CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

2021: Bowls & playoff

46 games. 11 ranked teams lost, two to unranked teams. Nine 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 10, 20223Georgia 33, 1Alabama 18CFP National ChampionshipBox score
Dec 31, 20211Alabama 27, 4Cincinnati 6Cotton Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Dec 31, 20213Georgia 34, 2Michigan 11Orange Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Jan 1, 20229Oklahoma State 37, 5Notre Dame 35Fiesta BowlBox score
Jan 1, 20226Baylor 21, 8Ole Miss 7upsetSugar BowlBox score
Jan 1, 20227Ohio State 48, 10Utah 45upsetRose BowlBox score

Upsets

Jan 1, 20226Baylor 21, 8Ole Miss 7upsetSugar BowlBox score
Jan 1, 20227Ohio State 48, 10Utah 45upsetRose BowlBox score
Dec 18, 2021UAB 31, 12BYU 28upsetIndependence 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

C.J. Stroud37 of 46, 573 yards, 6 TD, 1 INTOhio State vs. Utah
  1. Jack Coan Notre Dame38 of 68, 509 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
  2. Aidan O’Connell Purdue26 of 47, 534 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT

Rushing

Levi Williams16 carries, 200 yards, 4 TDWyoming vs. Kent State
  1. Tyler Allgeier BYU27 carries, 192 yards, 3 TD
  2. Rasheen Ali Marshall20 carries, 160 yards, 3 TD

Receiving

Jaxon Smith-Njigba15 catches, 347 yards, 3 TDOhio State vs. Utah
  1. Broc Thompson Purdue7 catches, 217 yards, 2 TD
  2. Jerreth Sterns Western Kentucky13 catches, 184 yards, 3 TD

Defense

Terrel Bernard17 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 for lossBaylor vs. Ole Miss
  1. Jeremy Banks Tennessee20 tackles, 1 sack, 2.5 for loss
  2. Nick Heninger Utah State7 tackles, 3 sacks, 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, 2021Middle Tennessee 31, Toledo 24Bahamas BowlBox score
Dec 17, 2021Coastal Carolina 47, Northern Illinois 41Cure BowlBox score
Dec 18, 2021Western Kentucky 59, App State 38Boca Raton BowlBox score
Dec 18, 2021Fresno State 31, UTEP 24New Mexico BowlBox score
Dec 18, 2021UAB 31, 12BYU 28upsetIndependence BowlBox score
Dec 18, 2021Liberty 56, Eastern Michigan 20LendingTree BowlBox score
Dec 18, 2021Utah State 24, Oregon State 13LA BowlBox score
Dec 18, 202116Louisiana 36, Marshall 21New Orleans BowlBox score
Dec 20, 2021Tulsa 30, Old Dominion 17Myrtle Beach BowlBox score
Dec 21, 2021Wyoming 52, Kent State 38Famous Idaho Potato BowlBox score
Dec 21, 2021San Diego State 38, 24UTSA 24Frisco BowlBox score
Dec 22, 2021Army 24, Missouri 22Armed Forces BowlBox score
Dec 23, 2021Miami (OH) 27, North Texas 14Frisco Football ClassicBox score
Dec 23, 2021UCF 29, Florida 17Gasparilla BowlBox score
Dec 25, 2021Georgia State 51, Ball State 20Camellia BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2021Western Michigan 52, Nevada 24Quick Lane BowlBox score
Dec 28, 202121Houston 17, Auburn 13Birmingham BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2021Air Force 31, Louisville 28First Responder BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2021Texas Tech 34, Mississippi State 7Liberty BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2021Minnesota 18, West Virginia 6Guaranteed Rate BowlBox score
Dec 29, 2021Maryland 54, Virginia Tech 10Pinstripe BowlBox score
Dec 29, 202119Clemson 20, Iowa State 13Cheez-It BowlBox score
Dec 29, 202114Oklahoma 47, 15Oregon 32Alamo BowlBox score
Dec 30, 2021South Carolina 38, North Carolina 21Duke’s Mayo BowlBox score
Dec 30, 2021Purdue 48, Tennessee 45Music City BowlBox score
Dec 30, 202111Michigan State 31, 13Pittsburgh 21Peach BowlBox score
Dec 30, 2021Wisconsin 20, Arizona State 13Las Vegas BowlBox score
Dec 31, 202120Wake Forest 38, Rutgers 10Gator BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2021Central Michigan 24, Washington State 21Sun BowlBox score
Dec 31, 20211Alabama 27, 4Cincinnati 6Cotton Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Dec 31, 20213Georgia 34, 2Michigan 11Orange Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Jan 1, 202222Arkansas 24, Penn State 10Outback BowlBox score
Jan 1, 202225Kentucky 20, 17Iowa 17Citrus BowlBox score
Jan 1, 20229Oklahoma State 37, 5Notre Dame 35Fiesta BowlBox score
Jan 1, 20227Ohio State 48, 10Utah 45upsetRose BowlBox score
Jan 1, 20226Baylor 21, 8Ole Miss 7upsetSugar BowlBox score
Jan 4, 2022Kansas State 42, LSU 20Texas BowlBox score
Jan 10, 20223Georgia 33, 1Alabama 18CFP National ChampionshipBox score

Everyone else

Dec 4, 2021James Madison 59, SE Louisiana 20FCS Championship – Second RoundBox score
Dec 10, 2021James Madison 28, Montana 6FCS Championship – Quarterfinals, CFP QuarterfinalBox score
Dec 17, 2021Mary Hardin Baylor 57, North Central College 24Box score
Dec 17, 2021North Dakota State 20, James Madison 14Box score
Dec 18, 2021South Carolina State 31, Jackson State 10Box score
Dec 18, 2021Montana State 31, South Dakota State 17Box score
Dec 18, 2021Ferris State 58, Valdosta State 17Box score
Jan 8, 2022North Dakota State 38, Montana State 10Box score