College Football Computer Simulated Playoffs–The Simper Bowl

2009-10 NCAA College Football Computer Simulated Playoffs

The Simper Bowl—The National Championship Game

 

Did you watch Monday night’s Fiesta Bowl?  I’m talking about the real one played on the field between TCU and Boise State in which Boise State won 17-10.  These two teams played in the computer simulated National Championship Game in Pasadena last night, and the simulated game was even more entertaining than the actual bowl game.

Before I tell you who won, let me state that the outcome of Monday night’s Fiesta Bowl played no part in this simulation.  In fact, all the games in this year’s college playoff simulation were simulated one night in mid-December, when I had access to the simulator.

This game didn’t want to end.  It went 6 overtimes.  There were 188 plays from scrimmage.  It was finally decided on a converted two-point attempt.  Your winner in the 2009-2010 NCAA College Football Computer Simulated Playoffs is: Boise State.  The final score: Boise State 39 TCU 37

 

The Horned Frogs couldn’t stop Boise State’s Jeremy Avery at the goalline on the winning two-point attempt.

Regulation ended at 10-10 when Bronco kicker Kyle Brontzman nailed a 51-yard field goal as time expired.

Both teams score touchdowns in the first overtime to make it 17-17.  Neither team could pick up a first down in the second overtime, but both made field goals to make it 20-20.

The third overtime saw both teams miss field goals, so the score remained 20-20.  In overtime number four, Boise State scored a touchdown and converted on the two-point try.  TCU faced 4^th and 7 at the 18 yard line and quarterback Andy Dalton scrambled for a touchdown.  The successful two-point try made it 28-28.

In overtime five, neither team could move the ball and both settled for field goals to make it 31-31. 

TCU scored first in the sixth overtime but missed the two-point conversion.  Boise State drove 25 yards in five plays for the tying touchdown, when Avery came up with the successful conversion on the game’s final play.

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	F
T C U	3	0	7	0	27	37
Boise State	7	0	0	3	29	39
		TCU	Stat	BSU
		28	FD	26
		45-164	Rush-Yds	45-154
		263	Pass Yds	332
		25-42-1	Passes	31-56-2
		3-40.7	Punt	2-40.5
		0-0	PR	0-0
		11-90	Pen	8-70
		2-1	Fum	2-0
		87	Play	101
		427	Tot Yds	486

College Football Computer Simulated Playoffs–Semifinal Round

2009-10 NCAA College Football Computer Simulated Playoffs

The Final Four

 

The Semifinal Round of the 2009-2010 PiRate Computer Simulated College Football Playoffs is in the books.  And, just which two teams will be meeting in the Simper Bowl?

In the first game at the Orange Bowl, #6 Seed Boise State pulled off the upset over #2 Seed Texas.  The Broncos scored 10 points in the first quarter and held Colt McCoy in check all day to win 17-13.

In the Fiesta Bowl, #4 Seed TCU stopped #9 Seed Georgia Tech’s vaunted option attack and blocked a punt that set up a touchdown in a 24-12 victory.

That sets up a Simper Bowl game between 15-0 Boise State and 14-0 TCU.  These two teams played for real last night in the actual Fiesta Bowl, with Boise State winning 17-10.  The simulation game was simulated in mid-December, so last night’s actual game played no part in the simulation.

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	F
Boise St.	10	0	7	0		17
Texas	0	3	3	7		13
		BSU	Stat	Tex
		16	FD	16
		38-144	Rush-Yds	24-102
		178	Pass Yds	183
		14-26-0	Passes	18-35-2
		5-37.6	Punt	7-40.6
		3-28	PR	2-13
		3-20	Pen	9-70
		2-1	Fum	1-0
		64	Play	59
		322	Tot Yds	285
Team	1	2	3	4	OT	F
T C U	7	3	0	14		24
Ga. Tech	0	3	3	6		12
		TCU	Stat	GT
		18	FD	14
		44-202	Rush-Yds	44-185
		182	Pass Yds	63
		15-26-0	Passes	4-9-1
		6-43.2	Punt	7-36.4
		2-15	PR	3-23
		5-38	Pen	6-45
		0-0	Fum	2-0
		70	Play	53
		384	Tot Yds	248

College Football Computer Simulated Playoffs–Quarterfinal Round

2009-10 NCAA College Football Computer Simulated Playoffs

Quarterfinal Round

 

If you want to know the whys and hows of this computer simulation playoff, read the following entry from December 7, 2009: https://piratings.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/pirate-ratings-and-spreads-for-college-football%e2%80%93regular-season-final/

Four teams advance to the semifinals to be played released tomorrow.

In the Cotton Bowl #4 Seed T C U stopped Tim Tebow and #5 Seed Florida in an exciting game that went to overtime, before the Horned Frogs won 20-16.

In the Capital One Bowl, #6 Seed Boise State knocked off #3 Seed Cincinnati 38-20 in a battle of previously unbeaten teams.  The Bearcats couldn’t stop the Bronco running game as Jeremy Avery rushed for 126 yards and Doug Martin rushed for 102.

In the Rose Bowl, #2 Seed Texas showed its defensive prowess in a 20-9 win over #7 Seed Oregon.

In the Sugar Bowl, there was a huge upset.  #9 Seed Georgia Tech scored touchdowns on its final two possessions to pull off a 24-23 win over #1 Seed Alabama.  The Yellow Jackets won despite no completed passes.  Jonathan Dwyer scored the game-winner on a 74 yard run with 2:17 remaining in the game.

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	F
T C U	0	7	6	0	7	20
Florida	10	0	0	3	3	16
		TCU	Stat	Fla
		17	FD	19
		45-116	Rush-Yds	48-166
		192	Pass Yds	154
		15-27-1	Passes	16-27-2
		6-42.5	Punt	5-41.2
		2-18	PR	3-11
		7-57	Pen	5-52
		0-0	Fum	2-1
		72	Play	75
		308	Tot Yds	320
Team	1	2	3	4	OT	F
Boise St.	10	14	7	7		38
Cincinnati	0	3	14	3		20
		BSU	Stat	Cin
		22	FD	17
		46-255	Rush-Yds	30-77
		173	Pass Yds	223
		15-25-0	Passes	19-34-2
		1-44	Punt	4-38.8
		2-51	PR	0-0
		4-25	Pen	6-41
		1-0	Fum	2-0
		71	Play	64
		428	Tot Yds	300
Team	1	2	3	4	OT	F
Texas	3	10	0	7		20
Oregon	0	3	6	0		9
		Tex	Stat	Ore
		18	FD	9
		39-142	Rush-Yds	33-81
		211	Pass Yds	123
		19-29-0	Passes	11-27-1
		4-42.3	Punt	8-39.0
		4-32	PR	1-(-2)
		6-48	Pen	7-55
		2-1	Fum	2-0
		68	Play	60
		353	Tot Yds	204
Team	1	2	3	4	OT	F
Ga. Tech	0	3	7	14		24
Alabama	3	3	14	3		23
		GT	Stat	Ala
		15	FD	17
		52-271	Rush-Yds	41-156
		0	Pass Yds	166
		0-6-0	Passes	14-25-1
		5-40.8	Punt	6-39.7
		2-14	PR	1-32
		7-59	Pen	6-45
		2-1	Fum	2-0
		58	Play	66
		271	Tot Yds	322

Check back tomorrow for results from the Semifinal Round.  In the semifinals, TCU and Georgia Tech will meet in the Fiesta Bowl and Boise State will take on Texas in the Orange Bowl.  Then, on Thursday, check back for the National Championship Game in the Simper Bowl.

College Football Computer Simulated Playoffs–Round One

2009-10 NCAA College Football Computer Simulated Playoffs

Round One

 

The opening round of the computer simulated playoffs are in the books, and four teams have advanced to the quarterfinals to play the top four seeds, all of whom received first round byes.

For a better understanding of these playoffs, see my December 7, 2009, post.  In the opening round, the four bowls hosting these games were the Outback Bowl, Alamo Bowl, Holiday Bowl, and Gator Bowl.  

In the Outback Bowl, #5-Seed Florida did nothing offensively in the first half against #12 seed LSU, but the Gators outscored the Tigers 13-3 in the second half to win 16-9.

In the Alamo Bowl,  #6 Boise State started the game with a nine play, 80-yard touchdown drive and never looked back in t 34-13 win over  #11 Virginia Tech. 

In the Holiday Bowl,  #7 Oregon scored two touchdowns in the final 6:41 to come back and beat #10 Iowa 27-19.

In the Gator Bowl, #9 Georgia Tech rushed for 145 yards in the first quarter while building a 14-0 lead over #8 Ohio State and then held on as the Buckeyes rallied in the second half to make it a 30-24 final

 

Here are the statistics for the games:

Outback Bowl

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Florida	0	3	10	3	16
L S U	3	3	3	0	9
		Florida	Team	L S U
		15	FD	13
		45-171	Rushing	37-117
		156	Passing	138
		13-21-1	Passes	12-25-1
		5-41.4	Punt	7-40.6
		41	Returns	26
		1-0	Fumbles	0-0
		6-45	Penalties	7-60
		66	Plays	62
		327	Total Yds	255

 

Alamo Bowl

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Boise St.	10	7	14	3	34
Va. Tech	0	7	0	6	13
		Boise	Team	Va Tech
		25	FD	16
		49-281	Rushing	42-153
		176	Passing	87
		15-24-0	Passes	9-22-2
		1-38.0	Punt	6-42.3
		18	Returns	0
		1-0	Fumbles	2-1
		5-35	Penalties	6-53
		73	Plays	64
		457	Total Yds	230

Holiday Bowl

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Oregon	0	7	6	14	27
Iowa	9	3	7	0	19
		Oregon	Team	Iowa
		22	FD	16
		41-180	Rushing	31-117
		251	Passing	164
		20-29-0	Passes	16-28-2
		2-44.5	Punt	6-37.8
		18	Returns	-2
		2-1	Fumbles	3-1
		4-30	Penalties	9-65
		70	Plays	59
		431	Total Yds	281

 

Gator Bowl

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Ga. Tech	14	6	7	3	30
Ohio St.	0	7	7	10	24
		Ga Tech	Team	Ohio St
		24	FD	17
		58-311	Rushing	38-164
		108	Passing	183
		6-14-1	Passes	17-29-2
		0-0	Punt	4-41.5
		39	Returns	0
		3-2	Fumbles	2-1
		9-80	Penalties	6-43
		72	Plays	67
		419	Total Yds	347

 

Quarterfinal Round

In the next round, #5 Florida takes on #4 T C U in the Cotton Bowl; #6 Boise State plays #3 Cincinnati in the Capital One Bowl; #7 Oregon plays #2 Texas in the Rose Bowl; and #9 Georgia Tech plays #1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

These games would be the four New Year’s Day Bowl Games.  Wouldn’t it be great when all four January 1 bowls would actually mean something and guarantee that every game contributed to the real National Championship?

Check back on January 2 for results of the college football Elite Eight.