


Florida State 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’s not like it was a bad game for the Seminoles – they won – but that wasn’t your normal Oklahoma team on the other side. It should’ve been a whole lot easier to get the win. However, the win accomplished two key things: 1) It jacked up the fan base in a big way for 2023, and 2) Jordan Travis – and his 418-yard day – is going to be a major factor next season. It’s a bowl win, and Florida State showed it’s on the upswing.


Louisville Bowl Grade: A

Wasabi Fenway Bowl
Prediction: Louisville 23, Cincinnati 20
Line: Louisville -2, o/u: 39.5
Final Score: Louisville 24, Cincinnati 7
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means 

Louisville lost its head coach, it didn’t have a slew of key stars, and it was hardly going to be its normal self out there, but Cincinnati had even more problems. The Cardinal did exactly what they were supposed to, the running game was great, and the defense was fantastic. It was one of the more dominant non-big bowl wins of the season.


North Carolina Bowl Grade: B

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Prediction: Oregon 41, North Carolina 30
Line: Oregon -13, o/u: 76
Final Score: Oregon 28, North Carolina 27
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

The offense didn’t quite work as well as it should’ve, but it was still a good performance in a fun back-and-forth game. The defense couldn’t come up with the stop late in a blast of a fourth quarter, and the O settled for field goals, but that was a good Oregon team on the other side. Let’s put it this way – the Tar Heels were supposed to be blown out, and they easily covered.


NC State Bowl Grade: C

Maryland vs NC State
Prediction: NC State 27, Maryland 20
Line: NC State -2, o/u: 45.5
Final Score: Maryland 16, NC State 12
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

The Wolfpack should’ve been able to pull this off. It was a wildly frustrating game, but the defense did its part to hold the high-powered Terps to just 16 points. However, a slew of Maryland’s top receivers were gone – this wasn’t the same O from the regular season. NC State did nothing on the ground, the offense only managed four field goals, and the team could never create that one big breakthrough moment.


Pitt Bowl Grade: A+

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Prediction: UCLA 34, Pitt 20
Line: UCLA -8.5, o/u: 53.5
Final Score: Pitt 37, UCLA 35
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

Wow, wow, wow, wow, WOW. Pitt had no business being in this game. It was missing way too many key guys, UCLA had enough of its normal starters around to be good, and no one would’ve blinked if the team packed it in after a demoralizing pick-six for a 28-14 Bruin lead in the third. But the Panthers kept fighting, kept chipping away, and … it was over. UCLA scored with 40 seconds to go to survive and … nope. PK Ben Sauls became a legend,  and Pitt pulled off one of the guttiest wins of the bowl season.


Syracuse Bowl Grade: B-

Pinstripe Bowl
Prediction: Minnesota 27, Syracuse 13
Line: Minnesota -10, o/u: 44.5
Final Score: Minnesota 28, Syracuse 20
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

This was never supposed to be remotely close. The Orange were never really in it, but they managed to make this a bit interesting – and screw everyone with the wrong side of the spread – late, and they weren’t awful considering how badly they were undermanned. The run defense held up phenomenally well – and the team outgained the Gophers 477 yards to 215 – but one pick six turned into the killer. All things considered, it was a good effort.


Wake Forest Bowl Grade: A

Union Home Gasparilla Bowl
Predictions: Wake Forest 30, Missouri 27
Line: Wake Forest -2.5, o/u: 58.5
Final Score: Wake Forest 27, Missouri 17
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

It was a solid, even performance to keep hanging around before pulling away in the second half. Wake Forest got up 14-3, Missouri fought back, and then it was all ACC the rest of the way. Sam Hartman threw two touchdown passes – 13 unanswered points – the defense was terrific when it had to be, and it turned into a strong bowl win over an SEC team. Mizzou blinked, and Wake Forest didn’t.

2022-2023 Team, Conference Bowl Grades
ACC | American | Big Ten | Big 12 | C-USAInd
MAC | Mountain West | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt
Top 100 Bowl Players | Ranking all the Bowl Games
Final Rankings:
CFN 1-131 | CFN Season | AP | Coaches
Top 150 National Champions of All-Time

NEXT: American Athletic Bowl Grades

100 Best Players of the College Football Bowl Season 2022-2023

CFN 100 best players of the 2022-2023 college football bowl season.

Who were the best and brightest stars of the 2022-2023 bowl season? Here are CFN’s 100 best players who stood out from the pack.


[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

100 Best Players of the Bowl Season

Who were the best and brightest stars of the bowl season? Stats are nice, big moments are better, and overall level of play matters the most. Okay, that’s a lie – do something massive in the bowls and you get ranked higher.

There’s one more game to go – and it’s sort of a biggie – so a few more names will be added to this. Go ahead and add another 100 names that could be on this list, but before the College Football Playoff National Championship, here are the 100 best players of the bowl season.

100 Best Players of the Bowl Season
76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10
Ranking all the Bowl Games | Bowl Scoreboard 

100. Braden Siders, DE Wyoming

Wyoming’s defense made a whole slew of big plays in the 30-27 overtime loss to Ohio in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. Siders made six tackles – all six solo stops – with two sacks and three tackles for loss.

99. Nicholas Singleton, RB Penn State

He wasn’t used much, but he made his touches count running seven times for 120 yards and two touchdowns – including an 87-yarder – and returned two kicks for 39 yards in the 35-21 win over Utah in the Rose Bowl.

98. Bralen Trice, DE Washington

This was supposed to be a wild shootout, but the defenses weren’t all that bad. Neither team generated much of a pass rush, but Trice did his part with a game-high two sacks and a team-tying six tackles in the 27-20 Valero Alamo Bowl win over Texas.

97. Cam Dillon, LB Duke

The Blue Devil defense was terrific in the 30-13 win over UCF in the Military Bowl, led by Dillon, who came up with a team-high nine tackles – six solo stops – with two sacks.

96. Chad Bailey, LB Missouri

The senior did everything possible to keep Missouri in the game. Seven of his nine tackles were solo stops with 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss in the 27-17 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl loss to Wake Forest.

95. Joshua Scott, CB Eastern Michigan

He lost a few battles, but he was a big part in the game’s momentum swing. He made two tackles with a key interception with four broken up passes in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl win over San Jose State.

94. Wayne Taluapapa, RB Washington

Star QB Michael Penix Jr. didn’t have hist best performance – even with 287 yards – but he was helped by a running game that wasn’t there for the other side. Taulapapa ran 14 times for 108 yards with a 42-yard touchdown dash in the 27-20 Valero Alamo Bowl win over Texas.

93. KJ Robertson, LB Troy

He made nine tackles with an interception in the 18-12 Duluth Trading Cure Bowl win over UTSA.

92. Garrett Shrader, QB Syracuse

While he didn’t have top running Sean Tucker around, he was able to keep the offense moving through the air. There was a rough pick-six given up, but he completed 32-of-51 passes for 330 yards with that interception, and ran for 38 yards and two touchdowns in the 28-20 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl loss to Minnesota.

91. AT Perry, WR Wake Forest

Other Demon Deacons got into the end zone – Taylor Morin scored twice, but Perry led the way with 11 catches for 116 yards in the 27-17 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl win over Missouri.

[lawrence-related id=556745]

90. Braelon Allen, RB Wisconsin

Was he going to play? Was he heathy enough? He turned out to be just fine, running 22 times for 116 yards and a score in the 24-17 win over Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

89. Rashod Dubinion, RB Arkansas

The quarterbacks might have been the stars of the show, but Dubinion did his part – as did AJ Green with 99 yards and a score – for a Hog running game that came close to running for 400 yards. He carried it 20 times for 112 yards and two scores and caught three passes for 19 yards in the 55-53 triple-overtime win over Kansas.

88. Malik Nabers, WR LSU

The game was effectively over by the time he went to work, but he still played a big role. He caught nine passes for 163 yards and a score, and he completed both of his passes for 50 yards and a score in the 63-7 win over Purdue in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

87. Sean Clifford, QB Penn State

Very, very efficient, he did everything he was supposed to hitting 16-of-21 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns – averaging over 13 yards per pass – in the 35-21 win over Utah in the Rose Bowl.

86. Arian Smith, WR Georgia

He only caught three passes, but they went for 129 yards with his 76-yard touchdown bringing Georgia close late in the 42-41 loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff Semifinal Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

85. Sherrod Greene, LB South Carolina

No, he didn’t make the splashiest defensive plays like some of his teammates did, but he came up with a game-high 11 tackles with a sack and five solo stops in the 45-38 loss to Notre Dame in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

84. Jack Campbell, LB Iowa

There wasn’t anything fun about the game, but that’s partly because the Iowa defense was so dominant. Campbell had a game-high ten stop with a sack and two tackles for loss in the 21-0 TransPerfect Music City Bowl win over Kentucky.

83. Bucky Irving, RB Oregon

The quarterbacks were the headliners, but the running back took over. Irving ran 13 times for 149 yards and two scores in the 28-27 win over North Carolina in the San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl.

82. Keaton Mitchell, RB East Carolina

QB Holton Ahlers and the passing game were the stars in the 53-29 win over Coastal Carolina in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl, but Mitchell was a steady force running 22 times for 127 yards and a score.

81. Justin Marshall, WR Buffalo

The Georgia Southern offense was supposed to explode, but it was the Buffalo passing attack that brought it home. Marshall caught 11 passes for 127 yards and a score, setting the tone early with his 32-yard touchdown grab in UB’s 23-21 win in the Camellia Bowl.

80. Zeke Rankin, PK Middle Tennessee

He missed one, but he hit a 49-yarder to go along with the game-winning 37-yarder with just over two minutes to play. He saved the offense making four of five field goal tries in  the 25-23 win over San Diego State in the EasyPost Hawaii Bowl.

How good were the bowls? Ranking bowls so far from best to worst

79. Chevan Cordeiro, QB San Jose State

In a losing cause, Cordeiro threw two big picks, but he connected on 26-of-44 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns and ran nine times for 50 yards and a score in the 41-27 loss to Eastern Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

78. Cooper DeJean, CB Iowa

A key part of the dominant Hawkeye defensive performance, he made seven tackles with a tackle for loss, a 14-yard pick six, and returned three punts for 34 yards in the 21-0 TransPerfect Music City Bowl win over Kentucky.

77. Jayden Daniels, QB LSU

The Tigers put this away fast thanks to Daniels. He completed 12-of-17 passes for 139 yards and a score, ran six times for a team-high 67 yards, and caught a five-yard touchdown pass in the 63-7 win over Purdue in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

76. Loic Fouonji, WR Texas Tech

The big receiver had a big night, leading the team with 100 yards on seven catches – and iced the game taking an onside kick 44 yards for a score – in the 42-25 TaxAct Texas Bowl win over Ole Miss.

100 Best Players of the Bowl Season
76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10
Ranking all the Bowl Games | Bowl Scoreboard

NEXT: 100 Best Player of the Bowl Season Top 75

Bowl Game Rankings. How Good Were All The Bowls From Worst To Best?

Bowl game rankings – how good were they? Ranked from the worst to the best, here’s our review of all the bowl games.

How good were all of the games in the 2022-2023 bowl season? Ranking all the bowl games from the worst to the best.


[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

You spent the time to watch them – or at least have them on in the background at work, holiday parties, and everywhere in between.

How good were the bowl games? Which ones were worth your while, which ones were instantly forgettable, and which bowls made the finish to the college football season great?

There’s one big one to go – and hopefully the College Football Playoff National Championship is the best of the bunch. Until that’s done …

Bowl Game Rankings 2022-2023

Bowl Rankings 2022-2023
Bowls of Sad | Instant Memory Dumped Bowls
Just Bowls | Very Good Bowls | Great Bowls
Classic Bowls No. 8 | No. 7 | No. 6 | No. 5 | No. 4
No. 3 | No. 2 | No. 1 | Bowl Scoreboard

Bowl Rankings: Bowls of Sad

These bowls made the world a lesser place and were an affront to all humanity.

43. TransPerfect Music City Bowl

Iowa 21, Kentucky 0
Pre-Bowl Matchup Ranking29
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 12, 2020: NA, 2019: 26
Post-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 3, 2020: NA, 2019: 22

This was supposed to be awful with every key offensive player opting out, and wow did it overdeliver on that.

No, it doesn’t quite beat out the 2018 Cheez-It Bowl – TCU over Cal 10-7 in overtime – for the honor of being the ugliest sporting event or athletic contest in the history of competition, but it made a big push.

Iowa went 0-for-11 on third downs and 0-for-2 on fourth downs, and it won because of one decent drive and two pick-sixes. Kentucky amassed 185 yards of total offense and was 2-of-18 on third downs.
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

42. Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

LSU 63, Purdue 7
Pre-Bowl Matchup Ranking6
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 15, 2020: 19, 2019: 12
Post-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 12, 2020: 14, 2019: 16

The final score was 63-7 only because LSU didn’t want it to be 84-7. Even so, it was the biggest blowout in the history of the bowls … until Georgia took that title against TCU.

Both LSU and Purdue had massive issues with opt-outs and transfers, but Purdue had it far worse. It showed from the start, LSU came out roaring and sharp, and this was brutal in a hurry. The only saving grace was the production from the Tigers – they played great – but Purdue couldn’t do anything until late in the third quarter when the game was all but done.
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

41. SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl

Oregon State 30, Florida 3
Pre-Bowl Matchup Ranking20
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 31, 2020: NA, 2019: 15
Post-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 17, 2020: NA, 2019: 36 

There were players out there wearing Florida Gator uniforms, but that was about it for this looking like a big-time SEC school against a solid Pac-12 program having a strong year.

How bad was it? The Gators kicked a field goal in the final minute down 30-0 just to find something positive – the program is on a record-setting non-shutout streak. But give credit to an Oregon State team that came to play on both sides of the ball to make this a snoozer from the start.
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

40. Wasabi Fenway Bowl

Louisville 24, Cincinnati 7 
Pre-Bowl Matchup Ranking34
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 41, 2020: NA, 2019: NA
Post-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 36, 2020: NA, 2019: NA

This was every bit as meh as expected. Both teams put up a fight with great effort, but Cincinnati just didn’t have enough to do anything offensively, the two teams combined for six turnovers, and there was little drama.

Scott Satterfield left one team and was waiting in the wings to coach the other, major parts weren’t present, there were about 19 fans in the stands outside of friends and family, and the novelty of the game being played in a baseball stadium wore off quickly.
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

39. Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl

Fresno State 29, Washington State 6
Pre-Bowl Matchup Ranking: 16
Pre-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 18, 2020: NA, 2019: NA
Post-Bowl Ranking: 2021: 21, 2020: NA, 2019: NA

You know it’s an awful bowl when the guy it’s named after goes into the booth and can’t stop yapping about how boring it was. It didn’t help that this was going on about the same time as Indianapolis was in epic meltdown mode against the Vikings.

There was some redeeming value in Fresno State’s combination of QB Jake Haener and RB Jordan Mims going off against a Washington State defense missing a slew of key players, but there wasn’t much offense on the other side to make this competitive.
What Happened, Player of the Game, Fun Stats, What it Means

Bowl Rankings 2022-2023
Bowls of Sad | Instant Memory Dumped Bowls
Just Bowls | Very Good Bowls | Great Bowls
Classic Bowls No. 8 | No. 7 | No. 6 | No. 5 | No. 4
No. 3 | No. 2 | No. 1 | Bowl Scoreboard

NEXT: Bowl Rankings: Instant Memory Dumped Bowls

College Football Playoff Rankings Expansion Top 12: What Would It Be This Year?

College Football Playoff expansion. What would’ve the CFP have been this year?

How awesome would it be if the expanded College Football Playoff was this year?

The Rose Bowl decided to be part of the fun, and now it’s all systems go in the 2024 season – but we needed it now.

Don’t you want to see Alabama get a shot? Is it right that we have a TCU team in the playoff even though it couldn’t win its own conference championship? Is it okay that we have an Ohio State team that couldn’t win its own division?

After the final College Football Playoff rankings an expanded playoff would look like this, remembering that 1) the top four seeds that get a bye are conference champions, 2) six conference champs in, six top ranked teams in, everyone else, enjoy the bowls.

College Football Playoff Rankings Expansion Top 12 … if it was this season

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
Bowl Schedule | CFN Final Rankings 1-131
CFP Top 25 | AP | Coaches

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]



Top four seeds after the final College Football Playoff rankings
 (top four conference champions)

1. Georgia (SEC): Sugar Bowl
2. Michigan (Big Ten): Rose Bowl
3. Clemson (ACC): Orange Bowl
4. Utah (Pac-12): Cotton Bowl

At-Large Seeds 



12. Tulane (AAC champion) at
5. TCU (Big 12)

11. Penn State (Big Ten) at
6. Ohio State (Big Ten)

10. USC (Pac-12) at
7. Alabama (SEC)

9. Kansas State (Big 12) at
8. Tennessee (SEC)

First 4 Out: Washington (Pac-12), Florida State (ACC), Oregon State (Pac-12), Oregon (Pac-12)

Second Round Bracket Projection

1. Georgia (SEC): Sugar Bowl vs
9. Kansas State (Big 12)

2. Michigan (Big Ten): Rose Bowl vs
7. Alabama (SEC)

3. Clemson (ACC): Orange Bowl vs
6. Ohio State (Big Ten)

4. Utah (Pac-12): Cotton Bowl
5. TCU (Big 12)

Top Four Teams That Would Be Left Out
Washington (Pac-12), Florida State (ACC), LSU (SEC), Oregon State (Pac 12)

Here’s how it’s going to work (this is from the College Football Playoff):

1. The 12 teams will be the six conference champions ranked highest by the selection committee (no minimum ranking requirement), plus the six highest-ranked teams not included among the six highest-ranked conference champions.

2. The ranking of the teams will continue to be done by a selection committee whose size, composition, and method of selection will remain substantially unchanged.

3. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and each will receive a first-round bye.

4. The other eight teams will play in the first round with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher-seeded institution (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 9 at No. 8.

5. The model allows for first-round games to be played on either the second or third weekend in December in a way that best accommodates the format and the participating teams, with at least 12 days between the conference championship games and the first-round games. The Management Committee would make the final determination of the calendar.

6. Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four quarterfinal games and two Playoff Semifinal games would be played in bowls on a rotating basis.

7. The national championship game will continue to be played at a neutral site.

8. Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four highest-ranked conference champions will be assigned to quarterfinals bowls on selection day in ranking order, and in consideration of current contract bowl relationships if those bowls are selected for the rotation. For example, if the Pac-12 champion were ranked #1, the Big Ten champion were ranked #3, and the Rose Bowl were a quarterfinal site, the Pac-12 champion would be assigned to the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten champion would be assigned elsewhere.

9. With the four highest-ranked champions assigned to quarterfinal games in bowls, the opponent from first-round game winners will be assigned by the selection committee based on the bracket.

10. The higher seeds would receive preferential placement in the Playoff Semifinal games.

Bowl Projections | CFN Week 11 Rankings 1-131

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

2022 CFN College Football Schedule & Results

College Football Playoff Rankings Final Top 25

College Football Playoff rankings. The final 2022 top 25 along with the four teams off to the playoff.

How do the top teams rank in the top 25 in the final 2022 College Football Playoff top 25 rankings? 


College Football Playoff Final Top 25 Rankings

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

1. Georgia Bulldogs 13-0 (1)

2. Michigan Wolverines 13-0 (2)

3. TCU Horned Frogs 12-1 (3)

4. Ohio State Buckeyes 11-1 (5)

5. Alabama Crimson Tide 10-2 (6)

6. Tennessee Volunteers 10-2 (7)

7. Clemson Tigers 11-2 (9)

8. Utah Utes 10-3 (11)

9. Kansas State Wildcats 10-3 (10)

10. USC Trojans 11-2 (4)

AP Poll: Final Regular Season

11. Penn State Nittany Lions 10-2 (8)

12. Washington Huskies 10-2 (12)

13. Florida State Seminoles 9-3 (13)

14. Oregon State Beavers 9-3 (15)

15. Oregon Ducks 9-3 (16)

CFN Final Regular Season 1-131

16. Tulane Green Wave 11-2 (18)

17. LSU Tigers 9-4 (14)

18. UCLA Bruins 9-3 (17)

19. South Carolina Gamecocks 8-4 (19)

20. Texas Longhorns 8-4 (20)

21. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 9-3 (21)

22. Mississippi State Bulldogs 8-4 (24)

23. NC State Wolfpack 8-4 (25)

24. Troy Trojans 11-2 (NR)

25. UTSA Roadrunners 11-2 (NR)

Coaches Poll: Final Regular Season

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Coaches Poll College Football Rankings 
All-Time Coaches Poll Rankings | AP All-Time Rankings

College Football Playoff Rankings Top 25 Final Prediction

College Football Playoff rankings prediction. What will the final top 25 potentially be on Sunday?

What will the final College Football Playoff rankings be? Here’s our prediction and projection of the last top 25 that means everything.


College Football Playoff Rankings Top 25 Prediction

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

Note that below are NOT the actual 2022 College Football Playoff rankings – those come out Sunday. This is our prediction and projection of what the final top 25 might be.

This is based on two key beliefs. 1) The College Football Playoff committee almost certainly will go by past precedent and give the most credit to teams that win Power Five conference championships. 2) The committee has never put a team with multiple losses in the top four, but it has put in teams that finished 11-1.

25. Fresno State Bulldogs 9-4 (NR)

24. UTSA Roadrunners 11-2 (NR)

23. NC State Wolfpack 8-4 (25)

22. Mississippi State Bulldogs 8-4 (24)

21. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 9-3 (21)

20. Texas Longhorns 8-4 (20)

19. South Carolina Gamecocks 8-4 (19)

18. UCLA Bruins 9-3 (17)

17. Oregon Ducks 9-3 (16)

16. Oregon State Beavers 9-3 (15)

Bowl Eligibility: All bowl eligible teams

15. LSU Tigers 9-4 (14)

14. Tulane Green Wave 11-2 (18)

13. Florida State Seminoles 9-3 (13)

12. Washington Huskies 10-2 (12)

11. Penn State Nittany Lions 10-2 (8)

10. Kansas State Wildcats 10-3 (10)

9. Tennessee Volunteers 10-2 (7)

8. USC Trojans 11-2 (4)

7. Utah Utes 10-3 (11)

6. Alabama Crimson Tide 10-2 (6)

5. Clemson Tigers 11-2 (9)

Bowl Projections: Final Call

4. Ohio State Buckeyes 11-1 (5)

3. TCU Horned Frogs 12-1 (3)

2. Michigan Wolverines 13-0 (2)

1. Georgia Bulldogs 13-0 (1)

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Coaches Poll College Football Rankings 
All-Time Coaches Poll Rankings | AP All-Time Rankings

College Football Playoff Rankings Expansion Top 12 Projection After Penultimate Top 25

This just got a whole lot spicier. The Rose Bowl has to give a Yay or Nay on whether or not it wants to be a part of the College Football Playoff expansion idea. No big deal, just about a half a billion dollars are on the line if the CFP can go to …

This just got a whole lot spicier.

The Rose Bowl has to give a Yay or Nay on whether or not it wants to be a part of the College Football Playoff expansion idea. No big deal, just about a half a billion dollars are on the line if the CFP can go to 12 teams for the 2024 season.

What would happen if the expanded College Football Playoff was this year?

After the penultimate College Football Playoff rankings were released, an expanded playoff would look like this …

College Football Playoff Rankings Expansion Top 12 Projection After Penultimate Top 25

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
Bowl Projections | CFN Week 14 Rankings 1-131
CFP Top 25 | CFP rankings reaction

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]



Top Four Projected Seeds After the Penultimate College Football Playoff rankings
 (top four conference champions)

1. Georgia (SEC): Sugar Bowl
2. Michigan (Big Ten): Rose Bowl
3. TCU (Big 12): Orange Bowl
4. USC (Pac-12): Cotton Bowl

At-Large Seeds 



12. Tulane (AAC champion) at
5. Ohio State (Big Ten)

11. Utah (Pac-12) at
6. Alabama (SEC)

10. Kansas State (Big 12) at
7. Tennessee (SEC)

9. Clemson (ACC Champion) at
8. Penn State (Big Ten)

Second Round Bracket Projection

1. Georgia (SEC): Sugar Bowl vs
8. Penn State (Big Ten)

2. Michigan (Big Ten): Rose Bowl vs
7. Tennessee (SEC)

3. TCU (Big 12): Orange Bowl vs
6. Alabama (SEC)

4. USC (Pac-12): Cotton Bowl
5. Ohio State (Big Ten)

Top Four Teams That Would Be Left Out
Washington (Pac-12), Florida State (ACC), LSU (SEC), Oregon State (Pac 12)

Here’s how it’s going to work (this is from the College Football Playoff):

1. The 12 teams will be the six conference champions ranked highest by the selection committee (no minimum ranking requirement), plus the six highest-ranked teams not included among the six highest-ranked conference champions.

2. The ranking of the teams will continue to be done by a selection committee whose size, composition, and method of selection will remain substantially unchanged.

3. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and each will receive a first-round bye.

4. The other eight teams will play in the first round with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher-seeded institution (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 9 at No. 8.

5. The model allows for first-round games to be played on either the second or third weekend in December in a way that best accommodates the format and the participating teams, with at least 12 days between the conference championship games and the first-round games. The Management Committee would make the final determination of the calendar.

6. Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four quarterfinal games and two Playoff Semifinal games would be played in bowls on a rotating basis.

7. The national championship game will continue to be played at a neutral site.

8. Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four highest-ranked conference champions will be assigned to quarterfinals bowls on selection day in ranking order, and in consideration of current contract bowl relationships if those bowls are selected for the rotation. For example, if the Pac-12 champion were ranked #1, the Big Ten champion were ranked #3, and the Rose Bowl were a quarterfinal site, the Pac-12 champion would be assigned to the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten champion would be assigned elsewhere.

9. With the four highest-ranked champions assigned to quarterfinal games in bowls, the opponent from first-round game winners will be assigned by the selection committee based on the bracket.

10. The higher seeds would receive preferential placement in the Playoff Semifinal games.

Bowl Projections | CFN Week 11 Rankings 1-131

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

2022 CFN College Football Schedule & Results

College Football Playoff Chase: Ranking Path Of The 6 (really 5) Teams Still Alive

Who’s in the College Football Playoff chase? Six teams are still realistically alive, and we rate them based on how clear their paths are and the likelihood of getting in.

Who’s still alive in the chase to get into the 2023-2023 College Football Playoff? Before Championship Week, here are the six teams still alive and what they need to do to get in.


Is there really any drama left?

LSU tapped out with its loss to Texas A&M, Clemson is done after losing to South Carolina, Oregon ended any hopes after collapsing against Oregon State, Tennessee is effectively done, and Alabama … more on that in a second.

Remembering that the College Football Playoff committee has always taken a 12-1 or unbeaten Power Five conference champion this can be very, very simple.

If Georgia, Michigan, TCU, and USC all win their respective conference championship games, they’re in. That’s it. No debate. That’s the College Football Playoff.

But what happens if one of them loses? What happens if one of them gets rocked in a massive blowout? Then this gets interesting for a few other teams.

Remember, though – we have yet to get a huge upset in one of the Power Five conference championships in the eight years of the College Football Playoff era.

What’s the path for the five teams – with another added – to get into the College Football Playoff?

This isn’t a ranking of who the top teams are – that’s for our ranking of all 131 teams – this is about a combination of talent, clearest path, and overall pecking order.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

College Football Playoff Chase Ranking Path Of The 6 Teams Still Alive

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
Rankings CFN 1-131 RankingsAP | Coaches
Bowl Eligible TeamsWeek 13 Scoreboard
Championship Week opening lines | CFP Top 25 Prediction
Bowl Projections, CFP Predictions | Heisman Candidates 

6. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2)

What’s Next: Bowl Game

What Alabama has to do to make the College Football Playoff: I’m only indulging here because of all the Alabama fans who still believe this is one of the four best teams despite the two losses.

Pray for chaos.

It’s going to take something insane – like Kansas State beating TCU by 40 in the Big 12 Championship, Purdue shocking Michigan in the Big Ten title game, and USC has to lose to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship.

And even then, the committee might like the idea of an 11-2 ACC champion Clemson, or a 10-2 Tennessee that beat the Tide.

Will Alabama make the College Football Playoff? Of course not.

The College Football Playoff has yet to take a two-loss team, and it’s not going to select one that didn’t win its Power Five conference championship. With that said …

Alabama’s two losses came on the road on the final plays against Tennessee and LSU. There might be enough respect to think it might be worth of the four slot if TCU gets destroyed and USC loses.

However, the close calls against Texas and Texas A&M are a factor, and yeah, there would’ve been a more compelling case to be made if Bama beat Auburn 49-0 instead of 49-27.

And then there’s the mythical “because it’s Alabama” clause always hanging over the CFP committee. It can do whatever it wants.

But no. Alabama won’t get in. The one team outside of the top four that really does have a shot, though is …

College Football Playoff Top 25 Prediction

5. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1)

What’s Next: Bowl Game

What Ohio State has to do to make the College Football Playoff: USC has to lose to Utah.

There’s the slimmest of chances that Clemson could slide in with a total wipeout of an ACC Championship win over North Carolina. Even then, the committee would take Ohio State because of its win over a Notre Dame team that beat Clemson.

Ohio State beat the first 11 teams on the slate by double-digits, the committee might rationalize that time off could help the injury factor, and then there’s the theoretical side that doesn’t get used enough. If Michigan is one of the top two teams, and that’s Ohio State’s only loss, it could – in theory – actually be the third-best team.

Will Ohio State make the College Football Playoff? 50/50.

Utah was terrific in last year’s Pac-12 Championship, it took down USC once already, and ALL of the pressure is now on the Trojan side of the field. It might depend on how close the loss is – if it happens. If it’s on a last second play, it could still be questionable.

And no, Ohio State almost certainly doesn’t jump TCU even if Kansas State wins in a wipeout. It would have to be something truly ugly.

NEXT: College Football Playoff Chase Rankings Top 4

College Football Playoff Rankings Top 25 Reaction. Will Ohio State Get In? What If TCU Loses?

College Football Playoff rankings reaction, predictions, and whether or not Ohio State belongs in the College Football Playoff.

Reaction after the third round of College Football Playoff rankings. What to take away from the latest – and next-to-last top 25.


College Football Playoff Rankings Top 25 Reaction, Penultimate

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

College Football Playoff Rankings Top 25: Penultimate

I dig this time of year. The holidays are here, everyone is in a cheerful mood, the word penultimate comes out of its hole to tell us there’s six more weeks of college football.

“Penultimate” is to the College Football Playoff what “stave” is to the NHL playoffs

“You’re trying to get me to project.” – Boo Corrigan, College Football Playoff committee chair to Rece Davis

YES, Son. By all means … PROJECT.

Are you just yanking Ohio State around, or does it really have a chance to get in if USC loses? Is there any possible scenario to get Alabama in, or should the fan base start the grieving process now?

This is the ridiculous part about all of this. We’re going off the whims of a panel of judges who aren’t able to/don’t watch the entirety of the college football season to make a judgment based on eye test.

How do the 6 teams still alive for the CFP rank?

Transparency, transparency, TRANSPARENCY. Televise the selection process. Let all the teams know what you’re thinking. Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep winning and get in, but it’s not that simple.

Does Michigan have to play a slew of injured players? How much does TCU have to sweat? Can USC lose by 2 or 20 or not at all?

That’s why we must have an expanded College Football Playoff with teams knowing that if it wins, it’s in. No opinions needed.

Think of it this way. If USC beats Utah on Friday night, there’s no real need to watch anything on Saturday other than the American Athletic Conference champion to see how gets the Group of Five spot in the New Year’s Six – if that matters to you.

In an expanded College Football Playoff with all Power Five conference champs all but assured of getting in, Saturday would be one of the five best days on the sports calendar.

Shhhhhhhhhhh, we’re not supposed to project. If Utah beats USC you probably don’t have to watch anything on Saturday, either.

The College Football Playoff committee just told you what the deal is. Alabama is out. I know there’s some thought that if Michigan gets destroyed by Purdue and/or LSU beats Georgia and TCU loses that the Tide might be in the thought process, but nah.

It’s ridiculous, but Alabama had to become 2014 Ohio State, when it ripped through Wisconsin 59-0 in the Big Ten Championship. At that point the Buckeyes had to be in. Alabama needed to 62-3 Auburn just to look the part. Again, silly, but 49-27 – meh.

It doesn’t deserve to be in, but I’m not sold that Alabama doesn’t win that little two game tournament if it gets in.

CFN Rankings 1-131

Okay, really, does Ohio State have a shot? I’m guessing here, but I don’t think TCU matters. If it gets roasted by 40 against Kansas State, then maybe. Just losing the Big 12 Championship won’t be enough.

Michigan is totally irrelevant. It could lose by 50 to Purdue in the Big Ten Championship and it’s not getting knocked out for Ohio State. The same goes for Georgia.

I’ve heard all the arguments and rhetoric that it’s not fair for USC to play an extra game while Ohio State gets to spend its Saturday Christmas shopping. That’s totally true, but to think like the College Football Playoff committee …

USC’s best win is over, what? Notre Dame? Ohio State beat the Irish, and took down CFP 8 Penn State. USC’s best win was over … CFP 15 Oregon State?

Here’s the problem with all of that. Six Pac-12 teams are in the top 17. Three Big Ten teams are in the top eight. Conference-wise, the Pac-12 has been stronger this year – there aren’t any other ranked Big Ten teams.

By the way, theoretically, Penn State could be 6. It’s 8, its only two losses were to Michigan and Ohio State, and it ripped through just about everyone else. The only Nittany Lion win by anyone by less than double-digits was the 35-31 opener over Purdue.

I’m finding it hard to believe that the Rose Bowl might not want Ohio State vs Utah. 1) God forbid we have a repeat of anything close to THAT – one of the most fun bowl games ever – again. More importantly, 2) it’s the Rose Bowl. Like it’s going to pass on the highest-ranked team outside of the College Football Playoff.

Fine, to answer the question, does Ohio State really have a shot to get into the College Football Playoff? Absolutely. The Pac-12 Championship has been the weirdest of the Power Five bunch in the CFP era. Oregon screwed up USC in 2020 and Utah in 2019. And yes, that qualifies as weird.

Would it be even remotely surprising if the Pac-12 went Pac-12 and Utah messed it all up with a win over USC?

[lawrence-related id=555458]

My best guess is this. Even if USC loses in a close battle it’s out and Ohio State is in. Until the College Football Playoff takes a two-loss team for the first time – especially one that didn’t win its Power Five conference championship – I’m not buying it.

And what about TCU? What if it gets rolled?

We’re all guessing here. There aren’t any hard rules the College Football Playoff committee has to follow, so we’re all trying to get into the minds of the people in that room. I think TCU is in no matter what – 12 wins and a spot in the Big 12 Championship beats 11 wins and not playing in the Big Ten Championship. However …

If TCU loses by 20+ and looks and plays like it was dominated by Kansas State, there’s at least more of a discussion about Ohio State in a “four best team” sort of way. Buckeye fans won’t like this idea, but it would be a huge help if Michigan obliterated Purdue – that would make the loss in Columbus last weekend seem a wee bit more palatable.

If you’re TCU, you’re rooting or Utah to beat USC and make the Big 12 Championship irrelevant. It doesn’t matter if Kansas State annihilates the Horned Frogs, Alabama still isn’t getting in – I think. USC with two losses allows Ohio State a spot.

So with ALL of that said, Ohio State fans, root for Utah and Kansas State. Hard.

Bowl Eligibility: Where does every team stand?

Wait, why did CFP 11 Utah pass CFP 12 Washington? Washington beat Washington State this last weekend, and Utah beat Colorado. The Arizona State loss for Washington was baked in last week when it was 13 and Utah 14. Why did the argument in the room change over the last seven days?

Was it because USC’s win over Notre Dame made Utah look better? If so, then Florida’s loss to Florida State should’ve made Utah’s opening week loss look worse, and …

Whatever. I was preparing for this week to be far more interesting, and then Clemson, Tennessee, and LSU all gacked last Saturday. But they did, so …

I can’t change the future, I can only see it … What’s it going to be next Sunday when we do this for real?

1. Georgia, 2. Michigan, 3. TCU, 4. Ohio State

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

CFN 1-131 Rankings | Bowl Projections

College Football Playoff Rankings Top 25 November 29: One More To Go

College Football Playoff top 25 rankings. How do the teams rank in after the penultimate round? 

How do the top teams rank in the top 25 after the penultimate round of the 2022 College Football Playoff rankings? 


College Football Playoff Rankings Top 25 November 29

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

25. NC State Wolfpack 8-4 (NR)

24. Mississippi State Bulldogs 8-4 (NR)

23. North Carolina Tar Heels 9-3 (17)

22. UCF Knights 9-3 (22)

21. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 9-3 (15)

20. Texas Longhorns 8-4 (23)

19. South Carolina Gamecocks 8-4 (NR)

18. Tulane Green Wave 10-2 (19)

17. UCLA Bruins 9-3 (18)

16. Oregon Ducks 9-2 (9)

Bowl Eligibility: All bowl eligible teams

15. Oregon State Beavers 9-3 (21)

14. LSU Tigers 9-3 (5)

13. Florida State Seminoles 9-3 (16)

12. Washington Huskies 10-2 (13)

11. Utah Utes 9-3 (14)

CFN Rankings 1-131

10. Kansas State Wildcats 9-3 (12)

9. Clemson Tigers 10-2 (8)

8. Penn State Nittany Lions 10-2 (11)

7. Tennessee Volunteers 10-2 (10)

6. Alabama Crimson Tide 10-2 (7)

5. Ohio State Buckeyes 11-1 (2)

How do the 6 teams still alive for the CFP rank?

4. USC Trojans 11-1 (6)

3. TCU Horned Frogs 12-0 (4)

2. Michigan Wolverines 12-0 (3)

1. Georgia Bulldogs 12-0 (1)

CFN 1-131 Rankings | Bowl Projections

[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]

Coaches Poll College Football Rankings 
All-Time Coaches Poll Rankings | AP All-Time Rankings