NCAA 2008 College Football Playoff Simulation
Round One
Welcome to season number two of the NCAA College Football Playoff Simulation. For those reading this blog for the first time, the PiRate College Football Playoffs take the champions of the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, and SEC as automatic qualifiers. Any of the remaining conference champions (including the top independent) that finish in the top 16 in the final regular season BCS Standings also qualify automatically. At-large teams are then selected in the order of BCS finish until 12 total teams have been selected. The 12 teams are seeded by BCS ranking.
Here is how the 12 teams were selected for the 2008 playoffs.
Top Six Conference Champions
ACC-Virginia Tech 9-4 seeded 12th
Big East Champion-Cincinnati 11-2 seeded 11th
Big Ten-Penn State 11-1 seeded 8th
Big 12-Oklahoma 12-1 seeded 1st
Pac-10-Southern Cal 11-1 seeded 5th
SEC-Florida 12-1 seeded 2nd
Automatic Qualifiers By Virtue Of Top 16 In BCS
MWC-Utah 12-0 seeded 6th
WAC-Boise State 12-0 seeded 9th
Top Four At-Large To Fill Out 12-Team Field
Texas 11-1 seeded 3rd
Alabama 12-1 seeded 4th
Texas Tech 11-1 seeded 7th
Ohio State 10-2 seeded 10th
The PiRate Playoff System uses the top 11 bowl games to play the four rounds. The 5th through 12th seeds must play in the first round, while the top four seeds receive byes to the quarterfinals.
The First Round games were simulated Saturday, December 13. Here are the results of those games.
Insight Bowl: #5 Southern Cal vs. #12 Virginia Tech
Final Score: Southern Cal 20 Virginia Tech 6
Will Harris returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown and Stafon Johnson scored on an 8-yard run in the second quarter to give the Trojans all the points they needed. The USC defense held the Hokies to 14 total yards and no first downs in the second half. USC now advances to the Gator Bowl to play #4 seed Alabama.
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
F |
|
U S C |
0 |
14 |
3 |
3 |
|
20 |
|
Va. Tech |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
USC |
Stat |
VT |
|
|
|
|
|
19 |
FD |
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
43-156 |
Rush-Yds |
35-29 |
|
|
|
|
|
177 |
Pass Yds |
108 |
|
|
|
|
|
15-26-1 |
Passes |
11-24-2 |
|
|
|
|
|
5-39.8 |
Punt |
9-41.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
4-71 |
PR |
2-20 |
|
|
|
|
|
6-45 |
Pen |
4-30 |
|
|
|
|
|
0-0 |
Fum |
2-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
69 |
Play |
59 |
|
|
|
|
|
333 |
Tot Yds |
137 |
|
|
Cotton Bowl: #6 Utah vs. #11 Cincinnati
Final Score: Utah 23 Cincinnati 20 2ot
Running Back Matt Asiata lined up in the Wildcat Formation and then through a 29 yard running pass to David Reed for a touchdown to tie the game with less than a minute remaining in regulation, and quarterback Brian Johnson completed a 25 yard pass to Asiata on the first play of the second overtime, as Utah advanced to the Capital One Bowl and the quarterfinals. The Utes’ opponent will be #3 seed Texas
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
F |
|
Utah |
0 |
0 |
3 |
7 |
13 |
23 |
|
Cinti |
0 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
10 |
20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Utah |
Stat |
Cin |
|
|
|
|
|
19 |
FD |
18 |
|
|
|
|
|
47-174 |
Rush-Yds |
44-159 |
|
|
|
|
|
213 |
Pass Yds |
229 |
|
|
|
|
|
19-36-2 |
Passes |
18-34-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
8-43.4 |
Punt |
7-39.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
3-23 |
PR |
6-47 |
|
|
|
|
|
5-40 |
Pen |
7-48 |
|
|
|
|
|
1-0 |
Fum |
3-2 |
|
|
|
|
|
83 |
Play |
78 |
|
|
|
|
|
387 |
Tot Yds |
388 |
|
|
Chick-Fil-a Bowl: #7 Texas Tech vs. #10 Ohio State
Final Score: Ohio State 45 Texas Tech 31
Terrelle Pryor ran for two scores and passed for two others and Marcus Freeman sacked Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell three times, as the Buckeyes beat higher-seeded Texas Tech. Pryor scored his first touchdown on a 14 yard scamper early in the second quarter after Brian Hartline set the Buckeyes up with a 32 yard punt return. Pryor’s first touchdown pass went to Hartline from 26 yards out. In the third quarter, Pryor hit Brian Robiskie for a 13-yard score, and in the final period, Pryor scampered 17 yards for the game-clinching touchdown, after Texas Tech had scored on a blocked punt and return.
Ohio State now moves on to the Sugar Bowl for a date against #2 seed Florida.
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
F |
|
Tx Tech |
7 |
7 |
14 |
3 |
|
31 |
|
Oh St |
3 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
|
45 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TTU |
Stat |
OSU |
|
|
|
|
|
18 |
FD |
24 |
|
|
|
|
|
18-39 |
Rush-Yds |
37-215 |
|
|
|
|
|
301 |
Pass Yds |
177 |
|
|
|
|
|
27-56-3 |
Passes |
16-26-0 |
|
|
|
|
|
4-41.5 |
Punt |
4-34.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
1-7 |
PR |
2-34 |
|
|
|
|
|
7-65 |
Pen |
5-33 |
|
|
|
|
|
1-1 |
Fum |
1-0 |
|
|
|
|
|
74 |
Play |
63 |
|
|
|
|
|
340 |
Tot Yds |
392 |
|
|
Outback Bowl: #8 Penn State vs. #9 Boise State
Final Score: Boise State 34 Penn State 23
Ian Johnson and Kyle Wilson starred for the Broncos in this mild upset. Johnson gave BSU the quick lead when he returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. Wilson’s 62 yard punt return following Penn State’s first possession set up another Bronco score.
Johnson rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown, while Wilson intercepted two second half passes.
Boise State advances to the Fiesta Bowl to take on top-seeded Oklahoma.
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
F |
|
Penn St |
6 |
7 |
0 |
10 |
|
23 |
|
Boise St |
14 |
0 |
13 |
7 |
|
34 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PSU |
Stat |
BSU |
|
|
|
|
|
17 |
FD |
23 |
|
|
|
|
|
37-155 |
Rush-Yds |
44-189 |
|
|
|
|
|
171 |
Pass Yds |
226 |
|
|
|
|
|
16-29-3 |
Passes |
19-28-0 |
|
|
|
|
|
7-42.7 |
Punt |
5-41.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
3-20 |
PR |
5-43 |
|
|
|
|
|
6-50 |
Pen |
5-35 |
|
|
|
|
|
3-2 |
Fum |
2-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
66 |
Play |
72 |
|
|
|
|
|
326 |
Tot Yds |
415 |
|
|
Quarterfinal Round Matches
To Be Simulated December 20
Fiesta Bowl
#1 Oklahoma 12-1 vs. #9 Boise State 13-0
Sugar Bowl
#2 Florida 12-1 vs. #10 Ohio State 11-2
Capital One Bowl
#3 Texas 11-1 vs. #6 Utah 13-0
Gator Bowl
#4 Alabama 12-1 vs. #5 Southern Cal 12-1
The Pi-Rate Ratings 