2022 BOWL SEASON RECAP

College Football proved once again that it’s a treasured gift that we can’t take for granted. As the playoff expands and conferences restructure their member institutions, the future of bowl season is murky as it currently stands. When you add in the chaos that is the transfer portal and players opting out, the game play is hard to predict at times. With all that said, the pageantry of the sport and drive to win fueled the 2022 bowl season to electric levels.

There were a few laughers as bowl season progressed, I’m looking at you Las Vegas Bowl and Cheez It Citrus Bowl, but we had more good than unwatchable. The New Years Six games are usually good battles with at least one blowout in the Playoff Semifinals, that was not the case this year. The Orange Bowl was out of hand early and the Sugar Bowl witnessed an early fight from Kansas State before Alabama took control. The Peach, Fiesta and Cotton Bowls were decided by a combined 8 points. In reviewing all the action, splitting hairs and factoring in the implications of the result I have ranked the ten best bowl games of the season.

HONORABLE MENTION:

• RELIASQUEST BOWL: MISSISSIPPI STATE 19. ILLINOIS 10
• FRISCO BOWL: BOISE STATE 35 NORTH TEXAS 32
• BOCA RATON BOWL: TOLEDO 21 LIBERTY 19
• HAWAII BOWL: MTSU 25. SAN DIEGO STATE 23
• GATOR BOWL: NOTRE DAME 45 SOUTH CAROLINA 38
• DUKE’S MAYO BOWL: MARYLAND 16 NC STATE 12

10.). BAHAMAS BOWL. UAB BLAZERS VS MIAMI (OH) REDHAWKS

• FINAL SCORE: UAB 24 MIAMI(OH) 20
• THE BLAZERS SEALED THE VICTORY WITH A GAME WINNING STOP AT THE 2 YARD LINE AS TIME EXPIRED.
• PLAYER OF THE GAME: UAB RUNNING BACK JERMAINE BROWN JR (116 YARDS RUSHING AND 2 TDS)

9.). CURE BOWL: UTSA ROADRUNNERS VS TROY TROJANS

• FINAL SCORE: TROY 18 UTSA 12
• TROY PRODUCED A 4TH DOWN STOP WITH 1:32 REMAINING TO CAPTURE THE WIN IN THE BATTLE OF CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS.
• PLAYER OF THE GAME: TROY LB CARLTON MARTIAL (14 TACKLES)

8.). NEW MEXICO BOWL: SMU MUSTANGS VS BYU COUGARS

• FINAL SCORE: BYU 24 SMU 23
• SMU SCORED 13 POINTS IN THE 4TH QUARTER BUT THEIR COMEBACK ATTEMPT CAME UP SHORT AS BYU STOPPED THE 2 POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT WITH 8 SECONDS REMAINING.
• PLAYER OF THE GAME: SMU QB TANNER MORDECAI

7.). CHEEZ IT BOWL: OKLAHOMA SOONERS VS FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES

• FINAL SCORE: FSU 35 OKLAHOMA 32
• JORDAN TRAVIS THREW FOR 418 YARDS AND RAN FOR 50, LEADING THE NOLES TO A GO AHEAD FIELD GOAL WITH 55 SECONDS REMAINING IN REGULATION.
• PLAYER OF THE GAME: FSU QB JORDAN TRAVIS

6.). HOLIDAY BOWL: OREGON DUCKS VS UNC TAR HEELS

• FINAL SCORE: OREGON 28. UNC 27
• BO NIX THREW THE GAME TYING TOUCHDOWN ON 4TH DOWN TO CHASE COTA WITH 19 SECONDS REMAINING. THE ENSUING EXTRA POINT PUT THE DUCKS AHEAD.
• PLAYER OF THE GAME: OREGON RUNN8NG BACK BUCKY IRVING (149 YARDS RUSHING AND 2 TD’S).

5.). SUN BOWL: PITT PANTHERS VS UCLA BRUINS

• FINAL SCORE: PITT 37. UCLA 35
• UCLA DROVE THE FIELD TO KICK THE GO AHEAD FIELD GOAL WITH 34 SECONDS LEFT, BUT PITT QB NICK PATTI DROVE THE PANTHERS I DOWN THE FIELD TO KICK THE GAME WINNER WITH 4 SECONDS LEFT.
• PLAYER OF THE GAME: PITT QB NICK PATTI (224 YARDS PASSING , 1 TD AND 72 YARDS RUSHING)

4.). LIBERTY BOWL: KANSAS JAYHAWKS VS ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS

• FINAL SCORE: ARKANSAS 55 KANSAS 53 IN TRIPLE OT
• TEAMS COMBINED FOR 1,284 YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE AND 108 POINTS
• PLAYER OF THE GAME: KANSAS QB JALON DANIELS (544 YARDS PASSING, 5 TD PASSES AND 21 YARDS RUSHING AND 1 RUSHING TD).

3.). CFB PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL – FIESTA BOWL: TCU HORNED FROGS VS MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

• FINAL SCORE: TCU 51 MICHIGAN 45
• TCU RIDES 2 DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS AND MAX DUGGAN TO PULL OF THE MONUMENTAL UPSET.
• PLAYER OF THE GAME: TCU QB MAX DUGGAN (257 YARDS PASSING, 2 TD PASSES, 57 RUSHING YARDS AND 2 RUSHING TD’S)

2.). COTTON BOWL: TULANE GREEN WAVE VS USC TROJANS

• FINAL SCORE: TULANE 46 USC 45
• MICHAEL PRATT HIT ALEX BAUMAN FOR THE GAME TYING SCORE WITH 9 SECONDS LEFT. THE EXTRA POINT GAVE THE GREEN WAVE THEIR ONLY LEAD OF THE GAME AND THEY SURVIVED THE FINAL PLAY TO SECURE THE BIGGEST WIN IN SCHOOL HISTORY.
• PLAYER OF THE GAME: TULANE RUNN8NG BACK TYJAE SPEARS (205 YARDS RUSHING, 14 YARDS RECEIVING AND 4 TOUCHDOWNS)

1.). CFB PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL – PEACH BOWL: OHIO STATE BUCKEYES VS GEORGIA BULLDOGS

• FINAL SCORE: GEORGIA 42 OHIO STATE 41
• CJ STROUD WAS ELECTRIC, BUT STETSON BENNETT AND A HOST OF DAWGS WERE LIGHTS OUT IN THE 4TH QUARTER, CAPPED OFF WITH A MISSED OHIO STATE FIELD GOAL AS THE CLOCK STRUCK MIDNIGHT.
• PLAYER OF THE GAME: GEORGIA QB STETSON BENNETT (398 YARDS PASSING, 3 PASSING TD’S AND 1 RUSHING TD).

There were so many amazing individual and team efforts throughout bowl season. Names like Joe Milton (Tennessee), Bryce Young (Alabama), Jalon Daniels (Kansas), KJ Jefferson (Arkansas), CJ Stroud (Ohio State) and Caleb Williams (USC) all went off, but they don’t get my pick for Bowl Season MVP. My selection for Bowl Season MVP is Southern Miss Running Back Frank Gore Jr. He carried the Golden Eagles to victory on his 21 carries for 329 yards (avg of 15.7 per carry) and 2 touchdowns.

Now we are down to the final game of the season on Monday, January 9th. The defending National Champion Georgia Bulldogs will face Cinderella in the form of the TCU Horned Frogs. Will the Dawgs go back to back or will the Frogs become royalty in Hollywood, only time will tell.