Sometimes, the winning team represents the major story in a sporting event. Sometimes, the losing team becomes the central story.
Sometimes, the margin of victory rightly grabs a banner headline. Sometimes, the flow of the game — accompanied by a deceiving final score — earns extra notice.
How did the 38 bowls shape the storylines we’re talking about at the end of a college football season? As we continue to make sense of the bowls, here are quick verdicts on these games — whether they reflected positively on the winners, negatively on the losers, or became stories due to the margin of victory or game flow.
We’ll proceed in chronological order, to re-orient you with the full bowl season and how it progressed form start to finish:
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NEW ORLEANS BOWL VERDICT: LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE BACKS IT UP… AGAIN
You could say this was a negative reflection on Nevada and, in particular, a Mountain West West Division that did not produce a single eight-win team in 2014. However, winning four straight New Orleans Bowls is an amazing accomplishment for Mark Hudspeth at ULL. That’s the main storyline from this game.
NEW MEXICO BOWL VERDICT: UTAH STATE IS RESOURCEFUL
Utah State won this game with a fourth-string quarterback. UTEP did well to merely get to a bowl this season. The story is how the Aggies somehow continue to win with injuries at football’s most important position. The Arizona Cardinals are jealous.
LAS VEGAS BOWL VERDICT: UTAH WAS SO GOOD THIS SEASON… EXCEPT FOR ONE POSITION
Utah crushed Colorado State in Sin City… and had quarterback Travis Wilson played well — he was merely average in this game, certainly nothing more — the Utes could have won by 55 points instead of 35. Utah did so many things well in 2014… except throw the ball consistently. Give the Utes a quality quarterback, and they would have won the extremely tough Pac-12 South.
POTATO BOWL VERDICT: TROY CALHOUN PRODUCED A TOP-10 COACHING JOB THIS SEASON
If you had to list the top 10 coaching jobs of the season, you’d very likely include Air Force’s Troy Calhoun on the list. Air Force won one FBS game last season. With a win over Western Michigan in the Potato Bowl, the Falcons finished with nine FBS wins this season, 10 overall.
CAMELLIA BOWL VERDICT: BOWLING GREEN STAYS THE COURSE
While other MAC teams got whipped in the bowls (Northern Illinois, Western Michigan), Bowling Green was able to stand on its own and fend off South Alabama in the Jaguars’ home state. The Falcons affirmed themselves as one of the MAC’s more stable programs with this win.
MIAMI BEACH BOWL VERDICT: BRONCO BLEW IT… BEFORE THE BRAWL
No coach performed worse in the bowls than BYU’s Bronco Mendenhall, whose game-management disaster is chronicled here. The endgame brawl soiled both BYU and Memphis, but in strict football terms, this was a game Mendenhall donated to the Tigers and Justin Fuente.
BOCA RATON BOWL VERDICT: MARSHALL MAXES OUT
It would have been one thing if Marshall had won a 23-20 game. The ability of the Thundering Herd to apply a 52-23 beatdown to a fellow conference champion — MAC daddy Northern Illinois — shows just how much talent Marshall possessed… and why this season was a resounding success, even with the gut-punch loss to Western Kentucky. You don’t knock 13-1 in this sport, especially when capped by a magisterial performance against a conference champion.
POINSETTIA BOWL VERDICT: THE MOUNTAIN WEST WEST WENT SOUTH
Had Navy won this game more decisively and on the basis of clean play, the Midshipmen would have become the story. However, Navy’s season-long case of fumble-itis continued in this contest. San Diego State was playing in its home stadium… and still couldn’t win. No Mountain West West team won eight games this season. SDSU should have prevented that from happening… but didn’t.
This is a one-image summary of the Mountain West’s West Division season in 2014.
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BAHAMAS BOWL VERDICT: INSANITY
This was not about Western Kentucky winning for Conference USA or Central Michigan losing for the MAC. This was about one team scoring 34 points in under 12 minutes, capped by the worst single-play defense this commentator has ever seen.
WHY WOULD YOU DEFEND THE 30-YARD LINE, WESTERN KENTUCKY, AS THOUGH IT WAS THE GOAL LINE? YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DEFEND THE GOAL LINE — HOW COULD YOU HAVE SOMEONE OUTRUN YOUR MISALIGNED DEFENSE TO THE PYLON IN THAT SITUATION? Sheesh!
HAWAII BOWL VERDICT: RICE CAPITALIZED
Rice was no match for Mississippi State in the 2013 Liberty Bowl. The Owls had a great matchup in Honolulu, and they took advantage of it against Fresno State.
HEART OF DALLAS BOWL VERDICT: ILLANNOYING
You’ve heard of “Clemsoning,” a term that should be expunged from our vocabularies now that the Tigers generally take care of business. A replacement term: Illinoising, better spelled “Illannoying” given the way the Illini can annoy their fans.
The Heart of Dallas Bowl was decided on a great defensive play by Illinois: a good tackle, a strip, a fumble recovery, and an open-field run against Louisiana Tech. However, recalling the end of the Dallas-Detroit NFC wild card game, the Illinois defender fumbled before he was tackled. Louisiana Tech used that turning point to regain control and win. So Illannoying, yes? See, you can use that word in a sentence now.
QUICK LANE BOWL VERDICT: UNC WASN’T SEEN
Full credit to Rutgers for showing up in Detroit, but this was more about North Carolina failing to show up. What a mess in Chapel Hill.
ST. PETERSBURG BOWL VERDICT: SCORIN’ FOR DOEREN
North Carolina State completed a season with a plus-five win differential compared to 2013. Dave Doeren put in some strong work this season.
MILITARY BOWL VERDICT: AMERICAN DISASTER
Memphis didn’t look good in victory. UCF lost. East Carolina lost. Houston trailed 31-6 before becoming a beneficiary of “Pitt Happens” in the Armed Forces Bowl. Cincinnati’s blowout loss to Virginia Tech, though, underscored more than any other bowl result how mediocre The American was as a conference in 2014.
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Duke has played well in each of its last three bowl games… and has no victories to show for it.
SUN BOWL VERDICT: DUKE’S CHARLIE BROWN GROUNDHOG DAY
The Blue Devils keep replaying the same bowl scenario: They outplay an opponent with clearly superior talent. They come this close to winning but endure one or two gut-punch plays late in the fourth quarter to lose. Duke hasn’t won a bowl since 1961. When will this overachieving program catch a bowl break?
INDEPENDENCE BOWL VERDICT: THE EWWWWWW…
This was a game in which the loser’s failure registers as a bigger story than the winner’s success.
The U simply stinks. It’s hard to make South Carolina’s defense look competent, but by golly, that’s what Miami did in Shreveport. Al Golden has to do something of note in 2015, and much like Lane Kiffin entering 2013 at USC, it seems Golden is doomed before the season even begins (though he deserves to at least try to save himself).
PINSTRIPE BOWL VERDICT: WE ARE… RESILIENT
Trailing Boston College by two touchdowns in the second half, Penn State could have folded the tent after a difficult regular season. The Nittany Lions instead chose to fight, and were rewarded with a stirring victory that will change the tone of their offseason.
HOLIDAY BOWL VERDICT: USC’S TALENT SHINES… INCREASING THE PRESSURE FOR NEXT SEASON
USC gained a big lead against Nebraska by showcasing the full measure of its talents… and then carelessly blew that lead with the spotty play which marked the 2014 season. In 2015, there are no excuses for Steve Sarkisian: It’s Pac-12 South title or bust. Nothing less will be acceptable.
LIBERTY BOWL VERDICT: REGRESSION
Neither Texas A&M nor West Virginia (especially the Mountaineers) covered themselves in glory in this game. Both the Aggies and ‘Eers seemingly had so much to shoot for in late September and early October, but fizzled out as the season went along. This messy game in Memphis only served to remind each team and fan base how much of a missed opportunity this season was.
RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL VERDICT: CHANGE BETTER COME SOONER
All credit to Clemson for maxing out, especially quarterback Cole Stoudt, who capped his career in style. Yet, Oklahoma’s utter implosion, after three weeks in which to solve various problems, is a banner-headline story, one which marks the nadir of Bob Stoops’s career in Norman. Through the 2010 season, “Big Game Bob” was still real. The Sooners were coming off yet another Big 12 title. After the past four seasons, though, everything about Oklahoma is different… for the worst possible reasons.
TEXAS BOWL VERDICT: A TEXAS TWO-STEP… BACKWARD
The Longhorns were such a mess on offense that Charlie Strong shook up the coaching staff. After a season in which Texas had patiently built itself into something better, this bowl nightmare was a discouraging step back… or two.
MUSIC CITY BOWL VERDICT: REPLAY BOOTH STEALS A PAYCHECK
This was not a game people will remember for the result or the quality of play. It’s a game people will remember for the clearly blown call on a goal-line play that should have given LSU a touchdown just before halftime. The camera angle on the ESPN broadcast provided sufficient evidence. Yet, the replay booth somehow made the wrong call. Why replay reviewers can’t make accurate identifications will remain an eternal mystery.
BELK BOWL VERDICT: EVEN IN A DOWN YEAR, GEORGIA SHOWS SOMETHING
It might not be a huge source of comfort to Georgia fans, but their team thumped the ACC in a bowl game. Yes, Louisville had all sorts of injuries, but Georgia had lost offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and didn’t have Todd Gurley in the active lineup. Georgia also beat former defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, something Dawgs fans surely appreciated.
FOSTER FARMS BOWL VERDICT: WHERE WAS THIS IN OCTOBER?
Stanford was shockingly mediocre through 10 games. Then its best self showed up for the final three. David Shaw hopes this “best self” sticks around in 2015.
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When Frogs Attack: Bo Wallace would rather get rid of it than be sacked to a chorus of RIBBIT! Yet, when Wallace released this pass in his own end zone, it was intercepted for an instant touchdown. TCU won by 39… and did not play anything close to its best on offense. Let that sink in for a bit. RIBBIT!
PEACH BOWL VERDICT: TCU WAS SIMPLY GREAT IN 2014, PERIOD
The Horned Frogs crushed Ole Miss by 39 despite multiple turnovers and numerous other mistakes. This game eerily resembled the “Miami 46, Texas 3) Cotton Bowl in 1991, when The U littered the field with penalties… and didn’t give a flying fire truck what anyone else thought.
FIESTA BOWL VERDICT: THE PAC-12 SOUTH LOST AN OPPORTUNITY
UCLA did well against Kansas State. Beyond that, Arizona State, USC and Utah won bowls they were expected to win. Arizona’s loss to Boise State deprived the Pac-12 South of the ability to say that its best team could live up to expectations against a non-Power 5 opponent. As a result, the Pac-12 South ends the season still shrouded in mystery… and lacking the perfect bowl resume that would have shifted the national conversation relative to the SEC West.
ORANGE BOWL VERDICT: THE ACC GAINS A THIRD POWER BROKER
Florida State and Clemson, slide on over. Make room for Georgia Tech, which humiliated — not merely defeated — the SEC West’s second-best team. This is certainly a game in which the margin was just as big a story as the win-loss outcome, if not a bigger one.
OUTBACK BOWL VERDICT: AUBURN’S EMPTINESS
The defending SEC champion and national runner-up could not improve itself in a bowl against a team with a caretaker head coach. Wisconsin deserves a lot of credit for bouncing back, but from this neutral vantage point, Auburn losing is more of an eye-catcher than the Badgers winning. Gus Malzahn lost the plot this season and needs to find it in 2015.
COTTON BOWL VERDICT: MICHIGAN STATE’S MAGIC (AND NOT IN BASKETBALL)
Michigan State used to lose bowls and other signature games all the time. Mark Dantonio lost four bowls in a row at the start of his tenure in East Lansing. After this improbable Cotton Bowl comeback against Baylor — the team that overcame a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat TCU — Michigan State has won four straight bowls. Baylor belonged, but under Dantonio, Michigan State simply finds a way. It’s remarkable how much a coach has transformed the identity of a program.
CITRUS BOWL VERDICT: THE ONE KEY GAME THE BIG TEN DIDN’T WIN
The Big Ten snared the Sugar, Cotton and Outback Bowls, making significant statements about its staying power. The game which will prevent the Big Ten from being seen as a particularly deep conference was this one. Missouri, without receiver Jimmie Hunt, still beat Minnesota without too much trouble. The Tigers put together a marvelous season. Minnesota also overachieved this past year… but the Big Ten West was ultimately what we all thought it was in the bowl season. Now get ready for the Big Ten East to become even better in 2015 with the arrival of Jim Harbaugh.
ROSE BOWL VERDICT: OREGON. AWESOME.
Don’t focus on Florida State. The Seminoles have had a great run, one that should be applauded. The story of the Granddaddy was Oregon punishing FSU for each and every mistake the Seminoles made. Now, the Ducks are one win away from making history… again. They sure made some history in the Arroyo Seco on New Year’s Day.
Oregon took flight in the Rose Bowl, and it was a beautiful sight for the program’s fans… and Pac-12 backers as well.
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SUGAR BOWL VERDICT: OHIO STATE STANDS ABOVE THE BIG TEN
As my colleague Bart Doan likes to say — and in this case he’s 100 percent right — teams can be and often are special, independent of their respective conferences. Ohio State certainly fits the bill. The Buckeyes are undeniably a national power — if there was any doubt, Urban Meyer’s young men wiped it away with a convincing display against Alabama in New Orleans. Blake Sims made a bunch of mistakes against Auburn and won by 11. He made the same collection of errors against Ohio State and paid the price.
ARMED FORCES BOWL VERDICT: HISTORY AND NARDUZZI
Clemsonsing? Try “Pitting” or “Pitt Happens.”
Pitt blew a 31-6 lead, adding another sad chapter to its bleak post-1984 history. Pat Narduzzi can’t come soon enough.
The element of history in this bowl? Houston led Notre Dame, 34-12, with 7:30 left in the 1979 Cotton Bowl and lost, 35-34. Here, Houston trailed 34-13 with 3:45 left and won, 35-34. That’s a nice turnabout, even though UH would have preferred to have beaten Joe Montana in Dallas.
GATOR* BOWL VERDICT: MOTIVATION IS COLORED ORANGE
* = TaxSlayer, yes, but we don’t have to like it
This was not about Iowa grousing or grumbling. This was about Tennessee being really darn excited to play in a bowl. Yes, however: Kirk Ferentz is still being paid a gajillion dollars for this.
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UCLA scored a big win for the Pac-12. Now, can the Bruins play like that more consistently in 2015? They were taken to OT by Colorado and won by only two against California. This team left a lot unachieved in 2014, but at least this win will compensate for some of the setbacks the Bruins suffered.
ALAMO BOWL VERDICT: THE PAC-12 SOUTH’S BIG BOOST
If Arizona let down the Pac-12 South, UCLA strengthened the division with this win against nationally respected Kansas State in the Wildcats’ Central time zone. Jim Mora might be a jerk, but he did outcoach Bill Snyder in this game, hands down. Now, can UCLA win the Pac-12 and translate talent into results in 2015?
CACTUS BOWL VERDICT: WASHINGTON’S PROBLEMS
The Washington Huskies ended the season as much of a mess as they were to start the season. Chris Petersen was baptized in the waters of Power 5 conference coaching, and he realized just how much of an uphill battle he faces. Few coaches will face more scrutiny next season than Petersen, who has to begin to turn the tide in the Washington-Oregon rivalry with Marcus Mariota gone.
BIRMINGHAM BOWL VERDICT: THE TABLE IS SET FOR 2015
East Carolina and Florida played a thoroughly forgettable game… but they face each other early next season. If Florida doesn’t improve upon Saturday’s performance next season, you will hear grumblings in Gainesville.
GODADDY BOWL VERDICT: WHOLLY SATISFYING FOR TOLEDO
The Rockets’ ability to not merely win, but explode on offense, will wipe away the sour taste of failing to snatch away the MAC West from Northern Illinois.