In which BracketCat simulates first-round results for the “left side” of the 16-team playoff bracket for 2020.
The real-life Peach Bowl matchup, an ACC rematch, and a couple of new, unique pairings involving two of 2020’s biggest surprise mid-major teams highlight today’s action.
Scroll down to see who will move on to the second round!
Today’s Games
Game 1: No. 16 BYU (10-1) @ No. 1 Alabama (11-0)
One of BYU’s better, but perhaps untested, teams travels to take on the presumptive future national champion at the height of its juggernaut status. All of you predicted this outcome.
(*Simulation Note: For some reason, the 2017-2021 BYU teams are missing from What If Sports. For this particular simulation, I had to use the 2022 BYU team instead, but I made sure to remove any BYU players from the depth chart who didn’t appear on the 2020 roster.)
No. 1 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (11-0; AP/Coaches #1): SEC Champion (auto-bid)
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): #5 Texas A&M, #9 Georgia, Auburn (6-5), vs. #7 Florida
Losses: none
Head Coach: Nick Saban (14th season)
Offensive Style: Pro spread
Quarterback: Mac Jones
Running Backs: Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr.
Wide Receivers: DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle
Tight End: Miller Forristall
No. 16 seed BYU Cougars (10-1; AP #13; Coaches #15): at-large bid
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): Louisiana Tech (5-5), UTSA (7-5), @Boise State (5-2), San Diego State (4-4)
Loss: @ #12 Coastal Carolina
Head Coach: Kalani Sitake (5th season)
Offensive Style: Power spread
Quarterback: Jaren Hall* (actually was Zach Wilson)
Running Backs: Jackson McChesney* (actually Tyler Allgeier) and Lopini Katoa*
Wide Receivers: Kody Epps* and Keanu Hill*
Tight End: Isaac Rex*
Final Score: Alabama 54, BYU 32
Bryant-Denny Stadium – Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020 – 11 AM CST / 12 PM EST
Precipitation: None
Temperature: 37
Wind: SW 0-5 MPH
Player of the Game: Alabama QB Mac Jones
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Mac Jones tossed five touchdown passes and racked up 415 yards through the air as No. 1 Alabama outpaced No. 13 BYU 54-32 in a high-scoring first-round College Football Playoff matchup at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Jones was nearly flawless, completing 26 of 29 passes and spreading touchdowns to four different receivers in a methodical display of Alabama’s high-octane offense.
Jaylen Waddle caught two scores, while DeVonta Smith added a touchdown to go with a team-high eight receptions and 93 yards.
BYU (10-2) — led by quarterback Jaren Hall, who had to fill in for injured starter Zach Wilson — kept pace early and even led 15-7 after a wild first quarter that included a 47-yard touchdown run by Jackson McChesney. Hall finished 22 of 32 for 280 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, while also rushing for a score.
But the independent Cougars’ missed extra points and inability to convert on third down (3 for 11) ultimately stalled their upset bid on the road.
Alabama (12-0) seized control late in the second quarter as Jones, who was named Player of the Game, connected with John Metchie III and Waddle for back-to-back touchdown drives to give the Tide a 28-22 lead at halftime. Najee Harris added two short rushing scores in the third quarter to stretch the margin and Alabama’s defense stiffened in the fourth.
Harris led the Tide on the ground with 102 yards on 23 carries, while Brian Robinson Jr. added 88. BYU kept things interesting with a fourth-quarter touchdown to cut it to 42-32, but Alabama answered quickly with a Jones-to-Smith strike, then added a late field goal and safety to close out the scoring.
With the win, Alabama advances to the quarterfinal round, where it will face the winner of the No. 8 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Georgia matchup in the Peach Bowl.
Game 2: No. 9 Georgia (7-2) @ No. 8 Cincinnati (9-0)
These two teams met in the real-life Peach Bowl, which was a de facto Georgia home game. Looks like the Dawgs fared just as well taking their show on the road, which nobody guessed.
No. 8 seed Cincinnati Bearcats (9-0; AP/Coaches #6): AAC Champion (G5 auto-bid)
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): Army (9-3), @SMU (7-3), Memphis (8-3), @UCF (6-4), #24 Tulsa
Losses: none
Head Coach: Luke Fickell (4th season)
Offensive Style: Multiple
Quarterback: Desmond Ridder
Running Backs: Gerrid Doaks and Jerome Ford
Wide Receivers: Alec Pierce and Tre Tucker
Tight End: Josh Whyle
No. 9 seed Georgia Bulldogs (7-2; AP #11; Coaches #9): at-large bid
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): Auburn (6-5), @Missouri (5-5)
Losses: @ #1 Alabama, vs. #7 Florida
Head Coach: Kirby Smart (5th season)
Offensive Style: Pro spread
Quarterback: JT Daniels
Running Backs: Zamir White and James Cook
Wide Receivers: George Pickens and Kearis Jackson
Tight End: Tre’ McKitty
Final Score: Georgia 21, Cincinnati 13
Nippert Stadium – Cincinnati, Ohio
Friday, Dec. 25, 2020 – 12 PM EST
Precipitation: None
Temperature: 16
Wind: WSW 15 MPH
Player of the Game: Georgia RB Zamir White
CINCINNATI (AP) — On a cold winter afternoon, Zamir White did exactly what Georgia needed from him most — took control. The junior tailback rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns as No. 11 Georgia wore down No. 6 Cincinnati, 21-13, in a physical first-round College Football Playoff contest at Nippert Stadium.
White’s bruising style proved too much for the Bearcats’ stout front. His 6-yard touchdown late in the second quarter gave Georgia (8-2) its first lead and his 49-yard scoring sprint midway through the third proved to be the knockout blow.
He averaged 7.6 yards per carry and added two receptions, capping a workmanlike performance that earned him Player of the Game honors.
Cincinnati (9-1) struck first with Desmond Ridder’s 39-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Ford, but a missed extra point left the door open. Georgia answered late in the first quarter with a 4-yard touchdown pass from JT Daniels to tight end Tre’ McKitty and never trailed again.
Daniels, steady if unspectacular, threw for 213 yards on 19 of 34 passing, while the Bulldogs’ defense delivered the type of performance fans in Athens have come to expect.
Georgia sacked Ridder five times and held him to just 6 rushing yards on 19 attempts.
Mark Webb’s third-quarter interception in Georgia territory thwarted one of Cincinnati’s few serious threats.
Ford gave Cincinnati life with a 36-yard touchdown run late in the third, trimming the deficit to 21-13. But the Bearcats failed on two fourth-down attempts in the final quarter and Georgia’s defense closed the door with a pair of sacks on Cincinnati’s final drive.
With the win, Georgia advances to the quarterfinal round for a rematch with No. 1 Alabama.
Game 3: No. 12 Coastal Carolina (11-0) @ No. 5 Texas A&M (9-1)
The biggest surprise team of 2020 travels to take on the biggest surprise team in the SEC. All voters correctly predicted this game, although I thought Coastal would have some takers.
No. 5 seed Texas A&M Aggies (9-1; AP/Coaches #5): at-large bid
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): #7 Florida, LSU (5-5), @Auburn (6-5)
Loss: @ #1 Alabama
Head Coaches: Jimbo Fisher (3rd season)
Offensive Style: Pro-style
Quarterback: Kellen Mond
Running Backs: Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane
Wide Receivers: Caleb Chapman and Hezekiah Jones
Tight End: Jalen Wydermyer
No. 12 seed Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (11-0; AP #9; Coaches #11): at-large bid
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): @ #19 Louisiana, Georgia Southern (8-5), @Georgia State (6-4), Appalachian State (9-3), #16 BYU
Losses: none
Head Coach: Jamey Chadwell (3rd season)
Offensive Style: Up-tempo spread
Quarterback: Grayson McCall
Running Backs: CJ Marable and Reese White
Wide Receivers: Jaivon Heiligh and Kameron Brown
Tight End: Isaiah Likely
Final Score: Texas A&M 40, Coastal Carolina 32
Kyle Field – College Station, Texas
Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020 – 6 PM CST / 7 PM EST
Precipitation: None
Temperature: 66
Wind: SSE 15 MPH, gusting to 22 MPH
Player of the Game: Texas A&M RB Isaiah Spiller
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Isaiah Spiller put Texas A&M on his back Saturday night and carried the Aggies into the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
The junior running back erupted for 205 yards and three touchdowns, including back-breaking runs of 49 and 55 yards, as No. 5 Texas A&M held off a furious second-half rally to beat No. 9 Coastal Carolina, 40-32, in a wild first-round CFP game at Kyle Field.
Spiller’s speed and vision repeatedly sliced through a Chanticleers defense that couldn’t find any answers. His 55-yard burst in the final seconds of the first half helped Texas A&M (10-1) to rebuild a two-score lead after Coastal had scored 16 unanswered points in just 52 seconds, including a safety and a touchdown, to pull to within 24-16.
Early in the fourth, his 49-yard touchdown gave A&M a cushion it never relinquished.
A&M quarterback Kellen Mond added 213 passing yards and two touchdowns, including an 18-yard strike to Chase Lane to close the first quarter with a 17-0 lead.
Coastal responded behind quarterback Grayson McCall, who threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns — both to Kameron Brown — but also tossed five costly interceptions, including three in the red zone.
Despite trailing by as many as 24, Coastal Carolina (11-1) never backed down. Brown’s second touchdown with 4:13 left trimmed the lead to 40-32, but the Aggies then drained the clock and sealed the win with a key third-down conversion.
Texas A&M advances to face the winner of No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 13 North Carolina in the quarterfinals. Spiller, the game’s undisputed star who was named Player of the Game, accounted for more than 60 percent of the Aggies’ total offense on the day.
Game 4: No. 13 North Carolina (8-3) @ No. 4 Notre Dame (10-1)
For this year only, this is an ACC match-up in the first round. It is also a rematch of a game UNC lost 31-17 at home. Unsurprisingly, as a result, everyone correctly picked Notre Dame.
No. 4 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-1; AP/Coaches #4): at-large bid
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): @Pittsburgh (6-5), #2 Clemson, @Boston College (6-5), @ #13 North Carolina
Loss: vs. #2 Clemson
Head Coach: Brian Kelly (11th season)
Offensive Style: Multiple
Quarterback: Ian Book
Running Backs: Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree
Wide Receivers: Ben Skowronek and Javon McKinley
Tight End: Michael Mayer
No. 13 seed North Carolina Tar Heels (8-3; AP/Coaches #14): at-large bid
Notable Wins (CFP Rankings): @Boston College (6-5), #23 NC State, @ #18 Miami
Losses: @Florida State, @Virginia, #4 Notre Dame
Head Coach: Mack Brown (12th season)
Offensive Style: Air raid
Quarterback: Sam Howell
Running Backs: Michael Carter and Javonte Williams
Wide Receivers: Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome
Tight End: Garrett Walston
Final Score: Notre Dame 37, North Carolina 17
Notre Dame Stadium – South Bend, Indiana
Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020 – 3:30 PM EST
Precipitation: None
Temperature: 26-27
Wind: W 12-13 MPH
Player of the Game: Notre Dame QB Ian Book
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Ian Book was near perfect Saturday and Notre Dame’s defense relentless in the second half as the No. 4 Fighting Irish pulled away for a 37-17 win over No. 14 North Carolina in a first-round College Football Playoff matchup at Notre Dame Stadium.
Book completed 21 of 25 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns, both in the first half, and added 19 rushing yards as Notre Dame (11-1) turned a back-and-forth battle into a comfortable win with 20 unanswered points after halftime.
The senior quarterback was named Player of the Game for his steady play and mistake-free execution, helping the Irish to outscore the Tar Heels 20-0 after intermission.
North Carolina (8-4) struck early behind Sam Howell, who threw for 402 yards and two scores. His 81-yard touchdown strike to Javonte Williams gave the Tar Heels a 14-3 lead midway through the second quarter. But Notre Dame quickly erased the deficit with touchdown passes from Book to Avery Davis and Braden Lenzy, then never looked back.
The Irish’s offensive line wore down UNC’s front, paving the way for 237 rushing yards.
Freshman Chris Tyree scored twice on the ground, including a 14-yard burst late in the third quarter that extended the Irish lead to 24-17. Kyren Williams added 108 rushing yards on 24 carries.
Meanwhile, the Irish defense overwhelmed Howell in the second half, sacking him seven times and limiting the Tar Heels to just 15 rushing yards on 30 attempts for the game.
Notre Dame held UNC scoreless in the final 30 minutes while forcing a key interception by Daelin Hayes to snuff out a fourth-quarter drive.
Notre Dame now advances to the CFP quarterfinals, where it will take on No. 5 Texas A&M.
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
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