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  • Ryan McGee, ESPN Senior WriterJan 13, 2025, 08:00 AM ET

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    • Senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com
    • 2-time Sports Emmy winner
    • 2010, 2014 NMPA Writer of the Year

Mid-January is always a period of great adjustment. That icy time when we hopefully have finally started ending dates with ’25 instead of ’24 and also finally stopped awkwardly wishing people “Happy New Year” even when the year is no longer all that new.

However, for college football fans, the entrance into 2025 has been more of a challenge than in years past. Why? Because gone are the days when the national champion was decided on a single-digit January date. And as we officially begin to look toward the first College Football Playoff title game at the tail end of the inaugural 12-team bracket, let’s pause to take a look back. As we grab a Pop-Tart, heat up a mug of Scooter’s Coffee, kick back in the home we bought through Union Home Mortgage and before firing up our TaxSlayer app on our Cricket Wireless phone, why not spend a moment reminiscing about the games those sponsors proudly backed?

For as much as was made about the new CFP overshadowing and overrunning bowl season, for all the sky-is-falling worry about opt-outs and teams no longer wanting to make non-CFP postseason trips, what we received was a month-long holiday gift of gridiron greatness, goofiness and good times.

So, before we become all-consumed with Notre Dame versus Ohio State for all the college football marbles, let’s make our annual trip through the Best of Bowl Season for 2024-25.

Best performance by a game winner: Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse

McCord arrived at the Holiday Bowl as the nation’s leading passer and he added to his Orange legend by throwing for 453 yards and five touchdowns against Pac-2 rep Washington State. On Syracuse’s first play of the second half, he launched a 50-yard pass to Darrell Gill Jr., who made an amazing over-the-shoulder snag, a play that pushed McCord past Deshaun Watson as the ACC’s all-time single-season passing leader, finishing with 4,779 yards — accomplished in 13 games vs. Watson’s 15 in 2016. McCord is so awesome that he has never been late to anything, or at least he has everyone convinced he has never been late to anything …

Best performance in a losing effort: Demond Williams Jr., QB, Washington

The Huskies trailed Louisville by two touchdowns entering the fourth quarter of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, but Williams threw two touchdown passes on UW’s final two drives, the second coming with only nine seconds remaining. Alas, his would-be game-winning 2-point conversion toss was batted down and Washington lost 35-34. Williams finished the day 26-of-32 passing for 374 yards and 4 TDs after entering the game with only two career TDs. He’s a freshman, so this won’t be the last time you read about him.

Best bowl bargain: Free football

Four bowl games reached overtime and each of those games wasn’t decided in the first extra session. The headliner was the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, where Texas advanced after outlasting Arizona State (and outsmarting targeting rules). But there have been few four-day bowl season stretches more glorious than Dec. 23 to Dec. 26.

It started when Northern Illinois defeated Fresno State in double OT in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. That was followed 24 hours later by a Christmas Eve 5-OT Hawai’i Bowl victory for South Florida, which traveled 4,682 miles to play San José State. Then, after a day off to let Santa do his thing, Toledo won a de facto home game, Detroit’s GameAbove Sports Bowl (the artist formerly known as the Motor City Bowl), but needed a bowl-record six overtimes to do it … after the team stormed the field thinking it had already won. Twice. Not bad for a game, played next door to the Detroit Tigers’ ballpark, that ended the first quarter with a baseball score (6-2).

Best bowl coaches: Special teams

From wacky kick return formations and suddenly diverse 2-point conversion playbooks to kickers attempting passes and punters whipping underhanded shuttle shoves, as a special teams coordinator texted me in mid-December: “All that stuff we spend all season practicing and trying to convince the head coach to do, he’ll finally say yes in the bowl game.”

Best nuptials: Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

Remember how horrifying the Red Wedding was in “Game of Thrones”? Well, imagine if we replaced all the knives with foam headwear, replaced the blood with soda and mixed in a lot of orange with all that red. I was at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl to watch Illinois, South Carolina and, of course, the antics of Ched-Z the Cheez-It. But even the mascot being launched through the uprights like a paper desktop football took a backseat to what occurred during a first-half TV timeout.

That’s when Erin Doolin and Erik Yakes were wed in a “Two-Minute Drill” marital ceremony while riding atop a trailer being towed around the playing field as Ched-Z and 47,129 fans served as witnesses. After exchanging orange rings, they spent the remainder of the game holding their reception with family and friends just off a corner of one of the end zones, complete with a dance floor and orange wedding cake.

Best postgame food bath: Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock

Stuff dumped on the heads of coaches this winter included iced coffee, eggnog and Frosted Flakes. When you beat CFP finalist Notre Dame, win eight games, earn your second consecutive bowl victory and get a bucket of fries dumped on your head at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, you can say whatever you want in the postgame interview.

Best celebrity postgame food bath: Duke’s Mayo Bowl, BOI!!!!

We’ve all grown to love the postgame dumping of mayonnaise on the winning coach’s head after the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, unless you’re Shane Beamer, who still might be concussed from his celebratory moment three years ago. But even Minnesota’s coach P.J. Fleck, a man who never needs help getting fired up, was sent to a different level of energy when surprise celeb Flava Flav emerged from behind the curtain to unleash this year’s mayo mess.

Best celebrity everything else: (Insert Famous Person) Bowl

Gronk hoisting wrestling belts. Matthew McConaughey wearing “Rusty,” his way-too-worn leather tassel jacket at Longhorns games. Snoop Dogg not just on the TV mic (“He stood over him because it’s business he’s standing on”) but with his name painted in giant letters on the playing field. Who do these people think they are, a Herbstreit dog?

Best canine celebrity: Hudson the Bahamas Bowl Racer

OK, we all know that Ben and Peter Herbstreit have been the Tail-or Swifts of college football. And it was amazing to see Myrtle Beach Bowl champs UTSA carry Fredo the Frenchie around like he was Sean Astin at the end of “Rudy.” But Hudson the hound stole the show at the Bahamas Bowl when he raced a bunch of kids on the track that surrounds the playing field where Buffalo rolled over Liberty in the last non-CFP game of bowl season.

Best new trend: The decline in highest-profile opt-outs

When their regular seasons ended, Beamer and Deion Sanders grinned through their disappointment at not being part of the CFP and pledged that their stars and seniors would be on the field for their bowl games. Meanwhile, multiple players on other teams promised the same, most notably at Ole Miss and Alabama. Were there still a lot of opt-outs? Yes, most were powered by the insanity of having transfer portal deadlines in the middle of the postseason. But with an adjustment to that timetable seemingly inevitable, as well as contracts tied to revenue sharing, the hope is that more teams will be loaded for future bowl appearances.

Worst trend: Opting out midgame (bonus category)

I needed to include one “worst” in this list because it’s not right to mention the best trend without pointing out the worst. Miami said the plan was to have Cam Ward sit out the remainder of the Pop-Tarts Bowl once he threw three touchdown passes to break the NCAA career record at 158. Do I think it was the worst crime in the history of the sport? Of course not. But the image of the Heisman Trophy finalist standing on the sideline perfectly healthy having achieved an individual record and watching his team lose to Iowa State by one point was a terrible look for Ward, Miami and college football.

Best trend that digs at the worst trend: Cal Band trust fall

“You can’t trust Fernando Mendoza [the Cal QB who transferred to Indiana]. But you can trust the Cal Band to be there at the LA Bowl tonight.”

Best postgame shoutout: Kansas State Pride

Speaking of bands, how about Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman acknowledging the K-State Pride making the 20-hour bus ride to provide the soundtrack for the Wildcats’ win in the Rate Bowl (aka what used to be the Copper, Insight.com and Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl)!

Best pregame perk: Becoming Phil Knight

From NASCAR ride-alongs to gift suites packed with tech and bling, there has never been a shortage of fun and free stuff for bowl participants, but the Las Vegas Bowl stepped things up. USC and Texas A&M players got to custom design their own Nike Air Force 1s.

Best pregame move: Boston College honoring an Eagle hero

As soon as BC coach Bill O’Brien knew his team was going to New York for the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, he reached out to Alison Crowther, mother of BC alum Welles Crowther. Known by many as the Man in the Red Bandana, Welles was an equities trader and a volunteer firefighter who helped first responders rescue victims of the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center before dying when the towers collapsed. He saved as many as 18 people. Members of the BC football team met Crowther’s mother at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum before their game against Nebraska.

Best stadium feature living up to its name: Pesky’s Pole

Speaking of football played in baseball stadiums, how two basketball schools — North Carolina and UConn — playing football in a baseball stadium. And how about the famous Fenway Park right-field foul pole, named for Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky, being … well … pesky?

Best wardrobe: Puffy pirate shirts

As Jerry Seinfeld will testify, it takes a certain level of confidence to pull off a puffy shirt. Well, Andre Ware, who won a Heisman Trophy, and Anish Shroff, just named North Carolina sportscaster of the year, displayed that confidence in the broadcast booth of the Gasparilla Bowl, which is named for a Tampa Bay pirate ship and festival. Whether they pulled it off is up to you.

One Pop-Tart taunted the back judge. All the Pop-Tarts crashed the postgame field rush. Strawberry returned from the Great Toasted Beyond, popping out of the top of the giant end zone scoreboard like Michael Jackson at halftime of Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl. Then, Cinnamon Roll made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of football glory, being baked and devoured by Iowa State as the Cyclones hoisted their trophy, which is also a working toaster. All of the above was framed by a special NCAA-approved sideline that was painted to look like it was covered in sprinkles. God bless America.

Best season: Bowl season

Always. See you next year.

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How Friday’s college football results affect the playoff: Texas A&M may no longer get a bye

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6 hours ago

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November 29, 2025

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How Friday's college football results affect the playoff: Texas A&M may no longer get a bye

For teams that aren’t playing in their conference championship games, this is it — the final chance to make a lasting impression on the College Football Playoff selection committee.

For some contenders, like Ole Miss, their regular-season résumé is now complete, and what happens in the fifth ranking on Tuesday night should be a strong indicator of their final placement on Selection Day. Others, like Miami, are banking on hope and help — and most importantly, one more win. It all began with the Egg Bowl on Friday — a game that not only kept Ole Miss in the playoff, but also technically in the SEC race.

That’s right — this thing is far from over, so check back after each game to see how the results will impact the playoff as the day unfolds.

Texas 27, Texas A&M 17

Rivalry Week presented its first shakeup of the top four when No. 16 Texas beat No. 3 Texas A&M — but it might not be all that jarring in the fifth ranking. The Aggies will likely drop to the 4-6 range behind Georgia. The Bulldogs have better wins including a 35-10 drubbing of … Texas. Georgia also has a better loss (to No. 10 Alabama), and has now clinched a spot in the SEC title game. The question is just how far Texas A&M will fall now that it has joined No. 5 Texas Tech, No. 6 Oregon and No. 7 Ole Miss in the one-loss club. The Aggies entered the weekend with a noticeable edge over Texas Tech in both strength of record (23 to 56) and strength of schedule (1 to 10). It’s possible the committee only drops the Aggies one spot, flipping them with Georgia, which means they’d still be in position to earn a first-round bye as the No. 4 seed. There would be a strong debate, though, about whether the Aggies, Texas Tech or Oregon, the latter which has impressed the committee lately by ranking in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, deserves the highest seeding. The Aggies’ problem now is that they’d have to finish in the top four as an at-large team because they just got knocked out of the SEC title game.

While Texas now has arguably the best win in the country, it probably won’t be enough to catapult it into the top-10 as a three-loss team. Even with some upsets above them, it’s unlikely Texas would get higher than No. 12.

Indiana 56, Purdue 3

Indiana clinched a spot in the Big Ten championship game with its win against rival Purdue, locking in a CFP bid and beefing up its chances at keeping a first-round bye on Selection Day. The Hoosiers, who have been the committee’s No. 2 team in each of the first four rankings, still have a chance of grabbing the No. 1 spot in Tuesday’s ranking if Ohio State loses to Michigan. If the Buckeyes lose and Oregon wins Indiana will face Oregon in the Big Ten title game. If Michigan wins and Oregon loses the Hoosiers will face Michigan for the conference title.

The question is whether IU can maintain a top-four seed and a first-round bye as the Big Ten runner-up. If Indiana lost the title game, the committee would consider where their opponent was ranked and how close the game was. The Hoosiers would also be compared with other top one-loss teams, but playing a ranked opponent in the conference championship game — win or lose — would boost IU’s record strength by the committee’s metric.

Georgia 16, Georgia Tech 9

Georgia should keep its place as the committee’s top one-loss team following its win against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia’s Oct. 18 win against Ole Miss, along with their win at Tennessee and drubbing of Texas, impressed the committee. The Bulldogs’ consistency on offense and defense has also played well with the committee. Georgia’s first-round bye would only be in question at this point if it finishes as a two-loss SEC runner-up.

Barring an unusual combination of ACC results, No. 23 Georgia Tech will be out of the playoff at 9-3. The only way the Yellow Jackets can extend their playoff hope is through the ACC championship game. They entered the weekend with a 1.5% chance of making the game, according to ESPN Analytics.

Ole Miss 38, Mississippi State 19

With its win against rival Mississippi State on Friday, Ole Miss likely locked up a playoff spot and remains in a strong position to host a first-round home game. If Alabama loses to Auburn on Saturday, Ole Miss will clinch a spot in the SEC championship game. Even if it doesn’t, though, the one-loss Rebels should still be a CFP lock.

As for the uncertainty still looming around coach Lane Kiffin, if Ole Miss turns to an interim head coach for the playoff, the selection committee could consider that. CFP protocol states the group will consider “other relevant factors such as unavailability of key players and coaches that may have affected a team’s performance during the season or likely will affect its postseason performance.” Ole Miss won’t miss the playoff because Kiffin left for another job, but it could get dinged a spot or two if the committee thinks the team won’t be the same without him.

Utah 31, Kansas 21

No. 13 Utah punctuated its résumé with a win against 5-7 Kansas, but it’s still unlikely to reach the playoff without multiple upsets of teams above it — especially after just being leapfrogged by No. 12 Miami in the latest CFP ranking. Even with a win, to reach the Big 12 championship game, Utah still needs Texas Tech to lose and for both BYU and Arizona State to win. The Utes’ best hope to reach the CFP is still as an at-large team.

Getting that bid isn’t inconceivable if a combination of two-loss teams above them lose. If Oklahoma, Alabama and Miami lose, it would be difficult for any of them to stay in the top 12 as three-loss teams. Utah would need at least two of them to lose to move into the top 10, which is where it would need to be to actually be seeded in the field. The No. 11 and No. 12 teams this year will be excluded during the seeding process to make room for the fourth- and fifth-highest ranked conference champions.

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Arch rallies Longhorns, hands Aggies first loss

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6 hours ago

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November 29, 2025

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Arch rallies Longhorns, hands Aggies first loss

  • ESPN News Services

Nov 28, 2025, 11:41 PM ET

AUSTIN, Texas — Arch Manning threw a touchdown pass and ran for the clinching score late in the fourth quarter, and No. 16 Texas rallied to upend No. 3 Texas A&M 27-17 on Friday night, spoiling the Aggies’ undefeated season and knocking them out of the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Manning’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo in the third quarter gave Texas (9-3, 6-2 SEC) a 13-10 lead in what had been a tight, defensive game. His 35-yard run up the middle on third down with 7:04 left to play put the Longhorns up 27-17.

Texas, which started the season No. 1 and, at one point, was unranked, defeated a top-10 opponent for the third time this season to keep alive any faint hopes of making the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive time.

“In the locker room, you could see it, that we had 30 minutes together to see if we can keep playing this season,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told ESPN’s Molly McGrath in his postgame, on-field interview, referring to his halftime speech. “And they sure played like it in the second half.”

The Aggies (11-1, 7-1) are all but assured their first playoff berth, but the loss to their biggest rival will sting the program for a long time. Texas A&M has never played for an SEC title since joining the league in the 2012 season.

Meanwhile, despite three losses, the Longhorns feel they’ve made their case for a playoff berth, as well. Texas lost to Ohio State, Georgia and Florida.

“You tell me. That team is undefeated. No. 3 in the country, and a lot of the pundits out there think they are the No. 1 team in the country,” Sarkisian said when asked if his team’s win over the Aggies should push Texas into the CFP. “We just beat them by 10.”

The Aggies led 10-3 at the half.

“These guys fought. We were physical, we were tough,” Sarkisian said. “We created turnovers, we ran the ball, and we made the plays in the passing game when we had to. It was awesome.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Kiffin to make ‘hard decision’ on future Saturday

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13 hours ago

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November 28, 2025

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Kiffin to make 'hard decision' on future Saturday

  • Mark SchlabachNov 28, 2025, 06:08 PM ET

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    • Senior college football writer
    • Author of seven books on college football
    • Graduate of the University of Georgia

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Lane Kiffin said he’ll decide Saturday whether he will return as Ole Miss‘ coach in 2026 or take another job, presumably at LSU, which is trying to poach him from its SEC rival with a lucrative contract offer that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.

Kiffin, while speaking to reporters after the No. 7 Rebels’ 38-19 victory at Mississippi State in Friday’s Egg Bowl at Davis Wade Stadium, would only say that he’ll have to make a decision one way or the other, after Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce said they needed an answer by Saturday.

“I feel like I’ve got to,” Kiffin said.

When Kiffin was asked if he had made up his mind about where he’ll be coaching next season, he said, “Yeah, I haven’t. Maybe that surprises you. But, you know, I’ve got to do some praying and figure this thing out.”

Kiffin said he planned to attend his son’s high school playoff game in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Friday night. Knox Kiffin is Oxford High’s starting quarterback.

“Tonight, I’m going to go be a dad and watch a more important game to me,” Kiffin said.

Kiffin wasn’t sure what time he would make a decision Saturday.

“There’s a lot [that goes] into it,” Kiffin said. “It’s a hard decision. You guys have them all the time. You’ve got to make decisions about jobs you take and where you move, and we get paid a lot so I understand we’re under a lot of spotlight and scrutiny.”

Kiffin said he regretted not being able to speak to his father, Monte Kiffin, while trying to make one of the most important decisions of his career. The longtime NFL defensive coordinator died in July 2024. He was 84.

Kiffin, 50, has sought the advice of former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, his former boss at USC, the past few weeks.

ESPN reported earlier Friday that Florida, which was also courting Kiffin, is now focused on other candidates in its search because the Gators believe he’s more interested in other opportunities.

Carter and Boyce met with Kiffin a week ago in Oxford, Mississippi, and the sides came to an understanding that Kiffin would make up his mind the day after the Egg Bowl.

If the Egg Bowl was Kiffin’s last game as Ole Miss’ coach, it was a fitting end to one of the most successful tenures in school history.

As speculation about Kiffin’s future continued to swirl over the past two weeks, the Rebels rolled past their rivals for their fifth win in the past six meetings in the heated series. The Rebels had 545 yards of offense, as quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 359 yards with four touchdowns.

The Rebels (11-1, 7-1 SEC) all but secured a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. They’ll have to wait another day to find out whether they’ll play in next week’s SEC championship game in Atlanta.

No. 3 Texas A&M would have to fall at No. 16 Texas on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) and No. 10 Alabama would have to lose at Auburn in Saturday’s Iron Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET/ABC) for the Rebels to clinch a spot in the SEC championship game.

And, of course, Ole Miss fans will be waiting Saturday to find out which coaches will be on the sideline for the CFP, which might begin with a first-round game at home on Dec. 19 or 20.

If Kiffin decides to leave for LSU, former New York Giants coach Joe Judge would likely serve as the Rebels’ interim coach in the CFP, sources told ESPN.

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