Photo courtesy of Tony Walsh/Georgia athletics
Introduction
We’ve created a 130-team bracket using ESPN’s FPI as our ranking system.
“But, anyone can create a bracket, how will the games be simulated?” Great question; NCAA Game Sim was used.
For each game on the bracket, the matchup was simulated once and every day a write-up will be done.
For the matchup, player statistics will be simulated and included in the write-ups.
Finally, thanks to the NCAA Game Sim premium membership, we’ll show the results of doing 100 simulations all at once. This is to see if a given result was more towards the expected side or if a given result was more towards the upset or luckier side.
All of the results have been simulated and tabulated, so at the time of writing the introduction, the results are already in.
This is designed to be fun, so please enjoy.
From Georgia to Massachusetts, here’s the 130-team bracket:
Match 67
(1) Georgia vs. (9) Toledo
How Georgia Got Here: 34-16 win over (16) Akron
How Toledo Got Here: 31-7 win over (8) Virginia Tech
Toledo came out swinging in this one.
Quarterback Dequan Finn was 23-for-32 with 209 yards and a touchdown. Running back Bryant Koback led all rushers with 125 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
Much like how Toledo shut down Virginia Tech’s running backs, the Rockets were also able to shut down Zamir White and James Cook. But a team like Georgia is so stacked, from top to bottom at each position.
Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh led all Bulldogs with a career-high 80 rushing yards on nine carries.
Quarterback Stetson Bennett was 20-for-32 with 338 yards and two touchdowns.
Tight end Brock Bowers was there when Bennett needed him most, tallying 101 receiving yards and a touchdown on four receptions.
Even though he was held in check for awhile, White did score on a 12-yard touchdown to ice this game.
Toledo gave Georgia all it could handle, but the Bulldogs come out on top. Georgia wins, 34-23.
In 100 simulations, Georgia won 96 of them by an average margin of 40.9-14. So this was about 16 points closer than the average.
Toledo’s loss leaves the Mid-American Conference with one representative — No. 13 seed Kent State.
Winner’s Next Matchup: Winner of (4) Iowa vs. (5) Appalachian State
Tomorrow’s Matchup: (1) Alabama vs. (8) Maryland
Updated Bracket
Teams Lost, In Order:
PLAY-IN
Massachusetts, Connecticut
ROUND 1
Akron, New Mexico State, Florida International, Temple, New Mexico, Bowling Green, Rice, Vanderbilt, Louisiana-Monroe, Texas State, Arkansas State, Charlotte, Southern Mississippi, Ohio, Kansas, Duke, UNLV, Georgia Southern, UTEP, South Alabama, San Jose State, South Florida, Arizona, Old Dominion, Louisiana Tech, Ball State, Minnesota, Navy, Nebraska, Buffalo, Troy, Colorado State, North Texas, Eastern Michigan, Northwestern, Northern Illinois, Florida Atlantic, Stanford, Tulane, Colorado, Wyoming, Middle Tennessee, Rutgers, Miami University, Indiana, Louisville, Georgia Tech, East Carolina, West Virginia, Central Michigan, Missouri, Syracuse, Tulsa, Western Michigan, Utah State, Liberty, UTSA, Boston College, Nevada, South Carolina, Army, Washington, Air Force, Virginia Tech
ROUND 2
Toledo
REMAINING TEAMS BY CONFERENCE:
American: 5/11 (highest remaining: 2. Cincinnati)
ACC: 8/14 (highest remaining: 1. Clemson)
Big 12: 8/10 (highest remaining: 1. Oklahoma, 1. Oklahoma State)
Big Ten: 9/14 (highest remaining: 1. Ohio State, 1. Michigan)
Conference USA: 3/14 (highest remaining: 6. Western Kentucky)
Independents: 2/7 (highest remaining: 1. Notre Dame)
MAC: 1/12 (highest remaining: 13. Kent State)
Mountain West: 3/12 (highest remaining: 5. Boise State)
Pac-12: 8/12 (highest remaining: 2. Utah)
SEC: 11/14 (highest remaining: 1. Georgia, 1. Alabama)
Sun Belt: 5/10 (highest remaining: 5. Appalachian State)