CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

2020: Bowls & playoff

26 games. 12 ranked teams lost, five to unranked teams. Seven 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 1, 20211Alabama 31, 2Notre Dame 14Rose Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Jan 11, 20211Alabama 52, 3Ohio State 24CFP National ChampionshipBox score
Jan 1, 20213Ohio State 49, 4Clemson 28upsetSugar Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Jan 1, 202110Georgia 24, 6Cincinnati 21Peach BowlBox score
Jan 2, 20215Texas A&M 41, 16North Carolina 27Orange BowlBox score
Dec 30, 202012Oklahoma 55, 11Florida 20upsetCotton BowlBox score

Upsets

Jan 1, 20213Ohio State 49, 4Clemson 28upsetSugar Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Jan 2, 2021Ole Miss 26, 7Indiana 20upsetOutback BowlBox score
Dec 26, 202022Liberty 37, 9Coastal Carolina 34upsetCure BowlBox score
Dec 30, 202012Oklahoma 55, 11Florida 20upsetCotton BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2020Ball State 34, 25San José State 13upsetArizona 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

Zach WilsonNo. 2 this week26 of 34, 425 yards, 3 TDBYU vs. UCF
  1. Mac Jones Alabama36 of 45, 464 yards, 5 TD
  2. Justin Fields Ohio State22 of 28, 385 yards, 6 TD, 1 INT

Rushing

Malik WillisNo. 2 this week21 carries, 137 yards, 4 TDLiberty vs. Coastal Carolina
  1. Camerun Peoples App State22 carries, 317 yards, 5 TD
  2. Trey Sermon Ohio State31 carries, 193 yards, 1 TD

Receiving

DeVonta Smith12 catches, 215 yards, 3 TDAlabama vs. Ohio State
  1. Jaquarii Roberson Wake Forest8 catches, 131 yards, 3 TD
  2. DeVonta Smith Alabama7 catches, 130 yards, 3 TD

Defense

Jamin DavisNo. 3 this week13 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 0.5 for loss, 1 INTKentucky vs. NC State
  1. Khoury Bethley Hawai’i14 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 for loss
  2. Jeremiah Pritchard Hawai’i9 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 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 21, 2020App State 56, North Texas 28Myrtle Beach BowlBox score
Dec 22, 2020Nevada 38, Tulane 27Famous Idaho Potato BowlBox score
Dec 22, 202014BYU 49, UCF 23Boca Raton BowlBox score
Dec 23, 2020Georgia Southern 38, Louisiana Tech 3New Orleans BowlBox score
Dec 23, 2020Memphis 25, Florida Atlantic 10Montgomery BowlBox score
Dec 24, 2020Hawai’i 28, Houston 14New Mexico BowlBox score
Dec 25, 202023Buffalo 17, Marshall 10Camellia BowlBox score
Dec 26, 202017Louisiana 31, UTSA 24First Responder BowlBox score
Dec 26, 2020Georgia State 39, Western Kentucky 21LendingTree BowlBox score
Dec 26, 202022Liberty 37, 9Coastal Carolina 34upsetCure BowlBox score
Dec 29, 2020Oklahoma State 37, 19Miami 34Cheez-It BowlBox score
Dec 29, 202021Texas 55, Colorado 23Alamo BowlBox score
Dec 30, 2020Wisconsin 42, Wake Forest 28Duke’s Mayo BowlBox score
Dec 30, 202012Oklahoma 55, 11Florida 20upsetCotton BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2020Mississippi State 28, 20Tulsa 26Armed Forces BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2020Ball State 34, 25San José State 13upsetArizona BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2020West Virginia 24, Army 21Liberty BowlBox score
Jan 1, 202110Georgia 24, 6Cincinnati 21Peach BowlBox score
Jan 1, 202115Northwestern 35, Auburn 19Citrus BowlBox score
Jan 1, 20211Alabama 31, 2Notre Dame 14Rose Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Jan 1, 20213Ohio State 49, 4Clemson 28upsetSugar Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Jan 2, 2021Kentucky 23, 24NC State 21Gator BowlBox score
Jan 2, 2021Ole Miss 26, 7Indiana 20upsetOutback BowlBox score
Jan 2, 20218Iowa State 34, Oregon 17Fiesta BowlBox score
Jan 2, 20215Texas A&M 41, 16North Carolina 27Orange BowlBox score
Jan 11, 20211Alabama 52, 3Ohio State 24CFP National ChampionshipBox score