CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

2024: Bowls & playoff

54 games. 15 ranked teams lost, one to an unranked team. 14 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 2, 20253Notre Dame 23, 2Georgia 10Sugar Bowl, CFP QuarterfinalBox score
Jan 1, 20256Ohio State 41, 1Oregon 21Rose Bowl, CFP QuarterfinalBox score
Jan 9, 20253Notre Dame 27, 5Penn State 24upsetOrange Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Jan 20, 20256Ohio State 34, 3Notre Dame 23CFP National ChampionshipBox score
Jan 10, 20256Ohio State 28, 4Texas 14Cotton Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Dec 20, 20243Notre Dame 27, 9Indiana 17CFP First RoundBox score

Upsets

Jan 9, 20253Notre Dame 27, 5Penn State 24upsetOrange Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Dec 31, 2024Michigan 19, 11Alabama 13upsetReliaQuest BowlBox score
Dec 31, 202421Illinois 21, 14South Carolina 17upsetCitrus BowlBox score
Dec 28, 202418Iowa State 42, 15Miami 41upsetPop-Tarts BowlBox score
Dec 28, 202417BYU 36, 20Colorado 14upsetAlamo 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

Kyle McCord24 of 34, 453 yards, 5 TDSyracuse vs. Washington State
  1. Jaxson Dart Ole Miss27 of 35, 404 yards, 4 TD
  2. Sawyer Robertson Baylor30 of 51, 445 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Rushing

Rahjai Harris17 carries, 220 yards, 1 TDEast Carolina vs. NC State
  1. Dylan Edwards Kansas State18 carries, 196 yards, 2 TD
  2. Damien Martinez Miami14 carries, 179 yards, 1 TD

Receiving

Harold Fannin Jr.No. 2 this week17 catches, 213 yards, 1 TDBowling Green vs. Arkansas State
  1. Giles Jackson Washington11 catches, 161 yards, 4 TD
  2. Jeremiah Smith Ohio State7 catches, 187 yards, 2 TD

Defense

Zakee WheatleyNo. 3 this week16 tackles, 1 sack, 1 for loss, 1 INTPenn State vs. Notre Dame
  1. Red Murdock Buffalo13 tackles, 2.5 for loss, 1 INT, 1 TD
  2. Jaylon Jimmerson Sam Houston10 tackles, 1 for loss, 2 INT, 1 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 14, 2024South Alabama 30, Western Michigan 23Salute to Veterans BowlBox score
Dec 17, 202425Memphis 42, West Virginia 37Frisco BowlBox score
Dec 18, 2024James Madison 27, Western Kentucky 17Boca Raton BowlBox score
Dec 18, 202424UNLV 24, California 13LA BowlBox score
Dec 19, 2024Sam Houston 31, Georgia Southern 26New Orleans BowlBox score
Dec 20, 2024Ohio 30, Jacksonville State 27Cure BowlBox score
Dec 20, 2024Florida 33, Tulane 8Gasparilla BowlBox score
Dec 20, 20243Notre Dame 27, 9Indiana 17CFP First RoundBox score
Dec 21, 20245Penn State 38, 12SMU 10CFP First RoundBox score
Dec 21, 20244Texas 38, 13Clemson 24CFP First RoundBox score
Dec 21, 20246Ohio State 42, 7Tennessee 17CFP First RoundBox score
Dec 23, 2024UTSA 44, Coastal Carolina 15Myrtle Beach BowlBox score
Dec 23, 2024Northern Illinois 28, Fresno State 20Famous Idaho Potato BowlBox score
Dec 24, 2024South Florida 41, San José State 39Hawai’i BowlBox score
Dec 26, 2024Toledo 48, Pittsburgh 46GameAbove Sports BowlBox score
Dec 26, 2024Kansas State 44, Rutgers 41Rate BowlBox score
Dec 26, 2024Arkansas State 38, Bowling Green 3168 Ventures BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2024Navy 21, Oklahoma 20Armed Forces BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2024Vanderbilt 35, Georgia Tech 27Birmingham BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2024Arkansas 39, Texas Tech 26Liberty BowlBox score
Dec 27, 202422Syracuse 52, Washington State 35Holiday BowlBox score
Dec 27, 2024USC 35, Texas A&M 31Las Vegas BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2024UConn 27, North Carolina 14Fenway BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2024Nebraska 20, Boston College 15Pinstripe BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2024TCU 34, Louisiana 3New Mexico BowlBox score
Dec 28, 202418Iowa State 42, 15Miami 41upsetPop-Tarts BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2024Miami (OH) 43, Colorado State 17Arizona BowlBox score
Dec 28, 2024East Carolina 26, NC State 21Military BowlBox score
Dec 28, 202417BYU 36, 20Colorado 14upsetAlamo BowlBox score
Dec 28, 202419Army 27, Louisiana Tech 6Independence BowlBox score
Dec 30, 202423Missouri 27, Iowa 24Music City BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2024Michigan 19, 11Alabama 13upsetReliaQuest BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2024Louisville 35, Washington 34Sun BowlBox score
Dec 31, 202421Illinois 21, 14South Carolina 17upsetCitrus BowlBox score
Dec 31, 2024LSU 44, Baylor 31Texas BowlBox score
Dec 31, 20245Penn State 31, 8Boise State 14Fiesta Bowl, CFP QuarterfinalBox score
Jan 1, 20254Texas 39, 10Arizona State 31Peach Bowl, CFP QuarterfinalBox score
Jan 1, 20256Ohio State 41, 1Oregon 21Rose Bowl, CFP QuarterfinalBox score
Jan 2, 20253Notre Dame 23, 2Georgia 10Sugar Bowl, CFP QuarterfinalBox score
Jan 2, 202516Ole Miss 52, Duke 20Gator BowlBox score
Jan 3, 2025Texas State 30, North Texas 28First Responder BowlBox score
Jan 3, 2025Minnesota 24, Virginia Tech 10Duke’s Mayo BowlBox score
Jan 4, 2025Buffalo 26, Liberty 7Bahamas BowlBox score
Jan 9, 20253Notre Dame 27, 5Penn State 24upsetOrange Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Jan 10, 20256Ohio State 28, 4Texas 14Cotton Bowl, CFP SemifinalBox score
Jan 20, 20256Ohio State 34, 3Notre Dame 23CFP National ChampionshipBox score

Everyone else

Dec 14, 2024Jackson State 28, South Carolina State 7Cricket Celebration BowlBox score
Dec 21, 2024North Dakota State 28, South Dakota State 21FCS Championship – Semifinals, CFP SemifinalBox score
Dec 21, 2024Mount Union 45, Johns Hopkins 37Division III Championship, CFP SemifinalBox score
Dec 21, 2024Ferris State 49, Valdosta State 14Division II ChampionshipBox score
Dec 21, 2024Montana State 31, South Dakota 17FCS Championship – Semifinals, CFP SemifinalBox score
Dec 21, 2024North Central College 66, Susquehanna 0Division III Championship, CFP SemifinalBox score
Jan 5, 2025North Central College 41, Mount Union 25Division III ChampionshipBox score
Jan 6, 2025North Dakota State 35, Montana State 32FCS ChampionshipBox score