The complete 2021 College Football Playoff and bowl results

A look at the complete 2021 postseason schedule. Onward to 2022.

College Football Playoff

DECEMBER 31

COTTON BOWL
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Matchup: College Football Playoff semifinal
The game: No. 1 Alabama (12-1) vs. No. 4 Cincinnati (13-0)
The line: Alabama by 13.5
The result: Alabama was dominant in rolling to a 27-6 win. The Tide scored a TD on the game’s first possession and never really was threatened.

ORANGE BOWL
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Matchup: College Football Playoff semifinal
The game: No. 2 Michigan (12-1) vs. No. 3 Georgia (12-1)
The line: Georgia by 7.5
The result: Georgia rolled to a 34-11 win. The Bulldogs scored on their first five possessions for a 27-3 halftime lead.

JANUARY 10

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
Matchup: Alabama (13-1) vs. Georgia (13-1)
The line: Georgia by 3
The result: Georgia won its first national title since 1980 by rallying in the fourth quarter for a 33-18 victory. The Bulldogs scored three TDs in the final 8:09 to overcome an 18-13 deficit.

The rest of the bowls

DECEMBER 17

BAHAMAS BOWL
Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas
The game: Middle Tennessee State (6-6) vs. Toledo (7-5)
The line: Toledo by 10.5
The outcome: Middle Tennessee won 31-24, thanks to a 17-point fourth quarter.

CURE BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
The game: Coastal Carolina (10-2) vs. Northern Illinois (9-4)
The line: Coastal Carolina by 10
The result: Coastal Carolina prevailed 47-41 in a game that featured five lead changes in the second half and 1,030 yards of total offense (516 for NIU, 514 for Coastal).

DECEMBER 18

BOCA RATON BOWL
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Fla.
The game: Appalachian State (10-3) vs. Western Kentucky (8-5)
The line: Appalachian State by 3
The result: Western Kentucky won 59-38 as Hilltoppers QB Bailey Zappe finished off an history-making season. Zappe, a transfer from FCS Houston Baptist, threw for 422 yards and six TDs to set NCAA single-season records for passing yards (5,967) and TD passes (62). The former record-holders were Texas Tech’s B.J. Symons (5,833) and LSU’s Joe Burrow (60).

NEW MEXICO BOWL
Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque
The game: UTEP (7-5) vs. Fresno State (9-3)
The line: Fresno State by 11
The result: Fresno State held on for a 31-24 victory, making two key defensive stops in the fourth quarter (one resulted in a safety, the other in a fumble that ended the Miners’ final drive).

INDEPENDENCE BOWL
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.
The game: No. 13 BYU (10-2) vs. UAB (8-4)
The line: BYU by 7
The result: UAB pulled a 31-28 upset thanks to a 183-yard, one-TD performance by RB DeWayne McBride and three TD passes from Dylan Hopkins. BYU’s Tyler Allgeier ran for 192 yards and three TDs.

LendingTree BOWL
Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
The game: Eastern Michigan (7-5) vs. Liberty (7-5)
The line: Liberty by 8.5
The result: Liberty romped to a 56-20 victory. Flames QB Malik Willis accounted for five TDs and led an offense that rolled up 528 total yards.

L.A. BOWL
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif.
The game: Utah State (10-3) vs. Oregon State (7-5)
The line: Oregon State by 7
The result: Backup QB Connor Legas led Utah State to a 24-13 upset by throwing two TD passes. Oregon State committed two turnovers and was called for 13 penalties.

NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Superdome, New Orleans
The game: Marshall (7-5) vs. No. 23 Louisiana (12-1)
The line: Louisiana by 5.5
The result: Louisiana scored 20 fourth-quarter points to rally for a 36-21 victory. Marshall managed just 7 total yards on four possessions in the fourth period. The Ragin’ Cajuns end the season on a 13-game winning streak.

DECEMBER 20

MYRTLE BEACH BOWL
Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C.
The game: Old Dominion (6-6) vs. Tulsa (6-6)
The line: Tulsa by 9
The result: Tulsa controlled the clock and the game in a 30-17 victory. Tulsa had 35 first downs to ODU’s 10, rolled up 529 yards of offense and held the ball for 39:43. The Golden Hurricane had the ball for 25:11 in the second half to ODU’s 4:49.

DECEMBER 21

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
The game: Kent State (7-6) vs. Wyoming (6-6)
The line: Wyoming by 3
The result: Wyoming rushed for 404 yards and six TDs in rolling to a 52-38 victory. Cowboys QB Levi Williams ran for 200 yards and four scores. Kent State fell despite 656 yards of total offense (319 on the ground, 337 in the air).

FRISCO BOWL
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
The game: UTSA (12-1) vs. No. 24 San Diego State (11-2)
The line: UTSA by 2
The result: San Diego State unleashed a heretofore unseen passing attack to win 38-24. The Aztecs threw for a season-high 333 yards; they had thrown for more than 200 in a game just twice this season. Aztecs P Matt Araiza finished off a record-setting season with three punts for 140 yards; he ends the season averaging an NCAA-record 51.2 yards per punt.

DECEMBER 22

ARMED FORCES BOWL
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
The game: Army (8-4) vs. Missouri (6-6)
The line: Army by 4
The result: Cole Talley, playing about an hour from where he grew up in Rockwall, Texas, kicked a 41-yard field goal on the final play of the game to give Army a 24-22 win. Mizzou had taken the lead on a TD pass with 1:11 left, then missed the two-point conversion. Army trailed 16-7 at halftime.

DECEMBER 23

FRISCO FOOTBALL CLASSIC
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
The game: North Texas (6-6) vs. Miami (Ohio) (6-6)
The line: Miami by 3
The result: Miami won 27-14, thanks to a dominant second-half performance. The RedHawks scored just seven points in the final two periods, but kept the ball for 21:47 of the second half and had 40 plays from scrimmage. Each of North Texas’ three possessions in the third quarter were three-and-outs; the Mean Green had just one possession in the third quarter but didn’t score after a 12-play, 62-yard drive that ended with 9:18 left in the game. Miami then proceeded to keep the ball the rest of the way.

GASPARILLA BOWL
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
The game: UCF (8-4) vs. Florida (6-6)
The line: Florida by 6.5
The result: UCF rode a punishing ground attack to a 29-17 victory. The Knights ran for 288 yards, with Isaiah Bowser rumbling for 155 yards and two TDs on 35 carries. UCF outscored Florida 20-7 in the second half.

DECEMBER 24

HAWAII BOWL
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu
The game: Memphis (6-6) at Hawaii (6-7)
Note: The game was canceled Thursday, a bit more than 24 hours before kickoff, when Hawaii pulled out because of COVID issues.

DECEMBER 25

CAMELLIA BOWL
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
The game: Ball State (6-6) vs. Georgia State (7-5)
The line: Georgia State by 5
The result: Georgia State rushed for 259 yards and rolled to a 51-20 victory. The Panthers led 20-13 at halftime, then blew the game open with four touchdowns in the third quarter.

DECEMBER 27

QUICK LANE BOWL
Ford Field, Detroit
The game: Nevada (8-4) vs. Western Michigan (7-5)
The line: Western Michigan by 6
The result: Western Michigan rushed for 312 yards in hammering Nevada 52-24. The Wolf Pack was without star QB Carson Strong and its top five receivers. Broncos RBs Sean Tyler and Jaxson Kincaide combined for 251 yards and two TDs. Western Michigan had six sacks.

MILITARY BOWL
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Md.
The game: East Carolina (7-5) vs. Boston College (6-6)
Note: The game was canceled Sunday because of COVID issues with Boston College.

DECEMBER 28

BIRMINGHAM BOWL
Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Ala.
The game: No. 20 Houston (11-2) vs. Auburn (6-6)
The line: Auburn by 2.5
The result: Houston prevailed 17-13, thanks to a TD pass with 3:27 left that capped off an 80-yard drive. The Cougars’ Clayton Tune passed for 283 yards and two TDs.

FIRST RESPONDER BOWL
Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas
The game: Air Force (9-3) vs. Louisville (6-6)
The line: Louisville by 1.5
The result: Air Force, the nation’s leading rushing team, relied on its passing attack to win 31-28. Louisville limited the Falcons to 170 rushing yards, about half their average, but Haaziq Daniels was 9-of-10 for 252 yards and two TDs for Air Force

LIBERTY BOWL
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis
The game: Texas Tech (6-6) vs. Mississippi State (7-5)
The line: Mississippi State by 9
The result: Texas Tech dominated, scoring a TD on its first drive and cruising to a 34-7 rout. The Red Raiders rushed for a season-high 260 yards and had three rushing touchdowns. Texas Tech LB Colin Schooler had eight solo tackles, and moved into fifth place in NCAA history in that category with 315.

HOLIDAY BOWL
Petco Park, San Diego
The game: No. 18 NC State (9-3) vs. UCLA (8-4)
Note: The game was canceled Tuesday afternoon, about 7 hours before kickoff, because of COVID issues at UCLA.

GUARANTEED RATE BOWL
Chase Field, Phoenix
The game: Minnesota (8-4) vs. West Virginia (6-6)
The line: Minnesota by 4.5
The result: Minnesota’s defense carried the day, helping the Golden Gophers win 18-6. WVU finished with just 206 total yards. Minnesota rushed for 249 yards and two TDs.

DECEMBER 29

FENWAY BOWL
Fenway Park, Boston
The game: SMU (8-4) vs. Virginia (6-6)
Note: The game was canceled Sunday because of COVID issues with Virginia.

PINSTRIPE BOWL
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
The game: Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. Maryland (6-6)
The line: Maryland by 3.5
The result: Maryland romped to a 54-10 win. The Terps rolled up 481 yards and also scored on a punt return and fumble return en route to the easy victory.

CHEEZ-IT BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
The game: No. 19 Clemson (9-3) vs. Iowa State (7-5)
The line: Clemson by 2.5
The result: A strong defensive effort pushed Clemson to a 20-13 victory. The Tigers had a pick-six and held Iowa State to 270 total yards. The Tigers won 10 games for the 11th season in a row.

ALAMO BOWL
Alamodome, San Antonio
The game: No. 16 Oklahoma (10-2) vs. No. 14 Oregon (10-3)
The line: Oklahoma by 6.5
The result: Caleb Williams threw three TD passes and Kennedy Brooks rushed for three scores as Oklahoma rolled 47-32. The Sooners, who finished with 560 total yards, led 30-3 at halftime. One of Williams’ TD passes went to Drake Stoops, whose dad, Bob, was serving as the Sooners’ interim coach.

DECEMBER 30

DUKE’S MAYO BOWL
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
The game: North Carolina (6-6) vs. South Carolina (6-6)
The line: North Carolina by 9
The result: Normally punchless South Carolina rolled up 543 yards of offense in rolling to a 38-21 win. The Gamecocks led 18-0 after one period and cruised home.

MUSIC CITY BOWL
Nissan Stadium, Nashville
The game: Purdue (8-4) vs. Tennessee (7-5)
The line: Tennessee by 4.5
The result: Purdue prevailed 48-45 in overtime in a wild one. There were four TDs in the final period, and all four came in the final 4:58. The Vols had 666 yards of offense, the Boilermakers 627. Both quarterbacks, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker and Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell, threw five TD passes.

PEACH BOWL
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
The game: No. 10 Michigan State (10-2) vs. No. 12 Pitt (11-2)
The line: Michigan State by 2.5
The result: Michigan State rallied late to win 31-21; the Spartans scored two TDs in the final 2:51, including a pick-six with 22 seconds left. Pitt, which was down to its third-string quarterback, had just 88 yards in the second half, and 49 of those came on its final possession.

LAS VEGAS BOWL
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
The game: Wisconsin (8-4) vs. Arizona State (8-4)
The line: Wisconsin by 7
The result: Wisconsin held on to win 20-13. The Badgers had 90 yards of offense in the second half; all of it came on their last possession, when they ran the final 9:57 off the clock on an 18-play, 90-yard drive that began at Wisconsin’s 3.

DECEMBER 31

GATOR BOWL
TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville
The game: No. 17 Wake Forest (10-3) vs. Rutgers (5-7)
The line: Wake Forest by 14.5
Note: Rutgers replaced Texas A&M, which has COVID issues.
The result: Sam Hartman threw for 304 yards and three TDs as Wake coasted to a 38-10 victory. It’s the second 11-win season in history for the Demon Deacons, who have been playing football since 1908.

SUN BOWL
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas
The game: Central Michigan (8-4) vs. Washington State (7-5)
The line: Washington State by 7
Note: Miami pulled out of the game because of COVID issues, and bowl organizers turned to Central Michigan as a replacement. CMU had been scheduled to play in the Arizona Bowl.
The result: Central Michigan controlled the clock and the game, pulling a 24-21 upset. Lew Nichols III, the nation’s leading rusher, finished with 111 yards and a TD as the Chippewas held the ball for 35:23. Washington State had just 240 yards, including only 18 on the ground.

ARIZONA BOWL
Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz.
The game: Boise State (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (8-4)
Note: Boise State pulled out because of COVID issues, and bowl organizers canceled the game, with Central Michigan now instead playing in the Sun Bowl.

JANUARY 1

OUTBACK BOWL
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
The game: Penn State (7-5) vs. No. 21 Arkansas (8-4)
The line: Arkansas by 2.5
The result: Arkansas dominated the second half to come away with a 24-10 win. The Razorbacks outscored the Nittany Lions 17-0 in the final two quarters. Penn State had just 94 yards in the second half.

CITRUS BOWL
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
The game: No. 15 Iowa (10-3) vs. No. 22 Kentucky (9-3)
The line: Kentucky by 3
The result: Chris Rodriguez Jr. scored on a 6-yard run with 1:48 left to give UK a 20-17 victory. Iowa had six sacks but couldn’t overcome three interceptions thrown by Spencer Petras.

FIESTA BOWL
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
The game: No. 5 Notre Dame (11-1) vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State (11-2)
The line: Notre Dame by 1
The result: Oklahoma State outscored the Fighting Irish 23-7 in the second half to come away with a 37-35 victory in the first game for Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman. The Irish led 28-7 after a TD with 1:16 left in the first half, but didn’t score again until there was just 1:05 left in the game. Oklahoma State had 605 yards of offense, including 496 yards of total offense from QB Spencer Sanders. Notre Dame had 551 yards of offense, and QB Jack Coan threw for 505 yards and five TDs.

ROSE BOWL
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
The game: No. 6 Ohio State (10-2) vs. No. 11 Utah (10-3)
The line: Ohio State by 4
The result: Ohio State rallied from a 35-21 halftime deficit to win 48-45. Noah Ruggles kicked a 19-yard field goal with nine seconds left for the winning points. Ohio State had 683 yards of offense, with QB C.J. Stroud throwing for 573 yards and six TDs. WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns; the yardage total was the most in any bowl in college football history. Marvin Harrison Jr. had six receptions, with three going for TDs; he had just five catches total in the regular season. There were four TDs of 50-plus yards, with two by each team, in a 2:08 stretch of the second quarter that covered eight plays.

SUGAR BOWL
Superdome, New Orleans
The game: No. 7 Baylor (11-2) vs. No. 8 Ole Miss (10-2)
The line: Ole Miss by 1
The result: Baylor rode a strong rushing attack and an outstanding defensive effort to a 21-7 win. It’s the first 12-win season in Baylor history. Ole Miss QB Matt Corral left the game with an ankle injury in the first quarter. Baylor had three interceptions, including a pick-six, and 10 sacks. Bears LB Terrel Bernard had 17 tackles and two sacks.

JANUARY 4

TEXAS BOWL
NRG Stadium, Houston
The game: Kansas State (7-5) vs. LSU (6-6)
The line: Kansas State by 7
The result: Deuce Vaughn ran for 146 yards and three scores and also caught a TD pass as K-State hammered LSU 42-20. LSU was without basically half its scholarship players, and finishes with a losing record for the first time since 1999. Senior WR Jontre Kirklin played quarterback for LSU because no scholarship signal-callers were available; he was a quarterback in high school.