CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

2008: Bowls & playoff

34 games. 15 ranked teams lost, five to unranked teams. 10 games matched two ranked teams. Winners are listed first; numbers before names are AP ranks going in.

The week in review

Ranked against ranked

Jan 8, 20092Florida 24, 4Oklahoma 14BCS National ChampionshipBox score
Jan 2, 20097Utah 31, 1Alabama 17upsetSugar BowlBox score
Jan 1, 20095USC 38, 6Penn State 24Rose BowlBox score
Jan 5, 20093Texas 24, 10Ohio State 21Fiesta BowlBox score
Dec 23, 200811TCU 17, 9Boise State 16upsetPoinsettia BowlBox score
Dec 30, 200816Oregon 42, 14Oklahoma State 31upsetHoliday BowlBox score

Upsets

Jan 2, 20097Utah 31, 1Alabama 17upsetSugar BowlBox score
Jan 2, 200922Ole Miss 47, 8Texas Tech 34upsetCotton BowlBox score
Dec 23, 200811TCU 17, 9Boise State 16upsetPoinsettia BowlBox score
Jan 6, 2009Tulsa 45, 12Ball State 13upsetGMAC BowlBox score
Jan 1, 2009Virginia Tech 20, 13Cincinnati 7upsetOrange BowlBox score
Dec 30, 200816Oregon 42, 14Oklahoma State 31upsetHoliday BowlBox score

A ranked team beaten as the betting favorite, or, where no line is on file, by an unranked or lower-ranked team.

Big days

Passing

Jimmy Clausen22 of 26, 401 yards, 5 TDNotre Dame vs. Hawai’i
  1. Mark Sanchez USC28 of 35, 413 yards, 4 TD
  2. Colt McCoy Texas41 of 58, 414 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Rushing

Donald BrownNo. 2 this week29 carries, 261 yards, 1 TDUConn vs. Buffalo
  1. Gartrell Johnson Colorado State27 carries, 285 yards, 2 TD
  2. Tarrion Adams Tulsa19 carries, 207 yards, 3 TD

Receiving

Hakeem Nicks8 catches, 217 yards, 3 TDNorth Carolina vs. West Virginia
  1. Dezmon Briscoe Kansas14 catches, 201 yards, 3 TD
  2. Golden Tate Notre Dame6 catches, 177 yards, 3 TD
Ranked by a points score for each kind of game (yards, touchdowns, tackles, sacks).
How we rankRanked by yards plus 20 for each touchdown (passing: less 20 for each interception); defense (from 2016, when the box scores carry tackles) by points: 8 a tackle, 12 a tackle for loss, 30 a sack (a sack is also a tackle for loss, so 42 in all), 40 an interception, 60 a touchdown.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons, free licenses; credits on each player’s page.

The week’s biggest individual games by FBS players, from CollegeFootballData box scores.

FBS vs. FBS

Dec 20, 2008Wake Forest 29, Navy 19EagleBank BowlBox score
Dec 20, 2008Colorado State 40, Fresno State 35New Mexico BowlBox score
Dec 20, 2008South Florida 41, Memphis 14St. Petersburg BowlBox score
Dec 20, 2008Arizona 31, 20BYU 21upsetLas Vegas BowlBox score
Dec 21, 2008Southern Miss 30, Troy 27New Orleans BowlBox score
Dec 23, 200811TCU 17, 9Boise State 16upsetPoinsettia BowlBox score
Dec 24, 2008Notre Dame 49, Hawai’i 21Hawai’i BowlBox score
Dec 26, 2008Florida Atlantic 24, Central Michigan 21Motor City BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2008West Virginia 31, North Carolina 30Meineke Car Care BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2008Florida State 42, Wisconsin 13Champs Sports BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2008California 24, Miami 17Emerald BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2008Louisiana Tech 17, Northern Illinois 10Independence BowlBox score
Dec 29, 2008Rutgers 29, NC State 23PapaJohns.com BowlBox score
Dec 29, 200819Missouri 30, 24Northwestern 23Alamo BowlBox score
Dec 30, 2008Maryland 42, Nevada 35Humanitarian BowlBox score
Dec 30, 2008Rice 38, Western Michigan 14Texas BowlBox score
Dec 30, 200816Oregon 42, 14Oklahoma State 31upsetHoliday BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2008Houston 34, Air Force 28Armed Forces BowlBox score
Dec 31, 200825Oregon State 3, 23Pittsburgh 0upsetSun BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2008Vanderbilt 16, 18Boston College 14upsetMusic City BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2008Kansas 42, Minnesota 21Insight BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2008LSU 38, 15Georgia Tech 3upsetChick-fil-A BowlBox score
Jan 1, 2009Iowa 31, South Carolina 10Outback BowlBox score
Jan 1, 200917Georgia 24, 21Michigan State 12Capital One BowlBox score
Jan 1, 2009Nebraska 26, Clemson 21Gator BowlBox score
Jan 1, 20095USC 38, 6Penn State 24Rose BowlBox score
Jan 1, 2009Virginia Tech 20, 13Cincinnati 7upsetOrange BowlBox score
Jan 2, 200922Ole Miss 47, 8Texas Tech 34upsetCotton BowlBox score
Jan 2, 2009Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19Liberty BowlBox score
Jan 2, 20097Utah 31, 1Alabama 17upsetSugar BowlBox score
Jan 3, 2009UConn 38, Buffalo 20International BowlBox score
Jan 5, 20093Texas 24, 10Ohio State 21Fiesta BowlBox score
Jan 6, 2009Tulsa 45, 12Ball State 13upsetGMAC BowlBox score
Jan 8, 20092Florida 24, 4Oklahoma 14BCS National ChampionshipBox score