Although the championship clash between Michigan and Washington sits on the horizon, college football's 2023 bowl season is over.

But the memories will live on.

All right, it's really not that dramatic. Still, the 41-game slate featured a bunch of fantastic performances—including a few in the College Football Playoff. Among them, Michael Penix Jr. propelled Washington to the national title with a stellar day, and Michigan running back Blake Corum scored a game-winning touchdown in overtime.

Beyond the CFP semifinals, however, bowl season included a seldom-used freshman racing in for five touchdowns, a 200-yard receiver and a couple of defenders scoring twice.

As is tradition, we've put together the B/R All-Bowl Season Team.

The choices are entirely subjective and largely based on total production, although key moments are considered as well.

Quarterback

QB: Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Not only did Michael Penix Jr. spark a conversation around his NFL future, he flat-out shredded the Texas defense in the Sugar Bowl.

The veteran left-hander completed 29-of-38 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns in the 37-31 victory. Penix, who also rushed for 31 yards, put together his best performance of the year on what was—until the national title against Michigan—the biggest stage of the season.

Penix's stellar night has given the Huskies a chance to win the program's first national championship since 1991.

Running Backs

RB: Blake Corum, Michigan

Early in the Rose Bowl, Blake Corum caught an eight-yard touchdown. He also snared a clutch fourth-down conversion on Michigan's tying drive and scored the winning touchdown on a 17-yard run in overtime. Corum finished the 27-20 thriller with 118 yards from scrimmage and two scores.

RB: Rickey Hunt, Ohio

Rickey Hunt notched six carries and one reception in an October blowout of Bowling Green. Otherwise, the freshman had zero touches in 2023. But after Ohio's two leading backs entered the transfer portal, Hunt jumped into the lineup for the Myrtle Beach Bowl. He torched the Georgia Southern defense for 115 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries and caught an 18-yard score in the 41-21 victory.

Wide Receivers and Tight End

WR: Rashod Owens, Oklahoma State

Rashod Owens capped the Pokes' remarkable 10-win season with a career-best effort. He snagged 10 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns to help Big 12 runner-up Oklahoma State beat Texas A&M 31-23 in the Texas Bowl. For good measure, teammate Brennan Presley posted 16 receptions for 152 yards.

WR: Jayden Higgins, Iowa State

Nobody put up more receiving yards in bowl season than Jayden Higgins, who collected 214 despite a 36-26 loss to Memphis in the Liberty Bowl. The junior brought in nine passes and scored a touchdown. Higgins finished the season just 17 yards shy of the coveted 1,000-yard mark.

WR: Luke Grimm, Kansas

Similar to Oklahoma State, Kansas has a pair of quality options. Luke Grimm had four catches for 160 yards and three touchdowns, while Lawrence Arnold notched six receptions for 132 yards and three scores. Flip a coin, and it lands on Grimm's hyper-efficient showing in the 49-36 win over UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Kansas celebrated the program's first bowl triumph since 2008.

TE: Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss

Ole Miss set a program record with its 11th victory of the season, and Caden Prieskorn played a pivotal role in the 38-25 victory. The tight end corralled 10 passes for 136 yards and two scores, also catching a two-point conversion to propel the Rebels past Penn State in the Peach Bowl.

Offensive Line

Team OL: Georgia State Panthers

Georgia State supporters, were you concerned that Freddie Brock wouldn't get a moment in the spotlight? Fear not!

After totaling six carries in the regular season—exactly like Ohio's Hunt—Brock stepped up during the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. He rushed for 276 yards and a touchdown, chipped in two receptions for 15 yards and helped the Panthers roll to a 45-22 win over Utah State.

But the offensive line did so much more.

Left tackle Ben Chukwuma, left guard Jonathan Brown, center Alec Johnson, right guard Lamar Robinson and right tackle Trevor Timmons cleared the paths for Georgia State to amass a bowl-high 643 yards.

Darren Grainger hit 19-of-22 passes for 257 yards and three scores, adding 111 yards and two touchdowns as a runner.

Defensive Line

DE: Jack Sawyer, Ohio State

As rumblings build toward Jack Sawyer returning in 2024—which is awesome news for Ohio State fans—he recorded a career-best performance during the Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. Sawyer registered three sacks and a hurry, and his fourth total tackle stopped Mizzou for a one-yard gain.

DL: Amier Washington, Texas Tech

My favorite bowl breakouts are players who hardly touched the field but suddenly excel in December. Amier Washington is a prime example, given that he totaled one appearance with eight snaps in the regular season. All he did in the Independence Bowl is collect four tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble as Texas Tech cruised past Cal 34-14.

DT: Mason Graham, Michigan

Alabama had few answers for Mason Graham, the All-Big Ten defensive tackle who came up clutch in the Rose Bowl. After causing disruption throughout the night, Graham made a key tackle for a five-yard loss in overtime that contributed to Alabama's ill-fated overtime drive. Graham won the game's Defensive MVP honors in the 27-20 victory.

Edge: Bo Richter, Air Force

Air Force snapped a four-game skid in the postseason, taking down James Madison 31-21 in the Armed Forces Bowl. Bo Richter propelled an excellent defensive day, notching five tackles with 4.5 for loss (three sacks), four hurries and one forced fumble. Richter totaled 19.5 TFLs and 10 sacks this season.

Linebackers

LB: Brian Holloway, Texas State

As the program earned its first-ever bowl victory, Brian Holloway picked off two Rice passes. Even better, he returned the interceptions for touchdowns of 36 and 48 yards. Holloway also tallied six stops in the Bobcats' 45-21 demolition of Rice during the First Responder Bowl.

LB: Chandler Martin, Memphis

Memphis had a mediocre run defense throughout the 2023 campaign yet somehow held Iowa State to 20 yards on 18 carries, excluding sacks. Chandler Martin led the charge with eight tackles, including a ridiculous five for loss (and one sack). Martin crossed the 100-tackle threshold for the season, and Memphis beat ISU 36-26.

LB: Barrett Carter, Clemson

Running back Phil Mafah deserves a golf clap for his four-touchdown showing in Clemson's 38-35 comeback win over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl. Barrett Carter had a stellar day, too. Along with three tackles, Carter amassed three pass breakups, one interception and a fumble recovery.

Defensive Backs

CB: Samy Johnson, Arkansas State

Northern Illinois held on for a 21-19 victory in the Camellia Bowl, but Samy Johnson produced a strong afternoon. Johnson had 11 tackles with one for loss, two pass breakups and one interception in the final game of his Arkansas State career.

CB: Cameron Oliver, UNLV

Kansas quarterback Jason Bean threw for 449 yards in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, but he picked on Cameron Oliver with limited success. Oliver closed the contest with a handful of tackles, one interception, one pass breakup, a forced fumble and even a hurry on Bean.

S: Jalen Clark, Louisiana

Although its offense had an abysmal time in the New Orleans Bowl, Louisiana still forced overtime thanks to a defense that scored three touchdowns. Jalen Clark provided two of those scores on 46-yard fumble and 16-yard interception returns. He otherwise posted three tackles and one pass breakup in the 34-31 loss to Jacksonville State.

S: Gunner Maldonado, Arizona

Late in the third quarter, Oklahoma held a 24-13 lead and seemed on the verge of widening the gap. Arizona's Gunner Maldonado had a different plan. The safety snagged a bizarre interception-looking fumble and returned it 87 yards for a score, sparking a run of 25 straight points that capped a 38-24 Alamo Bowl triumph and 10-win season for the Cats. Beyond that play, Maldonado gathered nine tackles and an interception.

Specialists

K: Will Reichard, Alabama

Only two players hit at least two field goals from 40-plus yards in bowl season. Will Reichard was the lone kicker to convert a pair of 50-yarders. Yes, it happened in a Rose Bowl loss to Michigan, but Reichard drilled a 50-yarder in the seconds before halftime and nailed a clutch 52-yard attempt in the fourth quarter that extended Bama's lead to seven. He made both extra points, as well.

P: Tory Taylor, Iowa

Alabama punter James Burnip made a convincing case for an Alabama specialist sweep. Tory Taylor, however, lands the nod after also setting the single-season record for punt yards. Tennessee smoked Iowa 35-0 in the Citrus Bowl, yet Taylor averaged 51.4 yards—and, more importantly, netted 49.3—while securing his place in history.

KR: Barion Brown, Kentucky

The next two are simple: Barion Brown is the only player to take a kickoff for a touchdown. He opened the second half of the Gator Bowl with a blistering 100-yard scamper past Clemson's coverage. Brown scored on a 22-yard run and 60-yard reception in UK's loss, too.

PR: Beanie Bishop Jr., West Virginia

And similarly, Beanie Bishop Jr. recorded the single punt-return score. He sliced through North Carolina for a 78-yard touchdown as West Virginia rolled UNC 30-10 in the Mayo Bowl. Bishop, one of B/R's All-American picks at cornerback, made eight tackles in the victory.