Photo courtesy of Cincinnati 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 108
(2) Cincinnati vs. (6) LSU
How Cincinnati Got Here: 51-28 win over (15) Texas State, 31-16 win over (7) UCF
How LSU Got Here: 48-20 win over (11) Middle Tennessee, 45-34 win over (3) Miami
Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder was not particularly sharp in this one.
Ridder was 10-for-22 with 161 yards and a touchdown. He added 23 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries
Comparatively, LSU quarterback Max Johnson was better. He was 21-for-36 with 225 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
As far as running back production, Cincinnati’s performance was also second best.
LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price carried the ball 20 times for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Cincinnati running back Jerome Ford ran the ball 16 times for just 41 yards.
Normally, this should be an easy win for LSU, right? Wrong.
That interception Johnson threw was a pick-six, right into the hands of Sauce Gardner.
This would be the decisive score for the Bearcats.
Thanks to a late interception giving Cincinnati the go-ahead score, the Bearcats stave off the upset-hungry Tigers by a score of 24-20.
In 100 simulations, LSU won 51 times by an average margin of 24-22.1.
Winner’s Next Matchup: (4) Tennessee
Tomorrow’s Matchup: (2) Utah vs. (6) North Carolina
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, Alabama, Illinois, TCU, UAB, Marshall, USC, San Diego State, California, UCF, Washington State, Pittsburgh, Oregon State, Florida State, Baylor, NC State, Louisiana, Ole Miss, Michigan State, Auburn, SMU, Wake Forest, Miami, Western Kentucky, Purdue, Arizona State, Hawaii, Kentucky, Kent State, Kansas State, UCLA, Appalachian State
ROUND 3
Iowa, Florida, Ohio State, Mississippi State, Houston, Boise State, Oklahoma State, BYU, Iowa State, LSU
REMAINING TEAMS BY CONFERENCE:
American: 2/11 (highest remaining: 2. Cincinnati)
ACC: 3/14 (highest remaining: 1. Clemson)
Big 12: 3/10 (highest remaining: 1. Oklahoma)
Big Ten: 4/14 (highest remaining: 1. Michigan)
Conference USA: 0/14 (last remaining was No. 6 Western Kentucky, eliminated Day 89)
Independents: 1/7 (highest remaining: 1. Notre Dame)
MAC: 0/12 (last remaining was No. 13 Kent State, eliminated Day 94)
Mountain West: 1/12 (highest remaining: 7. Fresno State)
Pac-12: 2/12 (highest remaining: 2. Utah)
SEC: 4/14 (highest remaining: 1. Georgia)
Sun Belt: 2/10 (highest remaining: 6. Coastal Carolina)
