15 things we learned from bowl season

With only the College Football Playoff title game left to play, bowl season is officially over for another year.

Though the majority of the games may be glorified exhibitions, this bowl season still revealed or reinforced a number of truths about the college football world. Here are 15 of them.

The Pac-12 was a train wreck this season

While it's usually silly to use bowl games to grade a conference's performance, the Pac-12 has some explaining to do after a horrific 1-8 record in bowl season. Not only did the schools in the conference lose eight times, they allowed 35-plus points in seven of those eight losses. Hopefully Chip Kelly can help restore the Pac-12 to national relevance at UCLA.

UCF is legit

UCF capped its perfect season with an incredible win over Auburn in the Peach Bowl. That gave the Knights a 13-0 season - and beating Auburn means UCF defeated the only team that beat both Alabama and Georgia this season. That's good enough for athletic director Danny White to declare his school the national champ.

The Big Ten looked really good

Outside of Michigan blowing a 19-3 lead with 18 minutes to play against South Carolina in the Outback Bowl, the Big Ten finished with a sparkling 7-1 record in bowl play. Call them the anti-Pac-12, if you will. The wins that Penn State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin registered against top-11 opponents will get the headlines, but Michigan State's 42-17 hammering of Washington State also deserves recognition.

No, Ohio State shouldn't have made the playoff

Ohio State didn't deserve to make the playoff before bowl season, and nothing changed because of a win over USC in the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes' defense was incredible against the Trojans, but the offense struggled to move the ball against the nation's 60th-ranked defense. That would have made for very tough sledding against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl had Ohio State grabbed the No. 4 spot in the CFP.

Do not make plans during the Rose Bowl

For the second straight season, the Rose Bowl arguably provided the best bowl game. Last year, USC outscored Penn State 17-0 in the fourth quarter to win on a last-second field goal. The 2018 version was even better. With a berth in the CFP title game on the line, Georgia rallied for a double-overtime win against Oklahoma in the highest-scoring Rose Bowl in history.

Da'Ron Payne has 'gold hands'

Da'Ron Payne may be the most agile 6-foot-2, 319-pound man on the planet. Not only did the Alabama standout show off some incredible athleticism with this interception in the Sugar Bowl ...

... he followed it up with a remarkable touchdown grab on the ensuing drive.

He provided the funniest moment of the postgame festivities as well, explaining that he expected to make both plays because he has "gold hands."

Don't trash-talk Lane Kiffin

Florida Atlantic thumped Akron 50-3 in the Boca Raton Bowl, and the Owls poured it on by going for a two-point conversion when they were already up 34-3. Asked why they made that decision after the game, head coach Lane Kiffin didn't hold back.

Saquon Barkley finishes in style

Saquon Barkley left college fans with one last brilliant performance before the Penn State legend declared for the NFL draft, ripping off this 92-yard touchdown in the Nittany Lions' win over Washington in the Fiesta Bowl.

Josh Allen is going to get drafted high

Get ready to hear the name Josh Allen a lot as the NFL draft approaches. Despite underwhelming statistics and performances against top competition, the Wyoming quarterback continues to move up draft boards based on his potential. He flashed signs of it in the Cowboys' bowl win, throwing three touchdowns in the opening quarter while Denver Broncos general manager John Elway looked on.

TCU in the Alamo Bowl means drama

TCU has played in two of the last three Alamo Bowls, and if the organizers want drama, they would be wise to invite the Horned Frogs on an annual basis. After erasing a 31-0 halftime deficit to win in triple overtime against Oregon in 2016, TCU roared back from a 21-3 hole to beat Stanford 39-37 in this year's version.

Quinton Flowers is as good as any QB in the country

South Florida fans have long been familiar with the brilliance of Quinton Flowers, but in the Birmingham Bowl, the Bulls' star quarterback showed a national audience what he can do. Flowers threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winner in the final minute, while adding 106 yards and a score on the ground. He also became the American Athletic Conference's all-time leader in total offense during the contest.

Don't mess with the military

It's not wise to mess with the military in any situation, but especially during bowl season. After Army rolled up a staggering 440 rushing yards on 87 carries in a win over San Diego State in the Armed Forces Bowl, Navy bludgeoned Virginia 49-7 with 452 rushing yards.

Defense was optional in the Belk Bowl

The Belk Bowl certainly has the most entertaining Twitter feed of all the bowl games, and if you like points, then it was the most entertaining contest as well. Defense was optional Friday as Wake Forest and Texas A&M piled up 1,260 yards of total offense in the 55-52 Demon Deacons win.

Miles Boykin is a wizard

The play of the bowl season likely goes to Miles Boykin. The Notre Dame receiver made an absurd one-handed grab before juking two defenders on his way to the end zone against LSU. It would be the game-winning score for the Fighting Irish in an impressive victory.

Mac Loudermilk is definitely a wrestling fan

Mac Loudermilk, the punter for undefeated UCF, recreated WWE superstar "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's beer-smashing celebration with Gatorade bottles after the Knights' Peach Bowl win.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)