Les Miles, LSU (vs. Texas Tech in Texas Bowl)

On Leonard Fournette’s big night in the 56-27 victory: “This is a night that Leonard Fournette would have again and again and again. I wouldn’t call it routine, because he is not a routine runner. He is a special back, but we would expect him to have nights like this. He’s fast and strong and capable. He’s one of the more competitive men I know. He wanted to win this game. No doubt. He’d like to have gotten about 47 more yards, but if we could have expanded the fourth quarter just a couple more minutes we may have got it for him.”

Gus Malzahn, Auburn (vs. Memphis in Birmingham Bowl)

On finally getting a bowl win for the seniors in a 31-10 victory: “I am extremely happy for our seniors to be able to get the guys out with a bowl win and see the smiles on their faces. We have a lot of great kids and thanks to them, this will leave us with momentum for the future. You can tell that we have good things ahead.”

Dan Mullen, Mississippi State (vs. North Carolina State in Belk Bowl)

On the legacy left behind by a group of Bulldogs that secured another 10-win season with win against Wolfpack: “In 114 years of Mississippi State football, only six teams have won nine games. They’re one of those six. And to do it up until two years ago, there has only been four. To do it with this group, this senior class. To do it in consecutive years is really special. I guess if you count Damien Robinson, he got three of them in there under his belt. He has been here for six years. I’ll tell you what, I am so proud of our team. I am proud of our players and this senior year. I feel like they have really changed what people think Mississippi State football is all about.”

Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M (vs. Louisville in Music City Bowl)

On whether all of the drama surrounding quarterback transfers hurt the Aggies in 27-21 loss: “It happened early enough that we were able to deal with it in practices with Jake (Hubenak). So the main part of it was that it was early enough that we were able to practice him and the team knew he was going to play. I thought that we practiced and responded well. And I thought that after he settled down early, he got a little bit better towards the second quarter and really gave us a chance to win the game at the end. It was a heck of a position to be in for a guy that makes his first start, and a lot of guys rallied around him.

Nick Saban, Alabama (vs. Michigan State in Cotton Bowl)

On how he felt about his team’s 38-0 beatdown of the Spartans: “I’m really, really proud of our team. I think last year when we came to this game we were just happy to be here. This year, I think everybody had a vision of what we wanted and a lot of guys paid the price in doing what they had to do in preparation, and there was no circumstance in that game out there tonight that changed anybody’s feeling about how they wanted to compete.”

Butch Jones, Tennessee (vs. Northwestern in Outback Bowl)

On what the status of his team is following a 45-6 bowl win that closed a nine-win season: “Still under construction. You’re always under construction. The road to success is always under construction, and we need to continue to recruit and develop and continue to grow and elevate our football program. But where we’ve come in three short years is amazing, and I owe it to all of our players, our staff, our support staff, and our seniors. They’ve really taken the charge.”

Jim McElwain, Florida (vs. Michigan in Citrus Bowl)

On getting beat 41-7 by Michigan: ‘It was a case of getting your rump kicked in.”

Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss (vs. Oklahoma State in Sugar Bowl)

On enjoying success of Sugar Bowl win in spite of lofty external expectations: “It’s just Year 4. Everybody wants everything now — the whole enchilada. Were we as consistent as we need to be? No.”

Bryan McClendon, Georgia (vs. Penn State in TaxSlayer Bowl)

On winning his final game at Georgia before moving on to South Carolina: “I’ll say this. It definitely is bittersweet. This business is about people and relationships, that’s what it’s made up of. You build relationships with so many people. I mean, I’ve spent more time with Terry Godwin than I have with my own kids throughout the season. That’s the God’s honest truth. You pour so much into these kids’ lives. That’s what makes the decisions hard when it comes to the business side of it. That’s why it’s been very easy for me to be able to keep that part away from it and just focus on guys like Terry, other guys that make up this team. But it is, it’s good. The bottom line is this, just like I tell these players, the University of Georgia has been playing football a long, long time before Bryan McClendon or Terry Godwin or whoever it may be. It’s more than likely going to keep on way after I’m dead and gone. It’s a lot bigger than me, you know. We’ve been able to keep it about the G and these guys.”

Bret Bielema, Arkansas (vs. Kansas State in Liberty Bowl)

On winning another bowl game to cap off an eight-win season: “It means a lot. I know our guys have fought all year to get to where we are. (We) went through some adversity, the guys responded the right way. I’ve got a great group of kids, who do it right on and off the field and make you really proud.”