Sam Ehlinger passed for three touchdowns and ran for another, and Texas excised the frustrations of a disappointing regular season with a dominant 38-10 win over No. 12 Utah in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Tuesday night.
Now that the regular season has come to an end and bowl season is here, our writers rank the top players in the game.
Utah on Thursday signed highly touted cornerback Clark Phillips, who had been committed to Ohio State but flipped late after Buckeyes co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jeff Hafley took the head coaching job at Boston College.
Will Alabama show up with a point to prove against Michigan? Who will get a bowl bump heading into next season and which game could feature a points explosion? These are the storylines we'll be watching.
LSU's Heisman-winning QB and Ohio State's superstar DE headline a stacked group that features nine players from this season's four playoff teams.
Utah came close this season with a No. 5 ranking, before losing in the conference title game to Oregon. But there's little room for error (or nonconference losses).
Here is your yearly installment of our bowl watchability rankings. Because while every game is entertaining, some are simply must-see TV.
A Pac-12 team has made the College Football Playoff just twice in six seasons and none of the past three, a situation that commissioner Larry Scott referred to as "painful."
Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb vs. LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. just might top the list of intriguing bowl-game battles.
South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley, who started three seasons for the Gamecocks, will transfer to Utah for his final year of eligibility, he announced Monday.
Here are the key players and storylines for every college football bowl game, including the playoff.
The College Football Playoff will crown its next champion in New Orleans. Take a look at the rest of the CFP and bowl schedule.
See how our experts envision the entire bowl schedule with the final selections so close to being announced.
Three teams remain undefeated, but the Tigers make the best case for being No. 1.
LSU's 37-10 win against Georgia in the SEC title game likely opened up a top-four spot for Oklahoma and perhaps moved the Tigers past Ohio State for No. 1.
Although an easier nonconference schedule might have helped Oregon's chances of reaching the College Football Playoff, Ducks coach Mario Cristobal said his program won't change its scheduling approach.
| NORTH | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 8-1 | 12-2 |
| Oregon State | 4-5 | 5-7 |
| California | 4-5 | 8-5 |
| Washington | 4-5 | 8-5 |
| Washington State | 3-6 | 6-7 |
| Stanford | 3-6 | 4-8 |
| SOUTH | CONF | OVR |
| Utah | 8-1 | 11-3 |
| USC | 7-2 | 8-5 |
| UCLA | 4-5 | 4-8 |
| Arizona State | 4-5 | 8-5 |
| Colorado | 3-6 | 5-7 |
| Arizona | 2-7 | 4-8 |
| CFP RANKINGS | AP | COACHES |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | 16 | 16 |
| NAME | POS | STATUS | GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark Phillips III | CB | Signed | 84 |
| Tennessee Pututau | DE | Signed | 82 |
| Xavier Carlton | DE | Signed | 80 |
| Ty Jordan | RB | Signed | 80 |
| Van Fillinger | DE | Signed | 80 |
| YEAR | PLAYER | AWARD |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | M. Gay | Lou Groza Award |
| 2016 | M. Wishnowsky | Ray Guy Award |
| 2015 | T. Hackett | Ray Guy Award |
| 2014 | T. Hackett | Ray Guy Award |
| 2014 | N. Orchard | Ted Hendricks Award |
