NCAA 128: Battle to ONE (2011 Football Replay)

[StLee]

Southwest Conference 13th-14th Place
Kansas 28 at New Mexico 24
Leading Passer: BR Holbrook, NMU, 24-38-280-2-0
Leading Rusher: Tony Pierson, KU, 6-69-1
Leading Receiver: Jimmay Mundine, KU, 3-71
Game MVP: BR Holbrook, QB, New Mexico

West Conference 11th-12th Place
San Jose State 31 at Nevada 33
Leading Passer: Matt Faulkner, SJSU, 28-46-393-3-4
Leading Rusher: Lampford Mark, Nevada, 2-168-2
Leading Receiver: Noel Grigsby, SJSU, 8-105-2
Game MVP: Lampford Mark, RB, Nevada

Northwest Conference 15th-16th Place
Minnesota 31 at Colorado 7
Leading Passer: Tyler Hansen, Colorado, 15-33-183-0-0
Leading Rusher: Duane Bennett, Minnesota, 21-126-1
Leading Receiver: Toney Clemons, Colorado, 3-40
Game MVP: Duane Bennett, RB, Minnesota

Southwest Conference 11th-12th Place
Kansas State 23 at UTEP 10
Leading Passer: Nick Lamaison, UTEP, 22-37-265-0-2
Leading Rusher: Collin Klein, KSU, 33-153-1
Leading Receiver: Julio Lopez, UTEP, 4-59
Game MVP: Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State, 1-2-17-1-0 pass, 153-TD rush

Southwest Conference 9th-10th Place
SMU 32 at New Mexico State 28
Leading Passer: JJ McDermott, SMU, 33-56-442-2-1
Leading Rusher: Jared Williams, SMU, 18-117-1
Leading Receiver: Darius Johnson, SMU, 9-126-1
Game MVP: JJ McDermott, QB, SMU

Northwest Conference 11th-12th Place
Iowa State 36 at Colorado State 10
Leading Passer: Pete Thomas, CSU, 16-31-161-0-2
Leading Rusher: James White, ISU, 16-131-1
Leading Receiver: Lou Greenwood, CSU, 3-47
Game MVP: James White, RB, Iowa State

South Central Conference 3rd-4th Place
Arkansas State 13 at Houston 42
Leading Passer: Case Keenum, Houston, 24-34-318-3-0
Leading Rusher: Derek Lawson, Arkansas St, 13-75
Leading Receiver: Dwayne Frampton, Arkansas St, 7-108
Game MVP: Case Keenum, QB, Houston

Northwest Conference Championship at Mile High Stadium, Denver
Boise State 61 vs Wisconsin 58, OT
Leading Passer: Kellen Moore, BSU, 33-51-421-4-0
Leading Rusher: Montee Ball, Wisconsin, 29-257-3
Leading Receiver: Tyler Shoemaker, BSU, 5-99
Game MVP: Doug Martin, RB, Boise State, 23-105-4 rush, 6-72-1 rec

Game Story:

If the Northwest Conference is going to be anything like this, we say good riddance to traditional conferences!

In what was an exciting, never-say-defense explosion, Boise State edged Wisconsin 62-58 in overtime for the Northwest Conference championship in a sold out Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado.

The Broncos’ Doug Martin, who earned game most valuable player honors, scored the winning touchdown in overtime on a seven-yard pass from Kellen Moore. Martin finished the day with 104 yards rushing on 23 carries and 4 touchdowns, to go with 72 yards receiving on 6 catches and the game-winning score. Moore also had a big day, finishing 33 of 51 for 421 yards and four touchdowns.

Boise State had the lead for most of the game, with their largest lead of the game being 21 points with 4:59 left in the third quarter on a Moore to DJ Harper connection.

Scoring and offense was definitely the story of the day. The Badgers outgained Boise State in the game 569-582. The difference may have come in turnovers, where Wisconsin turned over the ball two times to none for Boise State.

The Badgers took the first lead of the game when Russell Wilson connected with Nick Toon for a three-yard strike. On the day, Wilson was 15 of 25 for 257 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. Toon finished with five receptions for 87 yards and three touchdowns.

Boise State answered with three straight scores, taking a 14-7 lead after one quarter and then a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter. Wisconsin answered with another Wilson to Toon connection, this time from 26 yards out to make the Broncos’ lead only 21-14.

After Martin scored his first touchdown of the game from four yards out, Wisconsin finished the first-half scoring with a 44-yard Kyle French field goal to make it a 28-17 game at the half. Ball finished with 257 yards on 29 carries and three touchdowns, all coming in the second half.

In the third quarter, Martin struck again from four yards out for a 34-17 Boise State lead. However, Dan Goodale missed the extra point, which became important later in the game.

Following the touchdown that gave Boise State its biggest lead of 41-20, Wisconsin answered with a 60-yard Montee Ball scamper to cut the lead to 41-27. Ball finished with 257 yards on 29 rushes and three touchdowns.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Martin scored his third rushing touchdown, but again Goodale missed the extra point for a 47-27 Broncos’ lead. After, Ball scored two straight touchdowns from 13 and 2 yards respectively to put the Badgers right back in the game at 47-41.

On the Badgers’ next possession, they took their first lead since the first quarter when Wilson connected with Jared Abbrederis from six yards out. The PAT gave Wisconsin a 48-47 lead with 5:15 to play.

Boise State answered quickly, though, scoring in less than a minute on Martin’s fourth TD run from 19 yards out. Moore then hit Matt Miller for the two-point conversion and 1 55-48 lead.

Wisconsin then drove downfield on the back of Ball. The drive was capped off when Wilson found Toon for the third time in the end zone and the Badgers were able to tie the game and send it to overtime tied 55-55.

The Badgers got the ball first in overtime, but they stalled at the 17-yard line, forcing French to kick a 34-yard field goal and take a 58-55 lead.

Boise State then got the ball. Martin rushed on first down from the 25-yard line, but got no gain. Moore then connected with Miller for an 18-yard gain, thanks to a missed tackle. On the third offensive play, Martin sprinted out of the backfield, and Moore hit him in stride for the seven-yard touchdown and the Boise State win.

With the win, the Northwest Region goes through Boise. The Broncos will be a #1 seed with their upset of Wisconsion. The Badgers will have to wait to see where they are sent in the tournament.



8:00 Games MVP:



Doug Martin, RB, Boise State. It doesn't get any better than being the MVP in a game of MVPs. Five players from this game could be in the running for National Player of the Week, but Martin stood out, scoring five touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime to help the Broncos defeat Wisconsin 61-58 for the Northwest Conference championship. In the game, Martin rushed 23 times for 105 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 72 yards and the game-winning score.

[StLee]

West Conference 15th-16th Place
UNLV 25 at Hawaii 33
Leading Passer: Bryant Moniz, Hawaii, 28-43-368-4-1
Leading Rusher: Tim Cornett, UNLV, 13-99
Leading Receiver: Royce Pollard, Hawaii, 7-142-1
Game MVP: Bryant Moniz, QB, Hawaii

West Conference 13th-14th Place
California 29 at Fresno State 17
Leading Passer: Derek Carr, FSU, 29-42-379-1-1
Leading Rusher: Isi Sofele, Cal, 22-96-2
Leading Receiver: Jalen Saunders, FSU, 5-102
Game MVP: Isi Sofele, RB, California

Northwest Conference 13th-14th Place
Northwestern 34 at Idaho 6
Leading Passer: Dan Persa, Northwestern, 21-29-314-3-1
Leading Rusher: Kama Bailey, Idaho, 12-60
Leading Receiver: Jeremy Ebert, Northwestern, 6-104-2
Game MVP: Dan Persa, QB, Northwestern

West Conference 9th-10th Place
San Diego State 41 at Oregon State 33
Leading Passer: Sean Mannion, OSU, 35-56-432-1-3
Leading Rusher: Ronnie Hillman, SDSU, 22-163-2
Leading Receiver: Dylan Denso, SDSU, 3-84
Game MVP: Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State, 23-39-368-3-0

West Conference 7th-8th Place
Washington 27 at Arizona 45
Leading Passer: Nick Foles, Arizona, 34-44-407-4-0
Leading Rusher: Chris Polk, UW, 23-168
Leading Receiver: Chris Polk, UW, 4-114-2
Game MVP: Nick Foles, QB, Arizona

West Conference 5th-6th Place
Washington State 17 at Arizona State 45
Leading Passer: Marshall Lobbestael, WSU, 30-55-360-2-2
Leading Rusher: Cameron Marshall, ASU, 21-67-1
Leading Receiver: Gerell Robinson, ASU, 4-111
Game MVP: Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State, 15-19-280-3-0

West Conference 3rd-4th Place
UCLA 10 at Stanford 45
Leading Passer: Andrew Luck, Stanford, 24-40-375-3-1
Leading Rusher: Stepfan Taylor, Stanford, 27-174-3
Leading Receiver: Coby Fleener, Stanford, 5-70-1
Game MVP: Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford

West Conference Championship at Candlestick Park, San Francisco
USC 13 vs Oregon 35
Leading Passer: Matt Barkley, USC, 27-41-310-0-3
Leading Rusher: LaMichael James, UO, 25-110-1
Leading Receiver: Robert Woods, USC, 11-124
Game MVP: Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon, 9-99-1 rush, 3-38 rec

Game story:

Boseko Lokombo returned a Matt Barkley interception to give Oregon a second-quarter lead, and two long rushing touchdowns blew the game open in the Ducks' 35-13 West Conference Championship victory over USC.

Lokombo’s interception, his first of two, came with 14:20 left in the second quarter. Four minutes later, Kenjon Barner broke off on a 75-yard touchdown run, marking the Ducks’ 14-3 halftime lead.

Early in the second half, Oregon’s LaMichael James had his turn on a long run, taking a sweep 44 yards for a 21-3 Oregon lead. Following a long 41-yard run by the Trojan’s D.J. Morgan, Oregon answered with two more touchdowns. Both were on Darron Thomas passes. The first went to Josh Huff for 10 yards and the second to Lavasier Tuinei for three yards.

Matt Barkley threw for a lot of yards on the day for USC, but he could not find the end zone. He finished 27 of 41 for 310 yards and 3 interceptions. His opponent, Thomas, was 14 of 25 for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns.

As champions of the West Conference, Oregon will be the host of the West Region in the NCAA 128 Tournament.



9:30 Games MVP:



Nick Foles, QB, Arizona. Foles was dynamite in the Wildcats' 45-27 win over Washington. He finished 34 of 44 for 407yards and four touchdowns to help Arizona to seventh place in the West Conference.

[StLee]

Conference games are over, and we now have the placement for all 16 teams in each of the eight conferences. First off, congratulations to the conference champions.

Conference Champions:
West Conference: Oregon Ducks
Northwest Conference: Boise State Broncos
North Conference: Michigan State Spartans
Northeast Conference: Penn State Nittany Lions
East Conference: North Carolina Tarheels
Southeast Conference: Alabama Crimson Tide
South Central Conference: LSU Tigers
Southwest Conference: Texas Longhorns

Final Conference Standings:



Teams highlighted in yellow indicate conference champions and home hosts to regional rounds in the NCAA 128 Tournament.

Each conference champion will be considered the home host of their regional bracket and has earned a #1 seed in the NCAA 128 Tournament.

Top 10:
1. Alabama (8-0)
2. Oregon (8-0)
3. LSU (8-0)
4. Michigan State (8-0)
5. Texas (8-0)
6. Boise State (7-1)
7. Wisconsin (7-1)
8. Arkansas (7-1)
9. North Carolina (7-1)
10. Penn State (7-1)


National Player of the Week:



Doug Martin, RB, Boise State. His statistics may not have matched the elite of the elite, but his five touchdowns (four rushing and one receiving), including the game-winning touchdown in overtime, helped him to win this week's National Player of the Week Award. Thanks to his stellar play, the Broncos' are a number one seed in the NCAA 128 tournament.

[StLee]

Andy: Good evening, college football fans. This is your host Andy Waywego bringing you this very special edition of Selection Sunday. I’m joined today by two college football experts, Horace Cope and Stan Dawfish. Good evening, gentlemen.

Horace: Good evening, Andy. I’m really excited to see what this tournament of everyone is going to look like.

Stan: Me, not so much. There’s a lot of trash in the waste basket for this one.

Andy: Well, guys. We probably need to tell the viewers about what changes have been made in Division I football. First of all, the BCS is no more.

Stan: Thank Cleopatra!

Andy: And there were eight new teams introduced to what used to be called the FBS or Football Bowl System. Now, there is a competitive name for Division I football: The Battle to ONE.

Horace: That one had better be good and hot. I don’t think the best team necessarily will be sitting on top of the mountain at the end of the season.

Stan: As long as a 16th seed isn’t sitting there at the end, I’ll be happy. Well, as long as about a 5th through 16th seed isn’t sitting there, I’ll be happy. There are some pretty mediocre clubs getting a chance at the big shot.

Andy: Perhaps it would be fitting to show our viewers the top eight national seeds. These are the #1 seeds ordered into a “place,” if you will. That means that any team, #1 or not, coming out of that particular bracket will gain a ranking order in the Elite 8 Tournament, the tournament for the eight teams that go 4-0 in their regions.

Horace: That’s right, Andy. We’ll talk about the national seeds in a minute, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens if some #1s stumble along the way. There could be a team out there that has a much easier path to the championship than some others.

Stan: I don’t understand why there’s no reseeding in this tournament. If you have the numbers 1, 4, 5, and 8 seeds make it and the others don’t, those four #1s will be battling it out for a chance to play a whatever seed on the other side of the bracket in the national championship. That’s just stupid to me. Reseed every round like the NFL does. Give the #1 team a reason to be there.

Andy: That could be a good way of doing things, but for right now teams are still seeded in the old way, through a vote. There is no way of knowing how those teams will do against other teams in the nation because they only had a chance to play against their own conference. So, we’ll see how fair it is, but for right now we know that each conference winner has been ranked 1 through 8. So, Stan, Horace, are you ready for the national seeds?

Stan: Let’s see them.

Andy: As the graphic goes up, let’s look at the national seeds:

1. ALABAMA 8-0 - Southeast Region
2. OREGON 8-0 - West Region
3. LSU 8-0 - South Central Region
4. MICHIGAN STATE 8-0 - North Region
5. TEXAS 8-0 - Southwest Region
6. BOISE STATE 7-1 - Northwest Region
7. NORTH CAROLINA 7-1 - East Region
8. PENN STATE 7-1 - Northeast Region

Andy: What do you think about the seeds?

Horace: For me, I don’t see anything really wrong with the rankings. I guess you could argue Boise State probably deserves a higher than sixth ranking, but to be fair they are 7-1 while the teams ahead of them are 8-0.

Stan: 7-1 or not, Boise State flat out beat the team I had as my #2 team, Wisconsin, going into the North Conference championship. I don't like that Boise State is there. They stumbled out of the blocks in one game, but they are superior to two, maybe three of the teams ahead of them.

Andy: So you’re saying you would seed Boise State at 3 or 4, even ahead of LSU?

Stan: I won’t go as far as saying I would put them ahead of LSU. No, I wouldn’t say that. I would definitely put them ahead of Michigan State and Texas, though. I think Boise State should have the chance based on the merit of their win.

Andy: Which of these eight teams is the most surprising #1 seed?

Horace: Definitely not Alabama or Oregon. Those teams are supposed to meet in the championship. For me, I’d go with North Carolina. I don’t think anyone expected them to be above Virginia Tech or Clemson or even South Carolina. Yet, they took care of business and kept winning.

Stan: My obvious choice would be Boise State because, like I said, I fully expected Wisconsin to win their conference. However, the bigger surprise to me is Penn State. I mean, this team has controversy surrounding it and this has got to be Joe Paterno’s last year on the sidelines, yet here they are as a #1 seed. They won’t win it, but it is impressive that they’re that high, even in a weak conference.

Andy: Of course, we’re going to see the regions soon, but without looking at the regions, which of these teams will probably win out in their bracket?

Horace: I think the selection committee got the top two right. They are both tough teams to beat.

Andy: And by the top two teams you mean Alabama and Oregon, right?

Horace: Yes, that’s right. Both of those teams basically dominated their conferences. Oregon had a tough go having to face Andrew Luck of Stanford and Matt Barkley of USC. I mean, those two guys are going to be first round draft picks next year, and Oregon just cruised by both of them.

Andy: It is worth noting that Barkley of USC has indicated he may return for his senior year.

Stan: I don’t think anyone is a safe bet. There are just too many factors. The only real advantage the #1 seeds have is that they’re hosting every game they play. But they still have to go 4-0 in those games, and that is not easy. Believe me.

Andy: Looking at the seeds per conference, do you feel like there is any conference that may make more noise than the others?

Stan: Other than what my predictions are going to be when we see the brackets, I think the Southwest Conference is going to be a tough out for the top half of that conference. Texas won the conference, but I think they had a chance because TCU, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State all beat each other up. And Baylor and Texas Tech and SMU are all coming out of that conference. I think that conference can make some noise and have a few teams go far into the tournament.

Andy: What do you think, Horace?

Horace: I think all the conferences have a great chance to do well. I like Stan’s pick of the Southwest Conference, but if I had to pick one, I might go with the East Conference. I talked about North Carolina already, but there are a lot of good to better than average teams in the conference. Florida State may not be the superpower we thought them to be, but they can still win some games. And Virginia Tech’s rushing game can challenge just about anybody in the country. Clemson has the freshman sensation Sammy Watkins, and that South Carolina defense can get after you. So, yeah, if I’m going to pick one, I pick the East.

Andy: Well, guys. Let’s take a commercial break here, and when we get back we’ll begin showing the selections, starting with the Southeast Region and #1 National Seed, Alabama.

[StLee]

Andy: We're back. Our tournament brackets are brought to you by http://www.printyourbrackets.com for all of your bracket needs. Now you can fill in your brackets online and print them!

Without further ado, here is the Southeast Region, hosted by #1 National Seed Alabama.



Stan: This is a surprise to start from me. My first thought is, who's going to challenge Alabama? I mean, they can almost play with their eyes closed and waltz into the Elite 8 Tournament.

Horace: Baylor could be a team to challenge them.

Stan: Yeah, they could. But Baylor doesn't play defense. The Alabama offense may not be the top in the nation, but they could probably give the ball to Trent Richardson 10 times and have him run for over 300 yards on that Baylor D.

Andy: If we can look at the brackets in quarters, who are the four teams still standing after two rounds.

Horace: I would have to go Bama, Oklahoma State, uh, Boston College, and Baylor.

Andy: Horace, you hesitated on saying Boston College. Any reason?

Horace: Yeah, I'll pick them to win there, but I guess the committee placed the weakest #2 seed in the best team's region. Boston College will probably win their first two games, but that's only because nobody else in that part of the bracket can do anything.

Stan: Boston College is going to lose early. Period. Who knows what was going on in that pathetic excuse of a conference they played in, but it's a shame they are that high in the tournament. I'm just going to go ahead and say it. Arizona's going to beat Boston College if Illinois doesn't do it first.

Andy: Wow! So you think the #2 seed will be out that early?

Stan: Not soon enough, I say. That team would have finished in the bottom half of their division in most conferences.

Andy: So who do you have as the final two in this region?

Horace: Alabama over Baylor.

Stan: No question. Alabama over Baylor.

[StLee]

I've run out of steam today. I'll be back tomorrow to post the rest of the regions. Thanks for reading and replying. It's helping to push me forward in this project.

[sterlingice]

A couple of questions on methodology:

Are you doing an s-curve like in the NCAA tourney?

And where are the tournament games held? Home site of higher seed or a "neutral" site like the NCAA basketball tourney (that favors the higher seed)? Or something else?

SI

[britrock88]

Go Heels!

[StLee]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

A couple of questions on methodology:

Are you doing an s-curve like in the NCAA tourney?

And where are the tournament games held? Home site of higher seed or a "neutral" site like the NCAA basketball tourney (that favors the higher seed)? Or something else?

SI

I was planning to have a member of the NCAA Selection Committee explain some of their decisions, and I might still do that, but here are the basics:

1) For the selections, the top of the brackets (Seeds 1-8) is in an S-Curve, unless two teams from the same conference are seeded consecutively (1-2, 2-3, or 3-4) or on the same side of the bracket in seeds 1-8.

Therefore, the 8th national seed will be #1 and the perceived #9 team will be the #2 seed in that same bracket unless they are in the same conference. In that case, I would go to the next seed, #10 to be in #8's bracket.

I based the seeding partially on what the teams did in my simulation and what they did in the real 2011 season. Thus Wisconsin and Arkansas, for example are highly-seeded #2s compared to Boston College, which was a terrible team in real life!

For seeds 9-16, it was more like solving a puzzle. No more than three teams from a single conference could be in a bracket, and no two teams from a conference could possibly meet in the first two rounds. Thus the 1-8-9-16 combo had to be four teams from different conferences, as well as the 2-7-10-15, 3-6-11-14, and 4-5-12-13 combos.

I tried to also make no consecutive seeds from the same conference but somewhere along the way I just went with it. Here's the final puzzle look minus the teams selected:




2) The tournament games will always be at the higher-seeded team's site until the Elite 8 Tournament, where teams will be sent to bowl sites. I think I posted those on the first entry of this dynasty:

Championship game: Nashville
Semifinals: New Orleans and Pasadena
Quarterfinals: Tempe, Miami, Tampa, and Dallas (I believe)

I decided on home games as a basic reward for being a higher seed. This is not realistic, so in a future replay I might consider changing it to a neutral site if it is way too heavily in favor of the 1st-8th and then 1st-4th types of victories. However, I believe that there will be some surprises. Whatifsports spouts out a lot of random integers that make some game results interesting.

[StLee]

Andy: Now let's look at the West Region and #2-seeded Oregon.



Andy: Stan, anything that jumps out at you here?

Stan: Nothing much here. Oregon will get through the bracket easily. Cincinnati is not as bad as a #2 as Boston College, but I don't see them making much of a run. If anything, it's the #3 and #5 seeds in this bracket I think the Ducks have to look out for.

Andy: Those teams are West Virginia and Clemson. You think they have a shot?

Stan: A shot. But I wouldn't bet on it. Neither of them found a way to win out in their conference, so why would they be able to match up against a team like Oregon?

Andy: Horace, any predictions from you?

Horace: I think there are some nice hidden gems in this bracket. I'm really excited to see what Connecticut can do at Auburn, and I think one of the most interesting match ups may be Kansas State at Washington State. I'm not exactly sure why Kansas State didn't perform so well--it probably had to do with the high-powered offenses in their conference. But I could see them making a run, maybe even getting into the second or third round.

Stan: Kansas State is a run, run, and run some more kind of team. If they fall behind by more than 7 points, it's game over. I don't expect them to do anything. Does that mean they'll lose to Washington State? I don't know, but they won't beat West Virginia.

Andy: I think it's interesting you mentioned West Virginia. Aren't the Mountaineers a run-first team, too?

Stan: They are, but they can play defense. At least sometimes.

Andy: Horace, what about on Oregon's side of the bracket. Any interesting match ups there?

Horace: Arkansas State has been a fun team to watch this year. I know they lost their last two, but it will be interesting to see what they do if they host Clemson in the second round.

Andy: OK, and what are your Top 4 teams and the eventual winner?

Horace: This one's a little tough. I have some upsets. I'm going to go with Connecticut and West Virginia. And Oregon and Clemson. I think Oregon ends up winning over West Virginia.

Stan: I'm only going to go with one outside the top 4, Clemson. Oregon, West Virginia, and Cincinnati. I'll take Oregon over Cincinnati by 30.

Andy: Wow, 30? Not much confidence in this bracket either I see.

Stan: Oregon's going to win it all.

[StLee]

Andy: LSU is the #3 seed, and they will play host to the South Central Region.

The bracket looks this way.



Horace: Wow! This is a top-heavy bracket, with a few tough teams sprinkled in.

Andy: Can you give us some details?

Horace: We know what LSU did, but Florida was only derailed by Alabama, the #1, and Stanford by Oregon, the #2, or else those two teams would be #1 seeds, too. LSU will have a tough time winning this bracket.

Andy: What are some of the lower-ranked teams, maybe after the 5th seed, you see having a chance to advance?

Horace: Me? Hmmm, I might go with Nebraska. They got out to a slow start, but then they turned on the heat later in the season. But, I don't think they can beat LSU. They might, but they probably won't do it. Then you have Ohio State. They're usually a power. I just can't imagine them being an 11th seed. Surely they will make some noise in the tournament. And BYU is a team to watch out for. They're kind of like a sleeping giant as the 6th seed. If they can get past Ohio State in the first round without too many problems, I could see them in the Elite 8 Tourney.

Stan: Horace, Horace, Horace. What have you been smoking, my man? BYU? Ohio State? Nebraska? These teams can't find their way out of my daughter's Dora backpack, much less win this bracket. No. This one will be a straight shot. LSU is good. Florida is good. Stanford has Andrew Freakin' Luck. They are good. Toledo has Terrance Owens at QB. I think he was National Player of the Week one week. That team is good. And I don't even think Toledo will challenge for this bracket. It's going to be one of the top three here. Period. End of story. Put away your lighter.

Horace: I agree that those teams are good. I'm just saying that there are some teams that could cause a surprise or two.

Andy: So who are your top 4? Stan?

Stan: LSU, Florida, Stanford, Toledo. Stanford over LSU.

Andy: So the first #1 seed not predicted to make it to the finals?

Stan: Stanford is good. Luck is good. Fleener is good. LSU is good, but they can't handle a major league QB like Luck. Yeah, I'm picking Stanford to take this one.

Horace: I like the Stanford pick, but I think LSU edges them in the final. I'm also going to go with Florida and Arizona State as the final four from this bracket.

[sterlingice]

Love the selection bracket chats.

SI

[StLee]

Yeah, they're a little something different to breathe some freshness into the dynasty for the final surge.


Andy: At #4 in the nation, we have Michigan State and the North Bracket.



Andy: What are your initial impressions about this bracket?

Horace: I think this is the first bracket where you can legitimately consider that the #1 seed could lose early if it's not careful or has a few bad breaks or injuries. I don't think Memphis can beat Michigan State, but in the second round, Missouri and Miami most certainly could.

Stan: What do you live in a world of make believe? The #1 seeds aren't going to lose early. Not one of them. Some will lose late, but none of them are going down before they get to at least the final 32 teams. And the majority of the #1s are going to make it to the final 16 before some of them fall flat, ahem, North Carolina and Penn State.

Andy: Are there any tough match ups for higher seeds in the first round in the North?

Stan: Yes.

Andy: Do you care to elaborate?

Stan: No.

Horace: I'll chip in if I may, Andy. There are a few games where the lower seed is not as bad as they turned out. The most glaring of those is 13th ranked Northwestern. That team had high expectations that it could win or at least compete for the Northwest Conference, and they just fell flat all season. Still, I would expect them to at least be competitive in any game they play. Another match up where the higher seed could have trouble is the Nevada at Texas Tech game. It's not that long of a road trip, and who knows what might happen. Nevada played well against some tough teams.

Stan: Like who?

Horace: Well, they beat Washington and California this season.

Stan: Washington and California? Jesus Fernandez! If they're tough, then Alabama is the adamantium planet.

Andy: Stan, which of the top teams do you think will win by over 20 points in their match ups in he North?

Stan: I wouldn't be surprised if all of the top 8 in this bracket win by that much. There are some good quarterbacks across the top and some terrible defenses at the bottom.

Andy: OK. Who's your final four?

Stan: Michigan State, TCU, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech.

Andy: No Florida State?

Stan: They've disappointed me all year. Why not here, too?

Andy: And who do you have winning it?

Stan: Give me TCU over Texas A&M. I like the Tannehill kid, so I think he might lead that team on the brink of getting into the Top 8.

Andy: Horace?

Horace: I'm going to pick Michigan State to get knocked off a round earlier than Stan. I'll take Mizzou, Tennessee, Florida State, and TCU. And to win it, I'll say Florida State does win it, beating Missouri.

Andy: Missouri, huh? That's a really big push for the Tigers to get far.

Horace: Yeah, I think they could make a run and get hot at the right time.

Andy: OK, so we've gone through the first four seeds. When we come back, we'll look at the bracket of the next four seeds. Stay tuned.

[StLee]

Andy: Welcome back to the 2011 NCAA Football Selection Show. We're on our way to the Battle to ONE tournament. For the first time ever 128 teams will be battling it out for the right to call themselves the national champion. Every team has a shot to do it. Can a low seed get hot and make a run through the tournament to the end? Or will the top teams keep on winning on their way to the championship? We'll see. For now, let's look at the Southwest Region where Texas is the regional host.



Andy: Horace, Stan, the ball's in your court.

Stan: Basketball references? What a pansy game. Let's talk a real sport and some real teams. Texas isn't a great team, but they're the #1. I don't think they have what it takes to win it all because this bracket is just too tough with USC and Michigan and Rutgers. Hell, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech could probably give the Longhorns a run for their money. And I think that starts up top with the coach. Mac Brown is losing his touch.

Andy: Wouldn't you say securing a #1 seed and the fifth seed nationally is great?

Stan: Not great. Just lucky. Put Texas against other teams in their conference and they would lose 2 out of 3. They just so happened to beat the only two teams worth a damn they faced: Baylor and TCU. They couldn't do it again, and they won't be in the quarterfinals in the national tournament this year.

Andy: Horace, what games intrigue you?

Horace: Are you kidding? All of them do! But if I had to choose, I'm really excited by the first-round match up between Northern Illinois and Virginia. I like Northern Illinois and I'm interested what they can do at Virginia. I also like the Navy-Vandy game. That could be a classic. In the second round, I'd be interested to see Michigan and Georgia Tech meet.

Andy: And who do you have as your final four here?

Horace: I have a real hard time voting against the top four seeds here, so I'm going to go with them. Texas, Rutgers, USC, and Michigan.

Andy: And the final game?

Horace: Hmmmm... It's hard to bet against a team that won a good conference, so I'm going to pick Texas over USC.

Stan: You two both know I won't pick Texas. I'm still mad that Boise State was passed over, so I'm picking Texas to lose, but I do see them getting past Rutgers for that side. On the other side, I'm going to take USC over Georgia Tech. Why not? Matt Barkley is too good, and that receiving corp is young but spectacular, so give me USC over Texas for the North.

Andy: You mean Southwest.

Stan: North, Southwest. Whatever. USC.

[StLee]

Andy: For the Northwest Region, we finally get to Stan's pet team, Boise State.

Stan: My pet team is Wisconsin. But Boise State is good, too. Better than Michigan State and Texas.

Andy: Here is Boise State's bracket.



Andy: Stan, do you feel Boise State has any challenges in this bracket?

Stan: Definitely. They have a tougher bracket than the other teams so far, especially the laughable bracket that is the Southeast. But, yeah, Georgia has a good quarterback and a good running game with Crowell. Virginia Tech has that Wilson fellow that runs wild every week. South Carolina's defense is one of the better in the nation. So, yeah, Boise State has to earn their way to the 8, but they will probably do it.

Horace: If Boise State plays the way they did against Wisconsin, no team in the country can stop them. At least on offense. Kellen Moore and Doug Martin are a lethal combination on the blue gridiron, and Boise is a tough place to play, so Boise State may have the biggest home field advantage of all the number one seeds.

Andy: Like I usually ask, what are some good match ups in this game?

Stan: I'm ready to answer this stupid question. I don't know what a good game will be, but I know what a good one should be. And the answer is every second round match except the Boise State against whoever they play. I think numbers one through seven win their first game no problem. None of those lower seeds match up well. The Southern Miss-San Diego State game? Who cares. The winner gets blown out the next week.

Horace: I agree with Stan here. I think the top seeds all have significant advantages in this bracket. San Jose State might be the only team with a chance to pull an upset, maybe Air Force over Tulsa. But I think the lower seeds are out quickest in this bracket over any other bracket.

Andy: Who do you have for your final four? Horace?

Horace: I hate to keep picking the top four seeds because upsets do happen, but I'm going to go with that. Boise State over South Carolina and Virginia Tech over Georgia. And then Boise State takes it.

Stan: I have the same.

[StLee]

Andy: We're down to our final two brackets, and this will pretty much tell everyone who is where in the last bracket, but let's go ahead discuss the place for the #7 national seed, North Carolina, and the East Bracket.



Andy: Stan, does North Carolina have any chance to win this bracket?

Stan: No, none. Arkansas is much better than they are.

Andy: What about the rest of the bracket? Who else could give UNC a run for the bracket title?

Stan: How many other teams are there? 14? Yes, 14 teams could. I take that back. I see North Carolina plays Colorado in the first round. Colorado should just give up football. I don't have any words we're allowed to say on air to describe Colorado. They should have given North Carolina a bye. They don't need the embarrassment of beating a team by under 50 points. I mean, it would be embarrassing if North Carolina doesn't win their first game by more than 50. So, yeah, any other team but Colorado could beat the Tar Heels. Even Old Dominion.

Andy: So you aren't in favor of North Carolina getting an automatic #1 seed based on winning their conference?

Stan: I'm in favor of watching these pretender teams lose.

Horace: I think North Carolina has the benefit of an easier bracket than some of the other teams. I'd be curious to know what someone from the selection committee had to say about this bracket, but it looks like North Carolina may have an easier path to the final eight teams than anyone else besides Alabama. Sure, North Carolina would still have to beat a team like Arkansas, but that game would be in Chapel Hill.

Stan: The problem with your logic here is that North Carolina is not very good. They beat two good teams, but they're not elite. They can just as easily blow it at home as any #8 seed out there.

Andy: So, Stan, if you think North Carolina will lose, who do you have for the bracket championship.

Stan: No, Horace is right. Nobody on their side of the bracket will beat them. I have North Carolina beating UCLA to get to the Regional Championship. On the other side, I have Arkansas over Iowa and Arkansas romps UNC for the trip to the Elite 8.

Horace: I'm going to force myself to pick upsets here because they have to happen somewhere, right? So I'm going with um.. Miami of Ohio beating North Carolina in the semifinal and Arkansas beating Syracuse. And I'll take Arkansas over Miami.

Andy: What makes you think Miami gets to the regional championship? Have they shown anything to make you think they can be in the Top 16 this year?

Horace: Nothing in particular. But I'm with Stan in thinking that North Carolina's definitely not the best team in the East. And I like Zac Dysert and what he does for the RedHawks. So, I'm just going with my gut that Miami can make a run.

Andy: Fair enough.

[StLee]

Andy: That leads to our final bracket, the Northeast Region, and a bit of a surprise host, Penn State. The bracket looks like this.



Stan: You heard it here first. Penn State loses in the second round.

Andy: Who do you have moving past them?

Stan: One of those up and coming programs. Washington. They'll overpower Penn State.

Horace: There is no doubt that the Northeast Conference was the weakest top to bottom out of all of them. But there was a nice race with Temple and West Virginia challenging Penn State for the Division 2 title. In the other division, Rutgers was a disappointment not to win it. So, nobody gives the Northeast respect because the two favorites in each division didn't win out.

Stan: That conference shouldn't have respect. They were terrible, and Penn State has no chance to win this region.

Andy: Wisconsin?

Stan: Will win this region.

Horace: This is another bracket where I think there are a few hidden jewels. I really like Wyoming as a fifth seed. And I look forward to Louisiana Tech against Oregon State. Houston is a fun team to watch, and so is Notre Dame. There could be several teams coming out of this bracket that have a really unique brand of football.

Andy: So, Horace, who do you put in your final four?

Horace: I agree Penn State will probably not win this regional, but they have to get to the final four, so I have them. They'll play. Hmm... it's tough to take Wyoming over Oklahoma, but I'm going to go with Wyoming. Heck, I expect Wyoming to just surprise people because they don't know what to expect from them. So give me Wyoming with the double surprise of beating Oklahoma and Penn State.

Stan: They might lose the first round and not even see Oklahoma.

Horace: On the other side, Stan has sold me. Wisconsin over Notre Dame. And Wisconsin to move on.

Andy: Stan?

Stan: Wisconsin to win it. Oklahoma over Washington. Wisconsin over .... geez, I hate the quarterback play in Notre Dame, so give me Houston. Their quarterback, what's his name?

Andy: Case Keenum.

Stan: Yeah him. Chase Keener throws for 450 yards a game it seems. Wisconsin will probably shut him out, though.

Andy: There we have it, our eight regional brackets ranked from 1 through 8. Let's take a break, and when we come back, we'll chat with a member of the Selection Committee, Anita Klue.

[StLee]

Andy: We're back on our first ever NCAA 128 Tournament Selection Show. Remember you can vote online at http://www.operationsports.com/fofc for who you think will make it to the ELITE EIGHT of the tournament. Submit your brackets and see how you do against the experts.

Stan: Don't expect to beat me, though. They don't call me an expert for nothing.

Andy: We're joined now by a member of the Selection Committee, Anita Klue. Anita, how are you?

Anita: I'm great Andy. Did you know football is the only game that doesn't use a round ball?

Andy: What about rugby or badminton?

Anita: Oh, I don't know anything about that. Anyway, I'm here to answer your questions about the exciting tournament we have coming up.

Andy: Well, let's just ease into this. Can you explain how the national seeds were picked?

Anita: Oh, yes. The top seeds were voted upon by a panel of sports writers and former coaches and players. The records didn't matter. It really was a coincidence that the top five national seeds were the only undefeated teams.

Horace: Anita, this is Horace Cope. Can you tell us the process for placing teams in each bracket?

Anita: Well, I can tell you a little. After the top teams were selected, the same panel ranked the next eight teams and then the next eight and then the next eight. We also wouldn't allow any two teams to play from the same conference if they would meet any time before the regional championship. Mostly, we avoided two teams from the same conference being in the same region for the top seeds.

Andy: Is this for the top four seeds only?

Anita: Yes, but as you can see in the Northwest Region, we ended up with two teams from the East. That happened because of a few reasons. It was a huge jigsaw puzzle and we had to move some teams around.

Horace: Were any of the top four seeds in each bracket moved around?

Anita: Yes. For instance, we had South Carolina as a higher number four seed than UCLA. But that would have put South Carolina in the East, and we couldn't allow that because of North Carolina already being on that side of the bracket. So we slotted South Carolina lower and moved UCLA into the East Region.

Horace: Is that why North Carolina's bracket looks a little weaker than, say, LSU's bracket? Because of the rules?

Anita: Well, I wouldn't know anything about that. Hey, did you know that French people don't play football? Isn't that something?

Andy: Anita, were there any disagreements about where teams should go?

Anita: Well, I can't mention any names, but there was a guy who used to coach in Tallahassee, Florida, that kept arguing that Florida State should be a number two seed and Boston College should be a number three seed. But we had to tell him that was against the rules. He disagreed, so he pouted.

Stan: Sounds like a smart man. Say, I'd like to know why teams are slotted into their national seed and not re-seeded based on who gets to the final eight teams.

Anita: That's for traveling reasons. We thought it would be good for fans to know at least two weeks ahead of time where they might have to travel. We're actually going to announce what seeds go where in the old bowls so that fans can make travel plans to the right place when they make it to the championship rounds.

Andy: So this tournament set up is with the fans in mind?

Anita: Oh, yes. We always consider the fans when making decisions. That's why we're here. For the fans. Hey, did you know that Alaska is the coldest state in America? That must be why Alaska colleges never play college football. It's just too cold there.

Andy: I... um... didn't know that. Thank you for sharing. Anita, is there any other insight you'd like to give us about the process of selecting teams?

Anita: No, nothing important. We did have a tough time seeding teams and at one point considered slotting teams into a bracket where rankings weren't considered. We had a mock bracket made up with the slotting in place, but our committee rejected that bracket.

Andy: Do you know why?

Anita: Yeah, they said the brackets were too uneven. I thought they were nice and neat, though. In that case only two teams per conference were in each region and no two teams from the same conference could ever meet unless they both made it to the regional final. But it would have to be one high seed from the conference and one low seed. I think with the current set up, you could see two teams have a rematch. The committee just didn't like it the other way, though.

Andy: Can you give us any specific examples how it might have been?

Anita: Oh yes. The first thing people were really mad about was the Southeast Region. That's the one with Alabama. It would have been Alabama, and then, um, Arkansas, Florida State, and Oklahoma. People argued that Alabama would end up with some of the best teams of each seed in their bracket simply based on slotting. They also said a region like the North was too weak, but I think everybody thinks the region with Boston College is weak. Did you know Boston College is not called Boston University because there is a Boston University already? How do the students know what campus to go to? Isn't that wild?

Andy: Very. Thank you, Anita, for the information. We're going to take a break and come back for Stan and Horace's Final Eight picks.

Anita: Thank you. And don't listen to those lying journalists out there. Football isn't dangerous at all! It's a myth!

[StLee]

Andy: We're back for our final segment of the NCAA 128 Tournament Selection Show. Horace and Stan, you're going to put your reputation on the line and select who you think will emerge to become national champions. During the break we put your picks into a graphic, and we'll show those picks and let you comment on them. OK?

Horace: Sounds good.

Stan: I just want to say before we begin that my reputation is infallible. But I'll still play your game to make the fans happy if I'm wrong.

Andy: Fair enough. Why don't we start with you, Horace? First, let's take a look at your picks.



Andy: So, we see that you picked five of the national seeds to make it to the final eight. From there, why did you pick what you picked?

Horace: I think this tournament heavily favors the top seeds because we know they have home-field advantage in their region. Still, I think Florida State was a great team that underperformed this year and they will wake up for this tournament. That's why I had them there over Michigan State. Still, I think Alabama is stronger, and that's why I pick Alabama to beat the winner out of LSU and Oregon. Give me the Ducks over LSU and Alabama's dominating defense coupled with its strong running game to win it all.

Andy: So we have the top two teams meeting in the national championship game for you, Horace. Stan, you went a different direction.



Stan: That's right, Andy. I've been spouting it off all show that I think Wisconsin is the #2 team. Well, nobody asked me who my #1 team is. Hint: it's not Alabama.

Andy: And you picked Wisconsin to beat Alabama?

Stan: They're playing at a neutral field. Wisconsin has a great quarterback in Russell Wilson and the best running game in the nation with Montee Ball rushing. I think they frustrate Alabama's defense all day and win it going away. And, I didn't intend to pick it this way at first, but it looks like I like the West Conference best. After all, I am a West Coast guy. The QB play there is outstanding. I mean, Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley throwing passes to great receiving corps? That's tough to beat. Oregon is a little more balanced. LaMichael James is out of this world, and I just see Oregon edging Wisconsin for the title.

Andy: Well, there we have it. The NCAA 128 Tournament is set. Next week, we'll start seeing teams in action. Remember to get your brackets in! See how you stack up against the experts. For Horace Cope and Stan Dawfish, I'm Andy Waywego. Good night.

[collegesportsfanms]

excellent, excellent stuff stlee. Really loving this dynasty. Obviously it gave me the inspiration to work on my college basketball one. I wish I had the time and knowledge to get as in-depth and graphical in my dynasty report as you do in yours. As it is, mine will just be a simple report.

But back to yours, I like the way you set up the brackets, I can imagine it took some time to get every team in the right place. I can see the potential for a few upset (being a Kansas native, I'm hoping my Wildcats and Jayhawks can pull a few shockers.) I'll just give a quick prediction for the tournament winner and say... oh... lets go with Oregon!

Good stuff man, keep up the good work, already looking forward to your next project after this one!

[britrock88]

Boo to Stan's UNC hate.

[StLee]

Originally Posted by collegesportsfanms

excellent, excellent stuff stlee. Really loving this dynasty. Obviously it gave me the inspiration to work on my college basketball one. I wish I had the time and knowledge to get as in-depth and graphical in my dynasty report as you do in yours. As it is, mine will just be a simple report.

But back to yours, I like the way you set up the brackets, I can imagine it took some time to get every team in the right place. I can see the potential for a few upset (being a Kansas native, I'm hoping my Wildcats and Jayhawks can pull a few shockers.) I'll just give a quick prediction for the tournament winner and say... oh... lets go with Oregon!

Good stuff man, keep up the good work, already looking forward to your next project after this one!

We'll see about the Kansas teams. They're pretty lowly seeded and whatifsports does not like the 2011 version of the Wildcats. I'm curious to see if it likes the 2012 version.

Originally Posted by britrock88

Boo to Stan's UNC hate.

Stan hates everybody (except Wisconsin and Oregon)! Heh. That's why he's Stan Dawfish!

[StLee]

#9 SMU 48 at #8 North Carolina State 40
Leading Passer: JJ McDermott, SMU, 30-46-386-5-2
Leading Rusher: Jared Williams, SMU, 17-74
Leading Receiver: Darius Johnson, SMU, 8-166-2
Game MVP: JJ McDermott, QB, Southern Methodist

#13 Western Kentucky 24 at #4 Utah 31
Leading Passer: Kawaun Jakes, WKU, 23-33-270-3-0
Leading Rusher: Bobby Rainey, WKU, 38-190
Leading Receiver: Luke Matthews, 3-82-1
Game MVP: John White, RB, Utah, 24-170-3 rush, 2-32 rec
Game notes: Utah scored the game-winning touchdown with five seconds left when John White ran it in from two yards out.

#15 Illinois 21 at #2 Boston College 23
Leading Passer: Chase Rettig, BC, 20-40-261-1-1
Leading Rusher: Rolandan Finch, BC, 16-75-1
Leading Receiver: AJ Jenkins, Ill, 5-74
Game MVP: Rolandan Finch, RB, Boston College, 16-75-1 rush, 2-23 rec
Game Story:
Boston College got its first real scare in what many think will be just a matter of time before they are eliminated.

Even though the Eagles led or were tied the entirety of the game, they were never quite able to put Illinois away in Boston College’s 23-21 win.

Rolandan Finch was named the game’s MVP. He finished with 75 yards rushing on 16 carries and a touchdown, and he added 23 yards receiving on two catches.

The game was tied at 7 at halftime, but Boston College scored ten points in the third quarter to take a 17-7 lead into the fourth.

In the fourth, the Illini’s Jason Ford scored from a yard out to cut the lead to 17-14 with 5:46 left. Boston College then answered with a 49-yard Finch rushing touchdown. Nate Freese then missed the extra point for a 23-14 Eagles lead with 3:26 left.

With 17 seconds left, Illinois scored again when Nathan Scheelhaase found Jon Davis for a four-yard touchdown. That cut the Boston College lead to 23-21. On the ensuing onsides kick, the Eagles recovered and then kneeled to end the game.

#11 Iowa State 38 at #6 Florida International 31
Leading Passer: Wesley Carroll, FIU, 25-36-372-3-0
Leading Rusher: Jared Barnett, ISU, 21-95-1
Leading Receiver: TY Hilton, 6-136-1
Game MVP: Jared Barnett, QB, Iowa State, 15-23-184-4-0 pass, 21-95-1 rush
Game Notes: Iowa State took a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter, but they allowed two straight FIU touchdowns to tie the score at 31 with 8:23 left. The Cyclones then scored the game-winning touchdown with 5:11 left when Jared Barnett found James White on a 10-yard scoring pass.

#16 Akron 3 at #1 Alabama 52
Leading Passer: AJ McCarron, Bama, 21-34-272-5-0
Leading Rusher: Trent Richardson, Bama, 29-161-1
Leading Receiver: Trent Richardson, Bama, 3-90-2
Game MVP: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama, 161 rush, 90 rec, 3 TD

#12 South Alabama 27 at #5 Oklahoma State 55
Leading Passer: Brandon Weeden, OSU, 32-46-490-6-3
Leading Rusher: Kndall, Houston, USA, 17-38-2
Leading Receiver: Justin Blackmon, OSU, 10-131-3
Game MVP: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
Game Notes: Oklahoma State only led 35-27 with 6:45 left in the third quarter, but scored the game’s final 20 points, including a useless late field goal (something whatifsports needs to correct some time in the future).

#10 Duke 29 at #7 Arizona 44
Leading Passer: Sean Renfree, Duke, 30-52-320-3-1
Leading Rusher: Keola Antolin, Zona, 17-133-1
Leading Receiver: Juron Criner, Zona, 4-93-1
Game MVP: Keola Antolin, RB, Arizona, 17-133-1 rush, 2-28-1 rec

#14 Fresno State 17 at #3 Baylor 45
Leading Passer: Robert Griffin, BU, 15-17-278-3-0
Leading Rusher: Robbie Rouse, FSU, 23-134-1
Leading Receiver: Kendall Wright, BU, 8-120-2
Game MVP: Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor, 15-17-278-3-0 pass, 23-64-2 rush


Southeast Region Player of the Week



In a region that features two of the best players in the country in Alabama's Trent Richardson and Baylor's Robert Griffin III, Griffin's star was the brightest in the first round. The Bears' quarterback was a smooth 15 of 17 passing for 278 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 64 yards and two more touchdowns in third-seeded Baylor's 45-17 triumph over fourteenth-seeded Fresno State.

Southeast Region Wrap Up
There were no major upsets and only two lower seeds moved on in this conference. Eleventh-seeded Iowa State is the lowest remaining team, having defeated sixth-seed Florida International 38-31. The other lower seed to win was ninth-seed SMU. The second round features some interesting match ups, like what Oklahoma State can do at Utah and to see whether or not Boston College will fall against Arizona.

Southeast Region Brackets

[StLee]

I don't remember if I mentioned this before, but teams that lose are not finished but are eliminated from national title contention.

Losing teams go into a consolation bracket. Every team is guaranteed four games in the postseason. Only the regional winners play more (in which case, they enter single elimination once in the Elite 8 Tournament).

[StLee]

#9 Louisville 23 at #8 UTSA 18
Leading Passer: Teddy Bridgewater, UL, 23-38-273-2-2
Leading Rusher: Evans Okotcha, UTSA, 13-57
Leading Receiver: Josh Chichester, UL, 5-84
Game MVP: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
Notes: Bridgewater threw both of his touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

#10 Connecticut 29 at #7 Auburn 55
Leading Passer: Barrett Trotter, AU, 24-48-372-6-1
Leading Rusher: Lyle McCombs, UConn, 31-168
Leading Receiver: Quan Bray, AU, 3-87-1
Game MVP: Barrett Trotter, QB, Auburn

#11 Kansas State 13 at #6 Washington State 24
Leading Passer: Marshall Lobbestael, WSU, 16-30-265-2-2
Leading Rusher: Carl Winston, WSU, 15-120-1
Leading Receiver: Tyler Lockett, KSU, 4-143-1
Game MVP: Tyler Lockett, WR, Kansas State
Lee's Notes: Whatifsports does NOT like the 2011 Kansas State team. Despite finishing 10-3 on the season and #16 in the Coaches Poll, this team was never given a shot at a title run in this simulation. I was curious to know if it was the road factor, but even simulating games at a neutral site resulted in an overwhelming advantage for Washington State.

#12 Georgia Southern 20 at #5 Clemson 34
Leading Passer: Jaybo Shaw, GSU, 17-26-273-2-0
Leading Rusher: Andre Ellington, Clemson, 22-154-1
Leading Receiver: Kentrellis Showers, GSU, 6-154-1
Game MVP: Kentrellis Showers, WR, Georgia Southern

#13 California 17 at #4 Arkansas State 27
Leading Passer: Zach Maynard, Cal, 22-35-348-1-1
Leading Rusher: Derek Lawson, ASU, 16-108-1
Leading Receiver: Dwayne Frampton, ASU, 6-116
Game MVP: Ryan Aplin, QB, Arkansas State, 15-19-212-2-1 pass, 20-56 rush

#14 Ball State 0 at #3 West Virginia 29
Leading Passer: Geno Smith, WVU, 22-37-327-1-1
Leading Rusher: Shawne Alston, WVU, 14-98-1
Leading Receiver: Stedman Bailey, WVU, 6-112
Game MVP: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

#15 Minnesota 7 at #2 Cincinnati 37
Leading Passer: Munchie Legauz, Cincy, 20-28-212-2-1
Leading Rusher: Isaiah Pead, Cincy, 26-130-1
Leading Receiver: Kenbrell Thompkins, Cincy, 4-55
Game MVP: Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati 26-130-1 rush, 3-32 rec

#16 MTSU 0 at #1 Oregon 31
Leading Passer: Darron Thomas, UO, 15-26-203-2-0
Leading Rusher: LaMichael James, UO, 27-112-1
Leading Receiver: Josh Huff, UO, 2-58
Game MVP: Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon, 15-26-203-2-0 pass, 11-7-1 rush


West Region Player of the Week



There was no question who would be this region's top player. Barrett Trotter of Auburn smoked the Connecticut defense in the seventh-seeded Tigers' 55-29 win over the tenth seed. Trotter finished 24 of 48 for 372 yards with six touchdowns and an interception.

West Region Wrap Up

There were no huge surprises. In fact, the only low seed to win was not a surprise at all. Ninth-seeded Louisville was the only road winner on the day, making them the lowest remaining seed in the West Region. The top three seeds in the region all dominated their games, giving up a combined seven points.

West Region Bracket

[StLee]

#12 Colorado State 34 at #5 Arizona State 28
Leading Passer: Pete Thomas, CSU, 20-32-318-2-2
Leading Rusher: Cameron Marshall, ASU, 23-143-1
Leading Receiver: Chris Nwoke, CSU, 2-89-1
Game MVP: Chris Nwoke, RB, Colorado State, 29-109-1 rush, 2-89-1 rec
Game Note: Colorado State took the lead for good with 1:52 left when game MVP Chris Nwoke ran it in from eight yards out. He added a 76-yard reception earlier in the quarter that had tied the game at 21.

#9 Nebraska 21 at #8 South Florida 20
Leading Passer: BJ Daniels, USF, 13-20-173-1-0
Leading Rusher: Rex Burkhead, NU, 30-162-1
Leading Receiver: Sterling Griffin, USF, 5-84
Game MVP: Rex Burkhead, RB, Nebraska, 30-162-1 rush, 2-17 rec
Game Notes: Taylor Martinez connected with Quincy Enunwa from four yards out with 1:49 left to give Nebraska the win at South Florida.

#15 Massachusetts 3 at #2 Florida 48
Leading Passer: John Brantley, UF, 29-35-427-4-1
Leading Rusher: Chris Rainey, UF, 23-120-1
Leading Receiver: Jordan Reed, UF, 3-104-1
Game MVP: John Brantley, QB, Florida

#14 Kent State 3 at #3 Stanford 40
Leading Passer: Andrew Luck, Stan, 21-36-368-4-0
Leading Rusher: Stepfan Taylor, Stan, 29-128
Leading Receiver: Coby Fleener, Stan, 6-114-1
Game MVP: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

#13 East Carolina 30 at #4 Toledo 32
Leading Passer: Terrance Owens, Tol, 23-35-386-2-1
Leading Rusher: Adonis Thomas, Tol, 23-130
Leading Receiver: Eric Page, Tol, 5-99-1
Game MVP: Adonis Thomas, RB, Toledo, 23-130 rush, 4-63-1 rec
Game Notes: East Carolina scored twice in the final five minutes and had a chance to tie the game with 25 seconds left, but they failed on a two-point conversion.

#16 Texas State 10 at #1 LSU 44
Leading Passer: Shaun Rutherford, TSU, 13-25-157-0-0
Leading Rusher: Spencer Ware, LSU, 22-145-1
Leading Receiver: Rueben Randle, LSU, 3-48-1
Game MVP: Michael Ford, RB, LSU, 14-54-3 rush, 1-3 rec

#10 Ole Miss 35 at #7 Purdue 28, OT
Leading Passer: Randall Mackey, OM, 18-28-280-4-0
Leading Rusher: Ralph Bolden, Pur, 18-149-1
Leading Receiver: Brandon Bolden, OM, 3-65-1
Game MVP: Randall Mackey, QB, Ole Miss
Game Notes: Purdue tied the game late in the fourth when Caleb TerBush connected with OJ Ross on a 29-yard strike. However, Ole Miss scored on its first play from scrimmage in overtime, a 25-yard Randall Mackey to Nickolas Brassell strike. Purdue could not answer, going four and out in overtime.

#11 Ohio State 27 at #6 BYU 14
Leading Passer: Jake Heaps, BYU, 16-36-166-1-2
Leading Rusher: Dan Herron, 29-128-1
Leading Receiver: JD Falslev, BYU, 4-44
Game MVP: Dan Herron, RB, Ohio State

South Central Region Player of the Week



This was an incredibly tough decision to make, not only because of the quality of top players in this region, but how to decide among them. Stanford's Andrew Luck was money. So was Florida's John Brantley. LSU's Michael Ford plunged his way ahead for three touchdowns, and Toledo's Adonis Thomas was the difference in the Rockets' win. Despite all of those great performances, only one guy was dominating and won the game for his team in the end: Colorado State's Chris Nwoke. In the 12th-seeded Rams' 34-28 upset win at Arizona State, Nwoke rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown and 89 yards receiving and a touchdown. Both of Nwoke's scores came in the fourth quarter, one to tie the game and the second to win it.

South Central Wrap Up

This bracket showed some of what NCAA Basketball's March Madness is all about. Seeds five through eight all went down at home, and fourth-seeded Toledo had to survive against 13th-seeded East Carolina. The top three seeds--LSU, Florida, and Stanford--all took care of business, and it would be a huge surprise if one of those three teams did not win the region.

South Central Brackets

[StLee]

#16 Memphis 17 at #1 Michigan State 27
Leading Passer: Kirk Cousins, MSU, 23-39-373-3-2
Leading Rusher: Le’Veon Bell, MSU, 12-70
Leading Receiver: Keith Nichol, 3-104-2
Game MVP: Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State
Game Notes: Memphis came to play in a 16th seed versus 1st seed game. The Tigers scored a touchdown on a Billy Foster 36-yard run with 11:21 remaining to tie the game at 17-17. However, the Spartans answered with 10 straight, including the go-ahead score less than a minute after Memphis’ tying score on a 74-yard Kirk Cousins to Keith Nichol connection.

#13 Northwestern 34 at #4 Tennessee 37
Leading Passer: Tyler Bray, 19-26-348-1-0
Leading Rusher: Tauren Poole, UT, 21-86-1
Leading Receiver: Justin Hunter, UT, 5-141-1
Game MVP: Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee
Game Story:
Derrick Brodus’ 52-yard field goal with just one second remaining proved the difference, as Tennessee held off a huge Northwestern come back for the 37-34 win.

After Northwestern tied the score at 17 on a 3-yard Jacob Schmidt run with 7:45 left in the second quarter, the Volunteers scored the game’s next 17 points to lead 34-17. The final Tennessee touchdown came on a two-yard Tauren Poole run.

Northwestern then went to work in the fourth quarter, trailing 34-17. Jeff Budzien kicked a 39-yard field goal with 11:46 left to make it a 14-point game. With 6:33 remaining, the Wildcats’ Dan Persa connected with Jack Konopka from two yards out to cut the lead to 34-27. The Wildcats then tied the game with 42 seconds left on a three-yard pass from Persa to Rashad Lawrence.

Persa had an outstanding day for Northwestern in the loss. He finished 17 of 27 for 290 yards and three touchdowns.

Despite Northwestern’s come back, the Wildcats could not seize away all of Tennessee’s momentum. On the ensuing kickoff, the Volunteers’ Devrin Young returned the short kick 30 yards to the Tennessee 45.

Tennessee then got the ball, converting on a third and seven from their own 48 with a Tyler Bray to Justin Hunter pass to the Northwestern 39. After the Volunteers could only gain four yards on the next three plays, Brodus attempted his 52-yard game-winning try that slipped just inside the left upright for the win.

#15 Hawaii 7 at #2 TCU 64
Leading Passer: Casey Pachall, TCU, 26-36-342-3-0
Leading Rusher: Matthew Tucker, TCU, 16-138-2
Leading Receiver: Royce Pollard, Hawaii, 6-117
Game MVP: Casey Pachall, QB, Texas Christian

#14 Florida Atlantic 0 at #3 Florida State 52
Leading Passer: EJ Manuel, FSU, 25-33-275-4-0
Leading Rusher: Alfred Morris, FAU, 24-168
Leading Receiver: Rashad Greene, FSU, 5-64
Game MVP: Devonta Freeman, RB, Florida State, 27-146-3 rush, 3-37-1 rec

#9 Miami (FL) 19 at #8 Missouri 7
Leading Passer: Jacory Harris, Miami, 18-28-242-1-1
Leading Rusher: Lamar Miller, Miami, 31-70-1 and De’Vion Moore, Mizzou, 6-70
Leading Receiver: Travis Benjamin, Miami, 4-67 and Marcus Lucas, Mizzou, 2-67
Game MVP: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami (FL), 31-70-1 rush, 3-25 rec

#12 Western Michigan 28 at #5 Texas A&M 68
Leading Passer: Ryan Tannehill, TAMU, 26-32-326-6-0
Leading Rusher: Cyrus Gray, 27-201-1
Leading Receiver: Jordan White, WMU, 11-123-1
Game MVP: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

#10 Kentucky 7 at #7 Ohio 37
Leading Passer: Tyler Tettleton, Ohio, 17-29-233-2-2
Leading Rusher: Donte Harden, Ohio, 24-128
Leading Receiver: LaVon Brazill, Ohio, 4-73
Game MVP: Tyler Tettleton, QB, Ohio

#11 Nevada 49 at #6 Texas Tech 35
Leading Passer: Seth Doege, TT, 29-46-412-3-0
Leading Rusher: Lampford Mark, Nevada, 22-164-2
Leading Receiver: Alex Torres, TT, 6-140-1
Game MVP: Cody Fajardo, QB, Nevada, 13-15-197-2-0 pass, 18-71-1 rush
Game notes: Nevada used a 21-10 second quarter edge to stay ahead of Texas Tech by at least two touchdowns the rest of the way.

North Region Player of the Week



Another region, another swell of outstanding play. There were a few guys we could have picked, but we could not deny a guy responsible for 42 points on the board. That player is Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill who completed 26 of 32 passes for 326 yards and six touchdowns.

North Region Wrap Up

This region was a little strange because it seemed like there was some strife, but at the end of the day only two lower seeded teams (Miami and Nevada) came away with wins. Fourth-seeded Tennessee barely survived 13th-seeded Northwestern, and the Volunteers would have lost at a neutral site. It has been a trend so far for ninth-seeded teams to win. Miami's win has made the ninth-seed 4-0 so far.

North Region Bracket

[sterlingice]

Good news! Kansas hasn't lost yet!

SI

[StLee]

Surprise! Actually, lots of surprises in this region.

#16 UNLV 14 at #1 Texas 38
Leading Passer: Caleb Herring, UNLV, 20-31-229-1-0
Leading Rusher: Dionza Bradford, UNLV, 16-88
Leading Receiver: Michael Johnson, 5-112-1
Game MVP: Case McCoy, QB, Texas, 18-29-197-3-0

#13 Kansas 35 at #4 Rutgers 28, OT
Leading Passer: Chas Dodd, Rut, 20-46-292-3-2
Leading Rusher: Jawan Jamison, Rut, 29-105-1
Leading Receiver: DJ Beshears, KU, 3-93-1
Game MVP: Jordan Webb, QB, Kansas, 12-23-258-2-0
Game Story:
Kansas could not hold on to a late lead, but got what it needed in overtime in upsetting the fourth seed Rutgers, 35-28.

Darrian Miller had the game-winning score in overtime, running the ball in from 10 yards out for the final. The touchdown came after the Scarlet Knights’ San San Te missed a 48-yard field goal in the first possession of overtime.

The Jayhawks jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter. After, each team started trading touchdown for touchdown.

In the second quarter, Rutgers started off the scoring with a six-yard Jawan Jamison touchdown run. Four minutes later, the Jayhawks answered with a two-yard James Sims run. Rutgers scored one more time in the quarter when Chas Dodd found Brandon Coleman from 12 yards out, giving Kansas a 21-14 halftime lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Jayhawks extended their lead back to 14 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Game MVP Jordan Webb tossed the ball to DJ Beshears from four yards out for the score.

Rutgers then began its come back. Mohamed Sanu caught a 10-yard touchdown from Dodd with 5:34 left, and then Mark Harrison caught a 14-yard touchdown with 45 seconds left to tie the game at 28. Dodd finished as the leading passer in the game, going 20 of 46 for 292 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

#11 UL-Monroe 17 at #6 Georgia Tech 14
Leading Passer: Kolton Browning, ULM, 14-31-123-1-0
Leading Rusher: Roddy Jones, GT, 7-152-2
Leading Receiver: Brent Leonard, ULM, 6-65-1
Game MVP: Roddy Jones, RB, Georgia Tech
Game Notes: UL-Monroe trailed 14-7 in the fourth, but got a field goal with 5:21 left and the game-winning touchdown on a 50-yard Centarius Donald run with 1:32 left to get the upset win.

#10 Northern Illinois 33 at #7 Virginia 24
Leading Passer: Michael Rocco, UVA, 27-47-355-2-1
Leading Rusher: Jasmin Hopkins, NIU, 20-227
Leading Receiver: Matt Snyder, UVA, 4-76
Game MVP: Jasmin Hopkins, RB, Northern Illinois, 20-227 rush, 1-10-1 rec

#9 Pittsburgh 38 at #8 Eastern Michigan 10
Leading Passer: Tino Sunseri, Pitt, 16-22-241-3-0
Leading Rusher: Isaac Bennett, Pitt, 12-75
Leading Receiver: Mike Shanahan, Pitt, 3-84-1
Game MVP: Tino Sunseri, QB, Pittsburgh

#12 Navy 9 at #5 Vanderbilt 24
Leading Passer: Jordan Rodgers, Vandy, 17-32-243-1-3
Leading Rusher: Alexander Teich, Navy, 23-121
Leading Receiver: Brandon Barden, Vandy, 3-69
Game MVP: Zac Stacy, RB, Vanderbilt, 18-118-1 rush, 2-20 rec

#14 Marshall 31 at #3 Michigan 24
Leading Passer: Rakeem Cato, Marsh, 20-35-241-4-0
Leading Rusher: Tron Martinez, Marsh, 18-137
Leading Receiver: Troy Evans, Marsh, 5-66-1
Game MVP: Rakeem Cato, QB, Marshall
Game Story:

The biggest upset of the first round of the NCAA 128 Tournament came at one of the most traditional programs in the nation. Michigan should have run away with the victory. Instead, Marshall came into town and walked out with a 31-24 victory at Ann Arbor.

Rakeem Cato, the game’s MVP, finished 20 of 35 for 241 yards and four touchdowns for the Thundering Herd. He started out the scoring with 6:55 left in the first quarter when he hit Aaron Dobson from 12 yards out for a touchdown.

Early in the second quarter, Cato tossed the ball to Troy Evans for a one-yard score and a 14-0 lead. After trading field goals, the Thundering Herd took a 17-3 lead into halftime.

Michigan got its first touchdown with 6:46 left in the third quarter when Denard Robinson hit Junior Hemingway deep for a 42-yard scoring strike. Marshall, answered, though, on their next possession when Cato tossed his third touchdown pass, this time to Antavious Wilson from 14 yards out. The Wolverines scored once more in the third quarter when Michael Shaw ran for 13 yards, making the score 24-17 in favor of Marshall after three.

In the fourth, the Thundering Herd clinched the upset on Cato’s fourth touchdown pass to as many receivers when he connected with Jermaine Kelson from 13 yards out. Michigan was able to score again when Fitzgerald Toussaint ran in from 34 yards out, making the score 31-24 with 9:59 left.

Michigan would get two more chances, but failed to convert either time. On the Wolverines’ last possession Robinson decided to run out of bounds on fourth down instead of attempting a desperation pass.

#15 North Texas 10 at #2 USC 42
Leading Passer: Derek Thompson, NT, 25-45-308-1-1
Leading Rusher: Marc Tyler, USC, 17-151-1
Leading Receiver: Robert Woods, USC, 7-89
Game MVP: Matt Barkley, QB, USC, 18-28-222-2-1 pass, 5-14-2 rush


Southwest Region Player of the Week



No player had truly out of this world numbers. Perhaps you can argue that Northern Illinois' Jasmin Hopkins' 227 rushing yards rushing was outstanding, but he also could not push the ball across the goalline. Therefore, this week's top player comes from the best player in this week's biggest upset: Marshall's Rakeem Cato. Cato was 20 of 35 for 241 and four touchdowns in the Thundering Herd's 31-24 upset at third-seed Michigan.

Southwest Region Wrap Up

Wow! This region was turned upside down quickly! Only three of the top seeds won: #1 Texas, #2 USC, and #5 Vanderbilt. The rest were upsets. Whether or not the lower seeds can continue that trend, we'll see. It is hard to imagine any other team having a chance in this bracket the rest of the way, though. Northern Illinois is in an unfortunate situation. Their real team was pretty good, but they enter this tournament as a #10 seed. USC is top heavy and whatifsports does not factor in much bench play (thus USC's weakness, depth, is not exposed), so I would think USC has just as good a chance as any to win the entire tournament.

Southwest Region Bracket

[StLee]

#12 San Jose State 41 at #5 Temple 30
Leading Passer: Matt Faulkner, SJSU, 28-35-328-4-1
Leading Rusher: Bernard Pierce, Temple, 29-184-1
Leading Receiver: Noel Grigsby, SJSU, 8-90-2
Game MVP: Matt Faulkner, QB, San Jose State
Notes: San Jose State jumped out to a 31-17 halftime lead behind the arm of Faulkner and held on against a 13-point Temple onslaught to claim the road win. In the game, Temple outrushed SJSU 314-169 but SJSU outpassed Temple 328-52. SJSU was also 11/17 on third downs and could have had a bigger win if not for giving up two turnovers to none for Temple.

#9 San Diego State 20 at #8 Southern Miss 45
Leading Passer: Austin Davis, USM, 19-26-263-3-1
Leading Rusher: Ronnie Hillman, SDSU, 25-175
Leading Receiver: Ryan Balentine, USM, 4-78
Game MVP: Jamal Woodyard, RB, Southern Miss, 17-115-2 rush, 3-21-1 rec

#15 Georgia State 13 at #2 Virginia Tech 34
Leading Passer: Kelton Hill, GSU, 20-31-274-1-1
Leading Rusher: David Wilson, VT, 24-233-3
Leading Receiver: Albert Wilson, GSU, 5-69
Game MVP: David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech, 233 rush, 20 rec

#14 Idaho 13 at #3 Georgia 31
Leading Passer: Aaron Murray, UGA, 22-31-344-2-0
Leading Rusher: Isaiah Crowell, UGA, 25-76-2
Leading Receiver: Mike Scott, Idaho, 4-82
Game MVP: Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia

#13 Rice 9 at #4 South Carolina 20
Leading Passer: Nick Fanuzzi, Rice, 22-45-174-0-1
Leading Rusher: Kenny Miles, S. Car., 9-92
Leading Receiver: Mario Hull, Rice, 2-41
Game MVP: Connor Shaw, QB, South Carolina, 7-16-118-0-2 pass, 16-81-1 rush

#16 UNC-Charlotte 3 at #1 Boise State 51
Leading Passer: Kellen Moore, BSU, 25-35-437-4-0
Leading Rusher: Doug Martin, BSU, 34-176-2
Leading Receiver: Tyler Shoemaker, BSU, 5-142-1
Game MVP: Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

#10 Air Force 16 at #7 Tulsa 38
Leading Passer: GJ Kinne, Tulsa, 14-20-143-1-0
Leading Rusher: Asher Clark, AFA, 18-135-1
Leading Receiver: Zack Kauth, AFA, 3-59
Game MVP: Ja’Terian Douglas, RB, Tulsa, 13-127-2 rush

#11 Army 17 at #6 Mississippi State 38
Leading Passer: Chris Relf, MSU, 16-25-228-1-1
Leading Rusher: Raymond Maples, Army, 17-132-1
Leading Receiver: Arceto Clark, MSU, 4-114
Game MVP: Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State, 21-103-2 rush, 3-27 rec
Game Notes: Army led 17-0 early in second quarter, but Mississippi State answered with 38 straight to close out the game.


Northwest Region Player of the Week



David Wilson did what he does, rushing 24 times for 233 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 20 yards receiving in Virginia Tech's 34-13 thumping of Georgia State.

Northwest Region Wrap Up

After seeing the results of the last bracket, this one was rather disappointing with only 12th-seed San Jose State managing an upset in beating fifth-seed Temple, 41-30. Matt Faulkner was outstanding in that game and was considered for the Player of the Week award. The rest of the bracket went to plan, leaving an intriguing match up between second-seed Virginia Tech and seventh-seed Tulsa in the second round.

Northwest Region Bracket

[StLee]

#9 UL-Lafayette 41 at #8 Bowling Green 35
Leading Passer: Matt Schilz, BGSU, 21-33-345-5-1
Leading Rusher: Alonzo Harris, ULL, 23-52
Leading Receiver: Eugene Cooper, BGSU, 5-111-1
Game MVP: Blaine Gautier, QB, UL-Lafayette, 26-41-333-3-1 pass, 16-51-1 rush
Game notes: Harry Peoples’ 20-yard touchdown catch from Blaine Gautier with 6:41 left proved to be the difference in UL-Lafayette’s road win.

#12 UTEP 14 at #5 Miami (OH) 35
Leading Passer: Zac Dysert, MOU, 22-33-276-4-0
Leading Rusher: Erik Finklea, MOU, 20-120-1
Leading Receiver: Nick Harwell, MOU, 9-148-1
Game MVP: Zac Dysert, QB, Miami (Ohio)

#10 New Mexico State 14 at #7 Utah State 55
Leading Passer: Adam Kennedy, USU, 15-25-234-2-1
Leading Rusher: Robert Turbin, USU, 24-225-4
Leading Receiver: Matt Austin, USU, 4-94-1
Game MVP: Robert Turbin, RB, Utah State, 24-225-4 rush, 3-15 rec

#14 UAB 6 at #3 Iowa 34
Leading Passer: James Vandenberg, Iowa, 21-32-278-3-0
Leading Rusher: Marcus Coker, Iowa, 34-186-1
Leading Receiver: Marvin McNutt, Iowa, 7-119-3
Game MVP: Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa

#16 Colorado 9 at #1 North Carolina 45
Leading Passer: Bryn Renner, UNC, 20-31-274-4-1
Leading Rusher: Giovani Bernard, UNC, 24-226-1
Leading Receiver: Dwight Jones, UNC, 7-89-1
Game MVP: Giovani Bernard, UNC, 24-226-1 rush, 3-54 rec

#13 Buffalo 12 at #4 UCLA 27
Leading Passer: Chazz Anderson, Buff, 15-36-147-0-1
Leading Rusher: Branden Oliver, Buff, 27-130
Leading Receiver: Nelson Rosario, UCLA, 5-77
Game MVP: Derrick Coleman, RB, UCLA, 16-80-2 rush

#15 Old Dominion 10 at #2 Arkansas 48
Leading Passer: Tyler Wilson, Ark, 23-31-311-3-0
Leading Rusher: Dennis Johnson, Ark, 16-148-2
Leading Receiver: Nick Mayers, ODU, 8-101
Game MVP: Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas

#11 Troy 24 at #6 Syracuse 27
Leading Passer: Corey Robinson, Troy, 30-51-334-1-2
Leading Rusher: Antwon Bailey, SU, 24-137-1
Leading Receiver: Alec Lemon, SU, 6-119-1
Game MVP: Antwon Bailey, RB, Syracuse, 24-137-1 rush, 3-75-1 rec
Game Notes: Troy took a 24-14 lead with 9:51 left in the third quarter. Syracuse then made its come back by scoring the next 13, including the a 31-yard game-winning field goal by Ross Krautman with no time left.


East Region Player of the Week



This bracket had a number of outstanding offensive performances, but Utah State's Robert Turbin had the biggest. The back rushed 24 times for 225 yards and four touchdowns and had three receptions for 15 yards in the Aggies' 55-14 thumping of tenth-seed New Mexico State.

East Region Wrap Up

Another region, another ninth seed moving on. With the home-field advantage, you would think the eighth seeds would win at least half of their games versus ninth seeds, but that has yet to happen. As it is, only UL-Lafayette's 41-35 win over Bowling Green proved to be an upset. Most of the rest of the bracket won big over their inferior opponents, the one exception being sixth-seeded Syracuse's squeak win over Troy, 27-24.

East Region Bracket

[StLee]

#16 Indiana 12 at #1 Penn State 40
Leading Passer: Edward Wright-Baker, IU, 25-48-290-0-3
Leading Rusher: Silas Redd, PSU, 26-137-2
Leading Receiver: Ted Bolser, IU, 4-76
Game MVP: Silas Redd, RB, Penn State

#13 Central Michigan 23 at #4 Oklahoma 33
Leading Passer: Ryan Radcliff, CMU, 31-59-351-2-2
Leading Rusher: Roy Finch, OU, 26-107
Leading Receiver: Titus Davis, CMU, 4-65 and Kenny Stills, OU, 5-65-3
Game MVP: Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma

#15 Tulane 7 at #2 Wisconsin 63
Leading Passer: Russell Wilson, UW, 22-24-263-3-0
Leading Rusher: Montee Ball, UW, 33-168-3
Leading Receiver: Justyn Shackleford, Tulane, 4-74
Game MVP: Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin, 33-168-3 rush, 3-35 rec

#14 New Mexico 20 at #3 Houston 66
Leading Passer: BR Holbrook, NMU, 23-36-351-1-2
Leading Rusher: Charles Sims, UH, 11-105-1
Leading Receiver: Ty Kirk, NMU, 7-156-1
Game MVP: Case Keenum, QB, Houston, 19-23-291-5-0

#9 Central Florida 24 at #8 Washington 35
Leading Passer: Keith Price, WU, 32-47-414-2-1
Leading Rusher: Chris Polk, WU, 21-72-3
Leading Receiver: Devin Aguilar, WU, 4-83
Game MVP: Chris Polk, RB, Washington, 21-72-3 rush, 4-39 rec

#12 Maryland 12 at #5 Wyoming 20
Leading Passer: Danny O’Brien, Mary, 25-47-292-0-2
Leading Rusher: Alvester Alexander, Wyo, 19-129
Leading Receiver: Matt Furstenburg, Mary, 5-84
Game MVP: Davin Meggett, RB, Maryland, 16-109-1 rush, 4-25 rec
Game notes: Wyoming took a 14-0 lead and then held off a late come back try by the Terrapins.

#10 Oregon State 28 at #7 Louisiana Tech 47
Leading Passer: Colby Cameron, LTU, 17-23-273-4-0
Leading Rusher: Lennon Creer, LTU, 28-204-1
Leading Receiver: Taulib Ikharo, LTU, 3-100-1
Game MVP: Colby Cameron, QB, Louisiana Tech

#11 Wake Forest 13 at #6 Notre Dame 34
Leading Passer: Tommy Rees, ND, 32-49-343-2-1
Leading Rusher: Cierre Wood, ND, 25-61-2
Leading Receiver: Michael Floyd, ND, 9-100-1
Game MVP: Cierre Wood, RB, Notre Dame, 25-61-2 rush, 5-41-1 rec


Northeast Region Player of the Week



It's tough to vote against someone who threw for five touchdowns, but since Case Keenum's overall numbers were lower and not that much better than other quarterbacks' numbers, Keenum is not player of the week. Instead, Wisconsin's Montee Ball put up numbers that made him stand out. The Badgers' back rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns and had three receptions for another 35 yards in Wisconsin's maiming of 15th-seed Tulane, 63-7.

Northeast Region Wrap Up

Can you say anticlimactic? On the bright side, another eighth-seed found a way to win, with Washington handling Central Florida, 35-24. However, in a tournament like this, it's tough to see all the Cinderella's lose out so early. There could be hope that Washington or seventh-seeded Louisiana Tech pull a second-round upset, but so far this region is the only one where all eight seeds 9-16 are gone.

Northeast Region Bracket

[StLee]

First Round Wrap Up

After one round, as expected the top seeds are mostly still remaining.

Remaining seeds:
#1 - 8
#2 - 8
#3 - 7
#4 - 7
#5 - 6
#6 - 4
#7 - 5
#8 - 2
#9 - 6
#10 - 2
#11 - 4
#12 - 2
#13 - 1
#14 - 1
#15 - 0
#16 - 0

There was much surprise over the 8th-9th seed match ups without noticing that the 6th-11th seed match ups were skewed, too. Only four of the sixth seeds moved on to the next round, and of those, Syracuse barely survived.

The Southwest Conference provided the most intrigue with both the most and biggest upsets.

As it stands, third-seed Michigan, fourth-seed Rutgers, and fifth-seeds Temple and Arizona State are now playing the rest of their season for nothing since they are eliminated from the championship race. They are among 60 other teams eliminated. We are now down to 64 teams competing for the national championship in the race to ONE.

National Player of the Week

You want a difficult job? Try to decide who really deserves the National Player of the Week Award. True, all eight of the finalists had outstanding weeks, but we must pick ONE. Here are the candidates:

Southeast Region - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor - 15-17-278-3-0 pass, 23-64-2 rush
West Region - Barrett Trotter, QB, Auburn - 24-48-372-6-1
South Central Region - Chris Nwoke, RB, Colorado State - 29-109-1 rush, 2-89-1 rec, game-winning TD
North Region - Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M - 26-32-326-6-0
Southwest Region - Rakeem Cato, QB, Marshall - 20-35-241-4-0
Northwest Region - David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech - 24-233-3 rush, 1-20 rec
East Region - Robert Turbin, RB, Utah State - 24-225-4 rush, 3-15 rec
Northeast Region - Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin - 33-168-3 rush, 3-35 rec

The best way to get to the winner is to first eliminate players down to perhaps the best quarterback performance versus the best running back performance. So... in a subjective decision, the two finalists are Ryan Tannehill, who had solid numbers and no turnovers, and Robert Turbin, who had similar numbers to other backs but more touchdowns. And the winner is...



Ryan Tannehill. Every day he's a winner when he married her!

[sterlingice]

And Kansas survives!





How many times did you have to sim that one for your Kansas-heavy audience

SI

[StLee]

Heh, only once, mon frere. That's why I'm getting some clunky results, including Boston College's run towards a national championship!

Actually, at first I considered doing a best 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 5, but then I thought it might push things too heavily in the home team's favor because, after all, the home team should win. Instead, I'll live and die with results based on one sim. In the end, I'm expecting the best teams to keep winning, but who knows?

[StLee]

I don't know if I have time to get to all of the second round today, but I'll post as many as I can. Anyway, on to the second round of the tournament.

West Region – Consolation

MTSU 10 at UTSA 34
Leading Passer: Logan Kilgore, MTSU, 20-41-308-1-2
Leading Rusher: Kam Jones, UTSA, 12-151-2
Leading Receiver: Sancho McDonald, MTSU, 3-83
Game MVP: Kam Jones, RB, Texas-San Antonio

California 20 at Georgia Southern 17
Leading Passer: Kelton Hill, GSU, 26-59-352-1-2
Leading Rusher: Isi Sofele, Cal, 26-99
Leading Receiver: Albert Wilson, GSU, 7-134
Game MVP: Zach Maynard, QB, California, 20-29-248-2-1

Minnesota 0 at Connecticut 36
Leading Passer: Johnny McEntee, Conn, 21-37-272-4-0
Leading Rusher: Lyle McCombs, Conn, 39-144
Leading Receiver: Ryan Griffin, Conn, 4-54-3
Game MVP: Johnny McEntee, QB, Connecticut

Ball State 20 at Kansas State 23
Leading Passer: Keith Wenning, Ball, 17-36-318-2-1
Leading Rusher: John Hubert, KSU, 23-152-1
Leading Receiver: Briggs Orsbon, Ball, 5-96-1
Game MVP: John Hubert, RB, Kansas State

West Region – Quarterfinals

#9 Louisville 16 at #1 Oregon 28
Leading Passer: Teddy Bridgewater, UL, 27-42-294-0-0
Leading Rusher: Kenjon Barner, UO, 15-233-4
Leading Receiver: Josh Chichester, UL, 5-60
Game MVP: Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon
Game Story:
Oregon’s Kenjon Barner rushed for over 200 yards and scored all of Oregon’s touchdowns in the Duck’s low-scoring regional quarterfinal win over Louisville.

The Ducks now move to the regional semifinal where they will meet the winner of the Arkansas State-Clemson game.

Barner scored his first touchdown in the first quarter on a 14-yard run to give the Ducks a 7-0 lead after one quarter.

Louisville answered with 13 straight points. Teddy Bridgewater scored on a QB sneak from the one to give the Cardinals their first lead and a 10-7 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Chris Philpott kicked a 36-yard field goal for a 13-7 lead. However, Barner answered to put the Ducks back up when he scored on a 41-yard run to make it 14-13 Oregon after three quarters.

Barner then extended the lead in the fourth quarter when he scored on a 90-yard run with 13:31 to play. The Cardinals were able to manage a field goal with 5:45 left to cut the lead to 21-16. However, Barner scored for the fourth time from 23 yards out for the final 28-16 margin.

Barner earned MVP honors for the game, finishing with 233 yards on 15 carries. He also had a catch for four yards.

#5 Clemson 26 at #4 Arkansas State 12
Leading Passer: Tajh Boyd, Clem, 16-25-211-1-0
Leading Rusher: Frankie Jackson, ASU, 12-96
Leading Receiver: Taylor Stockemer, ASU, 3-73
Game MVP: Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson, 18-94-1 rush, 4-62-1 rec

#7 Auburn 47 at #2 Cincinnati 30
Leading Passer: Barrett Trotter, AU, 28-52-501-6-2
Leading Rusher: Isaiah Pead, Cincy, 26-155-2
Leading Receiver: Philip Lutzenkirchen, AU, 5-149-1
Game MVP: Barrett Trotter, QB, Auburn
Game Notes: Cincinnati turned the ball over four times and gave up over 600 total yards. The first half featured lots of points with Auburn taking a 30-21 lead into the break. In the second half, the Bearcats could only manage field goals in their comeback attempt, and they ultimately failed at home to the visiting seventh seed.

#6 Washington State 14 at #3 West Virginia 38
Leading Passer: Geno Smith, WVU, 28-46-448-2-0
Leading Rusher: Shawne Alston, WVU, 10-76
Leading Receiver: Devon Brown, WVU, 3-109
Game MVP: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
Game Notes: Dustin Garrison added 57 yards on 15 carries and three TDs on the ground for the Mountaineers. There were two other 100-yard receivers in the game: Washington State’s Marquess Wilson caught 7 passes for 107 yards and a TD, and West Virginia’s Tavon Austin caught 8 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. Marshall Lobbestael was 27 of 47 for 310 yards and a TD in the loss.



West Region Player of the Week



Oregon's Kenjon Barner showed up big in the West Region Quarterfinal game against Louisville, rushing for 233 yards on 15 carries and all four of the Ducks' touchdowns in their 28-16 second round win.

West Region Wrap Up

Cincinnati was the only surprise loss in the second round. However, Auburn quarterback Barrett Trotter has been on fire all season, and he had another big day in Cincinnati, leading the seventh-seed Tigers to the West Region quarterfinal. It will be interesting to see how Auburn's defense matches up against third-seed West Virginia and their diverse offense. On the other side of the bracket, #2 National Seed Oregon looks to keep on chugging, though their offense was not lights out against an up-and-coming Louisville squad. It will interesting to see how the Cardinals progress now that quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has a season under his belt. The Ducks move on, however, and now have to face a tougher defense and perhaps a better offense in fifth-seed Clemson. The Tigers of Clemson are much better than their seed indicates, and it will be an interesting match up between Oregon and Clemson next week.

West Region Bracket

[StLee]

For the second round, I am only listing stats and game MVP for the consolation games. For the playoff games, I will try to feature at least one game per bracket, but I may do nothing but list game notes if there is no real drama in the game (blowouts, for example, or if I just don't care about either team).

Northwest Region – Consolation

UNC-Charlotte 7 at San Diego State 67
Leading Passer: Ryan Lindley, SDSU, 27-48-499-6-1
Leading Rusher: Ronnie Hillman, SDSU, 27-271-2
Leading Receiver: Colin Lockett, SDSU, 4-180-3
Game MVP: Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State
Game Notes: San Diego State had 811 total yards in the game.

Rice 35 at Temple 52
Leading Passer: Nick Fanuzzi, Rice, 19-33-340-3-0
Leading Rusher: Bernard Pierce, Temple, 34-272-2
Leading Receiver: Tyler Smith, Rice, 4-93-1
Game MVP: Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple

Georgia State 13 at Air Force 34
Leading Passer: Kelton Hill, GSU, 10-24-126-2-3
Leading Rusher: Asher Clark, AFA, 20-124-2
Leading Receiver: Jonathan Warzeka, AFA, 2-57
Game MVP: Asher Clark, RB, Air Force

Idaho 19 at Army 7
Leading Passer: Brian Reader, Idaho, 15-29-157-1-0
Leading Rusher: Raymond Maples, Army, 21-75
Leading Receiver: Mike Scott, Idaho, 4-56
Game MVP: Brian Reader, QB, Idaho

Northwest Region – Quarterfinals

#8 Southern Miss 13 at #1 Boise State 27
Leading Passer: Kellen Moore, BSU, 23-38-282-2-2
Leading Rusher: Doug Martin, BSU, 28-104-2
Leading Receiver: Matt Miller, BSU, 5-74
Game MVP: Doug Martin, RB, Boise State, 28-104-2 rush, 3-22 rec

#12 San Jose State 13 at #4 South Carolina 14
Leading Passer: Matt Faulkner, SJSU, 28-44-284-0-3
Leading Rusher: Brandon Wilds, SC, 18-82-1
Leading Receiver: Noel Grigsby, SJSU, 9-79
Game MVP: Brandon Wilds, RB, South Carolina, 18-82-1 rush, 1-3 rec
Game Notes: Neither team could find an offensive foothold, with San Jose State outgaining South Carolina 364-269. However, the Gamecocks won the turnover battle 3-0. The Spartans scored a touchdown with 54 seconds left in the third quarter that cut the score to 14-12, but they elected to kick the extra point. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

#7 Tulsa 43 at #2 Virginia Tech 26
Leading Passer: GJ Kinne, Tulsa, 22-33-318-0-0
Leading Rusher: David Wilson, VT, 21-206-1
Leading Receiver: Clay Sears, Tulsa, 3-89
Game MVP: Ja’Terian Douglas, RB, Tulsa, 15-132-3 rush
Game Notes: Two Tulsa running backs combined for five rushing TDs as the Golden Hurricane outgained the Hokies 531-400 in the game. After falling behind 7-3, Tulsa scored 30 unanswered points to take a 33-7 lead with 4:35 left in the third quarter.

#6 Mississippi State 14 at #3 Georgia 32
Leading Passer: Aaron Murray, UGA, 21-43-250-0-0
Leading Rusher: Isaiah Crowell, UGA, 28-143-2
Leading Receiver: Malcolm Mitchell, UGA, 4-65
Game MVP: Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia, 28-143-2 rush, 2-11 rec

Northwest Region Player of the Week



There is a penalty for teams playing in consolation games for Player of the Week awards. However, one player's day was much better than any player remaining in the playoffs, so San Diego State's Ryan Lindley was outstanding on a day when the Aztecs annhilated UNC-Charlotte and its band of no-name players, 67-7. Lindley finished 27 of 48 for 499 yards with six touchdowns and an interception.

Northwest Region Wrap Up

Four of the top seeds still remain heading into the semifinal round. The only exception is Virginia Tech getting embarrassed t home against seventh-seed Tulsa. The Hokies have not been outstanding all season outside of running back David Wilson, so it seemed inevitable that they would fail at some point. Still, Virginia Tech fell earlier than expected. In games that will take place in the semifinals, Tulsa visits Georgia and its high octane offense. The Bulldogs can run and pass, and that makes them dangerous for the rest of the tournament. On the other side of the bracket, Boise State and its even higher octane offense hosts the defensive-minded South Carolina Gamecocks. Should both Boise State and Georgia win, we could have an interesting real life replay (Boise State beat Georgia 35-21 before the Bulldogs found their game later in the season).

Northwest Region Bracket

[StLee]

North Region – Consolation

Memphis 7 at Missouri 37
Leading Passer: Taylor Reed, Mem, 16-32-194-1-0
Leading Rusher: Kendial Lawrence, Mizzou, 15-116-1
Leading Receiver: Wes Kemp, Mizzou, 4-57
Game MVP: Kendial Lawrence, RB, Missouri

Northwestern 27 at Western Michigan 29
Leading Passer: Alex Carder, WMU, 22-35-347-1-0
Leading Rusher: Tevin Drake, WMU, 13-96-1
Leading Receiver: Jordan White, WMU, 11-211
Game MVP: Alex Carder, QB, Western Michigan

Hawaii 30 at Kentucky 6
Leading Passer: Bryant Moniz, UH, 17-29-252-2-1
Leading Rusher: Joey Iosefa, UH, 16-80
Leading Receiver: Billy Ray Stutzmann, UH, 5-137-2
Game MVP: Billy Ray Stutzmann, WR, Hawaii

Florida Atlantic 17 at Texas Tech 31
Leading Passer: Graham Wilbert, FAU, 22-41-246-2-5
Leading Rusher: Alfred Morris, FAU, 27-117
Leading Receiver: Eric Ward, TT, 7-84
Game MVP: Eric Stephens, RB, Texas Tech, 16-90-2 rush, 2-23 rush

North Region – Quarterfinals

#9 Miami (FL) 16 at #1 Michigan State 31
Leading Passer: Kirk Cousins, MSU, 20-28-324-2-1
Leading Rusher: Lamar Miller, Mia, 30-97-1
Leading Receiver: BJ Cunningham, MSU, 5-91
Game MVP: Keshawn Martin, WR, Michigan State, 3-86-2 rec

#5 Texas A&M 34 at #4 Tennessee 20
Leading Passer: Ryan Tannehill, TAMU, 24-35-312-3-0
Leading Rusher: Cyrus Gray, TAMU, 23-94-1
Leading Receiver: Ryan Swope, TAMU, 6-123-3
Game MVP: Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M
Game Notes: Texas A&M trailed 17-14 at halftime, but dominated the second half, holding Tennessee only to a pair of field goals and pulling away late. Tyler Bray threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw a costly second-half pick in the red zone.

#7 Ohio 35 at #2 TCU 26
Leading Passer: Casey Pachall, TCU, 28-43-331-1-2
Leading Rusher: Ryan Boykin, Ohio, 3-58-2
Leading Receiver: Riley Dunlop, 3-112-1
Game MVP: Tyler Tettleton, QB, Ohio, 18-28-285-3-0 pass, 15-25 rush
Game Story:
Ohio scored the go-ahead touchdown on a two-yard Ryan Boykin touchdown with 10:04 left and held off TCU for the road upset, 35-26.

The Bobcats were led by the quarterback play of Tyler Tettleton, who threw for 285 yards on 18 of 28 passing and three touchdowns. TCU’s Casey Pachall threw for more yards (331) but threw only one touchdown and had two passes picked.

Ohio led the game 14-13 at halftime and extended that lead to 21-13 midway through the third quarter when Tettleton hit LaVon Brazill for a four-yard touchdown. The Horned Frogs answered later in the quarter when Waymon James ran it in from eight yards out to cut the Ohio lead to 21-20.

In the fourth quarter, TCU’s Ross Evans kicked a 33-yards field goal to give the Horned Frogs their first lead since it was 3-0 in the first quarter.

Boykin’s touchdown then gave the Bobcats the lead for good with 10:04 remaining. Evans was able to kick his third field goal of the game with 6:17 left to cut the Ohio lead to two, 28-26. However, the Bobcats answered yet again, scoring the game’s final points on a Tettleton to Brazill touchdown with 2:14 left in the game.

#11 Nevada 16 at #3 Florida State 32
Leading Passer: EJ Manuel, FSU, 14-26-164-2-2
Leading Rusher: Devonta Freeman, FSU, 23-117
Leading Receiver: Rishard Matthews, Nev, 5-64
Game MVP: Lampford Mark, RB, Nevada, 26-90-1 rush, 2-13 rec
Game Notes: After two early first quarter passing touchdowns by EJ Manuel, the Florida State offense could not find the end zone again. However, thanks to a safety, kick off return touchdown, and three Dustin Hopkins field goals, the Seminoles had enough to hold off Nevada.


North Region Player of the Week



There are not a lot of opportunities for receivers to be named player of the week, but that is just what happened in the North Region. Texas A&M's Ryan Swope caught six passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns in the Aggies' 34-20 win at fourth-seed Tennessee.

North Region Wrap Up

Another region, another second-seed to fall. Will this round be like the first round and the large number of sixth seeds that lost? We shall see. In the meantime, Ohio is an underrated second-tier team and the Bobcats showed what they are capable of at TCU. It is doubtful that Ohio can make a deep run into the playoffs, but it is not surprising that they could rattle their cages early in the tournament. Thanks to the Bobcats' win, third-seed Florida State, one of the preseason favorites to compete for a national championship, gets to host a semifinal round game. It was not very impressive, but the Seminoles did claim the largest margin of victory (16 points) in its 32-16 win over eleventh-seed Nevada. On the other side of the bracket, Texas A&M will face off against #4 National Seed Michigan State.

North Region Bracket

[sterlingice]

(I probably would have done consolation all first and then championship but that's just me)

SI

[sterlingice]

Then again, if you do that, no one would ever see the consolation games or pay attention to them, I suppose

SI

[StLee]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

(I probably would have done consolation all first and then championship but that's just me)

SI

It's a lot easier to keep things organized if I keep the brackets together. I see your point, but I'm going with convenience here!

[StLee]

Northeast Region – Consolation

Indiana 24 at Central Florida 31
Leading Passer: Edward Wright-Baker, IU, 15-29-202-0-1
Leading Rusher: Brynn Harvey, UCF, 19-135-1
Leading Receiver: Dre Muhammad, IU, 5-75
Game MVP: Jeff Godfrey, QB, Central Florida, 17-27-173-2-0 pass, 15-27-1 rush

Central Michigan 45 at Maryland 38
Leading Passer: Danny O’Brien, Mary, 24-48-401-3-2
Leading Rusher: Anthony Garland, CMU, 15-79-1
Leading Receiver: Quintin McCree, Mary, 3-115-1
Game MVP: Ryan Radcliff, QB, Central Michigan, 28-39-363-5-2

Tulane 9 at Oregon State 13
Leading Passer: Ryan Griffin, Tul, 23-46-295-0-0
Leading Rusher: Orleans Darkwa, Tul, 18-70
Leading Receiver: Joe Kemp, Tul, 5-60
Game MVP: Ryan Griffin, QB, Tulane

New Mexico 10 at Wake Forest 23
Leading Passer: BR Holbrook, NMU, 28-47-301-0-0
Leading Rusher: James Wright, NMU, 10-126
Leading Receiver: Chris Givens, WF, 5-95
Game MVP: Brandon Pendergrass, RB, Wake Forest, 12-42-1 rush, 2-83-1

Northeast Region – Quarterfinals

#8 Washington 37 at #1 Penn State 34
Leading Passer: Keith Price, UW, 28-44-390-3-1
Leading Rusher: Chris Polk, UW, 28-90-1
Leading Receiver: Chris Polk, UW, 6-110
Game MVP: Chris Polk, RB, Washington, 90 rush, 110 rec, TD
Game Story:
Washington threw everything at Penn State and eliminated the #1 seed by a score of 37-34.

Chris Polk gained a combined 200 yards and scored a touchdown to earn game MVP honors.

The game was back and forth in the first half before a 17-0 Washington run gave them the edge they needed to pull off the upset.

Polk scored a touchdown on a seven-yard run with 13:52 to play in the second quarter, and Erik Folk added his second field goal for a 13-7 lead. Four minutes later, Penn State took back the lead on a 54-yard punt return by Justin Brown.

With two minutes left in the half, the Huskies’ Keith Price threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse and a 20-14 lead. However, with 56 seconds left, Penn State’s Matt McGloin connected with Derek Moye on an 11-yard touchdown pass, giving the Nittany Lions a 21-20 edge at the half.

The Huskies spent little time trailing in the second half. With 12:34 left in the third quarter, Price found Devin Aguilar for a 26-yard touchdown pass. Later in the quarter, Folk kicked his third field goal, giving Washington a 30-21 lead entering the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Washington nearly put the game out of reach. With 8:56 left, Price threw his third touchdown, this time to DiAndre Campbell for a 14-yard touchdown and a 37-21 lead.

Penn State was able to make a come back. With 5:33 left, McGloin found Silas Redd from three yards out. The ensuing two-point conversion failed, for a 37-27 deficit. One play later, Price threw an errant pass that was intercepted by the Nittany Lions’ Chaz Powell. Penn State then scored again when McGloin threw his fourth touchdown pass, an eight-yard pass to Curtis Drake to cut the Washington lead to 37-34.

The Huskies then got the ball and drove to the Penn State 43 before stalling. That gave Penn State one more shot with 1:43 left, but McGloin threw his second interception of the game to secure the Huskies’ victory. McGloin finished 18 of 36 for 242 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss.

#5 Wyoming 17 at #4 Oklahoma 52
Leading Passer: Landry Jones, OU, 18-27-280-5-0
Leading Rusher: Roy Finch, OU, 29-96-2
Leading Receiver: Dominic Rufran, Wyo, 2-86-1
Game MVP: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
Game Notes: Oklahoma jumped out to a 35-3 lead, including scoring 21 points in the second quarter.

#7 Louisiana Tech 23 at #2 Wisconsin 29
Leading Passer: Colby Cameron, LTU, 18-29-221-2-0
Leading Rusher: Montee Ball, Wisc, 31-93
Leading Receiver: Quinton Patton, LTU, 6-57-1
Game MVP: Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin, 12-20-174-2-0 pass, 11-53 rush
Game Notes: Wisconsin led 29-9 in the fourth quarter, but Louisiana Tech scored two late touchdowns to make the final score close. The Bulldogs’ last score came with 2:52 left, but Wisconsin got possession on the kick off and was able to run out the clock.

#6 Notre Dame 27 at #3 Houston 54
Leading Passer: Case Keenum, UH, 31-39-557-6-1
Leading Rusher: Cierre Wood, ND, 22-160
Leading Receiver: Michael Floyd, ND, 8-133
Game MVP: Case Keenum, QB, Houston
Game Notes: Houston scored 10 in the first, 24 in the second, 14 in the third and 6 in the fourth in outgunning Notre Dame. The Cougars also had seven players with at least 49 yards receiving and five different receivers with touchdowns. Patrick Edwards led Houston with five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. The Irish were led by Tommy Rees, who completed 25 of 42 passes for 390 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception.


Northeast Region Player of the Week



Mix a pass heavy offense with a quarterback who loves to toss the ball a lot, and what do you get? That's right! You get Houston's Case Keenum, who amassed another spectacular stat line of 557 yards on 31 of 39 passing with five touchdowns and an interception in the Cougars' 54-27 stomping of Notre Dame.

Northeast Region Wrap Up

A #1 seed finally fell, and it was the most predictable of all: #8 National Seed Penn State. The Nittany Lions were considered the best of the nation's weakest conference, so it is no surprise that the Northeast Conference teams have been dropping. Fourth-seeded Rutgers and fifth-seeded Temple lost in the first round, Penn State lost here, and most think it's only a matter of time before second-seeded Boston College falls. Third-seeded West Virginia may be the conference's only hope. Washington's win means traveling to a very good and dangerous Oklahoma team, led by pro prospect Landry Jones. On the other side of the bracket, an offense-heavy, defense-lacking matchup of Houston at Wisconsin could be the most intriguing game of the entire third round of the tournament.

Northeast Region Bracket

[IMG][/IMG]

[StLee]

East Region – Consolation

Colorado 18 at Bowling Green 30
Leading Passer: Tyler Hansen, CU, 23-31-316-0-0
Leading Rusher: Anthon Samuel, BGSU, 21-119-2
Leading Receiver: Eugene Cooper, BGSU, 5-79
Game MVP: Anthon Samuel, RB, Bowling Green, 21-119-2 rush, 3-27 rec

Buffalo 32 at UTEP 43
Leading Passer: Nick Lamaison, UTEP, 28-39-361-4-2
Leading Rusher: Branden Oliver, Buff, 22-125-1
Leading Receiver: Alex Neutz, Buff, 4-103-1
Game MVP: Nick Lamaison, QB, UTEP

Old Dominion 30 at New Mexico State 48
Leading Passer: Matt Christian, NMSU, 24-36-411-5-0
Leading Rusher: Robert Clay, NMSU, 15-44 and Kenny Turner, NMSU, 15-44
Leading Receiver: Nick Mayers, ODU, 8-131-1
Game MVP: Matt Christian, QB, New Mexico State

UAB 34 at Troy 39
Leading Passer: Corey Robinson, Troy, 28-47-425-3-2
Leading Rusher: Darrin Reaves, UAB, 11-79-1
Leading Receiver: Nolen Smith, UAB, 4-130
Game MVP: Corey Robinson, QB, Troy

East Region – Quarterfinals

#9 UL-Lafayette 24 at #1 North Carolina 38
Leading Passer: Bryn Renner, UNC, 19-29-286-2-1
Leading Rusher: Alonzo Harris, ULL, 19-139-1 and Giovani Bernard, UNC, 24-139-3
Leading Receiver: Dwight Jones, UNC, 6-93
Game MVP: Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina, 24-139-3 rush, 4-52 rec
Game Notes: North Carolina fell behind 24-21 with 6:43 left in the third quarter, but the Tar Heels scored the game’s final 17 points for the 14-point difference. Bernard’s three touchdown runs came on gains of 37, 26, and 1. Jheranie Boyd scored the other two touchdowns on receptions from Renner. Blaine Gautier finished 18 of 25 for 246 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

#5 Miami (OH) 14 at #4 UCLA 16
Leading Passer: Zac Dysert, Mia, 25-44-291-2-0
Leading Rusher: Derrick Coleman, UCLA, 13-113-1
Leading Receiver: Nick Harwell, Mia, 11-166-2
Game MVP: Nick Harwell, WR, Miami (Ohio)
Game Notes: UCLA rushed for 254 yards as a team. Besides Coleman’s game-leading rushing numbers, Johnathan Franklin added 100 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown on the ground.

#7 Utah State 16 at #2 Arkansas 34
Leading Passer: Tyler Wilson, Ark, 24-34-339-3-0
Leading Rusher: Dennis Johnson, Ark, 15-73-1
Leading Receiver: Matt Austin, USU, 5-105
Game MVP: Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas
Game Notes: After Utah State cut the Arkansas lead to 14-10 on an 11-yard Robert Turbin run with 1:12 left in the first quarter, the Razorbacks reeled off 20 straight points to take a 34-10 lead into the fourth quarter. Besides Dennis Johnson’s touchdown (a 30-yard rush), Arkansas got three receiving touchdowns from Chris Gragg (30 yards), Jarius Wright (6 yards) and Cobi Hamilton (18 yards). Wright was the leading receiver for the Razorbacks with five receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. Utah State’s Adam Kennedy finished 22 of 39 for 302 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Tramain Thomas of Arkansas was the beneficiary of all three of those picks.

#6 Syracuse 24 at #3 Iowa 34
Leading Passer: James Vandenberg, Iowa, 22-37-322-3-1
Leading Rusher: Antwon Bailey, 24-143-1
Leading Receiver: Marvin McNutt, Iowa, 7-124-2
Game MVP: James Vandenberg, QB, Iowa, 322 pass-3 TD, 19 rush
Game Notes: Iowa built a 24-7 halftime lead and stopped a 10-0 Syracuse run in the second half to hold on for the home victory.


East Region Player of the Week



North Carolina's Giovani Bernard was a scoring machine against ninth-seed UL-Lafayette, racking up three touchdowns on the ground in the Tar Heels' 38-24 second-round victory over the Ragin' Cajuns. Bernard finished with 24 rushes for 139 yards and three touchdowns, and he added another 52 yards on four receptions.

East Region Wrap Up

Ho hum. The top four seeds are all alive in the East Bracket, meaning #4 UCLA will travel to #1 North Carolina and #3 Iowa will travel to #2 Arkansas. In fact, there has only been one upset so far, and a minor one at that, when ninth-seed UL-Lafayette beat eighth-seed Bowling Green in the first round. None of the lower seeds challenged much, except for fifth-seed Miami of Ohio, which made a mad come back late in the game. However, the RedHawks just did not have enough to pull off the win against the Bruins in Los Angeles.

East Region Bracket

[StLee]

Southeast Region – Consolation

Akron 13 at North Carolina State 44
Leading Passer: Clayton Moore, Akr, 22-45-262-0-1
Leading Rusher: James Washington, NCSU, 23-123
Leading Receiver: TJ Graham, NCSU, 4-104
Game MVP: Mike Glennon, QB, North Carolina State, 17-34-259-3-1

Western Kentucky 9 at South Alabama 3
Leading Passer: Kawaun Jakes, WKU, 24-36-300-1-1
Leading Rusher: Bobby Rainey, WKU, 35-95
Leading Receiver: Rico Brown, WKU, 4-76-1
Game MVP: Kawaun Jakes, QB, Western Kentucky
Game Notes: Pretty awesome finish with WKU completing a 43-yard Hail Mary to win the game. It was tied 3-3 and WKU scored with no time left.

Illinois 13 at Duke 10
Leading Passer: Sean Renfree, Duke, 30-55-370-1-3
Leading Rusher: Donovonn Young, Ill, 10-88-1
Leading Receiver: Donovan Varner, Duke, 6-90-1
Game MVP: Steve Hull, DB, Illinois, 3 interceptions

Fresno State 24 at Florida International 27
Leading Passer: Derek Carr, FSU, 24-37-280-1-2
Leading Rusher: Robbie Rouse, FSU, 36-199-2
Leading Receiver: Jalen Saunders, FSU, 4-72
Game MVP: Wesley Carroll, QB, Florida International, 20-35-207-3-0

Southeast Region – Quarterfinals

#9 SMU 17 at #1 Alabama 47
Leading Passer: AJ McCarron, Bama, 26-38-391-4-0
Leading Rusher: Trent Richardson, Bama, 33-113-1
Leading Receiver: Darius Hanks, Bama, 5-100
Game MVP: AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama
Game Notes: Alabama held a 30-3 halftime lead. SMU’s JJ McDermott finished 22 of 42 for 254 yards with a touchdown and interception. The Mustangs were held to 57 yards rushing for a 1.7 yards per carry average.

#5 Oklahoma State 55 at #4 Utah 27
Leading Passer: Brandon Weeden, OSU, 34-50-387-4-2
Leading Rusher: John White, Utah, 33-153-1
Leading Receiver: Justin Blackmon, OSU, 10-108-2
Game MVP: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
Game Notes: Oklahoma State had a 24-10 halftime lead. Despite John White of Utah leading the game in rushing (33 carries for 153 yards and a touchdown), the Cowboys outrushed Utah 223-167. Joseph Randle led Oklahoma State with 125 yards rushing on 17 carries and a 38-yard touchdown. Jeremy Smith added 118 yards on just five carries, aided by his 81-yard touchdown. Jon Hays finished 20 of 36 for 182 yards with a touchdown and interception.

#7 Arizona 31 at #2 Boston College 37, 2 OT
Leading Passer: Chase Rettig, BC, 27-48-419-4-1
Leading Rusher: Rolandan Finch, BC, 19-67
Leading Receiver: Ifeanyi Momah, BC, 6-153
Game MVP: Chase Rettig, QB, Boston College
Game Story:
In what has been the most exciting game yet of the NCAA 128 Tournament, second seed Boston College outlasted seventh seed Arizona at home in double overtime, 37-31.

Arizona had the first possession of double overtime, but John Bonano’s 41-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left. The Eagles answered by easily driving towards the endzone, capped off the game-ending score with a Chase Rettig to Colin Larmond pass from six yards out.

Rettig, who was named the game’s most valuable player, finished 27 of 48 for 419 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. His favorite target of the day was Ifeanyi Momah, who caught six passes for 153 yards. Momah did not catch a touchdown pass, but four different teammates did.

The game took awhile before the score started to climb. Boston College scored the only points in the first quarter with a 22-yard Nate Freese field goal. The Wildcats then scored 10 straight points, including a 34-yard Nick Foles to David Roberts pass. Alex Amidon then caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Rettig to tie the score 10-10 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Boston College again had a lone score. Andre Williams ran the ball in from eight yards with 10:28 in the quarter to give the Eagles a 17-10 lead going into the fourth. Williams finished second on the day in rushing for Boston College with 47 yards on 14 carries.

Arizona had to keep up with Boston College in the fourth quarter, but got enough to tie it. The Wildcats started the scoring when Foles found Gino Crump for a seven-yard touchdown. With 4:12 left, Boston College retook the lead, capped off by a 12-yard Rettig to Lars Anderson pass. Arizona then tied the game with 1:27 left when Ka’Deem Carey caught a 31-yard bomb from Foles. The teams went into overtime tied at 24.

Foles finished the game 30 of 49 for 342 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Boston College had first possession of overtime. There, Rettig threw his third touchdown of the day when he hit Chris Pantale from 25 yards out on second and 10. The Wildcats then got the ball and took nine plays to drive the 25 yards for the score. Juron Criner capped off the drive, plunging in from a yard and tying the score at 31-31 and sending the game to a second overtime.

#11 Iowa State 14 at #3 Baylor 31
Leading Passer: Robert Griffin, BU, 18-22-286-1-1
Leading Rusher: Terrance Ganaway, BU, 30-168-3
Leading Receiver: Kendall Wright, BU, 9-163
Game MVP: Terrance Ganaway, RB, Baylor
Game Notes: Iowa State held a 14-10 lead with 11:36 left in the third quarter. Then Baylor’s Terrance Ganaway ran wild, scoring the game’s final three touchdowns and 21 straight points for Baylor to close out the game. Iowa State managed only 267 total yards in the game.


Southeast Region Player of the Week



This was a tough one to pick, as the four elimination games had outstanding play. It was hard to vote against Alabama's AJ McCarron, who was perfect on a run-heavy team. However, you have to give credit to a quarterback who leads his team to victory, even if it was a double overtime survival against a lower-seeded team. That is why Boston College's Chase Rettig is the Southeast Region Player of the Week. The Eagles' quarterback completed 27 of 48 passes for 419 yards with four touchdowns, including the game-winning toss in the second overtime, and an interception in Boston College's 37-31 win over seventh-seed Arizona.

Southeast Region Wrap Up

The top three seeds move on, while the number four seed is done. However, Utah was a home dog to fifth-seed Oklahoma State. It is no secret that the REAL 2011 Cowboys were in an end-of-season debate about their worthiness of playing in the national title game. As it turned out, Alabama got the nod and then spanked #1 LSU in the championship game. Now fans get to see how it would turn out had their been a playoff game. Granted, this game would have been played at a neutral field in a playoff game. Here, there will be a home advantage for the Crimson Tide. On the other side of the bracket, another 2011 power, Baylor and true Heisman winner Robert Griffin, will face off against the biggest surprise in the 2011 replay, Boston College. This bracket is the author's personal favorite because it has so many interesting story lines!

Southeast Region Bracket

[StLee]

South Central Region – Consolation

Texas State 10 at South Florida 55
Leading Passer: BJ Daniels, USF, 20-30-293-5-0
Leading Rusher: Darrell Scott, USF, 21-158
Leading Receiver: Sterling Griffin, USF, 6-107-2
Game MVP: BJ Daniels, QB, South Florida, 20-30-293-5-0 pass, 15-45 rush

East Carolina 35 at Arizona State 34
Leading Passer: Dominique Davis, ECU, 23-34-279-4-0
Leading Rusher: Cameron Marshall, ASU, 24-134-3
Leading Receiver: Lance Lewis, ECU, 6-78-3
Game MVP: Dominique Davis, QB, East Carolina, 23-34-279-4-0 pass, 13-9-1 rush

Massachusetts 6 at Purdue 45
Leading Passer: Caleb TerBush, Pur, 21-33-262-4-1
Leading Rusher: Ralph Bolden, Pur, 18-100
Leading Receiver: Julian Talley, Mass, 6-69
Game MVP: Caleb TerBush, QB, Purdue, 21-3-262-4-1 pass, 13-43 rush

Kent State 20 at BYU 27
Leading Passer: Spencer Keith, Kent, 22-49-332-1-2
Leading Rusher: Trayion Durham, Kent, 28-49-1
Leading Receiver: Sam Kirkland, Kent, 6-110-1
Game MVP: Sam Kirkland, WR, Kent State

South Central Region – Quarterfinals

#9 Nebraska 7 at #1 LSU 27
Leading Passer: Jordan Jefferson, LSU, 15-21-261-1-0
Leading Rusher: Spencer Ware, LSU, 22-116-1
Leading Receiver: Kyler Reed, Neb, 4-95
Game MVP: Spencer Ware, RB, LSU, 22-116-1 rush, 1-32 rec
Game Notes: LSU led 24-7 at halftime. There were only three points scored by either team in the second half. Taylor Martinez of Nebraska finished 13 of 24 for 238 yards with a touchdown. He also rushed for 61 yards on 20 carries. Rex Burkhead added 94 yards on 25 carries for the Cornhuskers. Rueben Randle was the leading receiver for LSU with three catches for 63 yards and a touchdown.

#12 Colorado State 15 at #4 Toledo 47
Leading Passer: Terrance Owens, Tol, 24-30-314-4-1
Leading Rusher: Chris Nwoke, CSU, 19-119
Leading Receiver: Eric Page, Tol, 8-94-1
Game MVP: Terrance Owens, QB, Toledo
Game Notes: Toledo jumped out to a 20-0 lead and led 26-3 at halftime. The Rockets were led in rushing by Adonis Thomas who rushed 23 times for 91 yards and Morgan Williams who finished with 82 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Toledo outgained Colorado State 492-347. The Rams’ Pete Thomas completed 16 of 38 passes for 225 yards with two interceptions.

#10 Ole Miss 30 at #2 Florida 51
Leading Passer: John Brantley, UF, 19-39-342-4-2
Leading Rusher: Jeff Scott, Miss, 15-97
Leading Receiver: Andre Debose, UF, 3-86
Game MVP: John Brantley, QB, Florida
Game Story:
It’s not usual to talk about how a team can have a complete collapse in a game against a second seed, but that is just what happened in the Florida-Ole Miss game.

The Rebels took a 30-16 lead when Randall Mackey connected with Jamal Mosley from six yards out with 6:37 left in the third quarter, but they then gave up 35 straight points in Florida’s run away 51-30 victory.

Ole Miss started the game strong. First quarter touchdowns gave the Rebels an early 14-0 lead in Gainesville. Mackey connected with Mosley from 31 yards out for the first of their two touchdown connections for a 7-0 lead. Mackey finished 18 of 34 for 251 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. With 6:41 left in the quarter, Brandon Bolden broke off a 37-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 lead. Bolden finished with 58 yards on 12 carries.

The Gators got on the board with 4:38 left in the first quarter on a 47-yard Caleb Sturgis field goal to cut the lead to 14-3. Florida also added another field goal at the beginning of the second quarter before three Bryson Rose field goals for Ole Miss gave the Rebels a 23-6 lead. Then, with no time left, John Brantley completed a Hail Mary pass to Frankie Hammond from 42 yards left to cut the Rebels’ lead to 23-13 at halftime.

In the second half, Sturgis started out the scoring with a 43-yard field goal before the final Ole Miss touchdown with 6:37 left in the quarter to make it 30-16, Ole Miss.

Then the Gators went to work. Brantley threw his second touchdown pass with 3:38 left in the third quarter when he found Jordan Reed from eight yards out. After a Mackey interception gave Florida the ball at the Ole Miss 21, the Gators drove down and scored on a one-yard Jeff Demps run and tie the game 30-30 at the end of three.

In the fourth, it was all Gators. Demps scored his second rushing touchdown with 10:26 left to give Florida its first lead of the game, 37-30. Later in the quarter, Brantley threw his third and fourth touchdown passes. The first came to Deonte Thompson from 20 yards out, and the second went to Reed from 32 yards out with 2:08 left. That capped off the scoring and the 51-20 Florida victory.

#11 Ohio State 14 at #3 Stanford 40
Leading Passer: Andrew Luck, Stan, 17-26-263-1-1
Leading Rusher: Stepfan Taylor, Stan, 22-198-2
Leading Receiver: Coby Fleener, Stan, 4-77
Game MVP: Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford, 22-198-2 rush, 3-21-1 rec
Game Notes: Stanford led 26-3 at halftime. Ohio State’s lone touchdown came on a Braxton Miller to DeVier Posey touchdown pass. Miller was 8 of 16 for 107 yards, a touchdown, and interception. Dan Herron was the leading rusher for the Buckeyes with 121 yards on 28 carries. Posey was the only Buckeyes’ receiver with more than one catch (3) but he finished fourth on the team in receiving yards. Tyler Gaffney added 53 yards rushing on seven carries and two touchdowns for the Cardinal.


South Central Region Player of the Week



There were some great performances in the South Central Region this week, but the nod here has to go to Stanford's Stepfan Taylor. In a region where quarterbacks dominate, including Taylor's teammate Andrew Luck, Taylor put on a nice show in the Cardinal's 40-14 upending of traditional power Ohio State. Taylor finished with 198 yards rushing on 22 carries and two touchdowns. He also added 21 yards receiving on three catches and another touchdown.

South Central Region Wrap Up

None of the top four seeds experienced any real drama in the second round, as all three faced a team who won via upset in the first round. In fact, the top seeded LSU Tigers faced the highest seed of all the others, something Stan Dawfish mentioned in his telecast about reseeding. LSU also had the smallest margin of victory (20 points) in the second round, though their game was never in doubt against ninth-seed Nebraska. Now the LSU defense faces a top-flight passer in Toledo's Terrance Owens, who had another solid game, throwing for 341 yards and four touchdowns in the Golden Hurricane's 47-15 victory over Colorado State. On the other side of the bracket, second-seed Florida will face off against Taylor and Luck and the third-seed Stanford Cardinal in what should be an intriguing match up.

South Central Region Bracket

[StLee]

Southwest Region – Consolation

UNLV 7 at Eastern Michigan 27
Leading Passer: Alex Gillett, EMU, 6-8-133-1-1
Leading Rusher: Dominique White, EMU, 20-95-1
Leading Receiver: Tyreese Russell, 1-71-1
Game MVP: Dominique White, RB, Eastern Michigan

Navy 33 at Rutgers 16
Leading Passer: Chas Dodd, RU, 17-37-259-1-0
Leading Rusher: Alexander Teich, Navy, 23-124-1
Leading Receiver: Mohamed Sanu, 8-107-1
Game MVP: Aaron Santiago, RB, Navy, 13-112-2 rush

North Texas 7 at Virginia 41
Leading Passer: Derek Thompson, NT, 20-42-219-1-1
Leading Rusher: Perry Jones, UVA, 23-118-3
Leading Receiver: Brelan Chancellor, NT, 4-53
Game MVP: Perry Jones, RB, Virginia, 23-118-3 rush, 2-16 rec

Georgia Tech 9 at Michigan 46
Leading Passer: Denard Robinson, Mich, 10-17-147-2-1
Leading Rusher: Fitzgerald Tousaint, Mich, 23-225-2
Leading Receiver: Stephen Hill, GT, 3-62
Game MVP: Fitzgerald Tousaint, RB, Michigan

Southwest Region – Quarterfinals

#9 Pittsburgh 10 at #1 Texas 31
Leading Passer: Tino Sunseri, Pitt, 20-39-260-1-1
Leading Rusher: Joe Bergeron, Texas, 10-135-2
Leading Receiver: Hubie Graham, Pitt, 4-62
Game MVP: Joe Bergeron, RB, Texas
Game Notes: Pittsburgh scored first on a field goal and last on a Tino Sunseri to Ronald Jones nine-yard pass. Texas scored 31 points between those scores. In addition to Joe Bergeron’s big rushing day, including a 77-yard touchdown rush, Texas’ Malcolm Brown added 95 yards on 24 carries. The Longhorns outrushed the Panthers 226-71. Texas’ Case McCoy finished 13 of 26 for 164 yards with two touchdowns.

#13 Kansas 7 at #5 Vanderbilt 45
Leading Passer: Jordan Rodgers, Vandy, 25-32-316-4-2
Leading Rusher: James Sims, KU, 18-86-1
Leading Receiver: Jordan Matthews, Vandy, 4-53
Game MVP: Jordan Rodgers, QB, Vanderbilt, 316 pass, 14 rush
Game Notes: Vanderbilt jumped out to a 42-0 lead before the Jayhawks scored a fourth-quarter touchdown in garbage time. Rodgers’ four touchdown passes were to four different receivers. Vanderbilt’s Zac Stacy rushed for only 59 yards on 23 carries, but he did score two rushing touchdowns. Jerron Seymour led the Commodores with 60 yards on 10 carries.

#10 Northern Illinois 20 at #2 USC 33
Leading Passer: Matt Barkley, USC, 25-33-259-2-0
Leading Rusher: Marc Tyler, USC, 16-81
Leading Receiver: Robert Woods, USC, 9-108
Game MVP: Matt Barkley, QB, USC
Game Story:
USC jumped out to a 23-3 lead on its way to a 33-20 victory over tenth-seeded Northern Illinois in the regional quarterfinals round of the NCAA 128 Tournament.

The Trojans’ Matt Barkley earned game MVP honors by passing for 259 yards and two connections with freshman Marqise Lee in the big victory. Andre Heidari also had a big day for USC, connecting on four field goals and three extra points.

Scoring started out on the low end. In the first quarter, only Heidari’s two field goals were scored, leading to a 6-0 USC lead.

Northern Illinois got on the board with 14:56 left in the second quarter when Mathew Sims kicked a 29-yard field goal. USC answered, though, by scoring two touchdowns to end the half. Curtis McNeal, who finished with 72 yards on 17 carries, scored from three yards out. Then, with 5:28 left in the half, Barkley found Lee from eight yards out and a 20-3 halftime lead for the Trojans.

USC’s Heidari again kicked a field goal early in the second half before the Huskies made a bit of a come back. Sims kicked his second field goal to make it 23-6 and then Jasmin Hopkins scored on a three-yard run to cut the USC lead to 23-13 after three quarters. Hopkins finished with 76 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns.

In the fourth, Barkley again found Lee, this time from seven yards out. The Huskies were able to answer with 4:41 remaining to cut the lead to 30-20 when Hopkins scored from 19 yards out. However, Northern Illinois could not score again. USC added one more field goal and the Huskies’ next drive stalled.

Northern Illinois’ Chandler Harnish finished 14 of 20 for 221 yards. His leading receiver was Jack Marks, who caught two passes for 50 yards.

#14 Marshall 30 at #11 UL-Monroe 14
Leading Passer: Rakeem Cato, Marsh, 16-37-243-0-2
Leading Rusher: Tron Martinez, Marsh, 19-128-1
Leading Receiver: Aaron Dobson, 4-73
Game MVP: Tron Martinez, RB, Marshall, 19-128-1 rush, 2-18 rec
Game Notes: UL-Monroe led 7-3 after one quarter and 14-10 at halftime. However, Marshall scored all 20 points of the second half. The Warhawks’ Kolton Browning was held to only 144 yards passing on 13 of 31 passing with a touchdown and interception. UL-Monroe’s Centarius Donald rushed 13 times for 88 yards and a touchdown. Brent Leonard was the leading receiver for the Warhawks with four receptions for 44 yards. The UL-Monroe defense sacked Cato five times. Marshall’s Tyler Warner was 3 of 6 on field goals. He made field goals of 50, 36 and 38 yards and missed from 50, 51 and 48 yards. The Thundering Herd’s first half touchdown came when safety Omar Brown intercepted Browning on the ULM one-yard line and stepped across the goal line for the score. Brown also had a sack in the game.


Southwest Region Player of the Week



This bracket was tough to choose a top player since no player really had any outstanding numbers. Therefore, the choice went to the player who did the most with the fewest chances: Texas' Joe Bergeron. The Longhorns' back carried the ball only 10 times but finished with 135 yards and two touchdowns in Texas' 31-10 thumping of ninth-seed Pittsburgh.

Southwest Region Wrap Up

Marshall is THE story of the tournament so far. The fourteenth-seed Thundering Herd have now won back-to-back road games. They will have to do it again when they travel to USC next week, a task that seems daunting. But who knows based on what happened in the first two rounds. Texas will host Vanderbilt on the other side of the bracket. Let's just cut to the chase: USC at Texas will be an interesting match up for the regional final. Sure, Marshall and Vanderbilt are still alive, but in reality they are two of the longer shots in the next round.

Southwest Region Bracket

[sterlingice]

There goes Kansas but it was a nice run. Most of the upsets are coming to an end in this round. Even the Marshall win was against a #11 seed so it wasn't nearly as big as their first round win.

SI

[StLee]

Second Round Wrap Up

Because it was reported it in the first round, here are the remaining seeds:

Remaining seeds:
#1 - 7
#2 - 5
#3 - 7
#4 - 4
#5 - 4
#6 - 0
#7 - 3
#8 - 1
#9 - 0
#10 - 0
#11 - 0
#12 - 0
#13 - 0
#14 - 1
#15 - 0
#16 - 0

Remember how only half of the sixth seeds survived the first round? Well all four of those teams fell in the second round, making the sixth seed officially the worst seed to be for expectations/chances out of all seeds. Similarly, 6 of 8 ninth seeds moved to the second round, but not a single one of those squads were able to topple a top seed in their regions, marking elimination of all ninth seeds from the tournament. However, we are sure some of them will find some nice consolation prizes.

What does all of this mean? The lowest remaining seed of the 32 is 14th-seed Marshall, which was lucky enough to follow beating third-seed Michigan with facing 11th-seed UL-Monroe. Their next match up is at USC. People, bet the house on USC! Bet the house!!!

After its upset of the first number one seed, eighth-seed Washington lays claim to being the second lowest remaining seed. The Huskies now travel to Norman, Oklahoma, to take on the fourth-seed Sooners. It's tough being a lower seed! Oklahoma is probably better than Penn State but fell victim to being in a really good conference.

The third round will feature some exciting match ups. Here are the top three match ups with some game comments (based on combination of 2011 real rankings and performance in this replay simulation):

1) #5 Oklahoma State (Final finish real 2011 = #3) at #1 Alabama (Final finish real 2011 = #1) - This is the game that should have been in the real 2011 season. Oklahoma State had a claim for a spot in the national championship game. Alabama did, too, and got the spot because of their close loss at home to the other team in the national championship, LSU. If the 2011 season had a playoff, these two teams would have faced off. What better way than a simulated replay to see what would happen? Alabama has been dominant, but the Cowboys were battle tested in their conference. This game at Tuscaloosa will answer some of our "what if" questions of the 2011 season.

2) #4 South Carolina (Final finish real 2011 = #9) at #1 Boise State (Final finish real 2011 = #8) - Another match up of teams that both finished in the Top 10 in the real 2011 season, South Carolina travels to Boise State to try to upend the Broncos. The Gamecocks were faced with a surprisingly tough division with North Carolina and Clemson, and that may have affected them not finishing as the third seed in their conference when they lost to Florida State. Boise State is a tough program to beat, especially on their blue turf. Quarterback Kellen Moore and running back Doug Martin are nearly impossible to shut down, but the stout South Carolina defense is going to try to do just that.

#3 Houston (Final finish real 2011 = #18) at #2 Wisconsin (Final finish real 2011 = #10) - The real 2011 Houston Cougars were 12-0, and they were all set to play in a BCS game. That is, until they lost in their conference championship to Southern Miss and ended up in a lower tier bowl. This simulated team has a chance to avenge their real life counterparts by facing the real 2011 Big Ten champions, Wisconsin. In this simulation, Wisconsin was beat only by Boise State, and the Badgers look to be a formidable opponent for Houston. Both teams have great offenses, led by stud quarterbacks: Case Keenum of Houston and Russell Wilson of Wisconsin. Houston is pass-happy. Wisconsin balances its offense by handing the ball off to stud running back Montee Ball. The difference in these two teams is defense, though some might argue about the value of either team's defense. If things go as planned, the Badgers defense should have the edge in this game. Whatever. Here's hoping for a 70-63 final.


National Player of the Week

Again, the candidates for player of the week are all grouped together in a tough-to-call finish. Subjectivity is alive and well. The candidates:

Southeast Region - Chase Rettig, QB, Boston College - 27-48-419-4-0
West Region - Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon - 15-233-4 rush
South Central Region - Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford - 22-198-2 rush, 3-21-1 rec
North Region - Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M - 6-123-3 rec
Southwest Region - Joe Bergeron, RB, Texas - 10-135-2 rush
Northwest Region - Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State - 27-48-499-6-1
East Region - Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina - 24-139-3 rush, 4-52 rec
Northeast Region - Case Keenum, QB, Houston - 31-39-557-5-1

And the winner is...



Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon. His running output was outstanding and helped the #2 National Seed Ducks to easily advance to their regional semifinals.

[StLee]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

There goes Kansas but it was a nice run. Most of the upsets are coming to an end in this round. Even the Marshall win was against a #11 seed so it wasn't nearly as big as their first round win.

SI

Considering there are only five teams lower than a fifth seed remaining, it looks like the sim is doing what it should do. I noted there were some teams I thought were much better in real life that had low seeds--Kansas State, Southern Miss, and Nebraska were all ranked, for example--and thought they might rattle some cages in the tournament, but it just didn't happen.

Once the entire tournament is finished, I'll probably analyze things a lot more. Anyway, with there being so many #1 and #2/#3 seeds still alive, I expect most of the Elite 8 to be in the top three seeds. Maybe one or two #4 or #5 seeds make their way in, but they are definitely a long shot.

[StLee]

I finally have some time to simulate and write again, so I'll try to post at least a couple of regions today and complete the rest tomorrow. Also, I want to bump this so that the entire third round is on the same page.