During this college football season, there were several games, catches, and throws that had fans on the edges of their seats and jumping up and down while others left fans depressed and upset with their teams losing hard-fought games. Each and every player tried their best to lead their team to victory. Some succeeded and others did not, but they all had the same goal: winning enough games to qualify for a bowl game and maybe even the CFNC- The College Football National Championship.   

The games leading up to the bowls were probably the most entertaining games in recent years. There were many rivalries, but the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines were the most hyped. Some of the teams competing included the  Michigan Wolverines (ranked 1), Washington (2), and Texas (3). Possibly the biggest upset in this college football (CF) season happened when Florida State did not make the college football playoffs. This was a big controversy because they went 13-0 and could not have done better. The assumed reason for this decision is because “Seminoles were a different team without star quarterback Jordan Travis; it was also said that “the Seminoles’ (Florida State) weaker schedule did not help their case” (CNN.com). 

Some of the most important bowl games include the Peach Bowl, the  Orange Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Rose Bowl, and the Sugar Bowl. 

In the Sugar Bowl, the number 2 ranked Washington Huskies beat the number 3 ranked Texas Longhorns 37-31. The most impactful player in the game was Washington’s starting quarterback, Micheal Penix Jr. He completed 29 of 38 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns. Washington had 532 total offensive yards while the Longhorns had 482 well-fought yards, as well. The Washington defense held up, though, and with the help of Micheal Penix, they advanced to the finals facing the Michigan Wolverines. 

The teams competing in the Cotton Bowl were the Missouri Tigers and the Ohio St. Buckeyes. Ohio State had one of the best records going into the game, which was 11-0. Missouri had a 9-2 record. The Missouri offense had been sloppy the whole game, but they pulled it together at the right time. The Tigers were held scoreless until the final frame when senior running back Cody Schrader found the end zone on a seven-yard run to give Missouri a 7-3 lead in the first five seconds of the fourth quarter. Missouri ended up winning the game, holding Ohio State to only a field goal and a final score of 14-3.

The Rose Bowl contenders included the Michigan Wolverines and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Michigan at the time was tied for the best record in the country. Both teams’ offense and defense were strong, but Michigan’s came out on top. Alabama’s Jaylen Milroe and Jermaine Burton played with everything against Michigan’s JJ McCarthy and Blake Corum, but it was not enough. Michigan ended up advancing to play against Washington in the finals.

The Orange Bowl included the 13-0 Florida State Seminoles and the 12-1 Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia destroyed FSU in a 60-point blowout. There was lots of controversy over the playoffs for FSU. As said before, they had a weaker schedule. This game may have proved that they may not be as good as people thought, however, 14 of FSU’s starters opted out of the game because they did not make the playoffs. When they did play Georgia, although without 14 starters, they lost by 60. This proves that maybe it was the right decision to keep them out of the playoffs.

This college football season has been exciting with absolute blowouts and breathtaking close games. However, only one team can be the winner in the end. This year it was the Michigan Wolverines.