The Day the BCS Died 2

[EagleFan]

With a business trip coming up I figured it would be a good time to launch this year's version of this mini-dynasty as I won't need my own laptop for this one.

How does it work? Great Question!!!

While not all conferences use a championship game, most do. All conference champions earn an automatic bid. This gives us 11 teams (I took the highest ranked for The Big East as they had multiple co-champions). Then 13 at-large bids. Those are the 13 highest rated teams in the BCS ratings that didn't win their conference.

The 24 teams are then seeded (also based on their BCS rankings) with one rule. The top 4 seeds HAVE to be conference champions, or Independents.

The top 8 teams get a bye the first round.

Each round will be re-bracketed so that the highest remaining seed will play the lowest remaning seed, and so forth.

The final two rounds will be held at pre-determined fields.

Championship - at Miami

Semi-Final 1 - at Glendale
Semi-Final 2 - at New Orleans

[EagleFan]

The Teams

ACC –#12 Florida State (11-2)
Big 12 – #5 Kansas State (11-1)
Big East – #21 Louisville (10-2)
Big Ten – #26 Wisconsin (8-5)
Conference USA – #33 Tulsa (10-3)
Mountain West – #36 San Diego State (9-3)
Mid-American – #15 Northern Illinois (12-1)
SEC –#2 Alabama (12-1)
PAC 12 – #6 Stanford (11-2)
Western Athletic – #22 Utah State (10-2)
Sun Belt – #37 Arkansas State (9-3)
At Large 1 – #1 Notre Dame (12-0)
At Large 2 – #3 Florida (11-1)
At Large 3 – #4 Oregon (11-1)
At Large 4 – #7 Georgia (11-2)
At Large 5 – #8 LSU (10-2)
At Large 6 - #9 Texas A &M (10-2)
At Large 7 - #10 South Carolina (10-2)
At Large 8 - #11 Oklahoma (10-2)
At Large 9 - #13 Oregon State (9-3)
At Large 10 - #14 Clemson (10-2)
At Large 11 - #16 Nebraska (10-3)
At Large 12 - #17 UCLA (9-4)
At Large 13 - #18 Michigan (8-4)

[EagleFan]

The Seeds

(1) Notre Dame
(2) Alabama
(3) Kansas State
(4) Stanford
(5) Florida
(6) Oregon
(7) Georgia
(8) LSU
(9) Texas A&M
(10) South Carolina
(11) Oklahoma
(12) Florida State
(13) Oregon State
(14) Clemson
(15) Northern Illinois
(16) Nebraska
(17) UCLA
(18) Michigan
(19) Louisville
(20) Utah State
(21) Wisconsin
(22) Tulsa
(23) San Diego State
(24) Arkansas State

[EagleFan]

Round 1
(24) Arkansas State 21 vs. (9) Texas A&M 34
(23) San Diego State 14 vs. (10) South Carolina 37
(22) Tulsa 23 vs. (11) Oklahoma 41
(21) Wisconsin 24 vs. (12) Florida State 16
(20) Utah State vs. (13) Oregon State
(19) Louisville vs. (14) Clemson
(18) Michigan vs. (15) Northern Illinois
(17) UCLA vs. (16) Nebraska


Round 2
(21) Wisconsin vs. (1) Notre Dame
TBD vs. (2) Alabama
TBD vs. (3) Kansas State
TBD vs. (4) Stanford
TBD vs. (5) Florida
(11) Oklahoma vs. (6) Oregon
(10) South Carolina vs. (7) Georgia
(9) Texas A&M vs. (8) LSU

[EagleFan]

(24) Arkansas State @ (9) Texas A&M

After a scoreless 1st quarter Texas A&M takes a 7-0 lead with 14:00 left in the second on a 2 yard run by Ben Malena. Defenses would dominate the rest of the half with only a missed Texas A&M field goal as the only chance to score. At the half Texas A&M leads 7-0.

Offenses would begin to warm up in the third as Texas A&M would drive the distance on their opening drive to take a 14-0 lead. Arkansas State would answer right back with a touchdown of their own to narrow the gap back to 14-7. Texas A&M would go on a 12 play 84 yard drive to extend their lead to 21-7 which is how the 3rd quarter would end.

After an exchange of punts and a great punt return that set Texas A&M up on the Arkansas State 37 Malena would take a draw play the distance to increase the Aggies lead to 28-7 with 11:37 left. Arkansas State would answer with an 8 play, 93 yard drive to make it 28-14 with 8:37 left. After holding the Aggies to a punt Arkansas State woul again find the endzone to narrrow the lead to 28-21 with 4:34 to go. The Aggies would answer back as Malena scores again, this time on a 7 yard run but they miss the extra point to make it 34-21 with just 1:28 left. Time would run out on Arkansas State as Texas A&M moves on with the 34-21 victory.



Texas A&M 34
Arkansas State 21

Player of the Game: Ben Malena (Texas A&M) - 15 carries for 64 yards with 3 touchdowns, 1 reception for 12 yards


Key Stats
Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) - 14 of 16 for 194 yards, 20 carries for 68 yards
Frankie Jackson (Arkansas State) - 9 carries for 89 yards, 1 reception for 24 yards
JD McKissic (Arkansas State) - 7 receptions for 102 yards
Ryan Applin (Arkansas State) - 18 of 32 for 227 yards with 1 touchdown

[EagleFan]

(23) San Diego State vs. (10) South Carolina

The game started out close with a defensive 1st quarter that saw South Carolina up 3-0 after the first fifteen. South Carolina scored 17 in the second quarter to lead 20-0 at the half and it was all over from there.

They built a 34-0 lead on their way to a 37-14 victory.


South Carolina 37
San Diego State 14

Player of the Game: QB Connor Shaw (South Carolina) - 9 of 12 for 173 yards, 19 carries for 30 yards and 1 touchdown


Key Stats
Marcus Lattimore (South Carolina) - 22 carries for 102 yards

[EagleFan]

(22) Tulsa vs. (11) Oklahoma

The 1st, 3rd and 4th quarter were almost even with Oklahoma winning those quarters just 17-16. The second aurter they owned and outscored Tulsa 24-7. This gave them a 31-14 halftime lead on their way to a 41-23 victory.


Oklahoma 41
Tulsa 23

Player of the Game: RB Damien Williams (Oklahoma) - 20 carries for 88 yards with 2 touchdowns, 4 receptions for 81 yards


Key Stats
Trey Watts (Tulsa) - 11 carries for 93 yards with 1 touchdown, 2 receptions for 30 yards
Justin Brown (Oklahoma) - 6 receptions for 122 yards with 2 touchdowns
Jalen Saunders (Oklahoma) - 7 receptions for 98 yards
Landry Jones (Oklahoma) - 30 out of 49 for 450 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception

[EagleFan]

(21) Wisconsin vs. (12) Florida State

After the teams exchange several punts Florida State takes over with 2:22 left in the 1st from the 50 after a blocked punt set them up with good field position. Five playes later James Wilder scores on a 14 yard run to give Florida State a 7-0 lead which is how the first quarter would end.

Wisconsin would take the following drive and slowly drive to teh Florida State 25 but a missed field goal keeps it 7-0. After the teams exchange punts another special teams nightmare for Wisconsin as yet another blocked punt now sets Florida State up at the Wisconsin 20. The defense would step up and hold them to a field goal to make it 10-0. Late in the quarter a great punt return would set Wisconsin up at the Florida State 17 but they would settle for a field goal to make it 10-3. A last second 55 yard field goal attempt by Florida State on the following drive would be missed to keep it 10-3 at the half.

Wisconsin would march 76 yards in 5 plays to open the second half, capped by a 10 yard touchdown pass Stave to Wazniak to tie the game 10-10. On the very first play of the next drive Chris Thompson would break a64 yard run but would be caught from behind and stripped of the ball. Wisconsin recovered in the endzone for a touchback. After a Stave interception sets Florida State up on the Wisconsin 31 they would force a field goal on the drive to give Florida State a 13-10 lead. After forcing a three and out Thompson would break another big gain to put them deep in Wisconsin terriroty but the defense would force another field goal to make it 16-10 which is how the third quarter ends.

After forcing a punt early in the 4th Wisconsin would return it to the Florida State 47. 9 plays later Stave hits Abbrederis for a 16 yard touchdown and they make the extra point to give Wisconsin their first lead at 17-16. Wisconsin would force a 3 and out and get the ball back at the Florida State 32 thanks to another nice return. On 4th and 1 from the 23 they would go for it and White goes up the middle for 4 yards and the first down. Three plays later Ball pounds through the middle for a 10 yard touchdown run to give Wisconsin a 24-16 lead with 4:52 left in the game. Florida State would get one first down but would turn the ball over on downs. After a Wisconsin missed field goal Florida State would start from their own 23 with 1:22 left. they would move to the Wisconsin 36 and have a 4th and 14 with just 4 seconds left. A last second hail mary would fall incomplete and the Badgers win.


Wisconsin 24
Florida State 16

Player of the Game: Monte Ball (Wisconsin) - 40 carries for 211 yards with 1 touchdown


Key Stats
Chris Thompson (Florida State) - 13 carries for 147 yards, 4 receptions for 50 yards