Most important player on every team in each bowl matchup

Think about the last 13 months for Tagovailoa. He came in the second half of the College Football Playoff Championship Game last January and not only pulled off a stunning comeback but also threw an amazing walk-off touchdown pass to win the title. He won the starting job, and for the first 12 weeks of this season he was about as good as you could be, punishing teams and barely having to do anything late in games. In the SEC Championship, however, he had a bad game (his two picks matched his total up to that point) and his banged-up body finally knocked him out of the game. Jalen Hurts comes on to complete the comeback, putting yet another quarterback controversy out there. Then he finishes second for the Heisman Trophy that he seemingly had in the bag all season long. The point is that he's facing some real adversity as he enters the Playoff game against Oklahoma — he'll be coming off an injury and a bad start, knowing he could be pulled while facing the quarterback who won the Heisman. How his mindset is could determine if the Crimson Tide repeats as national champs.  

Alabama faces Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff at the Capital One Orange Bowl.

Thomas was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 1,862 yards, rushing for 476 yards and totaling 28 touchdowns. He did all that despite getting knocked out of a game early on and then missing the next game...plus having a game canceled due to Hurricane Florence. 

Appalachian State faces Middle Tennessee in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

Benjamin has been outstanding for the Sun Devils this year. He led the Pac-12 in rushing with 1,524 yards and with his 15 rushing touchdowns. Against Oregon State earlier this season, he ran for 312 yards and three scores in the win. 

Arizona State faces Fresno State in the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl.

Bingham has been one of the best players in the Sun Belt in his two seasons at Arkansas State. He has nine sacks this season and pressures the quarterback at an elite rate. Whether he hits them, pressures them or sacks them, he has become a quarterback's nightmare. 

Arkansas State faces Nevada in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. 

Hopkins and running back Darnell Woolfolk lead a run-heavy attack that has helped the Black Knights to a 9-2 record. He attempted just 81 passes all season with six going for touchdowns. Heading into the Navy game, he threw for 895 yards and ran for 783 yards and 16 total TDs.  

Army faces Houston in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.

Williams doesn't get many targets, but when he does catch a pass it is usually for a big gain. The freshman caught 24 passes this year for 479 yards — a 20-yards-per-catch average — and five touchdowns. He stretches defenses, which has been a plus since the rest of the offense has struggled a bit. This is a great start in a promising Tigers career. 

Auburn faces Purdue in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.

Last year, the Bears won just one game. This year, they are in a bowl. Much of that has to do with the development of sophomore quarterback Charlie Brewer. While not an outstanding statistical season, he started to show the leadership and ability needed to keep building Baylor back into contender status. His father, Robert Brewer, quarterbacked the Texas Longhorns in the 1980s. (His grandfather and uncle played quarterback for the Longhorns as well.)

Baylor faces Vanderbilt in the Academy Sports & Outdoors Bowl.

Rypien won the Mountain West Conference's Offensive Player of the Year award. He threw for 3,705 yards and 30 touchdowns this season, and his 13,581 yards are most in Mountain West Conference history. He's coming off one of the worst performances of the season in a loss to Fresno State in the MW title game, but over the last seven games he's thrown 16 TDs and just two interceptions.

 Boise State faces Boston College in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.

Dillon didn't have the statistical impact he did last year, his freshman season. Some of it had to do with defenses keying on him (he wasn't a surprise anymore), while some of it had to do with the Eagles having a few more offensive weapons. He rushed for 1,108 yards and 10 touchdowns despite missing two games due to injury. 

Boston College faces Boise State in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.

Jackson won the MAC Offensive Player of the Year with 2,857 yards and 27 touchdowns passing, 165 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. Jackson is huge (6-foot-7 and 245 pounds) which makes him difficult to bring down. His big arm has developed into a big weapon in this 10-win season. 

Buffalo faces Troy in the Dollar General Bowl.

BYU has been a team that uses an ensemble cast rather than rely on any one player. (Six players have rushed for at least 100 yards this season with no one gaining more than 423.) Freshman Wilson took over as the starting quarterback midseason and has done a good job creating a balanced attack for the up-and-down Cougars. He threw for 1,261 yards and eight TDs while rushing for 198 yards and two scores. 

BYU faces Western Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Kunaszyk made the All-Pac 12 team this season after leading a defense that finished third in the conference in yardage. The senior linebacker has taken a long winding road to his final college game. After not receiving any Division I offers, he attended American River College where his play on the field as well as his leadership skills shined and got him to Cal. This season he had nine games in which he recorded at least nine tackles. 

California faces TCU in the Cheez-It Bowl.

Warren had a breakout season as the Bearcats' primary back. He's rushed for 1,163 yards and 17 touchdowns and has Cincinnati on the verge of winning 11 games for the first time since it went to the Sugar Bowl in 2009. Warren is expected to play in the Bearcats' bowl game after missing the season finale against East Carolina with a hip injury. 

Cincinnati faces Virginia Tech in the Military Bowl.

If you look back at Clemson in the last three College Football Playoffs, you will see that the quarterback position has been a big factor to how well it's performed. Freshman Lawrence earned the starting job early in the season and has added a downfield dynamic that was missing under Kelly Bryant. He threw for 2,606 yards with 24 touchdowns and just four interceptions but will be going up against a Notre Dame defense that may be better than he's faced all year. If Lawrence shines, the Tigers could be the team to beat in the Playoff. 

Clemson faces Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl.

Jones has had an up-and-down season and missed two games due to injury, but he is still a guy whom NFL teams are taking a good look at. He threw for 2,251 yards and 17 touchdowns. When he's good, he is really good (27-of-42, 396 yards, four TDs against Pitt), but when he's bad he can be awful (17-of-35, 130 yards, interception against Miami). 

Duke faces Temple in the Walk-On's Independence Bowl.

Defensive lineman Crosby was a first team All-MAC for the second straight season after recording 7.5 sacks and forcing five fumbles. He isn't the biggest guy to be a defensive lineman, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in his ability to use his speed to be a gifted edge rusher. 

Eastern Michigan faces Georgia Southern in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl. 

Franks greatly improved in his sophomore season, taking better care of the ball and making more plays with his arm. This year he threw for 2,284 yards and 23 touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions. (Last year he threw nine TDs and eight picks.) He's also been playing better as the season has gone along, throwing for 528 yards and six touchdowns over his last two games. 

Florida faces Michigan in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

The last time we saw Morgan and FIU, it may have been his worst game of the season (just 177 yards, two picks and no touchdowns in a loss to Marshall). In the seven games before that, he threw 18 touchdowns and just one interception. His 26 passing touchdowns set a school record. 

FIU faces Toledo in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.

Johnson's 93 catches were the second most in the Mountain West Conference this season, with his 1,307 yards placing third in the league. Aside from the Bulldogs win over Boise State in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game, Johnson has caught at least seven passes for 95 yards in six straight contests. 

Fresno State faces Arizona State in the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl.

Fields is just 41 yards away from a 1,000-yard rushing season and could get it against Eastern Michigan in the Camellia Bowl. Fields has been white-hot of late, running for 299 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games — wins over Coastal Carolina and Georgia State. 

Georgia Southern faces Eastern Michigan in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.

As the weather has gotten colder, Swift has been heating up. In his last six games, he's hit the 100-yard rushing mark in four and has scored a touchdown in all but one game (a blowout win over UMass when he rested). He's averaging 6.7 yards per carry and has been popping off huge runs all year long. In what should be a shootout against Texas, Swift could have another big game. 

Georgia faces Texas in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

The Yellow Jackets are a run-heavy outfit, and Marshall has done a fantastic job running retiring coach Paul Johnson's offense. Marshall led the team in rushing yards (824) while running in 11 touchdowns. He passed the ball only 100 times (completing just 44 of them) for five touchdowns. 

Georgia Tech faces Minnesota in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Ursua finished the season fifth nationally in receiving yards with 1,343. He was sixth in receptions and led the nation with 16 touchdown grabs. Hawaii's offense has been high-octane, but he has been the main target for Cole McDonald and had seven games where he caught for at least 123 yards. 

Hawaii faces Louisiana Tech in the Hawaii Bowl.

Houston's season didn't end the way the Cougars had hoped. They lost three of their last four games, and their sensational quarterback, D'Eriq King, injured his knee and was knocked out for the season. With Ed Oliver sitting out to concentrate on his NFL career, the star power for Houston isn't there. Carr, who ran for 816 yards this year, will be relied on more to carry the Cougars offense.  

Houston faces Army in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.

Coming into the season, Noah Fant was the player Hawkeye fans were hoping would lead them to a Big Ten West title. Fant had a decent season, but it was Hockenson who emerged as Iowa's go-to tight end. He caught 46 passes for 717 yards and six touchdowns (he actually rushed for another) and won the Mackey Award for top tight end. With Fant skipping the Outback Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft, Hockenson should be the featured receiver. 

Iowa faces Mississippi State in the Outback Bowl.

You can trace the turnaround of the Cyclones season to the game in which Purdy sparked a win. After beginning the season as the third-string quarterback, he went in against Oklahoma State and spearheaded a win that began a 6-1 run for Iowa State. The freshman threw for 1,935 yards, 16 touchdowns and just five picks in those seven games. 

Iowa State faces Washington State in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Allen emerged as one of the best defensive players in the nation. He won the Bronko Nagurski award, the Chuck Bednarik award, the Lott Award and was a consensus All-American. He had 14 sacks and five forced fumbles this season and will be a surefire first-round pick in the NFL Draft. 

Kentucky faces Penn State in the Citrus Bowl.

Mitchell is part of a trio of  good backs who make the Ragin' Cajuns a tough team to stop on the ground. Mitchell is the scorer of the bunch, leading Louisiana with 12 touchdowns this season to go with his 951 yards. Trey Ragas gets more touches and led the team in rushing during the regular season. Raymond Calais is the big-play back who is averaging 9.1 yards per carry. 

Louisiana faces Tulane in the AutoNation Cure Bowl

Ferguson leads the nation in sacks with 15 and has recorded 42.5 sacks over his brilliant career. He's one of the most feared pass rushers in the nation and one of the best at making big plays. He is 1.5 sacks away from tying Terrell Suggs for the all-time career mark.  

Louisiana Tech faces Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl.

White is one of the best linebackers in the nation. The former running back excels at chasing down runners, does well in coverage and can go sideline-to-sideline as well as anyone in the nation. His agility allows his teammates to do their jobs and take a few chances, as he can help cover up mistakes. He's a likely early pick in the NFL Draft if he declares. 

LSU faces UCF in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.

Brady has had a fine season, catching 66 passes for 914 yards and nine touchdowns, and he has a penchant for having some huge games. Against Texas-San Antonio last month, he caught six passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. He had an eight-catch day against Western Kentucky early in the season for 162 yards and two scores. 

Marshall faces South Florida in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl.

Henderson finished the season with 1,909 yards, second to Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor, and his 22 rushing touchdowns tied for tops in the country. He had nine games in which he ran for at least 130 yards; four games of at least 199 yards. He ran for multiple touchdowns in eight games.  

Memphis faces Wake Forest in the Birmingham Bowl.

Miami had another great defensive season, and one of the reasons is the impact that Quarterman has had. Even though the Hurricanes had a great defense, only Quarterman finished as a first team All-ACC selection. He is a high-motor, go-to guy who relishes his role as a leader. 

Miami faces Wisconsin in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

The Wolverines defense gets much of the hype (and it's what failed them against Ohio State), but getting Higdon going seems to be a must for Michigan to have success. He had only three games this year in which he failed to rush for 100 yards...and two of them were Michigan's only losses. On the year, he's run for 1,178 yards and 10 touchdowns and has been a workhorse when called upon. 

Michigan faces Florida in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Willekes won the Big Ten's Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year Award after recording 20 tackles for loss this season and leading one of the nation's best run defenses. The former walk-on was also named to the second team Walter Camp All-American squad. 

Michigan State faces Oregon in the Redbox Bowl. 

Stockstill is among the top 21 all time in passing touchdowns with 105 for his career. Two more touchdown passes in the New Orleans Bowl will tie him with Clemson's Tajh Boyd and Marshall's Chad Pennington for 18th all time. (Four more would tie him with Russell Wilson.) The Murfreesboro native threw for 28 touchdowns and over 3,200 yards this season.  

Middle Tennessee faces Appalachian State in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Johnson made the Big Ten's first team — becoming the first Golden Gopher offensive player since 2014 to do so — after a solid season. The hometown kid caught 74 passes for 1,112 yards and 10 touchdowns for Minnesota. He had six 100-yard games, and his ability to stretch the offense has opened up running space for running back Mohamed Ibrahim. 

Minnesota faces Georgia Tech in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Sweat is part of one of the best defensive lines in the country — one that even gave Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa trouble when the two teams faced off. He's 6-foot-6 with long arms and the speed to blow by blockers and the agility to avoid chip blocks. He's an elite talent who you will be hearing from on Sundays. 

Mississippi State faces Iowa in the Outback Bowl.

Lock had a rather ho-hum season just one year after leading the SEC in passing. Lock threw for 3,125 yards and 25 touchdowns for the 8-4 Tigers. Although he threw 19 less touchdowns this season than last, his completion percentage rose again to 64 percent. He hasn't thrown for 300 yards since Oct. 20 against Memphis...and now he is playing a bowl game in Memphis. 

Missouri faces Oklahoma State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

Finley was named to the first team All-ACC after a fantastic season. He completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,789 yards and 24 touchdowns, and the Gator Bowl ends a career in which he threw for over 11,000 yards and 62 touchdowns. Wolfpack quarterbacks tend to make a splash at the next level (see: Philip Rivers, Russell Wilson), and scouts have had their eye on Finley for quite some time.  

NC State faces Texas A&M in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Gangi finished fifth in the Mountain West in passing yards in a great season of passers in the league. He threw for 3,131 yards and 23 touchdowns. He threw for over 300 yards five times this season, including a 28-of-35 for 404 yards and four touchdown day against Colorado State in mid-November. 

Nevada faces Arkansas State in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. 

Fine is on the small side, but he has a big game. For two seasons, he has had the Mean Green offense near the top of the Conference USA. He topped his 4,000-yard season last year with a 3,734-yard outing this year while tossing 27 touchdowns and just five interceptions. In North Texas' opener, he completed 40 of 50 passes for 444 yards and three touchdowns in a win over SMU. 

North Texas faces Utah State in the New Mexico Bowl

Smith was third in the nation with 13 sacks, earning the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. He leads a Huskies defense that is among the best in the nation in rush defense (allowing just 107 yards per game). He was a first-team All-American last year, becoming just the second Northern Illinois player to be a consensus All-American. 

Northern Illinois faces UAB in the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl.

Northwestern will likely be in a defensive battle with Utah, so Bowser needs to have a big game. He's been great over the last half of the season, rushing for 794 yards and six touchdowns in the last seven games. If Bowser is getting a lot of touches and moving the chains, then the Wildcats have a chance to knock off the Utes. If he has another bad game like he did in the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State, it could be a long day. 

Northwestern faces Utah in the SDCCU Holiday Bowl. 

Just like the quarterback he'll be going up against, Book took over as the starter early in the season and added a passing dimension that the Irish offense didn't have. Book has completed 70 percent of his passes this year for 2,468 yards and 19 touchdowns. Of the four playoff quarterbacks, he is the least likely to put up video game-type numbers, but he runs his offense as good as any of them. He's also mobile enough to be a moving target against that great Clemson front line. 

Notre Dame faces Clemson in the College Football Playoff at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl.

The Bobcats boast one of the best offenses in the country, and it starts with quarterback Nathan Rourke. This season, he's thrown for 2,225 yards and 22 touchdowns and has run for 816 yards and 13 touchdowns. He's a classic dual-threat quarterback who has improved his passing in, this, his junior season. In Ohio's final game of the season, Rourke ran for 86 yards and four touchdowns against Akron. 

Ohio faces San Diego State in the DXL Frisco Bowl. 

If this was any other year, Haskins would have taken the Heisman Trophy back to Columbus. He set Big Ten records with 4,580 yards and 42 passing touchdowns. If he passes for 420 yards against a very good Washington defense, he would hit the 5,000 yard mark. (He passed for over 420 yards in three different games this season.) 

Ohio State faces Washington in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual.

The spotlight is on. Murray has spent all season in the shadows and now is the brightest star in the sport. He started the year replacing a Heisman winner who was the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, with a baseball contract in his back pocket and other quarterbacks living in the national limelight. Now he is the Heisman winner and enters the Playoff facing the team many feel cannot be beaten. Everyone knows his name, and he's getting calls from those trying to convince him to be a two-sport athlete. As if facing a Nick Saban defense with weeks to prepare isn't tough enough.  

Oklahoma faces Alabama in the College Football Playoff at the Capital One Orange Bowl.

Wallace is following in a long line of great Oklahoma State wide receivers. He caught 79 passes for 1,408 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had a whale of a three-game stretch in early November when he caught 28 passes for 564 yards in games against Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma. A big-time player in big-time games. 

Oklahoma State faces Missouri in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

This is how good scouts believe Herbert can be: He threw for 2,985 yards and 28 touchdowns, and people feel he had a rocky season. Well, he did, especially right after Stanford came back to beat the Ducks in Eugene. What was once a Heisman season collapsed with several games in which he failed to pass for at least 225 yards. Scouts still love him if he decides to declare for the draft, and Heisman voters may love him if he takes another crack at college. 

Oregon faces Michigan State in the Redbox Bowl.

The Citrus Bowl will be the final game in the storied career of McSorley at Penn State. He owns virtually all passing records in program history. This year was a bit down for him, but he is 347 yards away from hitting the 10,000-yard mark for his career. He'll go up against a tough Kentucky defense in his finale. 

Penn State faces Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl.

Ollison has pretty much been the focus of the Panthers offense all year. Just a month ago, he ran for 235 yards and three TDs against Virginia Tech and had a 192-yard effort against Syracuse earlier this year. He's also had some low points, rushing for under 60 yards in four of the last five games. 

Pittsburgh faces Stanford in the Hyundai Sun Bowl.

Moore...just a freshman...led the nation in receptions with 103. He also finished tied for seventh in receiving touchdowns (12) and 11th in receiving yards (1,164). He's had seven games of at least 100 yards, and over the last three outings he has caught 29 passes for 331 yards and five touchdowns. 

Purdue faces Auburn in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.

Washington led the Aztecs in scoring but didn't capture the fans' hearts the way Donnel Pumphrey or Rashaad Penny did. Washington ran for 870 yards despite missing four games in the middle of the season. San Diego State has lost three straight games (and four out of five to end the season) after beginning the season 6-1. 

San Diego State faces Ohio in the DXL Frisco Bowl.

Love shocked many by returning for his senior season after finishing second in the 2017 Heisman voting, and this season certainly didn't go as planned. The preseason Heisman front-runner battled injuries, and he was running behind an iffy offensive line to gain just 838 yards from scrimmage (after gaining 2,151 yards last year). He recorded just one 100-yard rushing game this year, one year after failing to rush for 100 yards just once. In his final game at Stanford, he may want to put his stamp on his Cardinal career. 

Stanford faces Pittsburgh in the Hyundai Sun Bowl.

Bentley has had an uneven season for the Gamecocks but has come on strong over the last five weeks, when he's thrown for 1,650 yards, 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions while connecting at a 67 percent completion rate. In a loss to rival Clemson, he tossed for 510 yards and five touchdowns. 

South Carolina faces Virginia in the Belk Bowl. 

Wilcox earned All-AAC honors at the tight end position with his 40 receptions for 506 yards and two scores. His receptions and yards totals set a school record for a tight end in a season, and he set the career yardage mark for the position. If he catches seven passes in the Gasparilla Bowl, he will break South Florida's career receptions mark. 

South Florida faces Marshall in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl.

Dungey owns many of Syracuse's passing records and will be ending one of the best careers in Orange history. This season, he completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,565 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for career bests 732 yards and 15 touchdowns. He's been Mr. Everything for the Orange this season and would love to go out with a bang. 

Syracuse faces West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl.

It's been a tough year in Ft. Worth, but Reagor has made the most of it. Despite having different quarterbacks all season, Reagor still managed to catch 72 passes for 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns. His TDs are on par with his freshman season, but his targets went way up this season. He had five games with eight catches, has gained over 86 yards in each of the Horned Frogs' last five games and has caught a touchdown in each of the last seven games. 

TCU faces California in the Cheez-It Bowl.

Wright is one of the most explosive players in college football. As a returner, he ran back three kicks for touchdowns (two punts, one kickoff). He's averaging nearly 15 yards per punt return and 25 yards per kickoff return while also catching 33 passes for 368 yards and three more scores. In the last game of the regular season, he even rushed for a touchdown (to go with a 99-yard kick return) in a blowout against UConn. 

Temple faces Duke in the Walk-On's Independence Bowl.

Ehlinger has had a great sophomore season. What Longhorn fans have to love is how he performs in big games. In the Big 12 title game against Oklahoma, he threw for 349 yards and two passing touchdowns and also had two rushing touchdowns. He was big in the Longhorns' first matchup with the Sooners (386 total yards, five total TDs) and against West Virginia (406 total yards, four total TDs). His Sugar Bowl matchup with Georgia will be his biggest yet. T

exas faces Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Sternberger is one of the premier tight ends in the nation. This season, he caught 47 passes for 804 yards and 10 touchdowns. Not bad for a guy who is playing for his third program in three seasons. He spent his freshman season at Kansas where he didn't get much playing time. After a year at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, he made the move back to the FBS by joining Texas A&M. (He was being recruited by Jimbo Fisher while he was at Florida State and went to College Station when Fisher took the head coaching job there.)  

Texas A&M faces NC State in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Koback tied for the MAC lead with 13 rushing touchdowns. In the Rockets' final two games of the season, he rushed for 316 yards and four touchdowns against Kent State and Central Michigan. The freshman transferred from Kentucky last year to be closer to home. (He redshirted last year.) 

Toledo faces FIU in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.

Smith is second in the Sun Belt in rushing with 1,093 yards, and he is tied for second with 12 rushing scores. In the middle of the season, Smith reeled off five straight 100-yard games. That included a 170-yard effort in a win over South Alabama where he broke off touchdown runs of 36 and 56 yards. 

Troy faces Buffalo in the Dollar General Bowl. 

Mooney is a big-play receiver who caught just 47 passes this season with eight going for touchdowns. He is averaging 21 yards per catch and has exploded toward the end of the season. Against East Carolina on Nov. 10, he caught six passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns. In the Green Wave's finale against Navy, he reeled in five passes for 135 yards. 

Tulane faces Louisiana in the AutoNation Cure Bowl

Brown has been the Blazers offense this season. He ran for 1,149 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has nearly as many rushing attempts this season as the next four Blazers combined. Against Middle Tennessee in the Conference USA Championship Game, he ran for 156 yards and a touchdown. 

UAB faces Northern Illinois in the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl.

With McKenzie Milton out for the season, it is Mack's duty to finish off the Knight's second consecutive undefeated season. In the American Athletic Conference Championship Game, he threw for 348 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 59 yards and four touchdowns. He'll face a talented LSU defense in the Fiesta Bowl, so the coaching staff will spend the next few weeks expanding the playbook for him. 

UCF faces LSU in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.

Yes, I am featuring a punter here. Wishnowsky was named to the Walter Camp second team All-American squad, marking the third year he has been named to an All-American team. He finished ninth in the nation in punt average (45.0), and over his career only nine of his 170 punts have been touchbacks — an amazing stat. With Utah's offense riddled with injuries and the Utes living off their tough defense, Wishnowsky will be needed to switch the field position game quite a bit against Northwestern. 

Utah faces Northwestern in the SDCCU Holiday Bowl. 

There isn't a quarterback in the nation who has experienced the kind of roller coaster season that Jordan Love has had. The Aggies quarterback would have a big yardage game followed by a statistically unimpressive game. Then it would cycle through again. That doesn't bode well for Utah State in the New Mexico Bowl, since the last time we saw Love he threw for 363 yards and three TDs against Boise State. Still, Love has thrown for over 3,200 yards this season with 28 touchdowns and five picks.  

Utah State faces North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl.

Shurmur, son of New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur, has been a three-year starter for the Commodores and has come a long way. In this, his senior season, he completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,844 yards and 23 touchdowns. His accuracy went way up, as evidenced by throwing just six interceptions this year. (He threw 10 in each of his last two seasons).  

Vanderbilt faces Baylor in the Academy Sports & Outdoors Bowl.

Hall may be the best player on the field when Virginia takes on South Carolina in the Belk Bowl. He is a lockdown cornerback who sticks with his man, and he has a knack for breaking up passes. He likely will be a first-round pick if he makes himself available for the NFL Draft. 

Virginia faces South Carolina in the Belk Bowl.

Hazelton led the Hokies with 45 catches for 745 yards and eight touchdowns in what was a down year in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech got to its 26th straight bowl appearance by winning its final two games right after losing four in a row. If the Hokies want to beat Cincinnati, they'll need Hazelton to perform like he did early in the season, like his 12-catch effort against Notre Dame. 

Virginia Tech faces Cincinnati in the Military Bowl. 

Dortch caught 89 passes for the Demon Deacons, which tied for the ACC lead, and his 1,078 yards were second in the conference. (His eight receiving touchdowns tied for second as well.) He has had three games this year win which he caught at least 10 passes and four games where he gained at least 120 yards. 

Wake Forest faces Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl.

The Rose Bowl is the final game in a brilliant career for Myles Gaskin. He became the first player in Pac-12 history to rush for 1,000 yards in all four seasons. In his senior year, he ran for 1,147 yards and 10 touchdowns and has run for over 5,200 yards and 55 touchdowns for his career. He's rushed for over 135 yards in three of his last four games. 

Washington faces Ohio State in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual.

Minshew...and his mustache...has been a smash this season. He led the nation in passing yards during the regular season with 4,477 yards and 36 touchdowns. Aside from his dismal showing in the Apple Cup loss to Washington in the snow, he's thrown for 300 yards in each game. In fact, in the game prior to the Huskies loss, he threw for 473 yards and seven TDs against Arizona. 

Washington State faces Iowa State in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

In Sills' final game with the Mountaineers, he won't have his quarterback. Will Grier. throwing it to him. (Grier is skipping the bowl to concentrate on preparing for the draft.) Still, Sills has had one of the best careers in West Virginia history. Over the last two seasons, he has caught 121 passes for 1,876 yards and 33 touchdowns.  

West Virginia faces Syracuse in the Camping World Bowl.

Bellamy's 1,172 yards led the Mid-American Conference this season, while his backfield mate, Jamauri Bogan, led the league in rushing touchdowns (15). In the Broncos' second to last game, Bellamy carried the ball 35 times for 213 yards and a touchdown in an overtime loss to Ball State. However, three of his last four outings saw him gain 52 or less yards... usually due to Western Michigan falling behind big and having to abandon the run. If Bellamy can be a factor, then the Broncos can win the Idaho Potato Bowl.  

Western Michigan faces BYU in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Despite Wisconsin's disappointing season, Taylor still had a great year. He rushed for 1,989 yards, which led the nation. He also scored 15 touchdowns and averaged an amazing 165.8 yards per game. He had just one game in which he ran for less than 100 yards and four games where he ran for over 200. 

Wisconsin faces Miami in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.