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CFB Crash Course, Graduation: Final grades and awards
Nick Saban once again is college football's most distinguished faculty member. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

CFB Crash Course, Graduation: Final grades and awards

The regular season is over (well, except for the Army-Navy game), the championship games have been won and the bowl matchups have been announced. Coaches are being fired, student-athletes are announcing their inclusion in the upcoming NFL Draft and recruiters are busy recruiting.

So let's take a look back at an interesting season and see who was at the head of the class in each conference:

Southeastern Conference

Valedictorian: Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
Allen is the key to the Crimson Tide's elite defense. Despite having a freshman quarterback and a thin secondary, Allen has been the star for a defense that leads the nation in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense and defensive touchdowns. Allen won the Nagurski Award as the top defensive player of the year, yet wasn't invited to the Heisman ceremony.

Salutatorian: Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama
Hurts has been solid for Bama this season, starting a winning the final 12 games of a 13-0 season. Not bad for a freshman. He didn't win the job heading into the opener against USC but took over the job during the game and never gave it back (with Blake Barnett, the original starter, transferring not long after). Hurts accounted for 24 total TDs, over 2,500 yards passing and over 800 yards rushing and is the favorite of three really good quarterbacks to win the College Football Playoff.

With honors: 
Tre'Davious White, DB, LSU; Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M; Kamryn Pettway, RB, Auburn

Distinguished Professor: Nick Saban, Alabama
Saban is leading Alabama to their fifth title in eight years and looking for his sixth National Championship in his last 12 years as a college coach. We can write pages about how good Saban actually is, but just know that this year he led Alabama to be only one of two undefeated teams and into the College Football Playoff.

Summer school:  LSU
The Tigers were ranked No. 5 in the preseason poll, lost their very first game, had a game winning touchdown overturned as they were celebrating the win on the field, fired their coach, had an ugly battle with Florida over a postponed game, and ended the season with a 7-4 mark.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Valedictorian: Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
Lamar Jackson easily wins this award. He is the odds on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and is the ACC player of the year. Not only did Jackson throw for nearly 3,400 yards, he was second in the ACC with 1,538 yards rushing.

Salutatorian: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
Watson had a fine season. He led his Tigers to another ACC Championship and back to the College Football Playoff. Yeah, he had a turnover problem this season.

With honors: 
Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State; James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh; Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina

Distinguished Professor: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
It's hard to take a team that got to the national championship game (and lost) and guide them back into the College Football Playoff. The expectations were high and there was a bit of complacency setting in. Still, Swinney got the Tigers back to the playoff with an ACC championship in tow.

Summer school: Duke
Four years in a row, the Blue Devils made it to a bowl game. This year, they finished 4-8, and aside from winning at Notre Dame, there wasn't much to be happy about for Duke.

Big Ten Conference

Valedictorian: Jabrill Peppers, LB, Michigan
Not only is Peppers a Heisman finalist, he won the Big Ten's defensive player of the year award as well as the return specialist award ... as a linebacker.  .

Salutatorian: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
Barkley led the Big Ten in all-purpose yards and touchdowns and was a key reason for the Nittany Lions' unlikely surge to a conference championship.

With honors: 
J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State; Austin Carr, WR, Northwestern; Trace McSorley, QB, Penn State

Distinguished Professor: James Franklin, Penn State
How do you lose to Pitt and then by 39 to Michigan ... then win the Big Ten championship and become everyone's favorite College Football Playoff snub? When your coach orchestrates one of the best in-season turnarounds in the country.

Summer school: Rutgers
C'mon! I mean, it's one thing to lose, another to get crushed virtually every week.

Pacific 12 Conference

Valedictorian: Jake Browning, QB, Washington
Browning's steady arm lifted Washington to unlikely spot in the College Football Playoff. He was a possible Heisman candidate (40 TDs and just 7 INTs) until poor showings in the Huskies' biggest games down the stretch.

Salutatorian: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
Okay, Stanford didn't have the season they hoped for. But McCaffrey still finished sixth in the nation in rushing despite missing some time and with an offense that had some struggles.

With honors: 
Adoree' Jackson, DB, USC; Myles Gaskin, RB, Washington; Gabe Marks, WR, Washington State.

Distinguished Professor: Mike McIntyre, Colorado
The Buffs frankly stunk in the first few seasons in the Pac-12. This year, however, Colorado would go on to win the South Division and play in their first Pac-12 championship game. He turned a 1-8 conference team into an 8-1 division champ.

Summer school: Oregon
The Ducks played Ohio State for the first College Football Playoff championship two years ago. This season, Oregon finished 4-8 and were blown out a few too many times. Now Mark Helfrich has been fired and USF's Willie Taggart will try to come in and turn this program right back around.

Big 12 Conference

Valedictorian: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
Mayfield had some struggles out of the gate, but once he and a certain salutatorian got on the same page, the Sooners offense was boomin'.

Salutatorian: Dede Westbrook, WR, Oklahoma
Westbrook was outstanding over the last nine games of the season, catching all 16 of his TDs, with several of them on huge yardage plays. He did well enough to earn a trip to the Heisman ceremony.

With honors: 
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech; D'Onta Foreman, RB, Texas; Joe Mixon, RB, Oklahoma

Distinguished Professor:  Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
Stoops gets a lot of flak for losing some big games, but he wins a lot of big games in order to play in the bigger ones. The Sooners were 1-2 and their title dreams were over when Stoops got his team to an undefeated Big 12 record and another conference title.

Summer school: Baylor 
A horrible offseason, a 6-0 start, then an 0-6 finish and a coaching search. Baylor hired Matt Ruhle away from Temple and hopes he can not only weather any possible storm coming from possible sanctions, but get back to winning football games.

6-Group of Five

Valedictorian: Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State
Pumphrey rushed for 1,855 yards and 14 TDs. Oh, and he's currently the third all-time rusher in FBS history.

Salutatorian: Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
Davis blew up this year, catching 83 passes for over 1,200 yards and 17 TDs. He's the MAC offensive player of the year for the undefeated Broncos. He's also the MAC's career leader in receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions.

With honors: 
Quinton Flowers, QB, South Florida; Jeremy McNichols, RB, Boise State; Ja'Von Rolland-Jones, DL, Arkansas State

Distinguished Professor: P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan
Fleck is a coach on the rise as he took Western Michigan — who had never been ranked before this season — to an undefeated record and a Cotton Bowl berth. He is young, energetic and really loves and motivates his players. He'll be in the big leagues soon.

Summer school: Fresno State
Remember when Fresno State was a pretty darn good football program? Now they are 1-11 and winless in the Mountain West. Former Cal coach Jeff Tedford will be in charge of resurrecting the Bulldogs program.

More must-reads:

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