We still have the national championship game, but my final Top 25 is complete, based upon the results of the bowl games. I have also ranked all of the conferences (including independents) by their bowl performance, ties settled by a formula combined strength of opponent and point differential.
Top 25 [Position at end of season]
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (13-1) [3] : They dominated Cincinnati and proved that their victory in the SEC Championship Game was not a fluke. They seem to have worked out the kinks in their offense; it just took ten weeks!
2. Georgia Bulldogs (13-1) [4] : Another dominant performance and a rematch against Alabama
3. Cincinnati Bearcats (13-1) [1] : I don't care how badly Alabama beat them -- they were a remarkable team this year who deserved to be in the playoffs. Let's see if that starts a trend of accepting Group of Five winners.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2) [6] : It took until the second half for their team to really get on track, but then it was nothing but the Buckeyes
5. Baylor Bears (12-2) [7] : The surprise Big XII Champ pulverized Ole Miss to conclude a fabulous bowl season for the conference (see below)
6. Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-2) [8] : What an amazing comeback!
7. Michigan Wolverines (12-2) [2] : The Wolverine offensive woes from 2017-2020 returned for the playoff game
8. Oklahoma Sooners (11-2) [9] : They had an offensive explosion!
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-2) [5] : They ran afoul of the Baylor Bears
10. Michigan State Spartans (11-2) [10]
11. Houston Cougars (12-2) [11]
12. Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (13-1) [12]
13. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (11-3) [18] : They bounced back well from their collapse in Championship Week. Of course, they were playing a team with a losing record.
14. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (11-2) [15]
15. Utah Utes (10-4) [14] : They started well, but they couldn't stop the Buckeyes in the second half
16. Kentucky Wildcats (10-3) [NR] : By beating Iowa, the Wildcats had the best performance by a non-playoff SEC team in the bowls
17. North Carolina State Wolf Pack (9-3) [17]
18. Pittsburgh Panthers (11-3) [13] : The ACC Champ was just spanked by the Spartans defense
19. Wisconsin Badgers (9-4) [24]
20. Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-4) [22]
21. Air Force Falcons (10-3) [23]
22. UTSA Roadrunners (12-2) [16]
23. Clemson Tigers (10-3) [26]
24. Utah State Aggies (11-3) [27]
25. San Diego State Aztecs (12-2) [NR]
Honorable Mentions: Fresno State Bulldogs (10-3), Arkansas Razorbacks (9-4), Army Black Knights (9-4), Appalachian State Mountaineers (10-4), Iowa Hawkeyes (10-4), UAB Blazers (9-4)
Conference Bowl Rankings
Once again, Group of Five conferences led the Power Five, but there were some surprises
1. Mountain West (5-1) -- This one was a shock. I don't think anyone expected the Mountain West to achieve the best bowl record. From Fresno State to Air Force this conference ruled the bowls. Perhaps the best performance was turned in by San Diego State, who corrected a final week stumble by outdrawing the UTSA Roadrunners.
2. American Athletic (3-1) -- Only Cincinnati lost, which also helps boost the reputation of this conference. Three of their top teams are moving to the Big XII in a couple of years, but they're moving in other teams. I think the quality of opposition will make those newcomers better.
3. Sun Belt (3-1) -- Not really a surprise. The Sun Belt usually does well in the bowls
4. Big XII (5-2) -- The top Power Five conference, the teams produced some strong performances. A lesson to their opponents next year -- never underestimate the Big XII teams
5. Big Ten (6-4) -- Really, this record should be 6-3, as we really cannot fault Rutgers for their loss. The conference started unbeaten, but Rutgers broke that streak, and started a streak of four consecutive losses. Thankfully Ohio State engineered one of their many 2021 second half adjustments and won the Rose Bowl to keep the conference with a winning bowl record.
6. Independents (2-2) -- Favored in all of their games, BYU barely lost. Truly the most shocking result was Notre Dame's loss
7. SEC (5-7) -- The conference will only focus on Alabama and Georgia, which are two of the few highlights of bowl season for this conference. Arkansas and Kentucky pulled off marvelous upsets, and Tennessee drove Purdue to overtime, but there is little else to tout about their bowl performance.
8. Conference USA (3-5) -- This conference often struggles in bowls, and that continued this year. I do acknowledge Western Kentucky for their upset win over Appalachian State.
9. MAC (3-5) -- For a while it looked like they might go winless, Miami Ohio dominated North Texas. Then Western Michigan had a dominating upset win over Nevada. The most impressive performance, though, had to come from Central Michigan. Moved to the Sun Bowl to play Washington State after both Miami (Washington State's original opponent) and Boise State (Central Michigan's original opponent in the Arizona Bowl) cancelled due to COVID issues, the Chippewas made the most of the opportunity with a great defensive performance, holding back the powerful Washington State offense enough to win.
10. ACC (2-4) -- Wake Forest beating up on 5-7 Rutgers is really the only highlight of the bowl season for them
11. Pac-12 (0-5) -- Not much to say here, other than I'm sure it was a disappointing bowl season for the conference
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