2009 College Football World Cup - COMPLETE!

[molson]

#3 Iowa (Big-10, 6-2, 11-2) v. #62 Nevada (WAC, 7-1, 8-5)

Pre-Game
Iowa ran the table in their group with a point differential of +241. That included a 69-10 win over Stanford, and a 58-13 win against Texas A&M. They were ranked #7 in the final AP poll in 2009. They have to face a pretty decent team on paper, Nevada, who were the runners-up in the WAC in 2009, defeating everyone but Boise St. The Wolfpack had some problems in group play though, going only 2-3 and needing to get into this round via wild card. And Nevada's only wins were against Indiana and Hawaii - though they did play TCU fairly tough (losing only 41-22). Nevada also lost to Minnesota and Louisiana Tech, but their overall point differential was enough to give them this shot against the Hawkeyes.

Game
Iowa 48, Nevada 28

This was certainly closer than the first two games of the stage, but Iowa still wins convincingly and advances to the final 32. Iowa got 3 TDs in the final 6 minutes of the first half, aided by an interception, to really take control of the game. Nevada managed 3 TDs in the 2nd half, the last of which got them to within 42-28 with 11:46 left. They never got the ball out of their own side of the field after that though, and Iowa got two late FGs to ice the win.

[molson]

#4 BYU (MWC, 7-1, 11-2) v. # 61 Southern Mississippi (Conference USA, 5-3, 7-6)

Pre-Game
BYU got a very fortunate group draw, and took full advantage of it, going 5-0 with a point differential of +192. Their best opponent was probably Michigan St, and that was their closest game - they only won by 11. They also dropped 93 points on Washington St. Southern Mississippi was the only 4th place group team in the tournament to manage a 3-2 record. That's kind of just a statistical anomaly, but they did manage to beat USC, so they might be competitive here. They also shutout Miami (OH) and beat LA-Lafayette, while losing to Navy by one point, and to Boise St. by 33.

Game
BYU 45, Southern Mississippi 42

BYU gets a big-time scare but holds on and advances after a 3-point win. The teams traded 2 TDs a piece in the 1st quarter, and then BYU scored two unanswered TDs in the 2nd quarter, and another early in the third quarter, to go up by 21. They traded TDs again in the middle of the 3rd quarter, keeping that 21 point lead intact. Late in the 3rd though, the Golden Eagles made their run. They got a 42-yard TD run to draw within 14. They kept BYU in check on BYU's next several possessions, and then cut the lead to 7 with a 4-yard rushing TD with 9:09 left. The next three BYU possessions all ended with punts, but Southern Mississippi couldn't take advantage until the third BYU punt, which they returned 59 yards for the game-tieing TD with 1:11 to go. All tied up at 42-42, BYU took over at its own 31 with just 1:06 to go. 6 plays brought them 29 yards to the Southern Mississippi 39, where they had to settle for a potential game winning 56-yard FG at the end of the game. Mitch Payne nailed it, and BYU survives to reach the championship knock-out stage of 32.

[molson]

#5 Virginia Tech (ACC, 6-2, 10-3) v. #60 Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt, 5-3, 5-7)

Pre-Game
Virginia Tech was the #10 team in the 2009 Final AP poll, and a 5-0, (+168) run in group play allowed the a preliminary knock-out stage seed higher than that. Tech took advantage of a very easy group - they defeated New Mexico, North Texas, Bowling Green and Akron, before their toughest test week 5, where they defeated Tennessee by 17. Florida Atlantic is the lowest seeded automatic qualifier, with a 2-3 record and -65 point differential. They managed a victory week 1 v. Rice, were blown out by 20 points or more to Nebraska, Syracuse and Vanderbilt, but then in week 5, managed to beat East Carolina, and somehow win a 3-way tiebreaker for the final spot in their group. They're definitely a huge underdog here.

Game
Virginia Tech 59, Florida Atlantic 3

No surprise here as the Hokies roll, and advance. Virginia Tech got 4 Owl turnovers, which overcome the somewhat otherwise competitive Florida Atlantic attack (they were only outgained 570-376, and did manage 172 yards on the ground, and 25 first downs.)

[molson]

#6 Texas (Big 12, 8-0, 13-1) v. #59 Florida International (Sun Belt, 3-5, 3-9)

Pre-game
Texas went 5-0 with a +165 point differential in group play. Their most impressive win was a 19-point win over West Virginia, who had finished 2009 ranked #25 in the AP poll. Texas also defeated Arkansas, Kentucky, Idaho, and UTEP. The only close game was v. Idaho, whom the Longhorns only beat by 7. Florida International lost their first three games of group play (v. BYU, Michigan St, and Western Michigan), and appeared to be going nowhere. However, they recovered to defeat Washington St. and Colorado St, and that was all they needed to advance out of a very weak group.

Game:
Texas 55, Florida International 6

Another big win for the favorite. The Golden Panthers were able to keep Texas from lighting up the scoreboard a ton immediately, as the Longhorns managed 7 points in the first quarter, and 10 in the second, for a 17-0 halftime lead. Florida International also won the turnover battle, 2-0, which helped them stay even as close as they did. Texas out-gained Florida International on the ground 328-7.

[molson]

#7 Ohio St. (Big 10, 7-1, 11-2) v. #58 Virginia (ACC, 2-6, 3-9)

Pre-Game
This is a rematch from group play, where Ohio St. defeated Virginia 43-13 in week 5. Overall, Ohio St. went 5-0 with a +154 differential in group play, defeating, in addition to Virginia, Kent St., Mississippi St, Toledo and Central Florida. Only Central Florida gave Ohio St. a challenge, losing just 17-10. That close game pushed Ohio St. down to #7 in the seedings for this round - the Buckeyes won all their other games by 28 points or more. Virginia managed a 2-3 record in the group stage, defeating Kent St. and Mississippi St, and losing to Ohio St, Toledo, and Central Florida.

Game:
Ohio St. 27, Virginia 3

This one was slightly closer than the 30-point blowout during group play, but Ohio St. still has little problem with the Cavaliers, and advance. Not a ton of offense from either team in this one, and Ohio St. outgained Virginia just 300-273. There was a bigger margin in penalty yards, where Virginia was penalized 61 yards to Ohio State's 20.

[molson]

#8 Utah (MWC, 6-2, 10-3) v. # 57 Akron (Mid-American, 2-6, 3-9)

Pre-Game
Utah earned a nice jump in the group stage, whereas they came into the tournament the 2009 AP #17 team, but they get a #8 seeding and favorable opponent here thanks to their 5-0, +139 group stage run. They started group play with a with a wild, 45-44 win over Texas Tech (who was #21 in the 2009 AP poll). Things were comparably easy after that for the Utes, who wiped out Arkansas St (by 31), Ball St. (by 55), Florida St. (by 42), and South Carolina (by 10). The Akron zips were lucky to end up in a very weak group, but took advantage by defeating North Texas and Bowling Green. They also managed to take Tennessee to OT before falling short. They're one of the worst teams on paper in the final 64, managing just a 2-6 conference record in the 2009 Mid-American Conference. It will be surprising if Utah has any trouble here.

Game:
Utah 39, Akron 21

It was closer than expected, but the Utes still win comfortably, and advance. After a scoreless 1st quarter, Utah got on the board with a 2 yard TD run on the 2nd play of the 2nd quarter. After that, the 2nd quarter was dominating by the zips, who scored two TDs, picked off an Ohio St. pass, and forced two punts. They led 14-7 at the break, and it could have been by a little more if not for a missed FG. The 3rd quarter went the Zips way as well, the scored another TD, and held Utah to a FG, to enter the final quarter ahead 21-10.

In the 4th quarter, however, the Utes got things to together and put up 29 unanswered points. Akron couldn't do anything at all on offense in the 4th quarter, managing only 1 first down. Their 4th quarter possessions resulted in: Interception, Punt, Punt, Turnover on downs, fumble, turnover on downs. Utah, on the other hand, got 4 TDs and a FG, scoring on their first 5 possessions of the quarter.

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#9 Oregon (PAC-10, 8-1, 10-3) v. #56 Louisville (Big East, 1-6, 4-8)

Pre-game
This is another rematch from the group stage. There, Louisville put a big scare into the 2009 AP #11 team, as Oregon only managed to win 30-21. That was the Ducks' closest game in the group stage, where they went 5-0, with a point differential of +139. In addition the Cardinals, Oregon defeated Duke, New Mexico St, Northwestern, and Purdue. Group play started very poorly for Louisville, who lost their first 3 games. But then, in week 4, they defeated Purdue by 7, and then in week 5, they came back from a 10-point 4th quarter defect to beat Duke in double OT.

Game
Oregon 30, Louisville 0

In the first shoutout of the preliminary knock-out round, Oregon blanks Louisville to advance. This was a clean game with no turnovers and few penalties, the Ducks were just clearly the better team. Oregon outgained Louisville 383-211. Louisville couldn't get closer than the Oregon 37 in the first 3 quarters. In the 4th quarter, the moved the ball a little better, getting into Oregon territory three times, but that just resulted in 3 turnovers on downs.

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#10 Boston College (ACC, 5-3, 8-5) v. #55 Louisiana-Monroe (Sun Belt, 5-3, 6-6)

Pre-Game
Boston College is the most surprising inclusion among the top 10 seeds in this stage. They're the only non-2009 AP top 25 team in the top 10, they're also the only non-2009 top 25 team to go 5-0 in group play. They did it with a +117 point differential. Their big win was against 2009 AP #19 Miami (FL), whom BC smashed 37-14. The Eagles also defeated Iowa St, Marshall, Oklahoma St, and Baylor. 3 of those teams had winning records in 2009, so BC's run wasn't just lucky, it was good. Their reward is a preliminary knock-out stage matchup against Louisiana-Monroe. Louisiana-Monroe went 3-2 in group stage with a point differential of -33. That's the lowest point differential among third place teams with at least 3 wins. The Warhawks lost in the first two weeks of group play to Iowa (by 59 points), and to Stanford (by only 3 points, in a game where Louisiana-Monroe led with under a minute to play). The Warhawks were able to run the table from there, with wins over Texas A&M, Northern Illinois, and then Memphis in the final week to clinch the final automatic spot in the group. The Eagles are certainly heavy favorites, but the matchups, at least on paper, are getting noticeably closer.

Game
Boston College 27, Louisiana-Monroe 13

It's 10-for-10 for the favorites thus far, as B.C. handles the Warhwaks. Louisiana-Monroe certainly kept things close, trailing only 10-6 at halftime. But B.C. scored the first 10 points of the 4th quarter, and then it was just garbage time after that. The Warhakws actually outgained the Eagles, 352-347, and the turnover battle was tied at 1. Louisiana-Monroe just couldn't get into the end zone until late in the 4th quarter, when it was too late.

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#11 Cincinnati (Big East, 7-0, 12-1) v. #54 Louisiana Tech (WAC, 3-5, 5-8)

The Cincinnati Bearcats are the 11th and final team to have gone undefeated in group play, they did it with a +102 point differential. Their group wasn't strong but it wasn't terrible either - Cincinnati defeated Army, UConn, N.C. State, SMU, and UNLV. There were some close games for Cincinnati, who defeated UConn by only 3, and SMU by only 2 (in the latter game, they trailed with about a minute left and got a 62-yard rushing TD to survive). Louisiana Tech managed 3 wins in group stage, and they did it in exciting fashion: a 3 point win over Indiana, a ridiculous 2-OT win over Nevada (where LA Tech game back from a 31-3 3rd quarter deficit, and then won after a missed extra-point by the Nevada kicker in the 2nd OT), and finally a more comfortable 20 point win over Hawaii. LA Tech is the underdog, but they've worked some magic in this tournament just to get to this point.

Game:
Cincinnati 65, Louisiana Tech 14

Nothing magic about this game for LA Tech, as they're routed, and Cincinnati advances. LA Tech needed a TD in the final minute of the game to get even this close. The Bearcats did most of their damage through the air, with 419 passing yards. Overall, they outgained LA-Tech 678-279

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#12 Florida (SEC, 8-0, 13-1) v. #53 Arkansas (SEC, 3-5, 8-5)

Now things get interesting, as we have an SEC matchup. Florida was #3 in the final 2009 AP poll, so it was a little disappointing for them to fail to go undefeated in group play, and slip down to a #12 seed here in this stage. The spoiler for Florida was Temple, who shockingly defeated the Gators 9-3. Prior to that shocker in week 5, Florida had looked really good, defeating Arizona (by 36), Auburn (by 6), Colorado (by 55), and Oklahoma (by 24). Their slipup in week 5 to Temple means they have to deal with SEC rival Arkansas here. The Razorbacks didn't have a great 2009 in SEC play, but they did get three wins in their group, defeating Idaho, Kentucky, and UTEP. They lost to the two ranked teams in their group, but played fairly tough (losing to Texas by 19, and West Virginia by 13)

Game:
Florida 51, Arkansas 24

Fairly easy win for the Gators, who advance. The Razorbacks did lead 14-10 midway through the 2nd quarter, and trailed Florida by only 3 points late in the 3rd quarter. Then Florida took control, scoring the final 24 points. Florida dominated on the ground, out-gaining Arkansas 548-23 in rushing yards. The passing game wasn't great for Arkansas either, as they threw 3 interception (but did manage 376 passing yards, which probably helped them stay in the game for a while).

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#13 Clemson (ACC, 6-2, 9-5) v. #52 LSU (SEC, 5-3, 9-4)

Pre-Game
There's a number of interesting things about this matchup. It's the first (of 3) games between 2009 AP Top 25 teams in this preliminary knock-out round. (LSU #17, Clemson #24) So, the loser will become the third ranked team, after Wisconsin and Georgia Tech, to be eliminated from the tournament and fail to reach the final 32-team knockout stage. Also, these two teams happened to square off in one of the wildest group stage games. In the first game of Group Q, LSU beat Clemson by 2. Here's my description of that game at the time: "In an early battle that will likely determine the group winner - LSU holds off Clemson by 2. Pretty wild finish here. LSU hit a FG with 3:39 left to go up by 8. Clemson can't get anything going on offense, but does force LSU to punt with just 11 seconds left. Clemson returns the punt 64 yards for a TD as time expires. They need a 2-point conversion with no time on the clock to tie, but can't convert." But even though LSU won that game, it would be Clemson would go on to to run the table and win the group, after victories against Ohio, Rutgers, Illinois, and Fresno St. LSU, on the other hand, stunningly lost to both Ohio and Illinois, and needed a final-week 21-point win over Rutgers to avoid elimination.

Game:
Clemson 34, LSU 26

Clemson gets a little revenge against LSU and validates their #1 finish in Group Q with an 8 point win. Clemson got off to a great start with 4 1st quarter TDs, 3 by C.J. Spiller (who had rushing TDs of 67, 23, and 65 yards), to take a 27-7 lead. LSU got 13 unanswered points before halftime to close the gap to 27-20. In the 3rd quarter, LSU had two long drives end in FGs, to cut the Clemson lead to a single point. LSU however, couldn't get another first down until Clemson got a late 4th quarter TD (Spiller's 4th rushing TD of the game) to make it an 8-point game. LSU still had a chance, getting all the way down to the Clemson 7 yard line with under 30 seconds to play, but they turned the ball over on downs. LSU outgained Clemson 477-456, and both teams turned the ball over 3 times. LSU learns just how important group play performance and subsequent seeding can be, as they go home.

[molson]

#14 USC (PAC-10, 5-4, 9-4) v. #51 Maryland (ACC, 1-7, 2-10)

Pre-Game
USC finished #22 in the 2009 AP poll, but they were only the second highest ranked team in their group, which included #4 Boise St. But in week 1 of group play, the Trojans came back from a 21 point deficit to defeat the Broncos by 3. USC wasn't able to run the table after that (they were upset by Southern Mississippi a few weeks later), but they did manage to go 4-1, which was enough to tie Boise St (and USC owned the head-to-head tiebreaker). Maryland was 2-10 in 2009, and that's the worst 2009 record of any team that advanced to this stage. Maryland beat San Jose St, ranked Georgia Tech, and UAB. The Terrapins lost to Buffalo and Troy, but by 5 and 11 points, respectively. Odds are this game will see a bigger point differential.

Game
USC 49, Maryland 10

No problem for the Trojans, as the higher seeded teams are now 14-0 in this stage. USC got off to a quick start with 3 1st quarter TDs to go up 21-0. Maryland cut it to 21-7 halfway through the third quarter, but Maryland wouldn't get any closer than that. Joe McKnight had 4 rushing TDs. Overall, USC outgained Maryland 571-382. Maryland threw 3 interceptions.

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#15 South Florida (Big East, 3-4, 8-5) v. #50 Navy (Independent, 10-4)

Pre-Game
This is the first of a series of games where neither participant finished in the 2009 AP top 25. South Florida finished #1 in a pretty strong group - they defeated Utah St. (by 22), Eastern Michigan (by 39), ranked Ole Miss (by 7), and Notre Dame (by 14). The only thing keeping the Bulls from a 5-0 group run and a higher seeding was an upset loss to Kansas. Navy lost to ranked powers Boise St. and USC (by only 3 points) in their group, but they ran the table against everyone else (Southern Mississippi, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Miami (OH)) to finish 3rd in the group.

Game
South Florida 33, Navy 28

Navy plays tough, but the Bulls survive and advance. The Midshipmen scored 3 unanswered TDs over the late 2nd and early 3rd quarters, to take a 28-17 lead. But Navy wouldn't score again. The Bulls got a late 3rd quarter FG to cut the Navy lead to 8 entering the final quarter. After trading punts to start the 4th quarter, a Bulls TD drive brought them to within two points of Navy (they went for 2 and the but didn't get it). The teams traded punts again, and then Navy had the ball at its own 16 with 4:06 to go and a chance to run out the clock. Instead, they threw an interception while trying to convert a 3rd and 7, giving the Bulls new life. South Florida got a TD a few plays later to take the lead. It was then 4-and-out for Navy, game over. South Florida outgained Navy 526-343. The 343 yards for Navy included only 35 net yards passing.

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#16 Troy (Sun Belt, 8-0, 9-4) v. #49 San Diego St. (MWC, 2-6, 4-8)

Pre-Game
Troy is one of those enigmas in college football - dominant in the Sun Belt, and it's unclear how they match up with the bigger programs. Thanks to the fact that they won their group, they get a good seeding here and don't have to deal with a big program as opposition. Troy went 4-1 in their group, defeating UAB, Buffalo, Maryland, and San Jose St. Their only loss was a team that otherwise was a huge disappointment, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. San Diego St lost their first two games in group play, to Penn St. and Wake Forest, but then won 3 straight (v. Wyoming, Washington, and Western Kentucky), to lock up 3rd place in their group and the automatic bid.

Game
Troy 45, San Diego St. 20

The Sun Belt Conference will be represented in the final 32-team championship knock-out stage, as Troy wins in convincing fashion. The Aztecs did lead 10-7 after the 1st quarter, but Troy erupted for 24 unanswered points to put the game out of reach. San Diego St got more first downs than Troy (36-34), and the total yards was almost identical (599-584, in favor of Troy). San Diego St. did lose the turnover battle 3-2, and was penalized 3 times as often as Troy.

[molson]

#17 Syracuse (Big East, 1-6, 4-8) v. #48 Air Force (MWC, 5-3, 8-5)

Pre-Game
Syracuse was by far the most surprising group winner, and they're only team in the top #34 seeds in this preliminary knock-out stage to have an overall losing record in 2009. They defeated lowly Vanderbilt by 19, then a 9-5 East Carolina team by 13, and then a middle-of-the-pack Sun Belt Team (Florida Atlantic) by 21. Then came the big shocker - week 4, the Orange upset ranked Nebraska by 4. The Orange kept Nebraska off the scoreboard in the second half, and stopped the Cornhuskers on a 4th and 3 deep in Orange territory in the final minute to clinch the win. Only the lowly Rice Owls stood between the Orange and an improbable 5-0 group run, but Syracuse fell back to earth and lost by 2 (they missed a 2-point conversion in the final seconds that would have tied it). Still, their 4-1 record was good enough to win the group. They get Air Force here, who definitely lucks out in being seeded only #48 after the group stage, but getting to play a cinderalla team like Syracuse here. Air Force is definitely the favorite to advance. Air Force got off to a 3-0 start in their group, with wins over ranked Pittsburgh (by 17), Oregon St. (by 11) and Tulsa (by 14). They slipped up the last two weeks though and lost to Missouri and Middle Tennessee. That last loss to Middle Tennesee really stung, and it cost the Falcons a #2 or even #1 spot in the group, but as it turned out, they get a favorable matchup v. Syracuse.

Game:
Air Force 27, Syracuse 10

The cinderella run for the Orange ends here, and Air Force becomes the first lower-seeded team to win in the preliminary knock-out stage and advance (though of course, they were really the favorite in this matchup). Air Force will be the only service academy to reach the final 32. This was a low-scoring, close game entering the 4th quarter, when Syracuse got a 20 yard FG to cut the Falcon deficit. But that would be the last time Syracuse would score, and the closest they got in the game. A few minutes later, Air Force got 14 points in 16 seconds, thanks to 17-yard TD run, and then a pick-6 interception on the next play from scrimmage. That was all she wrote. Syracuse both outgained Air Force (356-330), and had more 1st downs (19-17). But they also had more turnovers (3-2), and more penalties (6-3). They were also done in when they had to settle for the short 4th quarter FG, when they had 1st-and-goal at the Air Force 7.

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#18 North Carolina (ACC, 4-4, 8-5) v. #47 Michigan (Big 10, 1-7, 5-7)

ACC v. Big 10. North Carolina was another relatively surprising group winner, and their group was pretty tough. They went 4-1, +54, with the four wins coming against BCS Coonference schools who averaged more than 6 wins in 2009 - Kansas St. (by 23), Arizona St. (by 8), California (by 33), and ranked Wisconsin (by a 12-0 shutout). That last win officially eliminated the Badgers. The Tar Heel's only loss was to Georgia. Michigan had a pretty miserable 2009, but salvaged advancement here with wins over Houston, UCLA, and Tulane. They lost to the two teams that finished ahead of them in their group - Alabama and Central Michigan. The weren't competitive with Alabama, but gave up a lead to Central Michigan in the final minutes (so they nearly went 4-1).

Game:
North Carolina 37, Michigan 29

8-point win for the Tar Heels, who advance. Michigan led 7-3 early, and 14-10 in the 2nd quarter, but never again after that. They drew to within 8 with a 4th quarter TD, but the Tar Heels answered to go up by 15. Michigan scored another TD (after a huge kickoff return to the North Carolina 5) to draw within 8 again, with just 2:05 to go. Michigan decided to kick away on the ensuing kickoff, and North Carolina was able to get 2 1st downs and run out the clock. The teams had nearly identical yards totals (389-379), but North Carolina was able to move the ball much better, owning a 25-15 edge in first downs.

[molson]

#19 Wyoming (MWC, 4-4, 7-6) v. #46 North Carolina St. (ACC, 2-6, 5-7)

Pre-Game
Wyoming was the most surprising group winner after Syracuse. They get a #19 seed in this preliminary knockout stage despite finishing only 4-4 in the 2009 MWC. The Cowboys got off to a great start in group play with wins over Wake Forest and Washington. They slipped up week 3 with an upset loss to San Diego St, but recovered to beat lowly Western Kentucky, and then, very impressively, #9 Penn St. to clinch the group title. North Carolina St. advanced by defeating the weakest 3 members of their group: UNLV, SMU, and Army. They also played pretty tough in their two losses, losing to UConn by only 5, and #8 Cincinnati by only 11.

Game:
North Carolina St. 56, Wyoming 31

I don't know if this qualifies as an upset, but N.C. State becomes only the 2nd-lower seeded to win in this stage. The Wolfpack got off to a great start and had a 28-7 lead early in the 2nd quarter. But the Cowboys rallied with 24 unanswered points over the 2nd and early 3rd-quarters to take a 3-point lead. North Carolina St. got back on track, and scored the game's final 28 points for the final comfortable margin.

[molson]

#20 Pittsburgh (Big East, 5-2, 10-3) v. #45 Miami (FL) (ACC, 5-3, 9-4)

Pre-Game
This is our third of four preliminary knock-out stage matchups that involve 2009 AP ranked teams facing each other. (Pittsburgh was #15, Miami #19). Thus, one of those teams will become the 4th top team to fail to advance to the final knockout stage of 32 (joining Wisconsin, Georgia Tech, and LSU). Pitt is the lowest seeded group winner, at 4-1 (+11), but the group was pretty tough. Pitt lost week 1 to Air Force (who has already moved on to the next stage), and then ran the table, defeating Middle Tennessee, Missouri, Oregon St, and Tulsa. None of the wins were particularly convincing, but they got the job done. Miami on the other hand, were the clear favorite in their group but only managed to finish #3. Miami lost to eventual group winner Boston College, and later to Oklahoma St (the latter when their final drive stalled at the Oklahoma St. 4 yard line). Miami defeated Baylor, Iowa St, and Marshall (so they still have a lot to prove).

Game
Miami 31, Pittsburgh 21

The Hurricanes defeat Pitt in a minor upset. Pitt led 21-13 late in the 3rd quarter, but then the Hurricanes exploded for the final 18 points. (which included Javarris James' 2nd and 3rd rushing TDs of the game) Pitt's offense couldn't do much after their final 3rd quarter score, and they couldn't get the ball further than the Hurricanes 44. Miami outgained Pitt 466-319

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#21 Boise St. (WAC, 8-0, 14-0) v. #44 Texas Tech (Big 12, 5-3, 9-4)

Pre-Game
This is definitely one of the more high-profile matchups of this round, featuring two more 2009 AP Top 25 teams, #4 Boise St. and #21 Texas Tech. Boise St. went 4-1, +199 in their group, and they're the highest seeded 2nd place group team. The Broncos were dominant in their wins, defeating LA-Lafayette by 67, Miami (OH) by 77 (in a shutout win), Navy by 25, and Southern Mississippi by 33. The only thing that stopped Boise St. from a 5-0 group stage and a much higher seed was USC - the Broncos blew a 21-point lead to the Trojans and lost a close game. Texas Tech's group stage run wasn't quite as impressive - though their +95 point differential was by far the highest amongst third-place group teams. They went 3-2, dominating Florida St. (by 45), Ball St. (by 50), and Arkansas St. (by 32). The couldn't finish higher than 3rd in their group though, because of losses to ranked Utah, and South Carolina (the Utah loss was a wild 45-44 affair where the Utes scored the winning TD in the final minute)

Game
Boise St. 62, Texas Tech 13

Very impressive blowout win for the Broncos, who advance. Texas Tech is the 5th Top 25 team to fail to advance to the final 32. The game was tied at 10 with 10:05 left in the 2nd quarter after a Red Raiders TD, but the Broncos outscored Texas Tech 52-3 from that point forward. The Broncos outgained the Red Raiders 662-323, and won the turnover battle 2-0. The Broncos were also called for only one penalty.

[molson]

#22 Nebraska (Big 12, 6-2, 10-4) v. #43 Temple (Mid-American, 7-1, 9-4)

Pre-Game
Nebraska really blew it in the group stage - they won 4 games in a weak group, defeating East Carolina (by 25), Florida Atlantic (by 47), Rice (by 72), and Vanderbilt (by 41). The only thing that kept the Cornhuskers from a 5-0 group run and top 10 seed was the lowly Syracuse Orange - who defeated Nebraska by 4. The Cornhuskers had to settle for the #2 spot in their group, and a matchup in this stage against the very dangerous Temple Owls. Temple had a great group stage, going 4-1, but had to settle for the #3 spot because of a 3-way tie and the Owls' relatively weak point differential (+2), which was in large part due to Temple's 50-point loss to Oklahoma week 1. But Temple won their next 4 games in a row, and the wins were very impressive - they defeated Colorado by 18, Arizona by 18, Auburn by 20, and then, most impressively the #3 Florida Gators by 6 in a 9-3 defensive battle. They're certainly a threat to the Cornhuskers.

Game
Nebraska 31, Temple 17

It wasn't a blowout, but the Cornhuskers advance and they do so by a fairly comfortable margin. But the game was close until the very end. Both teams got 2 1st half TDs to go into halftime tied at 14 (one of the Temple TDs was a 79-yard run.) The third quarter was scoreless, and in the 4th quarter, Temple got an early FG to go up 17-14 with 13:53 to go. Nebraska answered with a FG to tie the game again with 8:10 to go. The teams traded a few punts, but Nebraska won the field position battle an ended up on the Temple 48, in a tie game, with 4 minutes to go. A few plays after converting a 3rd and 19, they got the go-ahead TD with 1 minute left Temple got the ensuing kickoff and had a very quick 4-and-out. Nebraska got the ball and got a 35-yard rushing TD on their next play, that was the game.

[molson]

#23 Penn St (Big 10, 6-2, 11-2) v. #42 Kansas (Big 12, 1-7, 5-7)

Pre-game
Penn St., ranked #9 in the final 2009 AP poll, was the highest ranked team to fail to win their group. That's not to say they were terrible - the Nittany Lions did pretty much dominate the first 4 weeks of group play, where they defeated San Diego St. (by 31), Western Kentucky (by 39), Washington (by 48), and Wake Forest (by 62). But then, in week 5, it all came crashing down for Penn St, when they lost to Wyoming, and thus had to settle for the #2 spot in the group and a tougher matchup here. That tougher matchup - Kansas, who had a tough 2009 Big 12 season, but went 4-1 in the group stage (wins over Notre Dame, South Florida, Utah St, and Eastern Michigan). Their only loss was to Ole Miss. It's hard to imagine them in the final 32, but they're only one win away from pulling that off.

Game
Penn St 31, Kansas 14

Like Nebraska in the last game, Penn St. gets a fairly convincing victory, if not a blowout. Penn St. led 10-7 at halftime and never trailed in the 2nd half. The stats don't reveal any kind of bigger landside here than the score indicates - the teams had the same number of first downs, Penn St. outgained Kansas 441-412, Kansas had more penalties (by a 7-1 margin), and Penn St. won the turnover battle 1-0.

[molson]

#24 Ole Miss (SEC, 4-4, 9-4) v. #41 Georgia (SEC, 4-4, 8-5)

Pre-Game
Up next, an SEC Conference matchup between teams who had identical 2009 SEC records. Ole Miss, however, finished 2009 ranked #20 in the AP poll, and Georgia was unranked. I suppose that makes the Rebels a slight favorite here, though both teams appeared pretty evenly matched in group play. Ole Miss had a frustrating 7-point loss to South Florida, but otherwise, they ran the table against Notre Dame, Utah St, Eastern Michigan and Kansas. Georgia lost their opening week game by 30 to California, but then defeated North Carolina, ranked Wisconsin, and Arizona St. Week 5, they finished off their 4-1 group play in perhaps the tournament's wildest game, against Kansas St. This is what I wrote about it at the time:

"And in maybe the most ridiculous loss of the tournament yet, Kansas St. loses their 2nd straight double OT game, this time to Georgia. Kansas St. tied the game at 27 with a TD run with 2:34 remaining. On its ensuing possession, Georgia was intercepted by Kansas St, who returned the ball to the Bulldog 22 with 2:00 remaining. Kansas St. couldn't get a first down though, and had to settle for a FG attempt from their maligned kicker, who nailed a 35-yarder with 1:33 left for the lead. Georgia got the ball back, and it was quickly a 4-and-out, turnover on downs. But Georgia used their timeouts and held Kansas St. to a quick 3-and-out, and got the ball back at their own 14 with just 30 seconds left, needing a FG to tie. Georgia then completed a desperation 53-yard pass, setting up a 46-yard game-tieing FG as time expired. In the first OT, Kansas St. scored a TD (and got the extra point). Georgia responded with a TD on 4th and goal (and PAT). Georgia could only manage a FG on the possession in the 2nd OT. Kansas St had some trouble moving the ball as well, and had to settle for a 41-yard FG attempt from their shaky kicker - wide left, game over. It was the kicker's 3rd FG miss of the game."

Game
Mississippi 35, Georgia 17

Georgia is out of miracles, and Ole Mis validates that #20 2009 ranking by sinking Georgia, to advance. The Rebels jumped out to a 21-0 lead and never trailed. Georgia got no closer than 11 points. Early in the 4th quarter, the Bulldogs did get the ball down to the Ole Miss 11 yard line, down by 11, but threw an interception and never seriously threatened again. Ole Miss wasn't flagged for a single penalty during the game.

[molson]

#25 Oklahoma (Big 12, 5-3, 8-5) v. #40 Stanford (PAC-10, 6-3, 8-5)

Pre-Game:
The Sooners finished 4-1 in a very tough group, losing to #3 Florida, but running the table against everyone else (Temple, Arizona, Auburn, and Colorado). That last game really put an exclamation point on Oklahoma's group run, as they smashed Colorado 82-0. So the Sooners should be a handful for Stanford, who were a little shaky in group play. In the first two weeks, he Cardinal defeated Texas A&M, and then Louisiana-Monroe - Stanford didn't get the go-ahead TD in the latter game until the final minute. Then Stanford slumped, losing to Memphis and Iowa (the latter by 59 points). Finally, needing a win in the final week to advance, Stanford defeated Northern Illinois by 3, where for the 2nd time in the tournament, they got the go-ahead TD with less than a minute left.

Game
Oklahoma 42, Stanford 9

This was a predictable result when you really look at what the teams did in group stage. The Sooners never trailed here, and were never in danger. 6 rushing TDs for Chris Brown. Despite that, Stanford was competitive on the ground, actually outgaining Oklahoma 259-243 in rushing yards. 9 of Stanford's drive ended in Oklahoma territory - the Cardinal just could never get the ball into the end zone. They also missed 3 FGs.

[molson]

#26 Michigan St. (Big 10, 4-4, 6-7) v. #39 West Virgina (Big East, 5-2, 9-4)

Pre-Game
Michigan St. comes in as the higher seed, but it was West Virginia who was actually ranked in the AP 2009 Top 25 (at #25). The Spartans, who had a losing 2009 record, did very well in group play, at 4-1, +108. They just happened to run into the buzzsaw that was BYU, a team that dominated the group. Michigan St. did play tougher with BYU than anyone else, losing only by 11. The Spartans otherwise ran the table in what was a very weak group - defeating Florida International (by 15), Washington St. (by 59), Colorado St. (by just 3), and Western Michigan (by 42). West Virginia had a tougher road, losing their first two games to #2 Texas (by 19) and Kentucky (by just 1 point, after giving up a TD with 30 seconds left). The Mountaineers though, managed to win their next 3 to clinch advancement - vs. UTEP, Idaho, and Arkansas. It seems as though West Virginia hasn't played their best game yet - perhaps this will be their opportunity to do that.

Game
West Virginia 28, Michigan St. 27

After a series of snoozers in the preliminary knock-out stage, this one delivers as the Mountaineers advance with a 1 point win. The Spartans jumped out 21-0 early. West Virginia got a big score at the very end of the first half after a 12 play, 70 yds drive that took only 1:25. That cut the Spartan lead to 21-7 going into halftime. West Virginia then came back to tie the game at 21 with a couple of TDs, the 2nd coming with 11:55 to go in the game. The Mountaneers stalled a little bit then, going 3-and-out on their next two possessions, while Michigan St. got two FGs to go up 27-21. West Virginia's final chance came with 1:25 left, where they started their final possession at their own 30. 12 plays and 70 yard later, West Virginia scored the winning TD with no time on the clock - a 1-yard TD QB scramble by Jarrett Brown (he was pretty lucky to get into the end zone, after West Virginia decided to run that play and not just kick a FG). West Virginia did their damage on the ground, outgaining Michigan St. 261-96 in rushing yards (and 446-348 overall).

[molson]

#27 Central Florida (Conference USA, 6-2, 8-5) v. #38 Central Michigan (Mid-American, 8-0, 12-2)

Pre-Game
We're guaranteed to have a directional school in the final 32, as two of them face off here. Central Michigan of course, isn't your average directional school, as they were ranked #23 in the final 2009 AP poll. Central Florida reaching this point was definitely more surprising. They jumped out to a 3-0 record in group play, shutting out Virginia 40-0, smashing Kent St. 48-20, and outlasting Mississippi St. 48-38. They couldn't quite get past #5 Ohio St. the next week, but they only lost to the Buckeyes by 10, 17-10. The final week, Central Florida blew out Toledo to clinch the #2 spot in their group. Definitely a very impressive run for the Knights already just to get here. The Central Michigan Chippewas, the more prominent of the "Central" schools, was also impressive. Their only loss game in group play was to Alabama, where they were destroyed by 56 points. After that, they ran the table against Tulane (by 39), UCLA (by 24), Michigan (by 4), and Houston (by 29). It was really only that lopsided loss to the Crimson Tide that killed their point differential, and knocked them down to this lower seed.

Game
Central Florida 26, Central Michigan 0

In just our 2nd shutout of the preliminary knock-out stage, Central Florida pulls a pretty big upset here and advances. They have to the be the most surprising member of the final 32-team knock-out stage thus far. This was a defensive struggle - UCF didn't have an offensive TD until halfway through the final quarter, where a 2-yard TD turned out to be the final score of the game. Before that, UCF got an end zone fumble recovery for a TD, and 4 FGs (overall, the Knights attempted 6 FGs, and were 4-for-6). Central Michigan couldn't do anything offensively against the Knights - they didn't get into Knight territory until the final possession of the 3rd quarter. That drive ended in a missed FG. Central Michigan finally did get the ball into the red zone on their final two possessions, but by then they were in 4-down territory, and they turned over the ball on downs both times. Central Michigan only gained a total of 196 yards (Central Florida had 390 yards of offense).

[molson]

#28 South Carolina (SEC, 3-5, 7-6) v. #37 Buffalo (Mid-American, 3-5, 5-7)

Pre-Game
South Carolina came pretty close to a 5 game group sweep - they won their first 4 games, against Florida St. (by 36), Ball St. (by 41), #21 Texas Tech (by 21), and Arkansas St. (by 4). The only blemish to their record came week 5 v. #18 Utah, and even in that game, the Gamecocks were tough, losing only by 10. Buffalo was a part of that wild group M, where the #13 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets collapsed and finished #4 in the group (needing a wild card to advance). Buffalo helped kicked off Tech's disappointing run, as they defeated them by 21 points in week 1. The Bulls also got a last-minute TD to defeat UAB by 1, blew out San Jose St, and defeated Maryland by 5. The Bulls' only group loss was to eventual group winner Troy.

Game
Buffalo 38, South Carolina 20

This one is definitely an upset, perhaps the biggest one thus far in this stage. Despite a losing 2009 record in the Mid-American conference (and losing record overall), Buffalo advances to the final 32. The Bulls jumped out 21-3 in the first quarter, and would never trail. The Gamecocks got 10 in the 2nd quarter to get the Buffalo lead to 8 entering halftime, but never got closer. Buffalo scored 17 unanswered points after halftime to seal it. South Carolina had more first downs (23-20), and yards of offense (462-378). The Gamecocks though, also threw 2 interceptions, including one into the Buffalo end zone that killed a long drive. (Buffalo had zero turnovers).

[molson]

#29 Oklahoma St. (Big 12, 6-2, 9-4) v. #36 Connecticut (Big East, 3-4, 8-5)

Pre-Game
Oklahoma St. took 4 out of 5 in group play, with their only loss coming to surprise group winner Boston College. Otherwise, the Cowboys were impressive, knocking off Marshall, Iowa St, Baylor, and then in week 5, #19 Miami (FL). That last game boosted Oklahoma St to the #2 spot in the group, which earned then a relatively easier (at least on paper) matchup against UConn. The Huskies were certainly no slouch in group stage either though, running the table outside of their one loss to #8 Cincinnati. And UConn just missed the big upset in that one, losing by only 3, and seeing their last two possessions die just outside FG range. UConn beat everyone else, though the opposition and the final scores were not quite as impressive as what Oklahoma St did. UConn beat: N.C. State (by 5), SMU (by 8), UNLV (by 28), and Army (by 8).

Game
Oklahoma St. 39, Connecticut 7

UConn got the first TD, on their first possession of the game, but they would never score again and the Cowboys methodically took them apart. Connecticut certainly wasn't helped by FIVE missed field goals. The Cowboy's scoring was spread out, their points scored per quarter, respectively, was 10-9-7-13 (and their kicker went 3-for-3 in FG attempts). Oklahoma St. was just relentless on the ground, carrying the ball 68 times for 479 yards.

[molson]

#30 Northwestern (Big 10, 5-3, 8-5) v. #35 Minnesota (Big 10, 3-5, 6-7)

Pre-Game
It's a Big-10 matchup between the Wildcats and Golden Gophers. Northwestern was higher in the standings in the 2009 Big 10, and also in the seedings here. We didn't learn too much new about Northwestern in the group stage round, where they lost to the one team in the group clearly better then them, and defeated the 4 other teams in the group that they clearly overmatched. They beat Purdue, Duke, Louisville, and New Mexico St, (all by double digits) and lost to #11 Oregon. Minnesota got off to a great start in group stage play, defeating Nevada in OT. They then defeated Hawaii by 34, and Indiana by 31. In week 4, the fell to TCU by 29, but they recovered in week 5 by defeating Louisiana-Tech, and thus clinched the #2 spot in their group.

Game
Minnesota 41, Northwestern 28

That's a fairly-decent-sized upset, as the Golden Gophers are moving on to the final 32. Minnesota jumped out quickly, scoring TDs on their first 3 possessions to go up 21-0 before the 1st quarter was over. Northwestern didn't fold though, and got TDs on their first 3 possessions of the 2nd quarter. Mixed in there was a Minnesota FG, so the Golden Gophers still led 24-21 at halftime. The Wildcasts though, kept it going, getting a TD on their first possession of the 2nd half to go up 28-24. Minnesota though, was able to keep Northwestern off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. The Golden Gophers got the last 17 points for the final margin.

[molson]

#31 Missouri (Big 12, 4-4, 8-5) v. #34 California (PAC-10, 5-4, 8-5)

Pre-Game
Here's two teams with very similar 2009 credentials on paper - they both finished 8-5, and they both finished at or a game above .500 in a BCS Conference. Neither is a great team, but somebody will have a shot for great things in the next stage. Missouri's only loss in group play was to #15 Pittsburgh. In that one, the Tigers missed a long FG that would have given them the lead in the final minute. Aside from that game, they defeated Middle Tennessee, Tulsa, Air Force, and Oregon St - all by at least 9 points. Cal looked awesome in the first 3 weeks of group play - they destroyed Georgia by 30, then #16 Wisconsin by 35 (which seemed a lot more impressive at the time, before Wisconsin continued to suck and eventually became the only ranked team not to get out of the group stage). Finally, Cal defeated a decent Kansas St team by 27. In all of those three games, Cal held their opponent 14 points or fewer - very impressive considering the high scores in this tournament thus far. Cal fell back to earth in week 4 with a very disappointing blowout loss to eventual group winner North Carolina, but then recovered in week 5 with a 10 point win over Arizona St. Cal ended up in a 3-way tie for the group lead, and ended up with the #2 ranking in the group after tiebreakers were applied

Game
California 38, Missouri 3

Cal gets back the form it showed off in the first three weeks and lays a beat-down on Missouri. Among Cal's 5 TDs was an 84-yard punt return. Before the game had gotten completely out of hand, Missouri drove all the way down to the Cal 2 yard line, down by 10 points, with 5:07 to go in the first half. But the Tigers threw an interception into the end zone ending that threat, and a few possessions later, a 48-yard Cal run setup a 12-yard TD pass - and the Golden Bears were up 17-0. Cal racked up 3 more TDs in the 4th quarter, once Missouri started going for it (and failing) on 4th down, giving the bears good field position.

[molson]

#32 Tennessee (SEC, 4-4, 7-6) v. #33 Ohio (Mid American, 7-1, 9-5)

Pre-Game
The final preliminary knockout stage game pits two more teams with less than impressive 2009's, but a real chance here to go to the random placement fixed bracket final stage - where anything can happen. Tennessee won their first four games of group stage, though not in very impressive fashion - they defeated North Texas, New Mexico (in OT), Akron (also in OT), and Bowling Green. Despite needing OT to defeat both lowly New Mexico (who was 1-11 in 2009), and Akron (who was 3-9 in 2009), the Volunteers had a shot to win the group vs. 4-0 #10 Virginia Tech in week 5. But Tech pulled away late and won rather comfortably, so the Volunteers had to settle for the #2 spot in the group. Ohio, out of the Mid-American conference, had a very surprising run in their group, which puts them in a position to make even more noise. Ohio beat Rutgers, and lost to Clemson in the first two weeks. But then, the Bobcats ran the table in very impressive fashion v. Fresno St. (by 17), #17 LSU (by 28, in one of the more shocking results of group stage play), and finally Illinois (by 34). They finished tied for the top spot in the group, but lost the head-to-head tiebreaker with Clemson, so they settle for the #2 spot.

Game
Ohio 36, Tennessee 15

The preliminary knockout stage concludes with another pretty big upset - the Ohio Bobcasts are moving on! Ohio got 5 FGs from their kicker (who went 5-for-7 overall). The Bobcats led 16-6 at halftime. The teams traded FGs in the third quarter to make it 19-9, but then Ohio scored on their first 3 possessions of the fourth quarter (2 TDs and a FG), including a 52-yard TD run, to put the game away. The Volunteers got a garbage-time TD as time expired, so this one wasn't even as close as the score would indicate. The Volunteers threw 3 interceptions, while Ohio didn't turn the ball over once. Ohio also outgained Tennessee on the ground 334-128, and 516-417 overall.

[molson]

CHAMPIONSHIP KNOCKOUT STAGE PARTICIPANTS

Here's the 32-teams who have qualified for the championship knock-out stage.

In this stage, all seedings and prior results will be thrown out the window, and the teams will be randomly placed into a single-elimination, fixed bracket, 32-team tournament. There's a fairly wide range of talent in this final stage, so we could see two top 5 teams matched up up in the first round, or two teams with losing records. You just have to beat who's in front of you

Participants (Ranking and record refers to 2009 season AP ranking/record):

#1 Alabama (SEC, 8-0, 14-0)
#2 Texas (Big 12, 8-0, 13-1)
#3 Florida (SEC, 8-0, 13-1)
#4 Boise St. (WAC, 8-0, 14-0)
#5 Ohio St. (Big 10, 7-1, 11-2)
#6 TCU (MWC, 8-0, 12-1)
#7 Iowa (Big-10, 6-2, 11-2)
#8 Cincinnati (Big East, 7-0, 12-1)
#9 Penn St (Big 10, 6-2, 11-2)
#10 Virginia Tech (ACC, 6-2, 10-3)
#11 Oregon (PAC-10, 8-1, 10-3)
#12 BYU (MWC, 7-1, 11-2)
#14 Nebraska (Big 12, 6-2, 10-4)
#18 Utah (MWC, 6-2, 10-3)
#19 Miami (FL) (ACC, 5-3, 9-4)
#20 Ole Miss (SEC, 4-4, 9-4)
#22 USC (PAC-10, 5-4, 9-4)
#24 Clemson (ACC, 6-2, 9-5)
#25 West Virgina (Big East, 5-2, 9-4)
Boston College (ACC, 5-3, 8-5)
South Florida (Big East, 3-4, 8-5)
Troy (Sun Belt, 8-0, 9-4)
Air Force (MWC, 5-3, 8-5)
North Carolina (ACC, 4-4, 8-5)
North Carolina St. (ACC, 2-6, 5-7)
Oklahoma (Big 12, 5-3, 8-5)
Central Florida (Conference USA, 6-2, 8-5)
Buffalo (Mid-American, 3-5, 5-7)
Oklahoma St. (Big 12, 6-2, 9-4)
Minnesota (Big 10, 3-5, 6-7)
California (PAC-10, 5-4, 8-5)
Ohio (Mid American, 7-1, 9-5)

[molson]

CHAMPIONSHIP KNOCKOUT STAGE BRACKET
(teams placed via random number generator)

California (PAC-10, 5-4, 8-5) v. South Florida (Big East, 3-4, 8-5)
#12 BYU (MWC, 7-1, 11-2)v. #20 Ole Miss (SEC, 4-4, 9-4)
Minnesota (Big 10, 3-5, 6-7) v. #5 Ohio St. (Big 10, 7-1, 11-2)
Troy (Sun Belt, 8-0, 9-4) v. Buffalo (Mid-American, 3-5, 5-7)

Fantastic draw for Ohio St and BYU, who appear to be on a collision course towards an elite 8 matchup, with not a whole lost standing in their path. Either Troy or Buffalo will be a big-time Cinderella team in the sweet 16. There's 19 ranked teams in this stage of the tournament, and only 3 of them end up here - that points to some serious, high-profile matchups to come.

#4 Boise St. (WAC, 8-0, 14-0) v. North Carolina (ACC, 4-4, 8-5)
#24 Clemson (ACC, 6-2, 9-5) v. #8 Cincinnati (Big East, 7-0, 12-1)
#3 Florida (SEC, 8-0, 13-1) v. Boston College (ACC, 5-3, 8-5)
#18 Utah (MWC, 6-2, 10-3) v. #25 West Virgina (Big East, 5-2, 9-4)

Boise St. and Florida are setup to do battle in an elite 8 matchup here, but there's a lot of quality teams that could get in the way of that - particularly Cincinnati and Utah.

Air Force (MWC, 5-3, 8-5) v. #9 Penn St (Big 10, 6-2, 11-2)
Ohio (Mid American, 7-1, 9-5) v. #10 Virginia Tech (ACC, 6-2, 10-3)
#14 Nebraska (Big 12, 6-2, 10-4) v. #22 USC (PAC-10, 5-4, 9-4)
#7 Iowa (Big-10, 6-2, 11-2) v. #6 TCU (MWC, 8-0, 12-1)

Interesting bracket here - a lot of very solid teams but not a whole lot of sizzle. The TCU/Iowa 1st round winner will be the favorite to get to the final four out of this group. Virginia Tech v. Penn St. is an intriguing potential 2nd round matchup. Air Force is decently positioned - it would surprising, but not shocking, to see them get through to the final 8.

North Carolina St. (ACC, 2-6, 5-7) v. Oklahoma (Big 12, 5-3, 8-5)
#2 Texas (Big 12, 8-0, 13-1) v. #11 Oregon (PAC-10, 8-1, 10-3)
Oklahoma St. (Big 12, 6-2, 9-4) v. Central Florida (Conference USA, 6-2, 8-5)
#1 Alabama (SEC, 8-0, 14-0) v. #19 Miami (FL) (ACC, 5-3, 9-4)

Will anybody derail the inevitable #1 v. #2 matchup between Alabama and Texas in the elite 8? Interestingly, the biggest test for those two teams will probably come in their first round games. Oregon and Miami are definitely dangerous.

[molson]

California (PAC-10, 5-4, 8-5) v. South Florida (Big East, 3-4, 8-5)

For at least this round, I'll just post the tournament results thus far for each team and go right to the game sim. Any reference to seeding from here on out refers to the AP 2009 final poll, and not any seeding earned in this tournament.

California:
California 44, Georgia 14
California 49, #16 Wisconsin 14
California 34, Kansas St. 7
North Carolina 43, California 10
California 31, Arizona St. 21
California 38, Missouri 3 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

South Florida
South Florida 42, Utah St. 20
South Florida 56, Eastern Michigan 17
Kansas 30, South Florida 14
South Florida 31, #20 Ole Miss 24
South Florida 38, Notre Dame 24
South Florida 33, Navy 28 (Preliminary Knock Out Stage)

Game
California 27, South Florida 16

The California Golden Bears are the first team to punch their ticket to the sweet 16. Cal never trailed. After two first-quarter TDs (including an 82-yard TD pass), and an early 2nd quarter FG, Cal led 17-7. South Florida chipped away with 3 FGs, to close the gap to 17-16 with 6:49 left in the 3rd quarter. The Bulls however, wouldn't score again (and they missed a FG), while Cal got 10 4th quarter points (including a 43-yard TD run by Jahvid Best) for the final margin. The stats show a very even matchup, though South Florida did lose the turnover battle 2-1.

[molson]

#12 BYU (MWC, 7-1, 11-2)v. #20 Ole Miss (SEC, 4-4, 9-4)

BYU
#12 BYU 35, Colorado St. 10
#12 BYU 62, Florida International 7
#12 BYU 52, Michigan St. 41
#12 BYU 48, Western Michigan 34
#12 BYU 93, Washington St. 6
#12 BYU 45, Southern Mississippi 42 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Ole Miss
#20 Ole Miss 76, Eastern Michigan 3
#20 Ole Miss 24, Kansas 6
#20 Ole Miss 62, Notre Dame 26
South Florida 31, #20 Ole Miss 24
#20 Ole Miss 52, Utah St. 23
#20 Ole Miss 35, Georgia 17 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game
#20 Ole Miss 38, #12 BYU 24

BYU finally gets some real competition, and they're upset by Ole Miss. That sets up Cal/Ole Miss in the sweet 16 round. This was by far BYU's lowest scoring output of the tournament. Ole Miss jumped out 10-0, but perhaps even more importantly, they held BYU scoreless until 5 minutes into the second quarter. BYU got it's first and only lead at 14-10, with 2:51 to go before halftime. On their ensuing possession, the Rebels went 71 yards on 11 plays (including 2 third down conversions) for a TD, to enter halftime up 17-14. In the third quarter, the Rebels had three possessions, and three TDs - Dexter McCluster had a 49-yard TD run, then a 59-yard TD run, then a 2-yard reception for the third TD of the quarter. Ole Miss led 38-24 entering the final quarter, and that would turn out to be the final score. Ole Miss ran for 331 yards (vs. 150 for the Cougars). BYU lost the turnover battle 2-0.

[molson]

Minnesota (Big 10, 3-5, 6-7) v. #5 Ohio St. (Big 10, 7-1, 11-2)

Minnesota:
Minnesota 34, Nevada 30 (OT)
Minnesota 48, Hawaii 14
Minnesota 38, Indiana 7
#6 TCU 31, Minnesota 3
Minnesota 31, Louisiana Tech 16
Minnesota 41, Northwestern 28 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Ohio St.
#5 Ohio St. 41, Kent St. 7
#5 Ohio St. 41, Mississippi St. 13
#5 Ohio St. 69, Toledo 14
#5 Ohio St. 17, Central Florida 10
#5 Ohio St. 43, Virginia 13
#5 Ohio St. 27, Virginia 3 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game
#5 Ohio St. 20, Minnesota 3

In a Big-10 matchup, the Buckeyes defense keeps the Golden Gophers in check, and Ohio St. is on to the sweet 16. And with BYU's upset loss, Ohio St's path to the final 4 seems very clear. This one was a real defensive struggle for a while. The Golden Gophers opened the scoring with a FG, and then on Ohio's St's next possession, they got a 52-yard rushing TD to go up 7-3. The teams traded punts, turnovers, and a missed FG for the rest of the first half, and at halftime, Ohio State still led 7-3. Ohio St. got a short FG on its first possession of the second half to go up 10-3. That was it for the scoring until the 4th quarter, when the Buckeyes got 10 to secure the final margin. The Golden Gophers were hindered by 3 interceptions (Ohio St. only had 1 turnover). There was very little ball movement in this game - Ohio St. outgained Minnesota 269-217. Minnesota was penalized more often than Ohio St. (6 penalities to just 1, for 45 yards v. just 10 yards for Ohio St. )

[molson]

Troy (Sun Belt, 8-0, 9-4) v. Buffalo (Mid-American, 3-5, 5-7)

Troy:
Troy 38, UAB 21
Troy 38, Buffalo 17
Troy 38, Maryland 27
#13 Georgia Tech 49, Troy 27
Troy 62, San Jose St. 30
Troy 45, San Diego St. 20 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Buffalo
Buffalo 58, #13 Georgia Tech 37
Troy 38, Buffalo 17
Buffalo 23, UAB 22
Buffalo 58, San Jose St. 23
Buffalo 38, Maryland 33
Buffalo 38, South Carolina 20 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game
Troy 42, Buffalo 41

Troy with a wild 1-point win advances to the sweet 16 where they'll have to deal with Ohio St. This was the only 1st round matchup in the championship knockout stage to features two teams from non-BCS conferences. It was also a rematch from group stage play, where Troy won by 21.

Troy got 2 TDs in the first quarter to go up 14-0. During the quarter, Buffalo threatened in the red zone, but threw an interception. But the Bulls quickly recovered with TDs on their first two possessions of the second quarter to tie the score at 14. Troy answered with an 11-play, 75-yard TD drive to go up 21-14, which was the score at halftime. After a series of punts to start the 2nd half, Troy got a TD to go up by 14, and then Buffalo got a FG to cut Troy's lead to 28-17 entering the final quarter. The teams traded TDs to start the 4th quarter, to make it 35-24 Troy. After a Troy fumble, Buffalo got the ball back and scored another TD, (and a 2-point conversion), to make it 35-32 Troy with 7:43 to go in the game. On Troy's next possession, they fumbled again! Buffalo took advantage, and two plays later, they got another TD to take their first lead at 39-35 with 5:53 to go. Troy screwed up the ensuing kickoff return, and started at their own 2 yard line. On the next play, the Troy QB was sacked in the end zone for a Buffalo safety - the Bulls went up 41-35 with 5:49 to go. The Bulls got the ball back but couldn't get much time off the clock, they went 3-and-out and punted. Troy took over at their own 16 with 4:20 to go. 10 plays, 79 yards, and 2:52 later, Troy re-gained the lead with a 43-yard pass, fumble, and then fumble recovery for the TD. Troy led 42-41. Buffalo got the ball back on their own 27 with 1:25 to go, but they could only get to the Troy 40-yard line. On 4th down, they elected to go for a 57-yard go-ahead FG, but it missed. Troy wins despite losing the turnover battle 2-1, being penalized for more yards than Buffalo (78-36). They did outgain Buffalo 532-488.

[molson]

#4 Boise St. (WAC, 8-0, 14-0) v. North Carolina (ACC, 4-4, 8-5)

Boise St.
#22 USC 41, #4 Boise St. 38
#4 Boise St. 83, LA-Lafayette 16
#4 Boise St. 77, Miami (OH) 0
#4 Boise St. 37, Navy 12
#4 Boise St. 49, Southern Mississippi 16
#4 Boise St. 62, #21 Texas Tech 13 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

North Carolina
North Carolina 29, Kansas St. 6
Georgia 36, North Carolina 14
North Carolina 22, Arizona St. 14
North Carolina 43, California 10
North Carolina 12, #16 Wisconsin 0
North Carolina 37, Michigan 29 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game
#4 Boise St 34, North Carolina 7

Strong, convincing win for the Broncos, who move on to the sweet 16, over a North Carolina team who had racked up a number of wins against quality BCS Conference opposition. The Tar Heels got their only score early in the 2nd quarter - that tied the game at 7, but North Carolina wouldn't score again and Boise St. would get 26 unanswered points. The Tar Heels committed two turnovers while Broncos didn't commit any. North Carolina was also penalized more - 5 times for 50 yards v. 2 times for 10 yards for Boise St. Neither team was outstanding offensively - the Broncos gained only 362 total yards v. 298 for North Carolina. The Broncos were just a lot better at getting the ball into the end zone.

[molson]

#24 Clemson (ACC, 6-2, 9-5) v. #8 Cincinnati (Big East, 7-0, 12-1)

Clemson:
#17 LSU 28, #24 Clemson 26
#24 Clemson 42, Ohio 20
#24 Clemson 48, Rutgers 21
#24 Clemson 24, Illinois 13
#24 Clemson 45, Fresno St. 26
#24 Clemson 34, #17 LSU 26 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Cincinnati
#8 Cincinnati 48, Army 3
#8 Cincinnati 21, Connecticut 18
#8 Cincinnati 56, N.C. State 45
#8 Cincinnati 44, SMU 42
#8 Cincinnati 50, UNLV 7
#8 Cincinnati 65, Louisiana Tech 14 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game:
#8 Cincinnati 24, #24 Clemson 17

The Bearcats move on to the sweet 16 and a top-10 matchup with Boise St. Here, Clemson and Cincinnati split two first quarter TDs. In the 2nd quarter, Clemson got a TD and a FG early to go up 10, and the Bearcats got a FG late to make it 17-10 Clemson at halftime. Neither team could get anything going offensively in the second half until the Bearcats got a 62-yard TD run to tie the game at 17. In the 4th quarter, the Tiger offense continued to sputter with a 3-and-out, and then a fumble. The Bearcats recovered the fumble at their own 45, and took advantage of the field position with an 8 play, 55 yard drive ending in a short TD run, to go up 24-17. Clemson started their ensuing possession on their own 22 with 2:06 left in the game, but they could only get as far as their own 49 before turning the ball over on downs. The Bearcats got the victory despite 3 missed FGs. Both teams had one turnover, and both had just 2 penalties for 15 yards. The Bearcats did move the ball somewhat better though, they gained 450 yards v. just 384 for Clemson. Cincinnati took advantage of the good field possession they got throughout the game - each of their scores came from a drive that started so closer to their end zone than their own 38.

[molson]

#3 Florida (SEC, 8-0, 13-1) v. Boston College (ACC, 5-3, 8-5)

Florida
#3 Florida 40, Arizona 6
#3 Florida 20, Auburn 14
#3 Florida 58, Colorado 3
#3 Florida 27, Oklahoma 3
Temple 9, #3 Florida 3
#3 Florida 51, Arkansas 24 (Preliminary Knock-Out Stage)

Boston College
Boston College 16, Iowa St. 7
Boston College 37, #19 Miami (FL) 14
Boston College 40, Marshall 3
Boston College 27, Oklahoma St. 6
Boston College 44, Baylor 17
Boston College 27, Louisiana-Monroe 13 (Preliminary Knock-Out Stage)

Game:
#3 Florida 31, Boston College 3

Boston College's improbable, undefeated run through the tournament ends here and the Gators advance to the sweet 16, keeping them on a potential collision course with Boise St. in the elite 8. The Gators jumped out very quickly and never looked back. On their first possession of the game, they got a 51-yard TD run. After blocking a B.C. punt, they had a very short field and scored another TD on their second possession of the game. Two possessions later, they got third TD on a 37-yard TD run. Florida was thus up 21-0 10 minutes in the game, before the Eagles had even gotten a first down. B.C. would then move the ball a little bit, and they got a FG early in the 2nd quarter. That would be their only score though, and they wouldn't get the ball past the Florida 43 yard line for the rest of the game. Florida's offense after that initial spurt wasn't all that much better - they managed only 15 first downs in the game, v. 13 for Boston College. The Gators also gained only 333 yards for the entire game, v. a paltry 219 for B.C. The Eagles also had 2 interceptions, while the Gators didn't turn the ball over.

[molson]

#18 Utah (MWC, 6-2, 10-3) v. #25 West Virgina (Big East, 5-2, 9-4)

Utah
#18 Utah 45, #21 Texas Tech 44
#18 Utah 48, Arkansas St. 17
#18 Utah 58, Ball St. 3
#18 Utah 62, Florida St. 20
#18 Utah 30, South Carolina 20
#18 Utah 39, Akron 21 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

West Virginia
#2 Texas 30, #25 West Virginia 11
Kentucky 30, #25 West Virginia 29
#25 West Virginia 62, UTEP 37
#25 West Virginia 51, Idaho 24
#25 West Virginia 42, Arkansas 29
#25 West Virginia 28, Michigan St. 27 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game
#18 Utah 36, #25 West Virginia 29, 2 OT

In the first OT game of the knock-out stage, Utah gets past West Virginia, and advances on to the sweet 16 and a matchup with Florida. Both teams got 1st quarter TDs. In the 2nd quarter, the Mountaneers got a lead, scoring 2 FGs and a TD, while Utah managed only a FG - so at halftime, it was 20-10, West Virginia. By the end of the third quarter, Utah had cut the West Virginia lead to 3, and it was 23-20 West Virginia. In the final quarter, there was no scoring until Utah completed a long drive with a 40-yard FG to tie the game with 4:29 left. On their ensuing possession, West Virginia re-gained their 3-point lead with a 41-yard FG with 2:05 to go. Utah got the ball on its own 37, with 1:50 to go, needing a FG to send the game to OT, Utah got a 9 play, 41-yard drive, (which included a 4th-and-10 conversion), and hit hit a 24-yard FG with just 3 seconds left in regulation. In the first OT, West Virginia settled for a 23-yard FG, and Utah answered with a 42-yard FG. In the second OT, Utah drove the field with 5 rushing plays, the last of which got in the end zone for a TD. The Utes then held West Virginia to a quick 4-out-and-out to seal the win and advance. The kickers were outstanding in this game - West Virginia was 5-for-5 in FGs, and 2-for-2 in extra points, while Utah was 5-for-6 in FGs and 3-for-3 on extra points. Utah committed the only turnover in the game, but they also outgained West Virginia 395-316.

[molson]

With the first half of the championship knockout stage's first round complete, here's our sweet 16 matchups thus far.

California v. #20 Ole Miss
#5 Ohio St. v. Troy
#4 Boise St. v. #24 Clemson
#18 Utah v. #3 Florida

[molson]

Air Force (MWC, 5-3, 8-5) v. #9 Penn St (Big 10, 6-2, 11-2)

Air Force
Air Force 27, #15 Pittsburgh 10
Air Force 38, Oregon St. 27
Air Force 45, Tulsa 31
Missouri 27, Air Force 9
Middle Tennessee 27, Air Force 20
Air Force 27, Syracuse 10 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Penn St.
#9 Penn St 38, San Diego St. 7
#9 Penn St. 45, Western Kentucky 6
#9 Penn St 62, Washington 14
#9 Penn St 72, Wake Forest 10
Wyoming 28, #9 Penn St. 25
#9 Penn St. 31, Kansas 14 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game:
#9 Penn St. 23, Air Force 3

This was a pretty big mismatch on paper, so Air Force did pretty well to keep Penn St. to their lowest scoring output of the tournament. The Nittany Lions got a FG on their first drive, a TD on their second, and then cruised to the win after that. The Falcons got down to the Penn St. 7 yard line in the 2nd quarter, trailing 13-0, but had to settle for a FG. That drive would be the only time the Falcons got into Penn St. territory in the first half, and that drive contained the only 1st downs the Falcons would get for the entire first half. Air Force would get no further than the Penn St. 31 yard line for the rest of the game. In all, Air Force got only 10 first downs (v. 28 for Penn St.), and only 199 yards of total offense (v. 517 for Penn St.). The winning margin probably would have been greater if Penn St didn't throw 2 interceptions (Air Force didn't turn the ball over once.)

[molson]

Ohio (Mid American, 7-1, 9-5) v. #10 Virginia Tech (ACC, 6-2, 10-3)

Ohio
Ohio 29, Rutgers 17
#24 Clemson 42, Ohio 20
Ohio 55, Fresno St. 38
Ohio 38, #17 LSU 10
Ohio 40, Illinois 6
Ohio 36, Tennessee 15 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Virginia Tech
#10 Virginia Tech 37, Akron 17
#10 Virginia Tech 62, Bowling Green 7
#10 Virginia Tech 55, New Mexico 27
#10 Virginia Tech 55, North Texas 7
#10 Virginia Tech 41, Tennessee 24
#10 Virginia Tech 59, Florida Atlantic 3 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game
#10 Virginia Tech 48, Ohio 6

The Hokies take advantage of their matchup with one of the weaker teams still alive, and advance to face Penn St. in the sweet 16. Ohio managed to keep Tech of the scoreboard in the first quarter (in large part due to forcing a fumble when Tech was down at the Ohio 5 yard line), but then in the 2nd quarter, all hell broke loose. VT got 4 TDs in the quarter - two on the ground, one through the air, and one via interception return. Ohio's possessions in the quarter resulted in 3 punts and 2 interceptions. Ohio got 2 FGs in the 3rd quarter to get on the board, but both of those FGs followed drives that stalled inside the Virginia Tech 5 - so Ohio at least a chance to make things interesting but couldn't do it. In all the Bobcasts threw 4 interceptions. Virginia Tech had two turnovers, both lost fumbles. Ohio had only 230 yards of total offense (v. 409 for VT).

[molson]

#14 Nebraska (Big 12, 6-2, 10-4) v. #22 USC (PAC-10, 5-4, 9-4)

Nebraska:
#14 Nebraska 33, East Carolina 8
#14 Nebraska 56, Florida Atlantic 9
#14 Nebraska 79, Rice 7
Syracuse 21, #14 Nebraska 17
#14 Nebraska 51, Vanderbilt 10
#14 Nebraska 31, Temple 17 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

USC
#22 USC 41, #4 Boise St. 38
#22 USC 28, Navy 25
Southern Mississippi 37, #22 USC 21
#22 USC 72, Miami (OH) 14
#22 USC 31, LA-Lafayette 10
#22 USC 49, Maryland 10 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game
#14 Nebraska 41, #22 USC 13

Nebraska wins the battle of traditional powers in surprisingly lopsided fashion to advance to the sweet 16. Things started well for the Trojans, they took the opening kickoff, drove down the field, and with the help of two Nebraska penalties along the way - they scored a TD to take a 7-0 lead. After holding Nebraska to a punt, USC got great field position, and nailed a FG to make it 10-0 with 8:49 still to play in the 1st quarter. After that though, it was all Cornhuskers. Nebraska erupted for 5 TDs from that point until halftime, to make it 28-10 going into the break. USC threw 2 2nd quarter interceptions to help the Huskers pull away (USC had 4 turnovers overall in the game, v. 2 for Nebraska). Nebraska tacked on a couple of 4th quarter FGs, and a 4th quarter TD. USC managed only 279 yards of total offense, v. 484 for Nebraska.

[molson]

#7 Iowa (Big-10, 6-2, 11-2) v. #6 TCU (MWC, 8-0, 12-1)

Iowa
#7 Iowa 59, Louisiana-Monroe 3
#7 Iowa 60, Memphis 3
#7 Iowa 48, Northern Illinois 24
#7 Iowa 69, Stanford 10
#7 Iowa 58, Texas A&M 13
#7 Iowa 48, Nevada 28 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

TCU:
#6 TCU 99, Hawaii 7
#6 TCU 82, Indiana 0
#6 TCU 44, Louisiana Tech 3
#6 TCU 31, Minnesota 3
#6 TCU 41, Nevada 22
#6 TCU 73, #13 Georgia Tech 17 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game
#6 TCU 65, #7 Iowa 6

TCU's run in group play was impressive (especially dropping 99 points on Hawaii), but this game was really something else - TCU destroys an Iowa team who had won each of their prior games in this tournament by at least 20 points. Wow. TCU had to punt on their first possession, but they scored on their next four possessions to leave no doubt that they were the dominant team out on the field today. TCU's offensive has been impressive throughout the tournament but their defense here was amazing as well. Iowa's previous low-score output in this tournament was 48 points, and here, they couldn't get into the end zone, and managed only 11 first downs (v. 31 for TCU), and 222 total yards (v. 587 yards for TCU). Iowa also turned over the ball twice, and TCU didn't have a single turnover. Five different TCU players scored rushing TDs. This sets up TCU v. Nebraska in the sweet 16.

[molson]

North Carolina St. (ACC, 2-6, 5-7) v. Oklahoma (Big 12, 5-3, 8-5)

North Carolina St.
Connecticut 38, N.C. State 33
N.C. State 38, UNLV 20
#8 Cincinnati 56, N.C. State 45
N.C. State 44, Army 10
N.C. State 40, SMU 36
N.C. State 56, Wyoming 31 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Oklahoma
Oklahoma 60, Temple 10
Oklahoma 48, Arizona 23
Oklahoma 24, Auburn 22
#3 Florida 27, Oklahoma 3
Oklahoma 82, Colorado 0
Oklahoma 42, Stanford 9 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game:
Oklahoma 59, North Carolina St. 7

The Sooners put a serious beat-down on N.C. State and advance to the sweet 16. There was absolutely no doubt about this one - Oklahoma scored TDs on their first 4 possessions to go up 28-0 just a couple of minutes into the 2nd quarter. As for the Wolfpack's 1st half - they had 7 punts and an interception - the 7th punt was blocked by Oklahoma and returned for a TD. Oklahoma slowed down to a mere 24 points in the 2nd half. N.C. only avoided a shutout by picking off a Sooner pass in the 3rd quarter and getting a 29-yard TD pass on the next play. N.C. State had only 15 1st downs the entire game, v. 29 for the Sooners.

[molson]

#2 Texas (Big 12, 8-0, 13-1) v. #11 Oregon (PAC-10, 8-1, 10-3)

Texas;
#2 Texas 30, #25 West Virginia 11
#2 Texas 55, Arkansas 3
#2 Texas 41, Idaho 34
#2 Texas 36, Kentucky 7
#2 Texas 65, UTEP 7
#2 Texas 55, Florida International 6 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Oregon
#11 Oregon 30, Duke 17
#11 Oregon 30, Louisville 21
#11 Oregon 65, New Mexico St. 10
#11 Oregon 35, Northwestern 17
#11 Oregon 58, Purdue 14
#11 Oregon 30, Louisville 0 (Preliminary Knockout Stage)

Game:
#2 Texas 28, #11 Oregon 20

This may have been the most high profile matchup of this round, and the teams delivered. Texas moves on to a sweet 16 matchup with Oklahoma. The Longhorns opened up the scoring with a FG on their opening possession. Oregon scored a TD and then a FG on their first two possessions to go up 10-3 at the end of the first quarter. A quiet 2nd quarter ended with a Texas FG at time expired, making it 10-6, Oregon, at halftime. In the 3rd quarter, both teams continued to have some trouble moving the ball, though Texas got two more FGs to take the lead at 12-10. Just before the 3rd quarter ended, however, Oregon got a 51-yard rushing TD to retake the lead at 17-12. In the first possession of the 4th quarter, Texas finally got their first TD of the game at the end of a 10 play drive. Texas went for two and couldn't convert - but they still led 18-17. Next, Oregon turned over the ball via fumble, and Texas turned it right back over via interception. Then Oregon punted, and Texas turned the ball over again via fumble. A few plays later, Oregon got a FG to go up 20-18 with 7 minutes left in the game. Just a few plays after the ensuing kickoff, Texas got a huge 44-yard TD run to go right back up, 25-20, with 5:35 left. There was plenty of time left for the Ducks, but they had a quick 3-and-out. Texas got the ball back and after killing a lot of clock, got a clutch 46-yard FG to take a 28-20 lead with 1:34 left. That would turn out to the final score, as Oregon, after converting two 4th down plays, couldn't get a third 4th-down conversion and turned the ball on on downs with just seconds left - their final hail mary attempt failed.

There was not a lot of offense in this game - Texas got only 19 first downs, v. just 13 for Oregon. Texas also only got 352 yards v. 289 for Oregon. It was a great day for the kickers, as the teams combined to go 7-for-7 on FG attempts. The Ducks were definitely harmed by penalties - they were called for 8, for 71 yards.

[hoopsguy]

Game
#6 TCU 65, #7 Iowa 6

I love this tournament.

[collegesportsfanms]

Molson, I'm also loving this tournament that you are running. So much in fact, I thought about doing one of my own. Here is my plan:

I'm thinking about running this same idea over at WhatIfSports and doing it for NCAA basketball. Now obviously there are way more teams in NCAA basketball than NCAA Football. I have figured on a number of 120 for this report. That's how many NCAA football teams there are.

The question is, how do I get those 120? I came across 2 options: I can either take all the teams form all 4 of the postseason tournaments (NCAA, NIT, CBI, CIT) but that would be 129. Then I thought about eliminating the 9teams with the worst records. Didn't like that idea either. So what I've decided to do is take the top 120 ranked teams as of the end of the 2010 NCAA tournament (assuming I can find a page that ranks all the teams.)

Would everybody be interested in something like this? Or would I be wasting my time doing it?

[molson]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

I love this tournament.

And the whatifsports sims seems to love TCU.