NCAA14 Season Simulation
The Return of the Southwest Conference, Big Eight, Big East, and overall conference structure of the Early 1990s
BRETT CIANCIA
August 23rd, 2013
August 23rd, 2013
We are under a week away from the kickoff of the 2013 College Football Season; having already discussed our previews and predictions ad nauseam, we decided to switch it up a little and complete a full season simulation using EA Sports' NCAA14 video game. Now you have probably already seen similar simulations this offseason - or even played one out yourself - but here's our twist: the conferences are set up to resemble the conference structure of the early 1990's. The Southwest Conference, the Big Eight, the old Big East, and the remaining power conferences before the era of divisions and title games. How will the preseason favorites Alabama and Ohio State fare in round-robin conference schedules as opposed to their so-called easy divisions. Which Texas powerhouse will emerge in the Southwest Conference? Will Nebraska and Oklahoma ease their way to another undefeated showdown that was so common in the old Big Eight?
Included below: full standings of the 7 conferences (with commentary), the Top Bowl Games results, Heisman results, and the National Champion:
Included below: full standings of the 7 conferences (with commentary), the Top Bowl Games results, Heisman results, and the National Champion:
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The first conference to be revived was the Southwest Conference. The original 9 teams are scattered across 4 leagues nowadays. Fittingly, the league title came down to the Texas - Texas A&M rivalry game, with the Aggies destroying UT, 42-17. The Aggies lone conference loss was to TCU who struggled in the strange computer generated out-of-conference schedule. Houston raced to a 3-0 record, channeling its inner Andre Ware/David Klinger ... but dropped the final 5 league contests.
"Out-of-Conference" - Texas A&M dealt Alabama its lone loss. |
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The Big 8 was historically run by the two powerhouse programs Nebraska and Oklahoma, who would rout the other six teams and face-off with an Orange Bowl berth and perfect record on the line. This simulation differed greatly from the status quo, as 5 teams were in contention for the league title. In the end, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma each finished 5-2, but it was the Huskers that beat both head-to-head, earning the Orange Bowl invite. There was significantly less wishbone offense, but the matchups were at least familiar to the original Big 8.
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It just so happens that the ACC was EA Sports' typical 'What the ****?!?' simulation. Every once in a while the computer generates an almost impossible scenario - here it is. The two projected favorites (Florida State and Clemson) both finished 7-5 and neither had a winning record in the league. It was UNC who ran the table, going a perfect 8-0 as Bryn Renner led his Tar Heels into Death Valley AND Tallahassee and escaped with wins from each. The only other teams to finish ranked were NC State and Georgia Tech. Clearly this would have been disastrous for us preseason prognosticators, all of our Stassen Accuracy scores would have struggled.
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The 'old' Big East! Of these original 8 members, 5 are now in the ACC, 1 is in the Big12, and 2 are in the newly named American Athletic Conference. It was fitting to see Miami back on top, going 7-0 in the league, including a 35-10 "League Title" win over Virginia Tech. Boston College thrived in its old environment, beating all the other North East teams, but losing to the 'southern' squads.
Miami earns the bid to the Orange Bowl to take on the Big 8 Champion. |
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The Pac-12 was reverted to pre-expansion status, dropping Utah and Colorado. 3 teams finished in the Top 10, but it was #1 USC that beat #2 Oregon in the final week to finish perfect. Washington also had a breakthrough season, finishing #8 and 7-2 in the league with a surprise Heisman candidate (below). Stanford and Arizona State (my 2013 Pac12 Division Winners) stuggled significantly, and it is clear that my opinions of the Cardinal and Sun Devils differ greatly than that of the EA Sports' computers.
USC earned a spot in the National Championship (below) |
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The BigTen was in 1993 form, having just expanded to 11 teams with the addition of former-Independent Penn State. In this simulation - without the Legends and Leaders Divisions - 3 teams emerged at the top: Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. Ohio State beat MSU earlier in the season, and the season finale with Michigan was essentially the "League Title." Ohio State held on for the 24-21 victory over the 'Team up North', but it was Illinois who shocked the world, upsetting the Buckeyes, dealing Coach Meyer his first loss at OSU.
Will the 11-1 Buckeyes earn a spot in the BCS NC over an SEC team? (below) |
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SEC! SEC! SEC? In this simulation, the SEC was hardly the dominant league it was been recently. In the "out-of-conference" schedules, the SEC was embarrassed, with 5 of its top 6 teams losing two OOC games! Alabama ran the table in the SEC going a perfect 8-0, its sole loss coming to in College Station in an "out-of-conference" to 'Johnny TEXAS A&M QB #2'. The league was so weak, that 11-1 Alabama was actually passed by 11-1 Ohio State for the final spot in the BCS National Championship Game!
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- Don't mind the CPU generated names - 2013 HEISMAN RESULTS WINNER - Braxton Miller, Ohio State QB 2nd - Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M QB 3rd - Taysom Hill, BYU QB 4th - AJ McCarron, Alabama QB 5th - Bishop Sankey, Washington RB |
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BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
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