Predicting MVPs for Every 2015-16 College Football Bowl Game
Aside from the playoff semifinal games and a few other notable games, there's not much left to play for in bowl season, right?
Tell that to the athletes who will be donning their school's colors for the last time this season, or possibly in their career, over the next few weeks. It's that last chance to make an impact before college football goes into its long offseason hibernation, and the players are well aware of this finality.
Every year, bowl season is filled with amazing individual performances from an array of players. Some come from the usual suspects—the stars who led all throughout the regular season—while others will be courtesy of veterans who are going out with a bang. And a few others will come from relatively unknown players who use the final game as a coming-out party.
Last week we predicted the breakout star from all 40 bowl games, not including the national championship game. Now, we move to the overall MVP of every 2015-16 bowl contest—that one player whose effort will stand out above all others.
New Mexico Bowl: Arizona vs. New Mexico
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Scooby Wright, LB, Arizona
Arguably the best defensive player in the country in 2014, Wright won three national awards while leading the country in tackles, tackles for loss and forced fumbles as a sophomore. But during his junior year he saw more time on surgery tables and rehab rooms than the football field, as a pair of injuries limited him to parts of two games and only eight tackles.
Wright hasn't played since Sept. 26 because of a foot injury suffered against UCLA (his first game back after tearing a knee ligament in the season opener and having surgery). He's been cleared for the bowl game, and Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star wrote that Wright is expected to start Saturday.
Without the 6'1”, 246-pound junior in the middle of the linebacker corps, Arizona's defense has been pillaged to the tune of 35.7 points per game and nearly six yards per play. Wright's availability is key to stopping New Mexico's option run game, which averages 246.6 yards per game.
Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs. BYU
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Tanner Mangum, QB, BYU
Outside of the playoff games, the Las Vegas Bowl might be the most hotly contested matchup of the next few weeks thanks to it serving as the backdrop for a heated rivalry that's not short on hatred. The Holy War, as it's called, has been played 95 times since 1896 but hasn't happened since 2013.
Interest was so high among the fanbases that 38,500-seat Sam Boyd Stadium was sold out less than a day after the matchup was announced.
Mangum will make his first appearance in the rivalry, having spent the previous two years on a Mormon mission in Chile. He set the school freshman passing record with 3,062 yards, etching his name in BYU lore in the season opener when he came in for injured starter Taysom Hill and threw a Hail Mary touchdown pass to win at Nebraska.
With a big performance against Utah, which has won the last four meetings, Mangum might be in line for a statue.
Camellia Bowl: Appalachian State vs. Ohio
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Marcus Cox, RB, Appalachian State
Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer put the Camellia Bowl dead last when ranking all of the bowls by overall watchability, and that's understandable because neither Appalachian State nor Ohio has much brand recognition. Those who have watched Appalachian this season know the Mountaineers have some studs on offense, but their only chance to shine on a big stage came in September against Clemson.
Cox has been tearing it up for the past three years—the last two since Appalachian State moved up to FBS. If we include his freshman numbers, he'd be set to join the 4,000-yard club for his career in this game, the first postseason contest for the Mountaineers since the 2012 FCS playoffs.
He had 103 yards against Clemson in that 41-10 loss, one of seven 100-yard games this season.
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Cure Bowl: Georgia State vs. San Jose State
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Tyler Ervin, RB, San Jose State
San Jose State hasn't played in a bowl game since 2012, which was Ervin's sophomore year. He only got three carries for minus-13 yards in that game, a 29-20 win over Bowling Green in the Military Bowl.
Now a senior—he took a medical redshirt in 2013 because of injury—Ervin is having a career year. He's 12th in FBS in rushing yards per game at 122.4, and along the way he set the school single-game record with 300 yards against Fresno State in September.
Ervin needs 109 yards to set the Spartans' single-season rushing record, set by Deonce Whitaker in 2000.
New Orleans Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Louisiana Tech
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Kenneth Dixon, RB, Louisiana Tech
One of the most versatile backs in FBS history, Dixon has scored 83 total touchdowns via the run and the pass in his career. That puts him tied for second all-time, three behind Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds.
This season Dixon has scored 22 times, 17 on the ground and five on receptions from Jeff Driskel. For his career he's converted 13 of his 82 catches into scores.
He's coming off his worst performance of the season, though, having been held to minus-four yards on eight carries in the 58-24 home loss to Southern Mississippi that cost the Bulldogs a second straight Conference USA West Division title. Look for him to redeem himself in his final college game.
Miami Beach Bowl: South Florida vs. Western Kentucky
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Brandon Doughty, QB, Western Kentucky
It's going to be hard for Doughty to top what he did in his bowl appearance last season, throwing for 486 yards and five touchdowns in Western Kentucky's wild 49-48 win over Central Michigan in the Bahamas Bowl. That was supposed to be his final college game, but the NCAA granted him a sixth year of eligibility due to his missing nearly all of two seasons with knee injuries.
Doughty has made the most of his extra time, leading the nation in touchdown passes (45) and completion percentage (71.8) while throwing for 4,594 yards. In the past two years he's thrown for 9,424 yards and 94 TDs.
South Florida has intercepted seven passes in its last three games, but Doughty has only been picked off seven times in 496 attempts this year.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Akron vs. Utah State
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Nick Vigil, LB, Utah State
Spuddy, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl mascot, is such a big attraction at this game that he warrants his own assistant to shield him from rain. That makes him the unofficial MVP (if you sub in potato for player) every year, but the game has produced some big efforts of late.
Most of those have been on the offensive end, but this year we're going with a defensive standout, since Akron and Utah State both ranked among the top 22 teams in FBS in yards allowed per game.
Vigil, a 6'2”, 235-pound junior, has topped 120 tackles in all three seasons including a career-best 140 takedowns this year. He also ran for a touchdown in Utah State's final regular-season game and had a rushing TD in the Aggies' 2014 New Mexico Bowl win over UTEP.
Boca Raton Bowl: Temple vs. Toledo
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Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple
A year after being bowl-eligible but not earning a bid, Temple made sure there was no doubt it was worthy of an invite by winning nine games and claiming the American Athletic Conference's East Division title. That run was paced by a defense that allowed 19.2 points per game and ranked 18th nationally in yards allowed.
And as it's been for four years now, Matakevich anchored that defense in the middle.
This year the 6'1”, 232-pound senior won the Bednarik Award, which is given to the nation's top defensive player. With 126 tackles this season, he's the seventh player in FBS history to reach triple digits in tackles for four straight years.
Poinsettia Bowl: Boise State vs. Northern Illinois
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Thomas Sperbeck, WR, Boise State
Sperbeck first made a name for himself at the 2014 Fiesta Bowl, catching 12 passes for 199 yards in Boise's 38-30 win over Arizona last December. He made sure not to be a one-game wonder, putting together a junior season for the Broncos' record books.
Sperbeck has 82 catches for 1,334 yards and eight touchdowns; he already is the school single-season yardage leader and needs seven more receptions for that school mark. Along the way this year he set single-game Boise records with 20 catches and 281 yards against New Mexico.
Any receiver who has a big game in this bowl will have earned it, since Boise and Northern Illinois combined for 43 interceptions this season.
GoDaddy Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Georgia Southern
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Travis Greene, RB, Bowling Green
The college football coaching carousel wreaks havoc on bowl season, leaving several teams that had strong years to finish things out without their head coach. The GoDaddy Bowl has the distinction of pitting a pair of interim coaches, since Bowling Green's Dino Babers is now at Syracuse and Georgia Southern's Willie Fritz has landed at Tulane.
Though each team will attempt to stick with what worked so well during the regular season, some changes are possible. Bowling Green might not move the ball at such a fast pace as with Babers, when it had 1,073 offensive snaps in 13 games, though that shouldn't have an effect on Greene's performance out of the backfield.
The 5'10”, 189-pound senior is coming off a career-best 183 rushing yards in the Mid-American Conference title-game win over Northern Illinois. He's scored 10 of his 14 rushing touchdowns in the past five games.
Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan
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Brent Stockstill, QB, Middle Tennessee
The most prolific freshman quarterback in the country this season, Stockstill threw for 3,678 yards with 27 touchdowns against a schedule that featured three power-conference teams (including Alabama). The son of Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill has the most passing yards by a freshman in Conference USA history.
He's thrown for 300 or more yards seven times in 2015, but if last year's inaugural Bahamas Bowl is any indication, he could be in line for his first 400-yard game.
The 2014 matchup between Central Michigan and Western Kentucky, which the latter won 49-48, featured 979 passing yards and 12 TDs.
Hawaii Bowl: San Diego State vs. Cincinnati
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Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State
He hasn't made any public declarations of his future, but it wouldn't be surprising for Pumphrey to declare for the NFL draft after the final game of his junior season. If he ends up returning for another year, the 5'9” 180-pound rusher is a shoo-in to become San Diego State's all-time rushing leader.
Pumphrey has run for 4,173 yards in three seasons, 416 yards behind Marshall Faulk's Aztecs mark. This year he's run for 1,554 yards and 16 touchdowns, though in the Mountain West Conference title-game win over Nevada he was held under 100 yards for only the fourth time in 2015 and went without a TD run for just the third time this season.
Arguably his best game this season came in Honolulu, when Pumphrey had 30 carries for 148 yards and three TDs in a mid-October win at Hawaii.
St. Petersburg Bowl: Connecticut vs. Marshall
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Jamar Summers, CB, Connecticut
Marshall's Chase Litton took over the starting quarterback job in the third week of this season, throwing four touchdown passes against FCS Norfolk State. He finished with 22 TDs and just seven interceptions, though two came against Western Kentucky in the regular-season finale.
Now, he'll be dealing with one of the top ball hawks in the country in Summers, a sophomore whose seven interceptions tied for third-most in FBS this season. Four of his picks came during a key three-game win streak for the Huskies that helped them gain bowl eligibility, including one he returned 67 yards for a TD in a 7-3 win at Tulane.
Sun Bowl: Miami (Florida) vs. Washington State
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Luke Falk, QB, Washington State
Had he not suffered a head injury that caused him to miss roughly the final six quarters of the regular season, Falk would probably be in line for a 5,000-yard passing season. The sophomore still leads FBS in passing yards per game at 387.8, and his 36 touchdowns are a school record.
Most impressive for Falk, though, has been a 70.7 completion rate, which ranks second in the nation. Considering he attempts 53.7 passes per game, to be that accurate (and only throw eight interceptions) is impressive.
Miami ranks 29th in FBS in pass defense, giving up 196.3 yards per game with 15 interceptions, but Falk threw for at least 303 yards in every game he completed against an FBS opponent this season.
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Southern Mississippi vs. Washington
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Nick Mullens, QB, Southern Mississippi
Already the school single-season record-holder for passing yards (4,145) and touchdowns (36), Mullens can finish off Southern Miss' amazing turnaround year with the program's first bowl win since 2011. Beating Washington would also mark the Golden Eagles' first victory against a power-conference team since a 2011 win over Virginia.
The 6'1” junior, who this season passed Brett Favre to move into second on the school's career yardage list, is in his third year as starter. Southern Miss won only four games in those previous two years, but thanks to a six-game win streak, it reached nine victories and won the Conference USA West Division title.
In September, Mullens threw for 311 yards and a TD against Mississippi State and had a career-best 447 yards and two scores against Nebraska.
Pinstripe Bowl: Duke vs. Indiana
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Jordan Howard, RB, Indiana
Duke and Indiana are known much more as basketball schools than football schools. Combined, the Blue Devils and Hoosiers have only previously made 20 bowl appearances—and never before in the same season.
That lack of history makes it fitting that they'll be playing football in a baseball stadium, and to add to the oddness of this game, we're going with someone who's in this contest because his previous school decided to drop football.
Howard ran for 1,213 yards and nine touchdowns this season for Indiana, after gaining more than 2,600 yards from 2013 to 2014 at UAB. The junior only appeared in nine games this year, missing the regular-season finale against Purdue because of a knee injury, and his status for the bowl is uncertain.
"I know he wants to (play), but I think we judge that as we get to game time, short-term and long-term,” Indiana coach Kevin Wilson said, per Alex McCarthy of 247Sports.com. “It’s not about this game, it’s short-term, but long-term what’s best for him.”
Independence Bowl: Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech
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Keyarris Garrett, WR, Tulsa
Virginia Tech ranks ninth in pass defense this season despite losing its best cornerback—junior Kendall Fuller—to a knee injury after just three games. He officially declared for the NFL on Tuesday, per ESPN.com, but if there was a way he could come back for one more game, that would help the Hokies try to send retiring coach Frank Beamer out on a high note.
Fuller likely would have been the man assigned to shadow Garrett, who ranks second in FBS in receiving yards at 1,451. The senior has six 100-yard games and two with at least 200 yards, including a 14-catch, 268-yard, three-touchdown effort against Memphis in October.
Foster Farms Bowl: Nebraska vs. UCLA
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Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
Though it seemed like a foregone conclusion all spring and summer, Rosen didn't officially get named UCLA's starting quarterback until just before the first game of his college career. The true freshman responded with 350 yards and three touchdowns on 28-of-35 passing against Virginia.
That was the first of five 300-yard games for Rosen, though he didn't finish strong by completing only 34 of 67 passes with 447 yards and two TDs with two interceptions in his final two games. Those two picks came against USC, which caused the Bruins to miss out on a Pac-12 South Division title and thus a bowl pairing against an opponent with a losing record.
Rosen can redeem himself in the Foster Farms Bowl with a favorable matchup. Nebraska ranked seventh-worst in FBS in pass defense, allowing 288.2 yards per game.
Military Bowl: Navy vs. Pittsburgh
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Keenan Reynolds, QB, Navy
The all-time leader in rushing touchdowns didn't get an invite to the Heisman Trophy ceremony last weekend, but he did lead Navy to a 14th consecutive win against rival Army that same day. And now he gets to end his illustrious career on his home field in Annapolis, Maryland.
Picking anyone other than the senior quarterback for the Military Bowl MVP seems foolish, doesn't it?
Reynolds, who has 86 career rushing TDs, scored 21 times this season including 14 times in six home games in 2015. All told, 40 of his scores have come on the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium turf.
Quick Lane Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Minnesota
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Cooper Rush, QB, Central Michigan
Rush was part of one of the greatest plays in bowl history last season, starting the long, lateral-aided touchdown pass that Central Michigan scored on the final snap of the Bahamas Bowl. That was Rush's seventh TD pass of the game, but then his two-point pass attempt didn't connect, and the Chippewas lost 49-48.
Now a junior, Rush has put up better numbers in one less game than a year ago, throwing for 3,703 yards and 25 TDs. That includes three games against power-conference opponents, losing to Oklahoma State, Syracuse and Michigan State when he averaged 313.3 yards per game.
Rush is 1-6 all-time against power teams, with the only win coming last season against Purdue.
Armed Forces Bowl: Air Force vs. California
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Jared Goff, QB, California
Rated by Bleacher Report's NFL draft expert Matt Miller as the No. 1 player on his 2016 big board, Goff will almost certainly play his final college game in Fort Worth. He'll be the main attraction for scouts and viewers of a Tuesday afternoon game, and with Cal paired against a team that likes to control the clock, that will put even more emphasis on Goff's play at quarterback.
The junior has set school records for passing yards (4,252) and touchdowns (37) this season, throwing for a single-game school-best 542 yards and five scores in helping the Golden Bears rally for a 48-46 win over Arizona State in the regular-season finale.
It was his ninth 300-yard game of 2015 and second straight without an interception. In three seasons Goff has 11,728 yards, which ranks 34th all-time.
Russell Athletic Bowl: North Carolina vs. Baylor
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Ryan Switzer, WR/PR, North Carolina
Baylor has the top scoring offense in the country, averaging 48 points per game while gaining 604.6 yards. North Carolina is the most explosive offense in terms of yards per play, at 7.33. With attacks like that, there's no shortage of options to choose from for an MVP.
A game like this could end up hinging on a defensive stop or more likely a big play on special teams. That's where Switzer comes in.
The 5'10" junior returned two punts for touchdowns this season, which gives him seven for his career and one short of the FBS all-time record. He's also caught 13 TD passes, including six this season, which adds to his opportunities to impact this game.
Arizona Bowl: Colorado State vs. Nevada
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James Butler, RB, Colorado State
Only a shared backfield kept Butler from having a bigger season in 2015, though his 1,156 yards and 6.28 yards per carry were still impressive. The 5'9" sophomore averaged only 15.3 carries per game, though, since senior Don Jackson got the ball 18.3 times per game and also topped 1,000 yards.
There were three games this season that both Butler and Jackson topped 100 yards, but overall Butler had the more frequent success with seven 100-yard games to four for Jackson. However, Butler is coming off a season-low 20 yards on just eight carries in the regular-season finale against San Diego State.
Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Texas Tech
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Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
When it was announced that Fournette would get a chance to run against Texas Tech's porous rushing defense, the reaction was a mix of wondering whether the LSU sophomore could contend for the FBS single-game rushing record and condolences for the Red Raiders players tasked with slowing him down.
“Texas Tech finished 126th out of 128 teams in rush defense,” Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee tweeted. “Leonard Fournette is going to run for years.”
Fournette was an unstoppable force during LSU's 7-0 start, averaging more than 190 rushing yards per game. His production dipped during a 1-3 finish, but he still led FBS at 158.27 yards per game.
Texas Tech, which allowed 271.8 rushing yards per game, gave up 300 or more yards on the ground and 42 total rushing TDs.
Birmingham Bowl: Auburn vs. Memphis
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Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
Memphis' 8-0 start to this season was highlighted by a home win over Ole Miss, its first against an SEC team since beating the Rebels in 2004. Picking up a second victory against that power league would further legitimize the Tigers' year, which tailed off down the stretch with three losses in the final four games.
Despite the skid, Lynch's play didn't suffer. The 6'7" junior threw for 3,670 yards and 28 touchdowns, including seven in the regular-season finale against SMU. He threw for 384 yards and three TDs against Ole Miss, one of eight consecutive 300-yard games he had in 2015.
Lynch could be one of the first quarterbacks taken in the 2016 NFL draft if he were to come out after this game, and putting up a strong performance against an SEC school would look great on his highlight reel.
Belk Bowl: Mississippi State vs. North Carolina State
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Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State
So much of what Mississippi State has been able to achieve the past three seasons has been because of Prescott. The school career leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns and total offense has been as close to a one-man team as any other player on a power-conference team, and it figures that if the Bulldogs are going to claim a bowl victory, it will be due to his play.
This season Prescott has averaged 329.5 yards of total offense per game, which accounts for 73 percent of MSU's offense. He was responsible for 35 of 47 TDs, and in games when he struggled to get free and run the ball, his team often ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
This won't be an easy matchup for Prescott, as North Carolina State will be playing close to home and features the No. 19 total defense in FBS.
Music City Bowl: Louisville vs. Texas A&M
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Devonte Fields, LB, Louisville
Louisville gave Fields a second chance after his career took a detour. He's rewarded the Cardinals with an outstanding season by anchoring one of the top defenses in the country, and now he'll get a chance to play in his first bowl game since 2012.
Fields, a 6'4", 245-pound junior, was the Big 12's Freshman of the Year with TCU three years ago. He played only three games in 2013 because of injury, and then the Horned Frogs dismissed him from the program before the 2014 season began because of domestic violence allegations. After he played one season at a junior college, Louisville brought him on for this year, and he finished tied for second in FBS with 19.5 tackles for loss.
He also had eight sacks and two forced fumbles as Louisville ranked 13th in the country in total defense.
Holiday Bowl: USC vs. Wisconsin
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Adoree' Jackson, WR/CB/PR, USC
It's not often that teams end up in the same bowl game in consecutive seasons, particularly when it comes to power-conference teams. USC had never been to the Holiday Bowl before last season, when it scored a 45-42 win over Nebraska in a game that served as a coming-out party for Jackson.
He caught a touchdown pass and returned a kickoff for a score in that game; he also started at cornerback. This was supposed to set the stage for a 2015 campaign in which Jackson would be one of the best all-purpose stars in the country, though that didn't materialize.
Jackson caught two TD passes and returned two punts for scores, though he didn't catch a pass in any of the Trojans' final three games. He did have his first career interception, returning it for a score at California on Halloween en route to being named team MVP.
Given the extra practice time to work on some new plays, look for USC to turn again to Jackson in as many ways as possible to help solve Wisconsin's third-ranked defense.
Peach Bowl: Florida State vs. Houston
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Greg Ward Jr., QB, Houston
A near-perfect regular season that included wins over Louisville and Vanderbilt enabled Houston to claim the “Group of Five” bid to a New Year's Six bowl game, the biggest one for the Cougars since the 1985 Cotton Bowl. Much of the credit for this run has gone to first-year coach Tom Herman, who parlayed the success he had as Ohio State's offensive coordinator into a 12-1 season.
It also helped he had a rising star in Ward, a converted wide receiver who has been one of the deadliest dual-threat quarterbacks in the country in 2015.
Ward accounted for 35 total touchdowns, throwing 16 TD passes and rushing for 19 scores along with a team-high 1,041 yards. The junior had four 100-yard rushing games, going for 148 yards with two scores in Houston's American Athletic Conference title-game win over Temple.
Orange Bowl: Clemson vs. Oklahoma
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Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
When Clemson and Oklahoma played last season in a bowl game farther north in Florida, Watson watched from the sideline while his surgically repaired knee was in the early stages of healing. He wouldn't have made a difference in that game, since the Tigers romped to a 40-6 win in the Russell Athletic Bowl, but that didn't take away from the pain of not being able to contribute.
Fully healthy and coming off an amazing season, Watson will be the difference in this playoff semifinal game. Whether his throwing or running ends up putting Clemson over the top and into the national championship will depend on how Oklahoma comes at him.
The sophomore has run for 100 or more yards in four of his last five games, scoring seven of his 11 rushing touchdowns in that span. He's also thrown 30 TD passes while completing 68.5 percent of his passes.
“Watson ranks No. 5 in total touchdowns (41) and is one of two players with at least one passing and one rushing touchdown in eight games this season,” ESPN.om's Andrea Adelson wrote. “It happened five times in his final six games.”
Cotton Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State
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Richard Mullaney, WR, Alabama
Derrick Henry has been the unquestionable MVP of Alabama's run to the playoffs for a second straight year, almost putting the team on his back via 90 carries in his last two games. He figures to play a huge role in the Crimson Tide's game plan for this semifinal matchup, but Michigan State will have several weeks to come up with a scheme to negate the Heisman Trophy winner.
With so much attention paid toward Henry, this opens the door for someone else on Alabama to be a hero on offense. Our pick is a rather unheralded graduate transfer who has quietly been solid for the Tide all season in the receiving game.
Mullaney, a senior who spent his first three seasons at Oregon State, is third on the team with 34 receptions, while his five touchdown catches are tied with freshman Calvin Ridley (on 75 catches). Mullaney has thrived as an outlet and short-yardage receiver, averaging 9.1 yards per catch, and eight of his 13 third-down grabs have gone for first downs.
Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Tennessee
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Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB, Tennessee
Few players stuffed the defensive stat sheet this season like Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee's leader in tackles (99) and tackles for loss (13) who also had five sacks, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles. The Volunteers' five-game win streak was aided as much by their defense as anything else, and the 6'0”, 225-pound junior was always in the mix.
He'll need to do plenty more of that to give Tennessee a second straight bowl win in a game where defense will be at a premium. Northwestern is 11th in the nation in yards allowed, giving up 310.5 per game and holding eight of 12 opponents to fewer than 20 points.
Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Florida
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Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
As each week of the 2015 season went on, Peppers found himself more and more involved in Michigan's offense while continuing to hold down his starting spot in the secondary. His 45 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 10 pass breakups were integral to the Wolverines' fourth-ranked defense, but it was his contributions on the other side of the ball that got the most attention.
Peppers has rushed for two touchdowns, caught eight passes, attempted a pass and returned a combined 25 punts or kickoffs, though he's yet to make that big splash.
Bowl games are when such all-purpose talents have a chance to break free, as USC did in last year's Holiday Bowl with freshman Adoree' Jackson. Peppers will shine all over the field, so long as he plays.
Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
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Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame
Though the stadium will be overflowing with fans from Notre Dame and Ohio State, the third-most represented faction at the Fiesta Bowl is likely to be pro scouts because of the number of NFL prospects who will likely be playing their final college game on New Year's Day.
The MVP of this bowl could end up being any of these top players, all of whom will be looking to go out with a bang. In Smith's case, he will want to go out with a series of bangs, smacks and other sound effects that come from his hard hits over the middle.
The 6'2”, 240-pound junior, who this season won the Butkus Award given to the nation's top linebacker, has 113 tackles and nine tackles for loss. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller listed him second on his midseason NFL draft big board.
Smith will be tasked with spying on Ohio State's mobile quarterbacks (Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett) and chasing down elusive running back Ezekiel Elliott—all future NFL players. With each tackle he makes or play he disrupts, he'll further his own pro stock.
Rose Bowl: Iowa vs. Stanford
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Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
McCaffrey finished second to Alabama's Derrick Henry in the Heisman Trophy voting after a record-breaking season. He won't be behind anyone when it comes to naming the top player from Stanford's third Rose Bowl in the last four seasons, though.
The 6'0", 201-pound sophomore has already broken the FBS single-season all-purpose yardage record that Barry Sanders had held since 1988, and with one more game he can obliterate the old mark. He stands at 3,496 yards, which is 1,086 more than the next-best player in the country, thanks to 1,847 rushing yards and more than 1,000 yards as a kick returner.
McCaffrey has gone for at least 200 yards in 10 of the Cardinal's 13 games, rushing for at least 100 in 10 of the last 11 contests.
Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma State
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Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss
Ole Miss is very much the same team as it was in 2014, when it began 7-0 but stumbled down the stretch with four losses in its last six games. This year's club enters the Sugar Bowl having won four of five and can get to 10 victories for the first time since 2003.
The difference? Kelly, the former Clemson quarterback who spent last season at a junior college and has solidified the Rebels offense with his ability to run and throw effectively.
Kelly, a 6'2” junior and the nephew of former NFL great Jim Kelly, has thrown 27 touchdown passes and run for 10 more. He's thrown for 3,740 yards and amassed a school-record 4,167 yards of total offense, and though he has 12 interceptions, he has not been picked off in his last three games.
TaxSlayer Bowl: Georgia vs. Penn State
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Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
Penn State ranked 106th in FBS in rushing this season, gaining only 135.3 yards per game. That number likely would have been much higher had Barkley not missed or been limited in several contests because of injury.
When Barkley was at full strength, he was one of the best running backs in the country. He finished the regular season with 1,007 yards—the most for a Nittany Lions rusher since 2011—with five 100-yard games.
“He was the most dangerous freshman running back in the country, and that was despite a problematic offensive line,” Matt Brown of Sports on Earth wrote.
Liberty Bowl: Arkansas vs. Kansas State
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Brandon Allen, QB, Arkansas
Arkansas' offensive game plan needed some significant tweaking before the 2015 season began when running back Jonathan Williams suffered a foot injury. He was lost for the year, turning the Razorbacks' two-headed rushing attack (along with Alex Collins) into a solo effort.
While Collins figured to handle a greater load, he wasn't going to be able to do it alone. Enter Allen, who in his third season as Arkansas' starting quarterback put it all together with some masterful games.
The senior has thrown for 3,125 yards and 29 touchdowns, blowing away his 2014 totals of 2,285 yards and 20 TDs that came over 13 games. This year Allen had three 400-yard passing games with six TD passes against Ole Miss and a SEC record-tying seven TDs thrown against Mississippi State.
Alamo Bowl: TCU vs. Oregon
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Vernon Adams Jr., QB, Oregon
The Oregon team we saw during the second half of the season might have been competing in the semifinals for the second year in a row had Adams not broken a finger on his throwing hand in September.
The Ducks started 3-3, with the graduate transfer quarterback from Eastern Washington missing three games and struggling in two others after getting hurt. Once he came back on Oct. 17, Oregon won six in a row (including against Pac-12 title game participants Stanford and USC) and averaged 310.8 passing yards per game with 21 touchdowns. In his last three games, Adams completed 58 of 75 passes.
According to OddsShark.com, the Alamo Bowl is projected to be the highest-scoring matchup of bowl season. Adams will do his part to ensure Oregon handles its portion of the scoring.
Cactus Bowl: Arizona State vs. West Virginia
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Zane Gonzalez, K, Arizona State
The final non-championship bowl game of the 2015-16 season is set to kick off at 10:15 p.m. ET on Jan. 2, a time that during the regular season was often when we were blessed with #Pac12AfterDark-type games. It's only fitting that this last contest includes a Pac-12 team, and with a sponsor like Motel 6 we should be in for a late one.
Many of those wild, late-night games would come down to the final plays and often a field-goal try. Arizona State ended up losing to California in its finale because of a Cal field goal as time expired, falling 48-46 because it had to settle for field goals on several red-zone possessions.
Gonzalez set a school record with six field goals in that game, giving him 22 this season. He has 69 in his three-year career, but only once (in 2014 against Utah) did he kick a game-winner.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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