Winners and Losers of New Year's Day Bowls

If the New Year's Day bowl games are any indication, 2015 is going to be all sorts of fun.

This bowl season has been wildly entertaining for the most part, and New Year's Day was no exception. We had one overtime game, one come-from-behind thriller and perhaps the best individual play you'll see this postseason. 

And that didn't include the playoff semifinals. 

Florida State, which hadn't lost a game since 2012, finally saw its undefeated streak and national title hopes go down the drain to Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, Ohio State shocked Alabama with third-string quarterback Cardale Jones at the helm. 

Which games, players and coaches were winners on New Year's Day? Which ones fell short? The answers are in the following slides.

Winner: Wisconsin Running Back Melvin Gordon

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

The chatter about Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon in his final college game was misplaced.

In a thrilling 34-31 overtime win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl, Gordon finished with 251 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. That puts him just 41 yards short of the single-season record held by former Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders (2,628). 

Here's the thing, though: Sanders played in 11 regular-season games, and his 222 yards in the Holiday Bowl didn't count toward his total. Conversely, every yard Gordon gained this season added to his total. Thus, the comparison is uneven no matter how you slice it.

So don't slice it at all. Actually, make a New Year's resolution not to worry about it. It takes too much focus away from the things Gordon did this season, like rush for 408 yards in three quarters against Nebraska. (That was a record, by the way, which was held for one whole week until Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine put up 427 yards against Kansas.)

His college finale did not disappoint, either. "I think someone told him he wouldn't have the numbers he had if he played in the SEC, and he begged to differ," interim coach Barry Alvarez said, per Badger Football.

Winner: Minnesota Tight End Maxx Williams

Do you enjoy football players of the larger persuasion making ridiculous athletic plays?

Don't answer that; it was rhetorical. Of course you do. 

Well, then you'll love Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams. The Golden Gophers fell short, 33-17, to the Missouri Tigers in the Citrus Bowl, but it certainly wasn't Williams' fault. The sophomore led all receivers in the game with 98 yards on seven receptions and a touchdown.

The lone score came in spectacular fashion in the third quarter on a 54-yard pass from Mitch Leidner, where Williams proceeded to hurdle not one, but two defenders. Video of the soon-to-be SportsCenter top-10 play can be seen above, while different angles of the catch can be seen via B/R's Kyle Newport.

We tend to be creatures of the moment, but that has a strong case for play of the year. 

Loser: Baylor

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

How's this for a stat? According to ESPN Stats & Info, only one team came back from a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit during the regular season. That would be Baylor in the 61-58 victory over TCU in October. 

This time, however, the Bears were on the other end of a 20-point comeback.

The theme of the Cotton Bowl appeared it was going to be a preview of Kendal Briles, the son of Baylor head coach Art Briles, as the team's offensive coordinator. Up 41-21 heading into the fourth quarter, Baylor looked to be in good shape against Michigan State. The Bears had an excellent game plan and were throwing downfield bombs all day. 

That is, until the Spartans scored 21 straight points to win 42-41 in dramatic fashion. The final score, a 10-yard touchdown pass from Connor Cook to Keith Mumphery, came with just 17 seconds remaining. 

It was a total meltdown by Baylor. ESPN Stats & Info also tweeted that Michigan State had a 1.5 percent chance of winning when down by 20 points in the fourth quarter, according to ESPN's probability model. Poor clock management, zero running game—22 attempts for minus-20 yards—penalties, a surprise onside kick and Baylor's kicking game were all issues that contributed to the rally. 

It's a great win for Michigan State, which was lacking a signature victory. Conversely, and fair or not, it adds more fuel to the belief that Baylor was never screwed out of a playoff spot.

Winner: Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi

Al Goldis/Associated Press

Now that's how you finish your final game before taking a head coaching job, Pat Narduzzi. The Michigan State defensive coordinator didn't have his best plan drawn up in his final contest before moving on as Pitt's new head coach, but he orchestrated big plays when it mattered. 

Sure, Michigan State's Cotton Bowl win over Baylor wasn't the traditional defensive performance you'd expect from the Spartans. In fact, the whole "Baylor offense vs. Michigan State defense" narrative was misguided to begin with. This has not been the Michigan State defense of 2013. 

Narduzzi appeared to game-plan for Baylor's rushing attack, loading plenty of defenders in the box early. The results? The Bears threw for 603 yards and regularly beat the Spartans deep.

Though Michigan State's pass defense was terrible, it held Baylor to minus-20 yards rushing, an aspect of the offense that would have been helpful for the Bears late in the game. 

But in the fourth quarter, Michigan State held Baylor to just a few first downs on three full possessions and zero points. On Baylor's final desperation drive, Michigan State sacked Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty twice and secured a game-sealing interception. It was a great adjustment by Narduzzi, who managed to get more pressure on Petty as the game went on. That's been the weakness of the Bears offense all season. 

Even in a so-so defensive effort, Narduzzi was a key component to Michigan State getting a win. 

Loser: Auburn's Penalty Problem

Associated Press

The theme for Auburn all season, as Jon Solomon of CBSSports.com points out, has been miscues. In the Outback Bowl loss to Wisconsin, those miscues turned out to be costly once again. 

In the 34-31 overtime loss, the Tigers committed nine penalties for 75 yards. That's actually two penalties more than what Auburn averages on the season. Among the more costly miscues was a late hit out of bounds on Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon on the final drive of regulation. 

That leads to another point. It's not just that Auburn commits a lot of penalties, it's that Auburn's penalties are as untimely as any in college football. There's no doubt the Tigers are talented and, even with a poor defense, capable of winning a lot of games. 

However, the penalties and other miscues have been a frustrating part of Auburn's game. Certainly it's something head coach Gus Malzahn must address in the offseason. Without a doubt, it led to Thursday's loss. 

Winner: Oregon

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Any talk remaining about Oregon being a finesse team can officially be put to bed. 

Yes, the Ducks are fast—so fast that they can get off a new play before opposing defenses or TV announcers are set. However, that doesn't mean Oregon won't line up and run through opponents. It's happened all season; it's just a matter of whether anyone chose to pay attention to it. 

Certainly Oregon has everyone's attention now after a 59-20 blowout over Florida State in the Rose Bowl. The victory sends the Ducks to Arlington, Texas, for the College Football Playoff National Championship January 12. 

With running backs Thomas Tyner and Royce Freeman along with Heisman-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota, Oregon was able to put up 301 yards rushing. Whether running inside or on the perimeter, the Ducks pushed around Florida State. Both the offensive linemen and wide receivers did a great job blocking. 

The Seminoles had absolutely no answer. 

On defense, Oregon kept Florida State off the field on a goal-line stand in the first quarter, setting the tone for the rest of the game. In all, the Ducks capitalized off of five turnovers with 34 points. 

Florida State has had its issues, but this is as convincing of a win as you're going to find this postseason.

Loser: Florida State

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The mistakes finally caught up to Florida State, likely because the Seminoles faced a team capable of making them pay for such miscues. 

The national semifinal was competitive for two-and-a-half quarters, but in the end, five turnovers is no way to win a football game. Oregon made sure of that by scoring 41 second-half points to win the Rose Bowl 59-20. It was an anticlimactic end to what will likely be the final college game for Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston. 

According to ESPN Stats & Info, the 59 points ties the FSU record for most points allowed in a game (Auburn, 1985). The loss ends a 29-game winning streak for the Seminoles that dated back to 2012. It was quite a run, but this was also nowhere near the national championship team of 2013. 

Florida State has been able to come from behind time and time again this season, but as Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports notes, Oregon is too good of an opponent to test that theory again. 

In the end, the Seminoles weren't overmatched by Oregon's speed. Rather, Florida State lost because the mistakes it has made all season became insurmountable.

Winner: Ohio State

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

As a reminder, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer did not win the Big Ten Coach of the Year. (That, by the way, went to Minnesota's Jerry Kill, who did a good job leading the Gophers to an 8-5 season.) 

Chances are, Meyer couldn't care less about that now. He has his eyes on a bigger trophy. 

Coming into the playoff semifinals, Ohio State had an uphill perception battle to fight. The Buckeyes sneaked in with the No. 4 seed over Baylor and TCU—both of which had arguments to be in the playoff field. Given that the Buckeyes lost to Virginia Tech in Week 2, there were more than a few skeptics about their spot in the final four. 

A 42-35 victory over No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl eliminated those doubts, however. Ohio State has now won 13 games while developing two backup quarterbacks—successfully, mind you. 

"I think they underestimated our speed and talent level," Buckeyes running back Jalin Marshall said, via Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports. "I think we shocked them tonight."

There's no doubt Ohio State has the talent to go toe-to-toe with any team in the country. The question was whether quarterback Cardale Jones was going to own the moment in his second career start. The sophomore answered that one, finishing with 243 yards passing and 286 total yards. 

Regardless of who won or lost, the other argument was going to be about TCU, which beat Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl 42-3, and its playoff gripe. The Frogs may still have a complaint, but it's not with the Buckeyes. 

Loser: Alabama's Defense

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There was no single reason Alabama lost the Sugar Bowl to Ohio State. There was poor clock management on the final drive of the game. There were questionable calls from offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. There were costly interceptions thrown by quarterback Blake Sims. 

The one thing that stands out above the rest, however, is the porous Alabama defense. The Tide have fielded one of the best defensive groups in the country, finishing third in points per game allowed and second in yards per rush. 

That wasn't the case in the 42-35 loss to Ohio State in which the Buckeyes ran for 281 yards and two touchdowns on 6.7 yards per rush. The Tide's pass defense, which has been more susceptible to big plays, also gave up plenty of passing yards downfield, especially over the middle. 

Ohio State has the athletes to compete with Alabama—that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone—but how many projected the Buckeyes would outgain the Tide altogether (537 yards to 407 yards)?

"We didn't have control of the football game the way we usually do," head coach Nick Saban said, per Tony Gerdeman, the O-Zone.net. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.