This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/jimbobbypaul on 2024-08-06 17:58:20+00:00.
Best of the Best: Simulating a Season with the Greatest Modern Era Teams
In an effort to figure out how each program’s best modern team stacks up against each other, I’ll be simming the 2024 season schedule. But, instead of using next year’s rosters, I’m using each program’s best team since 1996. By the end of this, we’ll have determined the best team, QB, RB, WR, offensive line, you name it–of the modern era. And we’ll have a full 134-team ranking of where every program’s best team stacks up with each other. I sim one time for every matchup, so some shocking one-off results may occur. That’s part of the fun, anybody’s got a shot to win it all. If you view these posts using the old Reddit layout, you’ll be able to see team and conference flairs.
If you missed the previous weeks/results, the Main hub thread link is here.
Stats
National Leaders and Team Stats:
Week Box Scores:
SEC Championship: #1 2020 Alabama 41, #2 2019 LSU 38
MVP: QB Mac Jones (Alabama) (34/40 completions, 470 yards, 4 TD 0 INT)
Both offenses started timid, with Alabama only holding a 7-0 lead heading into the 2nd quarter. Both teams erupted into fireworks shortly after. DeVonta Smith made it 14-0 in the very first minute of the 2nd quarter. Clyde Edwards-Helaire followed up immediately with a 70 yard touchdown run. Wanting to maintain their lead, Alabama drove down just 3 minutes later to make it 21-7, but once again were met with an 83 yard TD catch and run, this time by Justin Jefferson. After those 4 touchdowns in 3 minutes, the rest of the quarter was pretty tame, Alabama taking a 24-17 lead into halftime.
The Tide began to pull away. A field goal and Jaylen Waddle TD made it 34-17 with 5:41 left in the 3rd. In the first matchup, it was LSU who led the whole game, but now they found themselves in a hole. They began to mount their comeback. Another CEH touchdown made it 34-24 heading into the 4th. Jefferson got his 2nd touchdown to make it 34-31 with 8:37 left. Finally, it was none other than Jaray Jenkins who gave LSU a 38-34 lead with just 1:33 left to play. Alabama had given away their 17 point lead, and to make matters worse, they botched the kickoff and started on their own 3. Mac Jones needed to go 97 yards in just 1.5 minutes.
Mac found DeVonta Smith and Slade Bolden multiple times each. With just 9 seconds left, Alabama had the ball on the LSU 15 on 3rd down. Mac lobbed it up to the end zone, CAUGHT, TOUCHDOWN DEVONTA SMITH. ALABAMA WINS THE REMATCH, 41-38. DeVonta Smith had 3 catches for 55 yards on the final drive, and might’ve just won the Biletnikoff. Mac Jones outduelled Joe Burrow, and may have just stolen the Heisman.
Big Ten Championship: #3 2004 USC 31, #4 2023 Washington 27 (OT)
MVP: QB Matt Leinart (USC) (28/39 completions, 418 yards, 2 TD 0 INT)
Washington came to play. Feeling disrespected by the national rankings being behind a 2-loss USC, Washington’s defense brought their A game. The Huskies took a 21-3 lead late in the second, and USC could only muster another field goal before the end of the half. Reggie Bush had a particularly tough day, rushing for just 23 yards on 12 carries, and Matt Leinart was sacked 6 times.
With just 7 minutes left to play in the 4th quarter, it was 21-9 Washington. USC managed to drive to the Washington 5 yard line on 1st and goal. Bush for 2 yards. LenDale tackled for a loss of 1. False start USC. Leinart sacked. It was now 4th and goal from the 14 with the game on the line. Blitz coming once again from Washington, Leinart FINDS LenDale White in the end zone for a touchdown. USC’s defense stopped them on 3rd and goal from the 4, and Washington elected to kick a field goal to make it 23-15.
Leinart quickly drove USC down the field, and FOUND Steve Smith in the end zone with 11 seconds left. Needing 2 points, he went right back to Smith, tying the game 24-24. From there, the game went to overtime, Washington getting the ball first. Losing momentum, they went 3 and out, but hit a 34 yard field goal to take a 3 point lead. First play of USC’s possession, Leinart went to Dwayne Jarrett, who ran all the way to the 2 yard line. 2 plays later, LenDale White was in the end zone for a touchdown. Ball game. USC wins it, 31-27 in OT.
Big 12 Championship: #13 2011 Oklahoma State 45, #7 2009 Cincinnati 42
MVP: QB Tony Pike (Cincinnati) (30/38 completions, 423 yards, 5 TD 0 INT)
This one was for all the Playoff marbles. As expected, it was a barnburner. Brandon Weeden and Tony Pike were dealing early. 2 touchdown passes for each made it 23-14 Oklahoma State heading into halftime. OSU kicker Quinn Sharp hit all 3 of his field goals, including a 54 yarder to end the half. The Oklahoma State pass rush was relentless all game, taking Pike to the ground 9 (NINE!) times on the day.
He finally started to get more of a rhythm in the 3rd quarter, hitting Armon Binns for a 27 yard TD and Kazeem Alli for a 2 yard TD. Weeden responded in kind though, and with 12 minutes left to play, it was 37-28 Oklahoma State. That’s when Mardy Gilyard started to explode for Cincy. Catching a 13 yard TD to make it 37-35 with 8 minutes left, he’d go on to have 8 catches for 154 yards. Isaiah Pead took a screen pass in from 9 yards out, and with 4 minutes left, Cincy had the lead.
Weeden strapped up his helmet, and marched his troops down the field. 4th and 11? 12 yards to Blackmon. 4th and 9? 9 yards to Blackmon. Finally, with 43 seconds left, Joseph Randle ran up the middle for a 9 yard TD and 45-42 lead. Cincinnati wasn’t going away so easy. Tony Pike used his legs and completed a few passes on the run, getting Cincy to the OSU 37 yard line. With one kick left in the game, Jacob Rogers’s 52 yard kick was…WIDE LEFT. OKLAHOMA STATE WINS THE BIG 12. Cincinnati will have to wait and see if they’re selected as an at-large. But Oklahoma State were the preseason favorite, and now they are champions.
ACC Championship: #6 2018 Clemson 57, #12 2013 Florida State 20
MVP: RB Lyn-J Dixon (Clemson) (10 carries, 168 yards, 2 TD, 1 catch, 58 yards, 1 TD)
It was a long, long, night for Florida State. They had their shot at the Playoff, but it wasn’t meant to be. While FSU’s defense focused on Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, it was 4th string RB Lyn-J Dixon who had a Hunter Renfrow-esque emergence in a big game, touching the ball 11 times for 226 yards and 3 TD. Dixon’s 37 yard TD run opened up the floodgates early, and his 71 yard TD run coming out of halftime made it 30-13, and took the wind out of FSU’s sails. His final act was a 58 yard screen pass for TD in the 4th quarter to go up 51-13, and after that Clemson just coasted.
It wasn’t Jameis Winston’s night, throwing 2 picks, but really it was the defense’s inability to stop Clemson on 3rd down, and giving up chunk plays, that killed them. Clemson was 10/17 on 3rd down and had 3 touchdowns of 35+ yards, something that you can’t allow if you want to compete for a championship.
Clemson will enter the Playoff as a top 4 seed, and as the preseason #1 team entering the year, they’ve got a good shot at winning a National Title.
Pac-12 Champion: 2000 Oregon State
Go Beavers!
American Championship: 2019 Memphis 44, 2017 FAU 37
MVP: QB Brady White (Memphis) (20/28 completions, 234 yards, 3 TD 0 INT)
Devin Singletary did everything he could, but Memphis was just too strong at home. Memphis’ key to winning was to stop Devin Singletary, and they didn’t do that–he ran for 242 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries as FAU put up 37 points, but Memphis’ offense kept pace the whole way.
Memphis took a 14-3 lead early, a 24-13 lead into halftime, and had an 85 yard punt return TD to make it 31-13 with 7 minutes left in the 3rd. Still, FAU clawed their way back, and even had their chances to win. A 67 yard TD run and another FAU TD made it 31-27. Down 7 with 5 minutes left, FAU had the ball on the Memphis 20 yard line with a chance to tie, but had to settle for a field goal to make it 34-30. After that, Memphis immediately went down the field to make it 41-30, FAU went 4 and out, and the game was essentially over. FAU got a late touchdown, but couldn’t recover the onside.
Memphis was projected to finish 2nd coming into the year, so the result isn’t very surprising. Congrats to Memphis on their American title.
Mountain West Championship: #9 2009 Boise State 56, #18 2020 San Jose State 28
MVP: RB Jeremy Avery (Boise State) (21 carries, 116 yards, 3 TD)
It’s Playoffs for Boise. San Jose State gave it everything they had for 1 half, but ultimately Boise State was simply better.
San …
Content cut off. Read original on old.reddit.com/…/best_of_the_best_simulating_a_se…