Bowl season winners & losers: Washington's Pac-12 curtain call, Jim Harbaugh and, yes, Pop-Tarts

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Bill Bender
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Who was the undisputed winner of bowl season? 

Pop-Tarts. The edible mascot took the Pop-Tarts Bowl by storm by emerging from a toaster, flashed its best dance moves and fell victim to Kansas State players after the Wildcats' 28-19 victory against NC State. 

Frosted Cherry or Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon? That bowl game brought the breakfast pastry back into the national consciousness like never before. Cheez-Its and Duke's Mayo had their usual strong showings, too, in their respective bowl games. 

It was a reminder that despite the complications of the transfer portal and opt-outs – the games can still be fun. There were 41 bowl games in 2023-24 leading up to the College Football Playoff championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston on Jan. 8. 

The last College Football Playoff semifinals of the four-team era did not disappoint. No. 1 Michigan beat No. 4 Alabama 27-20 in overtime at the Rose Bowl, and No. 2 Washington beat No. 3 Texas 37-31 in the Sugar Bowl. Either the Wolverines or Huskies will finish the season with a perfect 15-0 record. 

MORE: Why Michigan will upend Washington in the College Football Playoff championship

A total of 10 games were decided by seven points or less, and there were more than a few over-reactions generated from this year’s bowl season.  

Bowl season winners and losers

Conference bowl records for 2023-24

A conference-by-conference look at the bowl records from 2023-24. This does not include Notre Dame, the lone independent which beat Oregon State 40-8 in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. 

CONF. W L .PCT
Pac-12 5 3 .625
American 3 2 .600
Big Ten 5 4 .556
SEC 5 4 .556
Big 12 5 4 .556
ACC 5 6 .455
Mountain West 3 4 .429
Sun Belt 5 7 .417
C-USA 2 3 .400
MAC 2 4 .333

Winners: Jim Harbaugh and J.J. McCarthy 

This is the coach-quarterback relationship that defined Michigan on the field when off-the-field controversy could have derailed their season. McCarthy, now 26-1 as the Wolverines' starter, led a game-tying fourth-quarter drive and passed for three TDs against the Crimson Tide. Harbaugh never won the Rose Bowl or a national championship as a quarterback at Michigan. Now, McCarthy – whose game resembles that of his coach – has a chance to help Harbaugh lead the Wolverines to their first national title since 1997. The coach was not shy about expressing just how that means to the Wolverines afterward with the Tom Brady comparison. 

MORE: Michigan's ultimate dream one big step closer to reality after OT thriller

Loser: Alabama 

That fourth-and-goal call will haunt the Crimson Tide through the offseason. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will feel heat for not letting Jalen Milroe pass on the final play, and the SEC will miss out on the CFP championship game for the first time since 2014. Nick Saban led Alabama to eight playoff appearances and three national championships in the CFP era, but the loss to Michigan will be met with great consternation in Tuscaloosa this offseason with the field expanding to 12 teams in 2024. It will not get easier from here. 

Winner: Michael Penix Jr. 

The Heisman Trophy runner-up was brilliant for the Huskies. He finished 29 of 38 for 430 yards and two TDs, and Washington held on to give the Pac-12 a chance to walk off with a national championship. Penix, who has battled injuries throughout a six-year career that began with Indiana in 2018, bypassed the NFL Draft to return for one last one. Now, he can lead Washington to the school’s first national championship since a split with Miami in 1991. Doubt this team at your own peril. Kalen DeBoer and Penix have helped the team win a FBS-best 21 straight games. 

MORE: Inside Michael Penix Jr.'s eye-popping numbers vs. Texas

Loser: Texas' shot at Houston 

You can't knock the fight in Texas. The Longhorns battled Washington to the last snap, but Quinn Ewers' last pass to Adonai Mitchell was knocked away by Washington’s Elijah Jackson. Texas missed a shot to play for a national title in its backyard, but that does not diminish what Steve Sarkisian accomplished with the Longhorns heading to the SEC in 2024. Ewers will have a decision to make, and the quarterback battle will intensify with Arch Manning into the spring. Ewers, however, could go to the 2024 NFL Draft. That is the first piece of drama for Texas moving forward. 

Winner: Nico Iamaleava 

Iamaleava looked the five-star part in Tennessee’s 35-0 victory against Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. The freshman – who filled in for Joe Milton – hit 12 of 19 passes for 151 yards and a TD. He added 27 rushing yards and three TDs on the ground. Tennessee averaged 5.2 yards per play against a solid Iowa defense, too. That is going to keep the hype going for the Vols heading into Josh Heupel’s fourth season. Iamaleava will get more than enough offseason Heisman hype. 

Loser: Liberty 

Liberty allowed 584 total yards in a 45-6 loss to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. It was a banner season for the Flames under first-year coach Jamey Chadwell in Conference USA, but the margin of victory kick-started the debate about the Group of 5’s place in the upcoming 12-team College Football Playoff. Group of 5 schools finished 4-6 in the New Year’s Six in the outgoing CFP format. 

Winner: SEC in New Year's Six

The SEC finished with a 26-12 record in New Year’s Day Six Bowls – which is well ahead of the Big Ten at 14-13. No. 6 Georgia hammered No. 5 Florida State 63-3 in the Orange Bowl. No. 9 Missouri upset No. 7 Ohio State 14-3 in the Cotton Bowl, and No. 11 Ole Miss beat No. 10 Penn State 38-25 in the Peach Bowl. These results might not seem like much, but this will set the tone for the SEC getting the most top-10 teams in the preseason polls along with the early lead on at-large bids for the first 12-team College Football Playoff. 

Loser: Florida State 

The Seminoles probably should have opted out of the Orange Bowl. A total of 23 players were missing, and the 60-point loss to Georgia was such an embarrassment that Kirby Smart said, "People need to see what happened tonight and need to fix this." It's wrong to conflate the Seminoles' snub from the College Football Playoff with this loss, but this loss was so bad it turned the debate into whether Georgia should have been in the CFP instead. Will the 12-team CFP fix the New Year’s Day Six bowls? 

MORE: Kirby Smart calls for change with opt-outs after Georgia's blowout of Florida State

Winner: Lane Kiffin

Kiffin led the Rebels to a victory against Penn State in a battle of 10-win teams, and the Rebels continued to build momentum for next season after a strong haul in the transfer portal. Kiffin is 29-10 with the Rebels the last three seasons – the best run by the school since the Johnny Vaught teams of the 1960s. Kiffin continues to build a winner at an unlikely place – and the next step is catching Alabama and Georgia. Are they the best bet among the rest of the SEC to do it in 2024? 

Loser: Ryan Day 

Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was 3-1 in BCS bowls outside of the championship game. Urban Meyer was 3-1 in BCS or New Year’s Day Six bowls outside the CFP. Those Buckeyes’ teams showed up. This Ohio State team did not look good in a disappointing 14-3 loss to Missouri that means Day is now 1-1 in New Year’s Day Six bowls outside the CFP and 2-4 in bowl games overall. The quarterback situation looks unsettled, and perhaps a transfer portal quarterback changes that narrative. Yet there are more questions than ever about Ohio State heading into next season – and that goes beyond the three-game losing streak to Michigan. 

BENDER: Ohio State must fix QB problem before addressing Michigan problem

Miller Moss
(Getty Images)

Winner: Miller Moss 

Here is the upside of quarterbacks opting out and leaving via the portal. Caleb Williams opted out and five-star freshman Malachi Nelson entered the transfer portal. Miller Moss took advantage for the Trojans with a record-setting performance in a 42-28 Holiday Bowl victory against Louisville. Moss hit 23 of 33 passes for 372 yards, six TDs and an interception in a save-face game for second-year coach Lincoln Riley. Perhaps USC will not have to rely on a transfer quarterback in 2024 with the move to the Big Ten. 

Loser: Syracuse QBs 

Here is the downside of quarterbacks opting out and leaving via the portal. Syracuse was forced to use tight end Dan Villari and freshman Braden Davis at quarterback in a brutal 45-0 loss to South Florida in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, and they combined to hit 10 of 24 passes for 139 yards and two interceptions. The good news? New coach Fran Brown brought in a strong recruiting class and grabbed Kyle McCord from Ohio State in the transfer portal. 

MORE: Latest on quarterback transfer portal tracker

Winner: Arizona 

While Coach Prime will command attention in the offseason, here is the team coming to the Big 12 that could be a 12-team College Football Playoff crasher in 2024. The Wildcats completed a seven-game winning streak to close out a 10-win season with a 38-24 victory against No. 12 Oklahoma in the Valero Alamo Bowl. That could lead to a top-10 final ranking for Jedd Fisch. Quarterback Noah Fifita passed for 354 yards and two TDs, and SN second-team All-American Tetairoa McMillan had 10 catches for 160 yards. Look out for Arizona in 2024. 

Loser: Miami 

The Hurricanes started 4-0 this season before that ill-fated fumble against Georgia Tech, and it never got better for second-year coach Mario Cristobal. Miami finished 7-6 after a 31-24 loss to Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl. A costly blocked punt was the difference, and it’s worth remembering the Hurricanes were 11-0 against the Scarlet Knights when those teams were in the Big East together. That will put at least a little more pressure on Cristobal heading into Year 3, and with Cam Ward and DJ Uiagalelei both passing on the Canes, the quarterback position is still unsolved.

Winner: Western Kentucky 

The Hilltoppers trailed Old Dominion 28-0 in the Famous Toastery Bowl. Quarterback Austin Reed opted out, but Caden Veltkamp came off the bench and passed for 383 yards and five TDs. The Hilltoppers forced overtime with Veltkamp’s fourth-down touchdown pass to K.D. Hutchinson then completed a 38-35 victory that will resonate for the school for years to come.  

Loser: Eastern Michigan 

The Eagles lost 59-10 to South Alabama in the 68 Ventures Bowl, but that is not why this game will be remembered. Eastern Michigan defensive back Korey Hernandez threw a sucker punch at Jaguars defensive back Jamarrien Burt while South Alabama players sang their alma mater afterward. Hernandez apologized afterward, but that incident overshadowed the poor performance on the field. The MAC finished 2-4 in bowl games. 

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Bill Bender

Bill Bender is a national college football writer for The Sporting News.

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