Best of the Bowls: 2015-2020

December 10, 2020 by Staff

In the past 20 years, the NCAAF has restructured much of its bowl game series. Some games, like the Rose Bowl, have been played for over 100 years, while others, like the Frisco Bowl (2017), are relatively new to the world of collegiate football.

To enhance the breadth of teams that could compete in bowl games, the NCAA first allowed teams without winning records to enter in 2010. Two years later, they expanded eligibility to include teams with losing records. Further academic scores were brought into consideration for teams with losing records.

By 2015, the list of participating teams reached 80—but any college football pundit knows that a bowl game doesn’t necessarily denote the semifinals of the College Football Championship. There are bowls such as the Iron and Textile Bowl that are placed between rival schools, as well as international series’ like the Aztec Bowl and Bahamas Bowl. Then there’s the intimidating list of bowl invitationals.

Catching each bowl game every season can be difficult, even when watching only in Division I FBS. However, there are three games that have stood out from the bevy of offerings since the NCAAF restructured its edibility to include 80 teams in 2015: 2019’s Fiesta Bowl, 2015’s Sugar Bowl, and 2017’s Rose Bowl.

Clemson vs. Ohio State

Fiesta Bowl, 2019

Trevor Lawrence helped solidify his name with a stunning comeback for the Tigers, who were 16-0 against the Buckeyes. Despite throwing a lackluster game, Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne stuck to their guns to deliver a winning comeback with only 1:49 remaining in the game.

The comeback was highlight by a role-reversal between running back and quarterback, in which Lawrence ended up rushing 107 yards (his most in the NCAA). In addition to the action, the game was exciting because it delivered on a nail-biter.

Fans of college football who follow pundits offering American football betting tips are no stranger to the indomitable Buckeyes program, nor the Clemson Tigers—but why are matches like their 2019 Fiesta Bowl faceoff so hard to come by?

It isn’t only the NCAA that tends to see blowout games. The 2020 Super Bowl between the 49ers and Chiefs will be remembered in coming years for Mahomes’ fourth-quarter redemption, much like the 2019 Fiesta Bowl will be remembered for Lawrence’s late-game comeback for the Tigers.

Alabama vs. Ohio State

Sugar Bowl, 2015

The big upset the Buckeyes had over Alabama helps the 2015 Sugar Bowl stand out from other bowl games on the list. Rather than a nail-biter that pushes late into the fourth quarter, Ohio State managed to snag the lead in the third quarter and not let go.

Still, the Crimson Tide fought to the end. With only 1:59 remaining, Alabama pushed for a 6-yard touchdown. Quarterback for Alabama, Blake Sims, threw an interception which the Buckeyes used to run out the clock.

Even more extraordinary was the levelheaded play from Cardale Jones, quarterback for Ohio State. The 2015 Sugar Bowl was his second college start that came after both starting and second-string quarterbacks sustained injuries.

USC vs. Penn State

Rose Bowl, 2017

The 2017 Rose Bowl between the Trojans and the Nittany Lions won’t be forgotten because of USC’s comeback with only nine minutes left in the game. However, it wasn’t the first time the Trojans managed the same feat against Penn State. 95 years earlier, in 1923, the USC football program managed a similar comeback against the same team.

After an interception by the Lions in 2017’s game, Penn State went on the offensive, scoring four downs after four snaps to leave the score at 42-27 in the third quarter. Despite difficult weather conditions, USC began a grueling comeback.

With only 1:20 left on the clock in the third, USC had managed a stunning run led by quarterback Sam Darnold. The fourth quarter went the way of the Trojans, who scored another 17 points to put them ahead with a final score of 52-49.