Warren Herring, Nick Marshall

Wisconsin guard Warren Herring (45) sacks Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall during the second quarter of the Outback Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

The best division in college football closed out 2014 with its worst day of the year, and it continued into 2015.

With top-ranked Alabama's 42-35 loss to fourth-ranked Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl semifinal, the SEC West finished the season 2-5 in bowl games.

Earlier on New Year's Day, Auburn suffered a 34-31 overtime loss to Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. The losses follow a season where the division was consistently praised and mentioned as arguably the most dominant division in college football history.

"For at least a week or two, we don't have to hear about the SEC," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson following his team's 49-34 victory over Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl.

The Yellow Jacket's win over the Bulldogs - which were ranked atop the College Football Playoff poll for three of its seven weeks - came on the same day that Ole Miss was steamrolled by TCU, 42-3, in the Peach Bowl.

LSU recorded the division's first loss of the bowl season, falling to Notre Dame, 31-28, on Tuesday in the Music City Bowl.

The lone double-digit bowl win by an SEC West team came from the division's last-place team, as Arkansas rolled to a 31-7 victory over Texas in the Texas Bowl.

Edging West Virginia 45-37, Texas A&M recorded its eighth win of the season in the Liberty Bowl.

The SEC is 5-5 in its bowl games overall.

The SEC East, which is perceived as the weaker division in the conference, is currently 3-0.

Missouri took care of business, beating Minnesota 33-17 on Thursday in the Citrus Bowl.

Georgia routed Louisville, 37-14, in the Belk Bowl, while South Carolina beat Miami, 24-21, in the Independence Bowl.

Tennessee faces Iowa in the Taxslayer Bowl on Jan. 2, and Florida meets ECU for the Birmingham Bowl on Jan. 3.