1. This is a 12-team tournament, using bowls for the first two rounds to get from 12 to 8 to 4.
2. The champions of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, and Pac-12 receive automatic bids.
3. The champions of the AAC, CUSA, MAC, MWC, and Sunbelt receive automatic bids if any finish in the top 16 of the RPI rankings, which replaces the BCS and has mathematical values that multiple mathematicians can determine and cannot be finagled in any way by football politicians in a back room. For this experiment, we are using an average of the top college ratings, including the PiRate Ratings.
4. We then select the two to seven highest RPI-ranked teams (to fill the bracket at 12 total) not automatically selected and give them berths in the tournament.
5. We then seed the teams by RPI ranking from 1-12. The top 4 teams would receive a first round bye as a reward for being one of the top four, while seeds 5-12 would face off in the first round.
This year, there were six automatic qualifiers and six at-large selections. Florida St., Baylor, Michigan St., Auburn, and Stanford satisfy the #2 criteria above, whereas Central Florida satisfies #3. The six at-large teams are: Alabama, Missouri, Ohio St., South Carolina, Oregon, and Oklahoma.
If this were next year, there would be a gross miscarriage of justice to the teams that are not number four. Florida St., Auburn, and Alabama would definitely be three of the teams chosen. Baylor, Michigan St., Stanford, Ohio St., Missouri, South Carolina, and Oregon would all have reason to be that fourth team, and only one of this seven would be chosen. Now, the first team out is Clemson, not quite as deserving as any of the seven above, all of whom now make the 12-team tournament.
Here are the teams, seeded 1-12
1. Florida St.
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. Stanford
5. Michigan St.
6. Missouri
7. Ohio St.
8. South Carolina
9. Baylor
10. Oregon
11. Oklahoma
12. Central Florida
The top four seeds receive first round byes, while teams 5-12 play at neutral site bowls.
Here are the results for Round One. Round Two will be published next Friday. The Semifinals will be published New Year’s Eve, and the Championship Game will be published Friday, January 3.
# 5 Michigan St. 12-1 vs. #12 Central Florida 11-1
Michigan St. 20 Central Florida 10
|
Mich St. |
Team |
Cent. Fla |
|
|
|
|
17 |
FD |
14 |
|
|
|
|
35-138 |
Rushing |
24-87 |
|
|
|
|
223 |
Passing |
239 |
|
|
|
|
21-38-0 |
Passes |
25-42-3 |
|
|
|
|
73 |
Play |
66 |
|
|
|
|
361 |
Yards |
326 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
F |
|
Mich St. |
3 |
7 |
0 |
10 |
20 |
|
Cent. Fla |
0 |
0 |
7 |
3 |
10 |
#6 Missouri 11-2 vs. #11 Oklahoma 10-2
Missouri 44 Oklahoma 35
|
Missouri |
Team |
Oklahoma |
|
|
|
|
22 |
FD |
25 |
|
|
|
|
45-188 |
Rushing |
44-218 |
|
|
|
|
251 |
Passing |
209 |
|
|
|
|
18-31-1 |
Passes |
19-34-1 |
|
|
|
|
76 |
Play |
78 |
|
|
|
|
439 |
Yards |
427 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
F |
|
Missouri |
13 |
14 |
7 |
10 |
44 |
|
Oklahoma |
7 |
14 |
0 |
14 |
35 |
#7 Ohio St. 12-1 vs. #10 Oregon 10-2
Oregon 48 Ohio St. 29
|
Ohio St. |
Team |
Oregon |
|
|
|
|
21 |
FD |
24 |
|
|
|
|
41-179 |
Rushing |
51-275 |
|
|
|
|
221 |
Passing |
286 |
|
|
|
|
17-28-1 |
Passes |
22-34-0 |
|
|
|
|
69 |
Play |
85 |
|
|
|
|
400 |
Yards |
561 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
F |
|
Ohio St. |
10 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
29 |
|
Oregon |
11 |
20 |
14 |
3 |
48 |
#8 South Carolina vs. #9 Baylor
South Carolina 34 Baylor 19
|
S Car |
Team |
Bay |
|
|
|
|
19 |
FD |
22 |
|
|
|
|
47-197 |
Rushing |
32-79 |
|
|
|
|
127 |
Passing |
241 |
|
|
|
|
12-19-0 |
Passes |
23-43-3 |
|
|
|
|
66 |
Play |
75 |
|
|
|
|
324 |
Yards |
320 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
F |
|
S Car |
10 |
10 |
7 |
7 |
34 |
|
Bay |
7 |
9 |
0 |
3 |
19 |
The Elite Eight Schedule
#1 Florida St. 13-0 vs. #8 South Carolina 11-2
#2 Auburn 12-1 vs. #10 Oregon 11-2
#3 Alabama 11-1 vs. #6 Missouri 12-2
#4 Stanford 11-2 vs. #5 Michigan St. 13-1
The Pi-Rate Ratings 