The 2014–15 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football bowl games. They completed the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and included 39 team-competitive games and four all-star games. The games began on December 20, 2014 and, aside from the all-star games, ended with the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship which was played on January 12, 2015."College Football Playoff 101", ESPN, May 19, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
A new record total of 39 team-competitive bowl games were played, including the national championship game and the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl, Camellia Bowl, Boca Raton Bowl and Bahamas Bowl. While bowl games had been the purview of only the very best teams for nearly a century, this was the ninth consecutive year that teams with non-winning seasons participated in bowl games. To fill the 76 available team-competitive bowl slots, a total of 13 teams (17% of all participants) with non-winning seasons participated in bowl games—12 with a .500 (6-6) season and, for the third time in four years, a team with a sub-.500 (6-7) season.
Schedule The schedule for the 2014–15 bowl games is below. All times are EST (UTC−5). The rankings used are the CFP rankings."2014–15 College Football Bowl Schedule – 2015 Playoff", FBSchedules.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
Playoff The 2014–15 postseason was the first to feature a College Football Playoff (CFP) to determine a national champion of Division I FBS college football. Four teams were selected by a 13-member committee to participate in a single-elimination tournament, whose semifinals were held at the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl as part of a yearly rotation of six bowls. Their winners advanced to the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
CFP bowl games and Championship Game Starting with the 2014–15 postseason, six College Football Playoff (CFP) bowl games will host two semifinal playoff games on a rotating basis—the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. The games will be played on two days, on or around January 1. The winners of the two semifinal games will advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship.Wolken, Dan (April 25, 2013). "Questions and Answers for the College Football Playoff", USA Today. Retrieved June 10, 2014."Future Sites and Schedules" , College Football Playoff. Retrieved January 1, 2015. These six bowl games are also known as the New Year's Six.Berkes, Peter (July 23, 2013). "College Football Playoff Bowls to Be Part of 'New Year's Six'", SB Nation. Retrieved June 10, 2014. All games will be televised by ESPN and broadcast on the radio by ESPN Radio.
DateGameSiteTeamsAffiliationsResultsDec. 31Peach BowlGeorgia DomeAtlanta, GA12:30 pmNo. 6 TCU Horned Frogs (11–1)No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels (9–3)Big 12SECTCU 42Ole Miss 3Fiesta BowlUniversity of Phoenix StadiumGlendale, AZ4:00 pmNo. 20 Boise State Broncos (11–2)No. 10 Arizona Wildcats (10–3)Mountain WestPac-12Boise State 38Arizona 30Orange BowlSun Life StadiumMiami Gardens, FL7:30 pmNo. 12 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10–3)No. 7 Mississippi State Bulldogs (10–2)ACCSECGeorgia Tech 49Mississippi State 34Jan. 1Cotton Bowl ClassicAT&T StadiumArlington, TX1:00 pmNo. 8 Michigan State Spartans (10–2) No. 5 Baylor Bears (11–1)Big TenBig 12Michigan State 42Baylor 41Rose Bowl(Playoff Semifinal Game)Rose BowlPasadena, CA5:00 pmNo. 2 Oregon Ducks (12–1)No. 3 Florida State Seminoles (13–0)Pac-12ACCOregon 59Florida State 20Sugar Bowl(Playoff Semifinal Game)Mercedes-Benz SuperdomeNew Orleans, LA8:30 pmNo. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (12–1) No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (12–1)Big TenSECOhio State 42Alabama 35Jan. 12College Football Playoff National Championship(Rose Bowl Winner vs. Sugar Bowl Winner)AT&T StadiumArlington, TX8:30 pmNo. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (13–1)No. 2 Oregon Ducks (13–1)Big TenPac-12Ohio State 42Oregon 20
Non-CFP bowl games For the 2014–15 postseason, four new bowl games were added — the Camellia Bowl, Miami Beach Bowl, Boca Raton Bowl, and Bahamas Bowl — bringing the total number of bowl games to 39.Huston, Chris. (October 7, 2013). "Report: Four New Bowl Games on Tap for 2014", NBC Sports. Retrieved December 22, 2014. Additionally, the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl was replaced by the Quick Lane Bowl."Detroit's Quick Lane Bowl to Feature ACC vs. Big Ten", USA Today, August 26, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
DateGameSiteTelevisionTeamsAffiliationsResultsDec. 20New Orleans BowlMercedes-Benz SuperdomeNew Orleans, LA11:00 amESPNLouisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (8–4) Nevada Wolf Pack (7–5)Sun BeltMountain West Louisiana–Lafayette 16Nevada 3New Mexico BowlUniversity StadiumAlbuquerque, NM2:20 pmUtah State Aggies (9–4)UTEP Miners (7–5)Mountain WestC-USA Utah State 21UTEP 6Las Vegas BowlSam Boyd StadiumWhitney, NV3:30 pmABCNo. 22 Utah Utes (8–4)Colorado State Rams (10–2)Pac-12Mountain West Utah 45Colorado State 10Famous Idaho Potato BowlAlbertsons StadiumBoise, ID5:45 pmESPNAir Force Falcons (9–3)Western Michigan Broncos (8–4)Mountain WestMAC Air Force 38Western Michigan 24Camellia BowlCramton BowlMontgomery, AL9:15 pmBowling Green Falcons (7–6)South Alabama Jaguars (6–6)MACSun Belt Bowling Green 33South Alabama 28Dec. 22Miami Beach BowlMarlins ParkMiami, Florida2:00 pmMemphis Tigers (9–3)BYU Cougars (8–4)AmericanIndependent Memphis 55BYU 48 (2OT)Dec. 23Boca Raton BowlFAU StadiumBoca Raton, Florida6:00 pmMarshall Thundering Herd (12–1)Northern Illinois Huskies (11–2)C-USAMAC Marshall 52Northern Illinois 23Poinsettia BowlQualcomm StadiumSan Diego, California9:30 pmNavy Midshipmen (7–5)San Diego State Aztecs (7–5)IndependentMountain West Navy 17San Diego State 16Dec. 24Bahamas BowlThomas Robinson StadiumNassau, Bahamas12:00 pmWestern Kentucky Hilltoppers (7–5)Central Michigan Chippewas (7–5)C-USAMACWestern Kentucky 49Central Michigan 48Hawaii BowlAloha StadiumHonolulu, HI8:00 pmRice Owls (7–5)Fresno State Bulldogs (6–7)C-USAMountain WestRice 30Fresno State 6Dec. 26Heart of Dallas BowlCotton BowlDallas, TX1:00 pmLouisiana Tech Bulldogs (8–5)Illinois Fighting Illini (6–6)C-USABig TenLouisiana Tech 35Illinois 18Quick Lane BowlFord FieldDetroit, MI4:30 pmRutgers Scarlet Knights (7–5)North Carolina Tar Heels (6–6)Big TenACCRutgers 40North Carolina 21St. Petersburg BowlTropicana FieldSt. Petersburg, FL8:00 pmNC State Wolfpack (7–5)UCF Knights (9–3)ACCAmericanNC State 34UCF 27Dec. 27Military BowlNavy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD1:00 pmVirginia Tech Hokies (6–6)Cincinnati Bearcats (9–3)ACCAmericanVirginia Tech 33Cincinnati 17Sun BowlSun Bowl StadiumEl Paso, TX2:00 pmCBSNo. 15 Arizona State Sun Devils (9–3)Duke Blue Devils (9–3)Pac-12ACCArizona State 36Duke 31Independence BowlIndependence StadiumShreveport, LA4:00 pmABCSouth Carolina Gamecocks (6–6)Miami Hurricanes (6–6)SECACCSouth Carolina 24Miami 21Pinstripe BowlYankee StadiumBronx, NY4:30 pmESPNPenn State Nittany Lions (6–6)Boston College Eagles (7–5)Big TenACCPenn State 31Boston College 30 (OT)Holiday BowlQualcomm StadiumSan Diego, California8:00 pmNo. 24 USC Trojans (8–4)Nebraska Cornhuskers (9–3)Pac-12Big TenUSC 45Nebraska 42Dec. 29Liberty BowlLiberty Bowl Memorial StadiumMemphis, TN2:00 pmTexas A&M Aggies (7–5)West Virginia Mountaineers (7–5)SECBig 12Texas A&M 45West Virginia 37Russell Athletic BowlOrlando Citrus Bowl StadiumOrlando, FL5:30 pmNo. 17 Clemson Tigers (9–3)Oklahoma Sooners (8–4)ACCBig 12Clemson 40Oklahoma 6Texas BowlNRG StadiumHouston, TX9:00 pmArkansas Razorbacks (6–6)Texas Longhorns (6–6)SECBig 12Arkansas 31Texas 7Dec. 30Music City BowlLP FieldNashville, TN3:00 pmNotre Dame Fighting Irish (7–5)No. 23 LSU Tigers (8–4)IndependentSECNotre Dame 31LSU 28Belk BowlBank of America StadiumCharlotte, NC6:45 pmNo. 13 Georgia Bulldogs (9–3)No. 21 Louisville Cardinals (9–3)SECACCGeorgia 37Louisville 14Foster Farms BowlLevi's StadiumSanta Clara, CA10:00 pmStanford Cardinal (7–5)Maryland Terrapins (7–5)Pac-12Big TenStanford 45Maryland 21Jan. 1Outback BowlRaymond James StadiumTampa, FL12:00 pmESPN2No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers (10–3)No. 19 Auburn Tigers (8–4)Big TenSECWisconsin 34Auburn 31 (OT)Citrus BowlOrlando Citrus Bowl StadiumOrlando, FL1:00 pmABCNo. 16 Missouri Tigers (10–3)No. 25 Minnesota Golden Gophers (8–4)SECBig TenMissouri 33Minnesota 17Jan. 2Armed Forces BowlAmon G. Carter StadiumFort Worth, TX12:00 pmESPNHouston Cougars (7–5)Pittsburgh Panthers (6–6)AmericanACCHouston 35Pittsburgh 34TaxSlayer BowlEverBank FieldJacksonville, FL3:20 pmTennessee Volunteers (6–6)Iowa Hawkeyes (7–5)SECBig TenTennessee 45Iowa 28Alamo BowlAlamodomeSan Antonio, TX6:45 pmNo. 14 UCLA Bruins (9–3)No. 11 Kansas State Wildcats (9–3)Pac-12Big 12UCLA 40Kansas State 35Cactus BowlSun Devil StadiumTempe, AZ10:15 pmOklahoma State Cowboys (6–6)Washington Huskies (8–5)Big 12Pac-12Oklahoma State 30Washington 22 Jan. 3Birmingham BowlLegion FieldBirmingham, AL12:00 pmFlorida Gators (6–5)East Carolina Pirates (8–4)SECAmericanFlorida 28East Carolina 20 Jan. 4GoDaddy BowlLadd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AL9:00 pmToledo Rockets (8–4)Arkansas State Red Wolves (7–5)MACSun BeltToledo 63Arkansas State 44
Post College Football Playoff all-star games DateGameSiteTelevisionParticipantsResultsJan. 10Medal of Honor BowlJohnson Hagood StadiumCharleston, SC2:30 pmNBCSNNational Team vs.American TeamNational 26 American 14Jan. 17East–West Shrine GameTropicana FieldSt. Petersburg, FL4:00 pmNFL NetworkEast Team vs. West TeamEast 19 West 3NFLPA Collegiate BowlStubHub CenterCarson, CA6:00 pmESPN2National Team vs.American TeamNational 17 American 0Jan. 24Senior BowlLadd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AL4:00 pmNFL NetworkNorth Team vs.South TeamNorth 34 South 13
Selection of the teams CFP top 25 teams On December 7, 2014, the 13-member College Football Playoff selection committee announced their final team rankings for the year.Conway, Taylor (December 7, 2014). "College Football Playoff 2014: Final Official Selection Committee Rankings", Bleacher Report. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
Rank Team W–L Conference and standing Bowl game Alabama Crimson Tide SEC champions Sugar Bowl (CFP semifinal) Oregon Ducks Pac-12 champions Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal) Florida State Seminoles ACC champions Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal) Ohio State Buckeyes Big Ten champions Sugar Bowl (CFP semifinal) Baylor Bears Big 12 co-champions Cotton Bowl Classic (NY6) TCU Horned Frogs Big 12 co-champions Peach Bowl (NY6) Mississippi State Bulldogs SEC Western Division second place Orange Bowl (NY6) Michigan State Spartans Big Ten East Division second place Cotton Bowl Classic (NY6) Ole Miss Rebels SEC Western Division third place Peach Bowl (NY6) Arizona Wildcats Pac-12 South Division champions Fiesta Bowl (NY6) Kansas State Wildcats Big 12 third place Alamo Bowl Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets ACC Coastal Division champions Orange Bowl (NY6) Georgia Bulldogs SEC Eastern Division second place Belk Bowl UCLA Bruins Pac-12 South Division second place (tie) Alamo Bowl Arizona State Sun Devils Pac-12 South Division second place (tie) Sun Bowl Missouri Tigers SEC Eastern Division champions Citrus Bowl Clemson Tigers ACC Atlantic Division second place Russell Athletic Bowl Wisconsin Badgers Big Ten West Division champions Outback Bowl Auburn Tigers SEC Western Division fourth place (tie) Outback Bowl Boise State Broncos Mountain West champions Fiesta Bowl (NY6) Louisville Cardinals ACC Atlantic Division third place Belk Bowl Utah Utes Pac-12 South Division fifth place Las Vegas Bowl LSU Tigers SEC Western Division fourth place (tie) Music City Bowl USC Trojans Pac-12 South Division second place (tie) Holiday Bowl Minnesota Golden Gophers Big Ten West Division second place (tie) Citrus Bowl
Conference champions' bowl games Three bowls featured two conference champions playing against each other—the Boca Raton Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. Rankings are per the above CFP standings.