In which BracketCat simulates first-round results for the “left side” of the 16-team playoff bracket for 2019.
An entire legion of the Emperor’s best SEC teams populate the left side of the bracket, along with a trio of new playoff faces in Auburn, Memphis and Wisconsin.
Scroll down to see who will move on to the second round!
Today’s Games
Game 1: No. 16 Memphis (12-1) @ No. 1 LSU (13-0)
A potent G5 offense travels to take on an even more potent SEC offense. Unfortunately for Memphis, LSU is not Ole Miss. Fireworks result. All of you correctly predicted this outcome.
(A fun note on Memphis’ coaches: Norvell quit Memphis before its bowl game to take the Florida State job after the regular season ended, with Silverfield taking over for the Cotton Bowl, but it’s reasonable to assume Norvell would have stuck around for a playoff bid.)
No. 1 seed LSU Tigers (13-0; AP/BCS/Coaches #1): SEC Champion (auto-bid)
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): #9 Florida, #12 Auburn, @ #13 Alabama, vs. #5 Georgia
Losses: none
Head Coach: Ed Orgeron (3rd season)
Offensive Style: Pro spread
Quarterback: Joe Burrow
Running Backs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Chris Curry
Wide Receivers: Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase
Tight End: Thaddeus Moss
No. 16 Memphis Tigers (12-1; AP/BCS/Coaches #15; CFP #17): AAC Champ (G5 auto-bid)
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): #23 Navy, Tulane (7-6), SMU (10-3), #21 Cincinnati x2
Loss: @Temple
Head Coaches: Mike Norvell (4th season; regular season) / Ryan Silverfield (interim; bowl game)
Offensive Style: Spread
Quarterback: Brady White
Running Backs: Kenneth Gainwell and Patrick Taylor Jr.
Wide Receivers: Antonio Gibson and Damonte Coxie
Tight End: Joey Magnifico
Final Score: LSU 55, Memphis 35
Tiger Stadium – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019 – 6 PM CST / 7 PM EST
Precipitation: 0.01 in
Temperature: 56
Wind: NNE 5 MPH
Player of the Game: LSU QB Joe Burrow
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Joe Burrow’s 549 passing yards and four touchdowns lifted top-seeded No. 1 LSU to a 55-35 victory over No. 15 Memphis in a high-octane College Football Playoff first-round matchup Saturday at a cold and rainy Tiger Stadium.
What began as a back-and-forth affair turned into a decisive fourth-quarter surge for the Tigers (14-0), who scored 21 unanswered points to break open a one-possession game.
Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner and forecasted No. 1 overall NFL draft pick, completed 36 of 42 passes and hit seven different receivers for gains of 20 yards or more. He threw touchdowns to Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Justin Jefferson, Racey McMath and Thaddeus Moss.
Memphis (12-2), the American champion and Group of Five representative, gave LSU everything it could handle for three quarters. Quarterback Brady White threw for 330 yards and three scores, including two to Kenneth Gainwell.
His backup, Connor Adair, hit Kedarian Jones for a 56-yard strike to keep the visitors within a touchdown midway through the fourth.
But LSU’s depth, tempo and control of the clock — they held the ball for nearly 38 minutes — proved decisive. Edwards-Helaire added two rushing touchdowns, part of a 72-yard day on the ground, and converted a key two-point try in the final period.
Cade York chipped in with four field goals, including makes from both 50 and 43 yards.
Memphis’ explosive offense was undone by a pair of failed fourth-down attempts and a defense that couldn’t get off the field. LSU converted 9 of 15 third downs and racked up 639 yards of total offense, including 33 first downs.
While White and Gainwell kept Memphis in the game, Burrow’s command, accuracy and relentless pace left no doubt. In the biggest moments, LSU’s star quarterback delivered — just as he had all season. Now the Tigers advance to the nearby Sugar Bowl quarterfinal.
Game 2: No. 9 Florida (10-2) @ No. 8 Wisconsin (10-3)
Oh wow, a real dynamic coaching matchup in this one. Paul Chryst vs. Dan Mullen — hide your chessboards, people, the legends are here! One-third of you did get this one correct.
No. 8 seed Wisconsin Badgers (10-3; AP/Coaches #11; BCS #10): at-large bid
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): Central Michigan (8-6), #14 Michigan, #16 Iowa, @ #18 Minnesota
Losses: @Illinois, @ #2 Ohio State, vs. #2 Ohio State
Head Coach: Paul Chryst (5th season)
Offensive Style: Pro-style
Quarterback: Jack Coan
Running Backs: Jonathan Taylor and Garrett Groshek
Wide Receivers: Quintez Cephus and Danny Davis III
Tight End: Jake Ferguson
No. 9 seed Florida Gators (10-2; AP/BCS #6; Coaches #7): at-large bid
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): UT Martin (7-5), @Kentucky (8-5), Tennessee (8-5), #12 Auburn
Losses: @ #1 LSU, vs. #5 Georgia
Head Coach: Dan Mullen (2nd season)
Offensive Style: Spread
Quarterback: Feleipe Franks
Running Backs: Lamical Perine and Dameon Pierce
Wide Receivers: Trevon Grimes and Van Jefferson
Tight End: Kyle Pitts
Final Score: Florida 37, Wisconsin 20
Camp Randall Stadium – Madison, Wisconsin
Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019 – 11 AM CST / 12 PM EST
Precipitation: None
Temperature: 35
Wind: SW 6 MPH
Player of the Game: Florida QB Feleipe Franks
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Feleipe Franks threw for 343 yards and two touchdowns, Lamical Perine rushed for 82 yards and a pair of scores, and No. 6 Florida pulled away from No. 11 Wisconsin 37-20 in a College Football Playoff first-round game Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
The Gators outgained Wisconsin 548-445 and won the turnover battle 2-1, seizing control in the second half with timely third-down conversions and a suffocating defensive finish.
Franks was sharp throughout, completing 24 of 36 passes and spreading the ball to nine different receivers, including Trevon Grimes, who led all pass catchers with 113 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown.
After Florida (11-2) jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the opening quarter, the two teams traded punches throughout the first half. Jonathan Taylor, the Badgers’ All-American running back, rushed for 143 yards and both Wisconsin touchdowns, including a 3-yard run early in the second quarter that briefly tied the game at 10.
Perine responded just over a minute later with a 44-yard touchdown run, part of a dominant day on the ground. The Gators closed the half with a third Evan McPherson field goal, taking a 23-17 lead into the locker room.
Wisconsin (10-4) inched closer with a short field goal early in the third, but Florida answered immediately. Perine capped a 75-yard drive with a 19-yard run and Franks later sealed it with a 38-yard strike to Grimes down the right sideline.
Defensively, Florida picked off Jack Coan twice and held Wisconsin scoreless in the fourth quarter. Marco Wilson and Trey Dean III each registered interceptions as the Gators limited Coan to 276 yards on 36 attempts.
Franks’ poise and Perine’s explosiveness proved too much for the Badgers as Florida advanced to the CFP quarterfinals for a rematch with No. 1 LSU in the Sugar Bowl.
Game 3: No. 12 Auburn (9-3) @ No. 5 Georgia (11-2)
This is a rematch of a Nov. 16 road game that Georgia won 21-14, leading one to suspect it may be close too. It was not, and all of you correctly diagnosed that ahead of time in the poll.
No. 5 seed Georgia Bulldogs (11-2; AP/BCS/Coaches #5): at-large bid
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): Arkansas State (8-5), #15 Notre Dame, @Tennessee (8-5), Kentucky (8-5), vs. #9 Florida, @ #12 Auburn, Texas A&M (8-5)
Loss: South Carolina, vs. #1 LSU
Head Coach: Kirby Smart (4th season)
Offensive Style: Pro-style
Quarterback: Jake Fromm
Running Backs: D’Andre Swift and Kenny McIntosh
Wide Receivers: Lawrence Cager and Demetris Robertson
Tight End: John FitzPatrick
No. 12 seed Auburn Tigers (9-3; AP #9; BCS #12; Coaches #13): at-large bid
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): vs. #6 Oregon, Tulane (7-6), @Texas A&M (8-5), #13 Alabama
Losses: @ #9 Florida, @ #1 LSU, #5 Georgia
Head Coach: Gus Malzahn (7th season)
Offensive Style: Spread option
Quarterback: Bo Nix
Running Backs: JaTarvious Whitlow and D.J. Williams
Wide Receivers: Seth Williams and Anthony Schwartz
Tight End: John Samuel Shenker
Final Score: Georgia 26, Auburn 7
Sanford Stadium – Athens, Georgia
Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019 – 3:30 PM EST
Precipitation: 0.04 in
Temperature: 43-44
Wind: NNE 4 MPH
Player of the Game: Georgia QB Jake Fromm
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — On a cold, rainy night between the hedges, Jake Fromm threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns while No. 5 Georgia’s defense held No. 9 Auburn scoreless over the final three quarters, lifting the Bulldogs to a 26-7 win in the College Football Playoff’s first round at Sanford Stadium.
Fromm was efficient in the wet conditions, completing 21 of 35 passes without a turnover and engineering scoring drives in each quarter. He found Demetris Robertson and Jaylen Johnson for early touchdowns as Georgia (12-2) built a 14-0 lead and never looked back.
Auburn (9-4) briefly narrowed the gap on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Bo Nix to JaTarvious Whitlow midway through the second quarter, but that proved to be the Tigers’ only points of the night and they were unable to avenge their 21-14 home loss on Nov. 16.
Georgia’s defense made life miserable for Nix, sacking him three times and holding Auburn to 183 passing yards and just 2.5 yards per carry.
Rodrigo Blankenship took over in the second half, drilling four field goals, three in the fourth quarter alone, to help Georgia to pull away. His 23-yarder early in the final period capped a clock-consuming drive that wore down a fading Auburn front.
While the weather limited explosive plays, Georgia outgained Auburn 374-283, dominated time of possession and never turned the ball over. D’Andre Swift led the Bulldogs with 82 rushing yards on 19 carries and Georgia’s receivers spread the field despite the slick conditions, with eight players recording multiple catches.
Nix finished 17 of 29 for 183 yards but was under duress throughout, losing 15 yards on the ground and finding little rhythm after Auburn’s lone scoring drive.
Fromm’s steady hand and Georgia’s suffocating defense proved to be the difference as the Bulldogs advanced to the CFP’s Rose Bowl quarterfinal.
Game 4: No. 13 Alabama (10-2) @ No. 4 Oklahoma (12-1)
An inversion of the game these two would play in the 2021 playoff — and a possible preview of the 2024 regular-season matchup? Plus, the Tua and Hurts reunion… chef’s kiss! Nobody correctly predicted the outcome, though.
No. 4 seed Oklahoma Sooners (12-1; AP/BCS/Coaches #4): Big 12 Champion (auto-bid)
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): vs. Texas (8-5), @ #7 Baylor, @ #25 Oklahoma State, vs. #7 Baylor
Loss: @Kansas State
Head Coach: Lincoln Riley (3rd season)
Offensive Style: Air raid
Quarterback: Jalen Hurts
Running Backs: Kennedy Brooks and Rhamondre Stevenson
Wide Receivers: CeeDee Lamb and Lee Morris
Tight End: Grant Calcaterra
No. 13 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2; AP/Coaches #9; BCS #11): at-large bid
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): Southern Miss (7-6), @Texas A&M (8-5), Tennessee (8-5)
Losses: #1 LSU, @ #12 Auburn
Head Coach: Nick Saban (13th season)
Offensive Style: Pro spread
Quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa
Running Backs: Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr.
Wide Receivers: Jerry Jeudy and DeVonta Smith
Tight End: Miller Forristall
Final Score: Alabama 45, Oklahoma 38
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium – Norman, Oklahoma
Friday, Dec. 20, 2019 – 6 PM CST / 7 PM EST
Precipitation: None
Temperature: 46
Wind: SE 13 MPH
Player of the Game: Alabama RB Najee Harris
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Najee Harris totaled 202 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns as No. 9 Alabama outlasted No. 4 Oklahoma, 45-38, on the road in a high-octane, first-round College Football Playoff upset Saturday night at Gaylord Family Stadium.
In a game loaded with explosive plays and two Heisman finalists under center, reuniting for the first time since they were both teammates in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (11-2) leaned on its veteran running back to steady the pace in this cold-weather clash.
Harris rushed 23 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns and caught five passes for 129 yards and another score, including a 42-yard catch-and-run late in the third quarter that gave the Crimson Tide a two-possession cushion.
Tua Tagovailoa completed 33 of 45 passes for 519 yards and three touchdowns, spreading the ball around to eight different receivers in a performance that saw Alabama rack up 545 passing yards and 654 total yards against Alex Grinch’s beleaguered defense.
Oklahoma (12-2) stayed close thanks to a resilient effort from Jalen Hurts, who threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score against his former team.
The Sooners knotted the game at 14-14 late in the first quarter and led 24-21 midway through the second, but Alabama struck quickly before halftime with a Tagovailoa touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs III and never trailed again in the hostile environment.
Kennedy Brooks kept the Sooners in it with a 66-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 45-38, but Oklahoma failed to generate a game-tying drive as Alabama’s defense stiffened. The Tide dominated time of possession, 37:17 to 22:43, and converted 10 of 16 third downs while holding the Sooners to just four.
Despite a few costly turnovers — Tagovailoa did throw two interceptions — Alabama’s relentless offensive balance proved to be too much. The Crimson Tide advance to face No. 5 Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals in a rematch of their 2017-18 postseason overtime classic.
Tomorrow’s Games
To make these posts more fun and interactive, please vote for who you think would win each matchup! I can’t promise to take the votes into account because of the simulation process I use, but it will be interesting to see and discuss the results, plus they may serve as a sort of a tiebreaker if I end up needing one.
BracketCat’s Protest Playoff Archives
2024: Kickoff | Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | NC | Data
2023: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | NC | Data
2022: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | NC | Data
2021: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | NC | Data
2020: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | NC | Data
2019: Selection Sunday
2008: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Orange
2007: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Sugar | Data
2006: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Fiesta | Data
2005: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Rose | Data
2004: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Orange | Data
2003: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Sugar | Data
2002: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Fiesta | Data
2001: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Rose | Data
2000: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Orange | Data | Encore
1999: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Sugar | Data | Encore
1998: Selection Sunday | Sweet 16 (1) | Sweet 16 (2) | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Fiesta | Data | Encore