NCAA 2008 College Football Playoff Simulation
Quarterfinal Round
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 20 #12 Virginia Tech 6
Cotton Bowl: #6 Utah 23 #11 Cincinnati 20 2ot
Chick-Fil-a Bowl: #10 Ohio State 45 #7 Texas Tech 31
Outback Bowl: #9 Boise State 34 #8 Penn State 23
Quarterfinal Round Matches
Simulated December 20
Fiesta Bowl
#1 Oklahoma 12-1 vs. #9 Boise State 13-0
Final Score: Oklahoma 48 Boise State 21
Chris Brown rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford passed for four scores, as Oklahoma scored on touchdowns on their first three possessions to win rather easily.
The top-seeded Sooners now advance to the semifinal round where they will take on Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
F |
|
Oklahoma |
21 |
10 |
10 |
7 |
|
48 |
|
Boise St. |
0 |
7 |
0 |
14 |
|
21 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OKL |
Stat |
BSU |
|
|
|
|
|
26 |
FD |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
37-177 |
Rush-Yds |
32-74 |
|
|
|
|
|
348 |
Pass Yds |
213 |
|
|
|
|
|
24-37-0 |
Passes |
19-32-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
2-40.5 |
Punt |
6-39.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
2-14 |
PR |
1-5 |
|
|
|
|
|
4-33 |
Pen |
6-47 |
|
|
|
|
|
0-0 |
Fum |
0-0 |
|
|
|
|
|
74 |
Play |
64 |
|
|
|
|
|
525 |
Tot Yds |
287 |
|
|
Sugar Bowl
#2 Florida 12-1 vs. #10 Ohio State 11-2
Final Score: Florida 34 Ohio State 17
Tim Tebow may have lost out on a second consecutive Heisman Trophy award, but the junior Gator Quarterback showed the nation that he is still the most versatile quarterback in college football. Tebow opened the game with a 72-yard scoring pass to Louis Murphy. On the Gators’ next possession, Tebow completed six consecutive passes and then ran off left tackle for 22 yards and a touchdown. He finished the game with 67 yard rushing and 312 total yards.
The number two seed Gators now advance to the Orange Bowl and will play Texas on New Year’s Day.
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
F |
|
Florida |
14 |
10 |
3 |
7 |
|
34 |
|
Ohio State |
0 |
3 |
14 |
0 |
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fla |
Stat |
OSU |
|
|
|
|
|
23 |
FD |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
50-286 |
Rush-Yds |
25-90 |
|
|
|
|
|
245 |
Pass Yds |
219 |
|
|
|
|
|
17-25-0 |
Passes |
18-34-3 |
|
|
|
|
|
4-42.8 |
Punt |
7-39.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
5-73 |
PR |
3-16 |
|
|
|
|
|
7-60 |
Pen |
6-52 |
|
|
|
|
|
0-0 |
Fum |
1-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
67 |
Play |
59 |
|
|
|
|
|
531 |
Tot Yds |
309 |
|
|
Capital One Bowl
#3 Texas 11-1 vs. #6 Utah 13-0
Final Score: Texas 35 Utah 17
Colt McCoy completed his first 14 passes and joines two other Longhorns with more than 50 yards rushing, as Texas crushed Utah and advanced to the Orange Bowl against Florida.
McCoy rushed for 51 yards on 12 carries; Vondrell McGee picked up 57 yards on 17 carries, and Cody Johnson rushed for 71 yards on just 11 carries and scored two touchdowns.
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
F |
|
Texas |
14 |
7 |
14 |
0 |
|
35 |
|
Utah |
0 |
0 |
3 |
14 |
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tex |
Stat |
Utah |
|
|
|
|
|
26 |
FD |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
40-179 |
Rush-Yds |
27-58 |
|
|
|
|
|
301 |
Pass Yds |
241 |
|
|
|
|
|
25-32-0 |
Passes |
20-37-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
3-41.0 |
Punt |
6-40.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
1-8 |
PR |
0-0 |
|
|
|
|
|
6-50 |
Pen |
8-67 |
|
|
|
|
|
1-0 |
Fum |
2-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
72 |
Play |
64 |
|
|
|
|
|
480 |
Tot Yds |
299 |
|
|
Gator Bowl
#4 Alabama 12-1 vs. #5 Southern Cal 12-1
Final Score: Southern Cal 17 Alabama 10
Southern Cal took advantage of three Alabama turnovers inside Crimson Tide territory, and the stellar Trojan defense kept Alabama out of the end zone. Alabama’s lone touchdown came on a blocked punt recovered in the end zone.
USC now advances to the Rose Bowl, where the Trojans will take on Oklahoma in a battle of the best offense versus the best defense.
|
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
OT |
F |
|
Alabama |
0 |
3 |
0 |
7 |
|
10 |
|
USC |
0 |
7 |
10 |
0 |
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ala |
Stat |
USC |
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
FD |
16 |
|
|
|
|
|
32-51 |
Rush-Yds |
35-119 |
|
|
|
|
|
144 |
Pass Yds |
207 |
|
|
|
|
|
15-27-1 |
Passes |
19-31-1 |
|
|
|
|
|
8-41.6 |
Punt |
6-33.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
3-22 |
PR |
5-69 |
|
|
|
|
|
4-30 |
Pen |
5-40 |
|
|
|
|
|
3-2 |
Fum |
0-0 |
|
|
|
|
|
59 |
Play |
66 |
|
|
|
|
|
195 |
Tot Yds |
326 |
|
|
The Pi-Rate Ratings 