College football bowl season: MVP picks for all 36 matchups - ESPN

The 2025 bowl season is in full swing and ESPN's college football experts are here to highlight the best performances.

We'll pick MVPs from each of the 36 bowl games from Dec. 13 to Jan. 2. These are our experts' picks and won't necessarily align with the official bowl MVP.

Check back after each game for the latest top performances from bowl season.

MVP: RB Jalen Buckley

Can you win bowl MVP before the end of the first quarter? Buckley, a junior running back for Western Michigan who earned third-team All-MAC honors and won league title MVP honors, proved it was possible on the teal turf. He set the tone on the very first snap, scooting through a hole on the right side of the line for a 65-yard touchdown. Buckley added a 57-yard run later in the quarter to set up WMU's fourth touchdown and also showed his effectiveness in short-yardage situations, converting a fourth-and-1 inside the Kennesaw State 10-yard line to set up another score. With several minutes left in the first quarter, Buckley was up to 172 yards on only seven carries, as WMU led 27-0. He added only one carry the rest of the way, turning things over to a defense that scored two touchdowns and received big performances from end Rodney McGraw (two forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks) and others. — Adam Rittenberg

MVP: WR Corey Rucker

The Arkansas State sixth-year senior wide receiver became only the 24th player in FBS history to reach 4,000 career receiving yards. Rucker's 71-yard touchdown reception — the second longest of his career, according to ESPN Research, which also put him over 4,000 — handed Arkansas State an early 14-0 lead. Despite the hot start, the Red Wolves still had to survive a late Missouri State rally, following a missed field goal attempt and series