CFB: Ranking Every Bowl Winner

Top-10:

1. Alabama (14-0)

2. Clemson (14-0)

3. Ohio State (13-1)

4. Florida (10-3)

5. LSU (10-3)

6. Texas (10-4)

7. Washington State (11-2)

8. Army (11-2)

9. Kentucky (10-3)

10. Syracuse (10-3)

Alabama and Clemson, ranked in the top two spots, will meet in the national championship game following their bowl victories. The top ranked Crimson Tide defeated 4th ranked Oklahoma, 45-34, in the Orange Bowl behind 318 yards from QB Tua Tagovailoa. 2nd ranked Clemson jumped all over 3rd ranked Notre Dame, winning 30-3. Just behind them is Ohio State, who got up 28-3 and held on for a five-point victory over Pac-12 champions: Washington. The Buckeyes proved they were the best team not in the playoff. Just behind them is a pair of SEC foes, Florida and LSU, who beat tough opponents in Michigan and UCF. Texas, fresh off of a 28-21 win over Georgia comes in at 6th. Rounding out the top 10 is Washington State, Army, Kentucky, and Syracuse, who combined for a 42-10 record.

Top-25:

11. Texas A&M (9-4)

12. Iowa (9-4)

13. Northwestern (9-5)

14. Auburn (8-5)

15. Stanford (9-4)

16. Oregon (9-4)

17. Fresno State (12-2)

18. Cincinnati (11-2)

19. Utah State (11-2)

20. Wisconsin (8-5)

21. Virginia (8-5)

22. Oklahoma State (7-6)

23. BYU (7-6)

24. Appalachian State (11-2)

25. UAB (11-3)

There were a lot of team who struggled during the regular season, that were able to finish their season with a high and a bowl victory. Some of those include Iowa (12th), Auburn (14th), Stanford (15th), Wisconsin (20th), and Oklahoma State (22nd). Those five teams steamrolled their bowl opponents with a combined margin of victory of 177-85, which was highlighted by a 63-14 win by Auburn over Purdue and a 35-3 domination by Wisconsin against Miami. There are also several Group of Five teams who capped off their season with an impressive 11th win. And Fresno State, who earned their 12th victory of the year. The Bulldogs defeated Arizona State to get their final win, while Cincinnati, Utah State, Appalachian State, and UAB all finished with 11 victories. Texas A&M (11th) won 52-13 versus NC State.

Next Up:

26. Duke (8-5)

27. Boston College (7-5)*

28. Troy (10-3)

29. Georgia Southern (10-3)

30. Minnesota (7-6)

31. Baylor (7-6)

32. Wake Forest (7-6)

33. Florida International (9-4)

34. Marshall (9-4)

35. Ohio (9-4)

36. Louisiana Tech (8-5)

37. Nevada (8-5)

38. TCU (7-6)

39. Tulane (7-6)

The ACC takes up three spots in the back end of the rankings as Duke (26th), Boston College (27th), and Wake Forest (32nd) appear. The Blue Devils won 56-27 over Temple, while the Demon Deacons escaped the Birmingham Bowl with a 37-34 victory against high-scoring Memphis. Boston College and Boise State actually weren't able to finish their bowl game because of a weather cancellation, but because the Eagles were up 7-0 at the time, we'll include them. The Big 12 has a pair of programs show up as they both finished 7-6 with wins. Baylor (31st) beat Vanderbilt, 45-38, which was a pretty impressive win, while TCU (38th), slipped past California 10-7 in one of the ugliest games you'll ever see. And the last team on the list is Tulane, who finished 7-6 with a 41-24 win over Louisiana in the Cure Bowl.

Photo Credit: Gator Country.