CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

2016: Bowls & playoff

47 games. 14 ranked teams lost, four 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 9, 20173Clemson 35, 1Alabama 31upsetCFP National ChampionshipBox score
Dec 31, 20161Alabama 24, 4Washington 7Peach BowlBox score
Dec 31, 20163Clemson 31, 2Ohio State 0upsetFiesta BowlBox score
Jan 2, 20179USC 52, 5Penn State 49Rose BowlBox score
Dec 30, 201610Florida State 33, 6Michigan 32upsetOrange BowlBox score
Jan 2, 20178Wisconsin 24, 12Western Michigan 16Cotton BowlBox score

Upsets

Jan 9, 20173Clemson 35, 1Alabama 31upsetCFP National ChampionshipBox score
Dec 31, 20163Clemson 31, 2Ohio State 0upsetFiesta BowlBox score
Dec 30, 201610Florida State 33, 6Michigan 32upsetOrange BowlBox score
Dec 29, 201613Oklahoma State 38, 11Colorado 8upsetAlamo BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2016Northwestern 31, 22Pittsburgh 24upsetPinstripe BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2016Wake Forest 34, 23Temple 26upsetMilitary 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

Sam Darnold33 of 53, 453 yards, 5 TD, 1 INTUSC vs. Penn State
  1. Nick Stevens Colorado State21 of 36, 445 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT
  2. Ryan Higgins Louisiana Tech29 of 40, 409 yards, 4 TD

Rushing

Justin JacksonNo. 2 this week32 carries, 224 yards, 3 TDNorthwestern vs. Pittsburgh
  1. Anthony Wales Western Kentucky35 carries, 245 yards, 3 TD
  2. Joe Williams Utah26 carries, 222 yards, 1 TD

Receiving

Trent TaylorNo. 2 this week12 catches, 233 yards, 2 TDLouisiana Tech vs. Navy
  1. Olabisi Johnson Colorado State7 catches, 265 yards, 2 TD
  2. K.D. Cannon Baylor14 catches, 226 yards, 2 TD

Defense

Arthur Maulet11 tackles, 3 sacks, 3.5 for lossMemphis vs. Western Kentucky
  1. Ja’Boree Poole Southern Miss9 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 for loss
  2. Trenton Thompson Georgia8 tackles, 3 sacks, 3.5 for loss
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 17, 2016New Mexico 23, UTSA 20New Mexico BowlBox score
Dec 17, 2016San Diego State 34, Houston 10Las Vegas BowlBox score
Dec 17, 2016App State 31, Toledo 28Camellia BowlBox score
Dec 17, 2016Arkansas State 31, UCF 13Cure BowlBox score
Dec 17, 2016Southern Miss 28, Louisiana 21New Orleans BowlBox score
Dec 19, 2016Tulsa 55, Central Michigan 10Miami Beach BowlBox score
Dec 20, 2016Western Kentucky 51, Memphis 31Boca Raton BowlBox score
Dec 21, 2016BYU 24, Wyoming 21Poinsettia BowlBox score
Dec 22, 2016Idaho 61, Colorado State 50Famous Idaho Potato BowlBox score
Dec 23, 2016Old Dominion 24, Eastern Michigan 20Bahamas BowlBox score
Dec 23, 2016Louisiana Tech 48, Navy 45Armed Forces BowlBox score
Dec 23, 2016Troy 28, Ohio 23Dollar General BowlBox score
Dec 24, 2016Hawai’i 52, Middle Tennessee 35Hawai’i BowlBox score
Dec 26, 2016Mississippi State 17, Miami (OH) 16St. Petersburg BowlBox score
Dec 26, 2016Boston College 36, Maryland 30Quick Lane BowlBox score
Dec 26, 2016NC State 41, Vanderbilt 17Independence BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2016Army 38, North Texas 31Heart of Dallas BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2016Wake Forest 34, 23Temple 26upsetMilitary BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2016Minnesota 17, Washington State 12Holiday BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2016Baylor 31, Boise State 12Cactus BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2016Northwestern 31, 22Pittsburgh 24upsetPinstripe BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2016Miami 31, 14West Virginia 14Russell Athletic BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2016Utah 26, Indiana 24Foster Farms BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2016Kansas State 33, Texas A&M 28Texas BowlBox score
Dec 29, 201625South Florida 46, South Carolina 39Birmingham BowlBox score
Dec 29, 201618Virginia Tech 35, Arkansas 24Belk BowlBox score
Dec 29, 201613Oklahoma State 38, 11Colorado 8upsetAlamo BowlBox score
Dec 30, 2016Georgia 31, TCU 23Liberty BowlBox score
Dec 30, 201616Stanford 25, North Carolina 23Sun BowlBox score
Dec 30, 2016Tennessee 38, 24Nebraska 24Music City BowlBox score
Dec 30, 2016Air Force 45, South Alabama 21Arizona BowlBox score
Dec 30, 201610Florida State 33, 6Michigan 32upsetOrange BowlBox score
Dec 31, 201619LSU 29, 15Louisville 9Citrus BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2016Georgia Tech 33, Kentucky 18Gator BowlBox score
Dec 31, 20161Alabama 24, 4Washington 7Peach BowlBox score
Dec 31, 20163Clemson 31, 2Ohio State 0upsetFiesta BowlBox score
Jan 2, 201720Florida 30, 21Iowa 3Outback BowlBox score
Jan 2, 20178Wisconsin 24, 12Western Michigan 16Cotton BowlBox score
Jan 2, 20179USC 52, 5Penn State 49Rose BowlBox score
Jan 2, 20177Oklahoma 35, 17Auburn 19Sugar BowlBox score
Jan 9, 20173Clemson 35, 1Alabama 31upsetCFP National ChampionshipBox score

Everyone else

Dec 16, 2016James Madison 27, North Dakota State 17upsetBox score
Dec 16, 2016Mary Hardin Baylor 10, Wisconsin Oshkosh 7Box score
Dec 17, 2016Grambling 10, North Carolina Central 9Box score
Dec 17, 2016Northwest Missouri State 29, North Alabama 3Box score
Dec 17, 2016Youngstown State 40, Eastern Washington 38Box score
Jan 7, 2017James Madison 28, Youngstown State 14Box score