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The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/jimbobbypaul on 2024-08-10 17:59:01+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.
Award Winners
Congrats to our 11 award winners! The Group of 5 had amazing representation, with 7 winners from Marshall, UMass, Buffalo, UConn, San Diego State, and Central Michigan.
- Heisman: QB Joe Burrow, 2019 LSU
- Coach of the Year: Bob Pruett, 1999 Marshall
- Doak Walker: RB JJ Arrington, 2004 California
- Biletnikoff: WR Justin Blackmon, 2011 Oklahoma State
- Mackey: TE Adam Breneman, 2017 UMass
- Joe Moore: 2020 Buffalo
- Nagurski: DE Will McDonald IV, 2020 Iowa State
- Thorpe: S Robert Vaughn, 2007 UConn
- Groza: K Billy Malashevich, 1999 Marshall
- Ray Guy: P Matt Araiza, 2021 San Diego State
- Hornung: WR Antonio Brown, 2009 Central Michigan
Heisman
| Player | Team | Stats | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| QB Joe Burrow | 2019 LSU | 325/388 completions (84%), 5026 yards, 54 TD 3 INT, 237.0 rating | 10-3 |
Joe Burrow was far and away the best player in the country all season long, which is really saying something, because this was a STACKED Heisman field. JJ Arrington and Justin Blackmon are having historic seasons, Matt Leinart’s thrown 33 TD 6 INT for the #2 team in the country, and Mac Jones is on pace to have the 2nd highest single-season passer rating in NCAA history…2nd only to Burrow. At this point in real life, Burrow had thrown 48 TD 6 INT, but in this sim he’s thrown 54 TD 3 INT, against much tougher competition. We’ll see what more he has left in the Playoff.
Votes:
- QB Joe Burrow, 2019 LSU - 61
- K Billy Malashevich, 1999 Marshall - 13
- WR Justin Blackmon, 2011 Oklahoma State - 11
Coach of the Year
| Coach | Team | Record | Rank | Preseason Rank | Off PPG Rank | Def PPG Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Pruett | 1999 Marshall | 12-1 | #10 | #45 | 43rd | 6th |
From 1997-2002, Bob Pruett led Marshall to 5 MAC titles in 6 seasons, and was MAC Coach of the Year in '98 and '99. In this sim, he led a Marshall team ranked 45th in the preseason power rankings, not just to a Sun Belt title, but to a Playoff at-large appearance. Nick Saban narrowly missed winning it himself by 4 votes, as Alabama’s the only unbeaten team in the country.
Votes:
- Bob Pruett, 1999 Marshall - 27
- Nick Saban, 2020 Alabama - 23
Doak Walker (top RB)
| Player | Team | Rushing Stats | Receiving Stats | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JJ Arrington | 2004 California | 365 carries, 2292 yards (6.3 YPC), 18 TD | 28 catches, 283 yards, 3 TD | 9-3 |
This was another close race between JJ Arrington and Clinton Portis, but Arrington had just enough juice to win it. In 2004, he was a consensus All-American and finished 8th in Heisman voting with 2018 yards and 15 TD. This season, he’s got 2292 rushing yards and 18 TD. What a year.
Votes:
- JJ Arrington, 2004 California - 19
- Clinton Portis, 2001 Miami (FL) - 15
Biletnikoff (top WR)
| Player | Team | Stats | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Blackmon | 2011 Oklahoma State | 139 catches, 1878 yards, 8 TD, 19 20+yard catches | 10-3 |
Oklahoma State fans came out in full force to show love to their 2-time Biletnikoff winner, now a 3-timer. Justin Blackmon could break the single-season NCAA record for receiving yards of 2060, just 183 yards away. Blackmon’s been the definition of consistency, going for over 100 yards in 12 of his 13 games, and 125+ yards in 11 of them. DeVonta Smith also had a fantastic year, but was a bit more “boom or bust” compared to Blackmon’s steady production.
Votes:
- Justin Blackmon, 2011 Oklahoma State - 34
- DeVonta Smith, 2020 Alabama - 16
Mackey (top TE)
| Player | Team | Stats | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Breneman | 2017 UMass | 66 catches, 882 yards, 4 TD, 12 20+yard catches | 4-8 |
Breneman was one of the lone bright spots on a 4-8 team, leading all TEs nationally in catches and receiving yards. He even had 3 catches of 40+ yards, compared to Justin Blackmon who only had 1. In real life, Breneman was a 2x 2nd Team All-American in 2016 and 2017.
Votes:
- Adam Breneman, 2017 UMass - 18
- Tyler Higbee, 2015 Western Kentucky - 9
Joe Moore (top OL)
| Team | Stats (nat’l rank) | Team Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Buffalo | 37.6 PPG (13th), 5.6 YPC (1st), 3.4% sack rate (1st) | 10-2 |
This one was no contest, what a season by Buffalo’s hogs up front. They somehow managed to complete the double, ranking 1st in the nation in both yards per carry (5.6) and sack rate allowed (3.4%).
Votes:
- 2020 Buffalo - 23
Nagurski (top defense)
| Player | Team | Player Stats | Team Stats (nat’l rank) | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE Will McDonald IV | 2020 Iowa State | 18 sacks | 28.6 PPG (90th), 3.2 YPC (14th), 9.1% sack rate (17th) | 6-6 |
Will McDonald quietly had a very productive year, with RB Breece Hall getting most of the headlines. McDonald was special, in a 4 game span from weeks 8-12, he had 3 sacks against UCF, 4 sacks in a win over Texas Tech, and 3 sacks in a huge upset win over #3 Cincinnati. Now, Nebraska CB Eric Warfield did have 31 sacks, but he who controls the media (me) controls the mind (everyone except bretticus), so he was only eligible via write-in. Real talk though, 1997 Nebraska is glitched where all their sacks belong to him, so it felt wrong to have him be eligible for awards. Congrats Will McDonald’s the 4th.
Votes:
- DE Will McDonald IV, 2020 Iowa State - 13
- CB Eric Warfield, 1997 Nebraska - 8
Thorpe (top DB)
| Player | Team | Player Stats | Team Stats (nat’l rank) | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S Robert Vaughn | 2007 UConn | 11 interceptions, 4 sacks | 25.2 PPG (55th), 52% CMP (2nd), 210 pass YPG (31st) | 7-5 |
In a sim that features Derek Stingley Jr., Grant Delpit, Jeff Okudah, Darqueze Dennard, Michael Huff, and Roy Williams, it’s Robert Vaughn, a safety from 2007 UConn, that wins the Thorpe Award. It’s not a Mickey Mouse win either, Vaughn went OFF this year, leading the country with 11 interceptions while also finishing 2nd on his team with 4 sacks. UConn as a team was ranked 108th coming into the season, but Vaughn helped them to a bowl appearance by spearheading the 2nd best pass defense in the country by completion percentage allowed.
Votes:
- S Robert Vaughn, 2007 UConn - 16
Groza (top K)
| Player | Team | FGM | FGA | FG% | 0-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50+ | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Malashevich | 1999 Marshall | 43 | 44 | 0.977 | 9/9 | 12/13 | 19/19 | 3/3 | 12-1 |
This was by far the biggest blowout, with Malashevich even getting some love for the Heisman. Malashevich had the best kicking season in NCAA history, hitting 43 of 44 field goals, including 22 of 22 from 40+ yards! And his only miss was because his holder fumbled the snap! He’s a big reason why Marshall got to the Playoff.
Votes:
- Billy Malashevich, 1999 Marshall - 45
Ray Guy (top P)
| Player | Team | Stats | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Araiza | 2021 San Diego State | 71 punts, 3283 yards (46.2 average) | 4-8 |
Punt God’s done it again. The 2021 Ray Guy winner didn’t put up as good of stats as he did in real life (51.2 yards per punt), but he did lead all punters in average in this sim at 46.2. Quinn Sharp’s a beast too, when he left college after 2012 he was the NCAA’s all-time leader in punting average.
Votes:
- Matt Araiza, 2021 San Diego State - 24
- Quinn Sharp, 2011 Oklahoma State - 12
- Ryan Allen, 2012 Louisiana Tech - 6
Hornung (top AP)
| Player | Team | Rushing Stats | Receiving Stats | Returning Stats | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR Antonio Brown | 2009 Central Michigan | 93 carries, 684 yards (7.4 YPC), 9 TD | 66 catches, 811 yards, 6 TD | 16.6 KR average (0 TD), 15.0 PR average (0 TD) | 10-3 |
Couldn’t go wrong with either Antonio Brown or Reggie Bush here, but Brown fit the spirit of the award more. He played the Deebo Samuel role for Central Michigan, lining up in the backfield at times for 93 carries on the year. For as good of a receivier he was, he was an even better running back…
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