2002 117-Team Division I-A Tournament

[SplitPersonality1]

To all of you who went to sports-playing schools, I hate you.

MIT, Class of 1988

Well, I suppose there was Club Football and intramural Bowling.


Darn. With both Wisconsin & Minnesota out, I'm not sure who to support.

[Wolfpack]

Split: leftovers from the Midwest include Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, and ND. Since you seem to have a preference for Wisconsin and Minnesota, I'm imagining that narrows it down to Iowa State. Not too bad a choice, really. A pretty nasty 11 seed after their takedown of Pittsburgh.

[SplitPersonality1]

Go Iowa State Cyc..acchh.....cough.........

I just can't do it. When you grow up in Minnesota, you just cannot root for anything remotely associated with Iowa.

[tucker342]

Hey, what about the Iowa Hawkeyes?

How can you not root for the Hawkeyes

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally posted by tucker342
Hey, what about the Iowa Hawkeyes?

How can you not root for the Hawkeyes

How CAN you root for the Hawkeyes? In such a stacked conference, they're always "good," but they're never "good enough."

Then again, thanks to my fiancee, the teams I root for are Memphis and Tulane.

[Wolfpack]

With the conclusion of the West Virginia game, Swaggs clicks off the TV. All the saddle-sore FOFCers who have been watching since noontime shamble out of the TV room and make their way home. The next day, the FOFCers who have been following the tournament check the Sports page and read up on the late games played out West...

West Region
(1) Southern California 47, (17) New Mexico 17
Trojans jump all over Lobos early, taking 27-10 halftime lead and cruise comfortably in the second half. USC gets to play cross-town archrival UCLA in the next round.

(4) Florida State 58, (20) UNLV 14
Another game that was over by halftime as the Seminoles erupted for 34 points in the opening half, then shut out the Rebels 24-0 in the second half. Florida State takes on Boise State in the Round of 32.

(6) Texas Tech 44, (11) Arizona State 24
The only interesting affair of the evening. Tied after a quarter, the Red Raiders scored 13 unanswered in the second to take a 20-7 lead at the half. The Sun Devils tried to rally, getting the lead down to 27-17 after three, but the Red Raiders close the deal in the fourth to advance. They draw West #3 Washington State for their next opponent.

(It should be noted that I had to re-roll TTU-ASU a couple of times because the first result I had featured Texas Tech winning 86-27, which I thought was just a bit far-fetched. To be fair, I gave Texas Tech the win based on that, but wanted to get a more realistic score, but took a couple of tries to make it happen.)

[Wolfpack]

Round of 32 Pairings

East Regional Bracket

Dix Stadium, Kent State University, Kent, OH
(9) Colorado State vs. (1) Georgia

Michie Stadium, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY
(12) Wake Forest vs. (4) NC State

UB Stadium, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
(7) South Florida vs. (2) Iowa

Rutgers Stadium, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
(6) Virginia vs. (3) Maryland

Southeast Region

Scott Stadium, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
(9) Tennessee vs. (1) Miami

Robertson Stadium, University of Houston, Houston, TX
(12) Mississippi vs. (4) Penn State

Fouts Field, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
(7) Florida vs. (2) Oklahoma**

Marshall Stadium, Marshall University, Huntington, WV
(11) Iowa State vs. (3) Michigan*

Midwest Region

Glass Bowl, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH
(8) Louisiana State vs. (1) Ohio State**

Spartan Stadium, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
(5) Virginia Tech vs. (4) Notre Dame**

Kinnick Stadium, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
(7) Arkansas vs. (2) Kansas State

Ball State Stadium, Ball State University, Muncie, IN
(6) West Virginia* vs. (3) Alabama

West Region

Mackay Stadium, University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, NV
(8) UCLA vs. (1) Southern California

Arizona Stadium, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
(5) Boise State vs. (4) Florida State

Wagner Field, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
(7) Boston College vs. (2) Texas

Folsom Field, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
(6) Texas Tech vs. (3) Washington State

**--Strong home field advantage this game
*--Some home field advantage this game

[Wolfpack]

Schedule and Lines--Round of 32

3:00 PM
EAST	(9) Colorado State vs (1) Georgia		UGA -14   o/u 49
EAST	(12) Wake Forest vs (4) NC State		NCS -13   o/u 52
EAST	(7) South Florida vs (2) Iowa			IA  -16   o/u 56
SE	(9) Tennessee vs (1) Miami			MIA -19   o/u 46
SE	(7) Florida vs (2) Oklahoma			OK  -24	  o/u 55
MW	(8) LSU vs (1) Ohio State			OSU -12.5 o/u 33
MW	(7) Arkansas vs (2) Kansas State		KSU -17   o/u 49
WEST	(7) Boston College vs (2) Texas			TEX -13.5 o/u 49

7:00 PM
EAST	(6) Virginia vs (3) Maryland			UMD - 4.5 o/u 50
SE	(12) Mississippi vs (4) Penn State		PSU -17	  o/u 53
SE	(11) Iowa State vs (3) Michigan			MI  - 7.5 o/u 55
MW	(5) Virginia Tech vs (4) Notre Dame		Pick em	  o/u 34
MW	(6) West Virginia vs (3) Alabama		ALA -11   o/u 44
WEST	(8) UCLA vs (1) Southern California		USC -22.5 o/u 58
WEST	(5) Boise State vs (4) Florida State		FSU - 6.5 o/u 63
WEST	(6) Texas Tech vs (3) Washington State		Pick em   o/u 72

Both time slots are now open for takers on first-come, first-serve basis.

[JeeberD]

Boise vs FSU!!! Or else UT vs BC!

God, I hope WSU kicks the crap out of those damn Techsters...

[SplitPersonality1]

How about Iowa State vs. Michigan

Go Wolverines!

[Wolfpack]

It's up to Jeeber. If he wants BSU-FSU more, then that overrides Split's request for UM-ISU. If he's willing to compromise, then BC-Texas could be his choice and UM-ISU could be the second game.

[tucker342]

Damn too late again

Oh well

[Wolfpack]

Sorry, tucker. Guys around here seem to be jumping on the remote today. At least it's a good sign that people are paying attention to what I'm doing, so I'm more inclined to do this sort of thing again in the future.

[JeeberD]

Eh, let's go with UT-BC. Boise's gonna get trounced anyways...

[Wolfpack]

Okay, with the deal made, here's the television schedule for this round:

(7) Boston College vs (2) Texas at 3:00 PM
(11) Iowa State vs (3) Michigan at 7:00 PM

I'll get the next round going this evening and hope to have the afternoon games done in the next couple of days.

[Wolfpack]

How about that...300 posts. Make that 301 with this one.

[Swaggs]

I'll be watching WVU on ESPN2.

[Wolfpack]

From the worthless statistics department....

I based my lines and over/unders on the average points per quarter a team was expected to score. Here's how it shook out:

*28 of 32 games had a favorite determined
*Against the spread established for the favorite, the favorite went 16-12.
*Notre Dame was the only team to nail its spread exactly (-13)
*Largest upset was Mississippi, which was +15 against Auburn and wound up winning outright by 31 (a +46 versus expectations)

*4 of 32 games were even odds games
*Three of the four games were won by the higher seed

*In the over/under comparison, games went under the listed total in 17 of 32 games
*However, games that went over, went over much higher than games going low went lower, as games going over averaged going over by 15 points, while games that went under were short by 11 points per occurance
*3 games missed the over/under by 1 under, 2 games missed the over/under by 1 over

----------
Just some numbers for the fun of it...discuss if you like.

[tucker342]

If you do it again, you should do a College Basketball one

[JeeberD]

Originally posted by tucker342
If you do it again, you should do a College Basketball one

Hell yeah!!!

Oh, wait, there are 300 someting D-1 basketball teams. Damn that would be a lot of work....

Oh well, it's for the best, I suppose. UTEP would have lost in the first round again (unless you went with next years rosters, cause the Miners are gonna be bad ass next season!!!!)...

[Wolfpack]

Sorry, I don't think there is a quick-play basketball game, unfortunately.

I've played the Round of 32 (it goes quick when only two games have to be played out) and to give the shakes to some people, some brackets are nice and organized, while others are in a bit of chaos.

And for Jeeber, I have some good news, some bad news, and some worse news.... I'll post the games in a bit and you'll see what I mean.

[JeeberD]

Originally posted by Wolfpack
And for Jeeber, I have some good news, some bad news, and some worse news.... I'll post the games in a bit and you'll see what I mean.

Hmmm....

I'm guessing that Texas won, CSU lost, and that Boise got destroyed...

Am I right?

[Wolfpack]

Nope, not even close, Jeeber.

However, I am on the horns of a dilemma. The original drive-by-drive Quick Play game didn't have anything incorporating kick return and punt return results, thus there would be no way to return a kick or punt for touchdown (it does have a rare plays chart whereby kick returns do turn into fumbles which become touchdowns). I decided to incorporate a die roll that took this aspect of the game into account. If a die roll on a d20 was 1, the return was made for a touchdown. However, I have gone to the NCAA website and looked up the stats and determined that even this low-odds roll is too high. I was giving a 5% chance of return for touchdown on both kicks and punts. It turns out that punts only got returned for touchdown a little over 3% of the time in 2002 and kick returns for touchdown was way down in the noise at only about 0.6%. Up to this point, the 5% chance for touchdown has not altered the outcome of the game. Syracuse had one return for touchdown but didn't win and Missouri had two returns for touchdown and didn't win. However, in one of the games I played last night, the winner benefitted from the 1 in 20 odds to score a touchdown on a return and won by 6.

I'd like opinions on whether I should replay the contest (for neutrality's sake, I'll not say who was involved and who won) with corrections I've made to the die rolls. The other 15 contests will stand since 14 of them were of the quick variety and the other one didn't feature a kick return for touchdown. If the consensus is to redo the game, I'll hold off on posting results until after the game is re-played.

[NAIWF]

If it was a punt return I say keep it since the statistical odds are close enough (3+% to 5%). If it was a kick return I say redo it, since the odds are too far apart to still be considered fair.

[JeeberD]

I would say not to worry about it....


Hmmm, Texas didn't lose, did they? Did Boise pull the upset? Now I'm REALLY curious...

[Wolfpack]

It was a kickoff return and it happened very early in the game. Had it happened later, I'd be more willing to re-do just the portion after the kick return, but since it occurred early, it would make sense to just re-play the whole thing.

So, at this point, the vote is 1-1.

And Jeeber, I ain't tellin' yet.

[sterlingice]

I dunno- it makes it less "pure" but more fun to have extra kickoff returns. I say let it stand.

SI

[NAIWF]

If it makes you work faster, switch my vote and make it 3-0

[Wolfpack]

So, if NAIWF switches, it's now 3-0. I'll let this sit for a little while longer before making up my mind. If the "keep going" crowd gets another vote, I'll go ahead and move on (on the other hand, if the "do over" vote gets four in a row, I'll do that instead). I had been inclined to do over, but it does sort of defeat the purpose of one chance, single-elimination.

BTW, to more accurately reflect the percentages, kick returns now will be done with three rolls. Have to get 1 or 2 on first roll, 1 or 2 on second roll, and a 13 or less on third roll (which makes it a 0.65% chance of happening) to get kick return for TD. Punt returns have two rolls. 1 or 2 on first and 6 or less on second produces punt return for TD.

It should be noted I have a VB app that rolls multiple dice of varying sides and values (so actually rolling a game isn't that time consuming), though to be true to the spirit of a table top game, I try to use sides and values that normally would exist on a die. I could have a 10000-sided die that results in a TD on a roll of 65 or less, but there is no such thing as a 10000-sided die in real life (though I suppose you could take 5 separate 10-sided dice read as a string instead of a sum and get the same thing).

[Lone Star]

I vote to keep the result. For all we know it would've been returned for a touchdown anyway.

:-)

Now let's see who got hosed!

[Wolfpack]

Very well, we go forward. I'll begin posting scores momentarily.

[Wolfpack]

The FOFC crowd returns for another Saturday of football. Pretty much everyone's in on time as the games start mid-afternoon for once. JeeberD, wearing a Texas baseball hat, a Colorado State t-shirt, and Boise State sweatpants, grabs the remote. Others regard his attire with a curious eye. Jeeber turns on the TV and on the screen appears Wagner Field in Manhattan, Kansas, somewhat filled, mostly with the characteristic burnt orange of the University of Texas Longhorns. The standard graphic appears to tell all it is indeed the Texas Longhorns, the West's #2 seed, playing the seventh seeded Boston College Eagles.

Boston College wins the toss and defers to the second half, so Texas will get the ball first.

15:00 1st, game tied 0-0
Texas opens the game well, picking up first downs on the first three plays to move into BC territory. The drive continues to work down the field and the Longhorns cap it with a nice touchdown pass to get the early lead. Extra point is good.

11:36 1st, TEX leads 7-0
The lead is very short-lived as the Eagles return man hits his wedge perfectly. 95 yards later, he saunters into the end zone and the game is tied up after the extra point.

11:14 1st, game is tied 7-7
Things worsen for Texas as a great return on the ensuing kickoff is called back on a penalty that sticks them back at their own 10. Next play, the handoff exchange is blown and the ball scrambles back a few yards before a Longhorn lineman falls on it. On 2nd down, the QB drops back into the shotgun. The snap is made when he's not expecting it and the ball sails past him into the end zone. The QB dives on it quickly, though, to keep the damage to a safety.

10:01 1st, BC leads 9-7
The Eagles keep the solid play going, pushing back down the field on the following possession. They get into field goal range but finally bog down. The field goal unit is sent on. The kicker has no trouble with the attempt and everything is going BC's way.

6:16 1st, BC leads 12-7
The Longhorns roar back with a vengeance. Showing no ill effect from the last five minutes, the Texas offense gets a first down and then connects on a home run ball for a touchdown. The extra point is good.

4:22 1st, TEX leads 14-12
The Eagles one-up the Longhorns, answering with a touchdown of their own in one fewer play on their drive.

2:19 1st, BC leads 19-14
The Longhorns work for an answer, picking up a first down, but fail to get another one. As the quarter ends, the punt team has been sent on.

End of the 1st Quarter
Boston College 19, Texas 14

[Wolfpack]

Scoreboard Update

East Region
(1) Georgia 10, (9) Colorado State 3
Bulldogs out to the early lead

(4) NC State 10, (12) Wake Forest 6
Pack has sternest first quarter test thus far

(2) Iowa 14, (7) South Florida 7
Hawkeyes strike for two TDs in the first

Southeast Region
(1) Miami 14, (9) Tennessee 0
Hurricanes all over the Vols in the early going

(2) Oklahoma 13, (7) Florida 0
Sooners come out of the gate very well against Florida

Midwest Region
(1) Ohio State 7, (8) LSU 0
Bucks in a tough one early against the Tigers

(2) Kansas State 17, (7) Arkansas 7
Wildcats rack up the points early and often

[Wolfpack]

Second quarter action in Manhattan...

15:00 2nd, BC leads 19-14
The Longhorns punt the ball away after a disappointing series.

14:51 2nd, BC leads 19-14
The Eagles offense is still rolling, pounding down the field and into Longhorn territory. They get a first and goal, but the Longhorns stiffen to force a fourth down. The Eagles roll the dice and go for it. The QB hands away, the running back struggles forward, and is stopped. The referees say he didn't make it! He didn't make it and Texas holds!

9:16 2nd, BC leads 19-14
The Longhorns take over and immediately hit on a bomb play that changes field position entirely as the receiver strides into BC territory before being shoved out of bounds. Next play, the running back breaks through the line and is caught from behind at the BC 20. The Eagles do finally bear down and force the Longhorns to send on the field goal unit. Snap, hold, kick is up...and good!

6:47 2nd, BC leads 19-17
BC works their way to near midfield, but can't get further and the Eagles punt away.

4:08 2nd, BC leads 19-17
The Longhorns speed up the offense a bit and work their way into BC territory. They get into field goal range but get stuck on a fourth down. They send out the kicker to try to take the lead before halftime. Snap, hold, kick is away...no good! Wide left!

0:55 2nd, BC leads 19-17
Holding the lead, the Eagles are content to kill the clock and end the half.

[Wolfpack]

Scoreboard Update

East Region
(1) Georgia 27, (9) Colorado State 10
Bulldogs rack up 17 in 2nd to expand lead

(4) NC State 17, (12) Wake Forest 13
Deacons won't go away

(2) Iowa 17, (7) South Florida 14
Neither will the Bulls

Southeast Region
(1) Miami 14, (9) Tennessee 7
Vols pass on field goal to try to get a touchdown and succeed

(2) Oklahoma 13, (7) Florida 0
Gators go for the same gamble, but aren't so fortunate

Midwest Region
(1) Ohio State 7, (8) LSU 0
Bucks and Tigers fight to a standstill in the second

(2) Kansas State 27, (7) Arkansas 7
Wildcats get 10 unanswered in the 2nd to open commanding lead

[Wolfpack]

Start of the 2nd half between BC and Texas

15:00 3rd, BC leads 19-17
BC gets the ball first to start the half and they make the most of it. The Eagles carve up the Longhorn offense and utilize a breakaway run to get a touchdown. Extra point is good.

12:10 3rd, BC leads 26-17
Texas cannot find an answer as the offense grinds out to midfield before the Eagles bear down and force them to punt.

7:56 3rd, BC leads 26-17
BC's offense finally cools off as they can only manage to work past their own 35 before having to punt.

5:02 3rd, BC leads 26-17
The Longhorns finally come out of their second half slumber as the offense clicks on all cylinders. They push their way down the field and well into BC territory as the quarter ends.

End of 3rd Quarter
Boston College 26, Texas 17

[Wolfpack]

Scoreboard Update

East Region
(1) Georgia 34, (9) Colorado State 10
Bulldogs seem to be in firm control of this one

(4) NC State 23, (12) Wake Forest 20
Wolfpack having a trying time with the arch-rivals (this is not new, trust me)

(2) Iowa 38, (7) South Florida 14
A nice shot of color returns to tucker's face

Southeast Region
(1) Miami 24, (9) Tennessee 7
Canes get some more breathing space

(2) Oklahoma 20, (7) Florida 0
Sooners continue to shut out the Gators

Midwest Region
(1) Ohio State 14, (8) LSU 0
A defensive struggle continues, with the Buckeye defense pitching the shutout

(2) Kansas State 27, (7) Arkansas 14
Razorbacks get a touchdown closer in the third

[Wolfpack]

4th quarter from Wagner Field

15:00 4th, BC leads 26-17
The Longhorns pick up where they left off in the third and in two plays are in the end zone and have narrowed the gap to two after the extra point.

14:22 4th, BC leads 26-24
The Eagles embark on a long, and more importantly, time-consuming drive that pushes them into the Longhorn end of the field, but a crucial penalty and a sack push them back to the edge of field goal range. They send on the kicker. Snap, hold, kick is up...it's no good! Texas stays five behind!

9:00 4th, BC leads 26-24
Texas battles its way back the other way. It's chewing up clock, but ultimately the drive does yield points as the Longhorns get a field goal and have surged into the lead as a result.

5:03 4th, TEX leads 27-26
The Eagles refuse to crumble. They engineer an excellent drive that gains yardage and drains the clock. With just over a minute, the Eagles stand at the Texas 22. The QB drops back, looks, throws...caught! Touchdown, Eagles! The Eagles have retaken the lead!

0:56 4th, BC leads 33-27
Texas tries to find an answer in the short amount of time left. However, they are only able to get to just inside their own midfield with five seconds left. All that's left is a Hail Mary chance. QB takes the snap and rolls out...waits...heaves it to the end zone...knocked away! Knocked away and the game is over! The Eagles have upset the number two seed in the West, Texas!

Final Score
Boston College 33, Texas 27

---------------

As you might have guessed, this was the game impacted by the kick return for touchdown. Even so, BC had the hot dice and Texas had some rotten luck. The safety was scored on a rare play lookup which normally yields more positive results for the offense.

And Jeeber, of the three pieces of news, I classify this as bad news from your perspective.

[Wolfpack]

Scoreboard Update

East Region
(1) Georgia 41, (9) Colorado State 10 (FINAL)
Bulldogs cruise into the Sweet Sixteen

(4) NC State 30, (12) Wake Forest 20 (FINAL)
It wasn't easy, but insurance TD in fourth seals it for Wolfpack, who will now play East #1 Georgia in Sweet Sixteen

(2) Iowa 45, (7) South Florida 23 (FINAL)
Overwhelming third proves difference-maker and Hawkeyes move on to Sweet Sixteen against winner of Maryland and Virginia

Southeast Region
(1) Miami 24, (9) Tennessee 7 (FINAL)
Hurricanes never really threatened, though looked unimpressive as they move on to face winner of Penn State and Mississippi

(2) Oklahoma 30, (7) Florida 0 (FINAL)
Gators gamble for a touchdown again in fourth and fail, consequently get shut out and Sooners advance with ease to await the winner of Iowa State-Michigan

Midwest Region
(1) Ohio State 14, (8) LSU 0 (FINAL)
It was not pretty, but the Buckeyes shut out LSU to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they will play either Notre Dame or Virginia Tech

(2) Kansas State 37, (7) Arkansas 21 (FINAL)
Wildcats get 10 in the fourth to keep the Razorbacks safely away and move on to next round to face the winner between Alabama and West Virginia

[tucker342]

I was a little bit scared at half time... but my Hawkeyes came through

[Wolfpack]

With a bit of disgust, Jeeber flings his Longhorns cap to the other side of the room. He hands over the remote to SplitPersonality who promptly flips channels and on the screen appears a pretty full stadium populated mostly by blue or yellow clad individuals, a tinge of red here and there. One of the teams warming up on the field is instantly recognized by their dark blue helmets with distinctive yellow "wings". By inference, it's Michigan taking on Iowa State in Huntington, West Virginia.

Iowa State won the toss and deferred, so Michigan receives to start.

15:00 1st, game tied 0-0
The Wolverines take the opening possession and push their way down the field into Cyclone territory before a couple of setbacks prevent them going any further. They send out the kicker for a longish attempt. Snap, hold, kick is up...but he pulled it and it sails wide.

9:10 1st, game tied 0-0
The Cyclones pick up a first down on the first play, but are held back after that and punt away.

7:19 1st, game tied 0-0
The Wolverines get a solid punt return that puts them in good field position. The offense continues the strong effort from the first drive and this time they plow into the end zone in five plays to get on the board first. Extra point is good.

4:58 1st, MICH leads 7-0
The Cyclone offense finally gets going, working their way into the Michigan half of the field before ultimately facing a third and short as the quarter draws to a close.

End of 1st Quarter
Michigan 7, Iowa State 0

[Wolfpack]

Scoreboard Update

East Region
(3) Maryland 7, (6) Virginia 0
Terps get the early jump on the Cavs

Southeast Region
(4) Penn State 7, (12) Mississippi 0
Nittany Lions up early, but Rebels keep themselves in it

Midwest Resgion
(5) Virginia Tech 7, (4) Notre Dame 0
Hokies get seven in the first...with these two defenses, it may be all they need

(3) Alabama 3, (6) West Virginia 0
A defensive struggle early as only a field goal is mustered in the first

West Region
(1) Southern California 7, (8) UCLA 0
Trojans break in front of cross-town rivals with first quarter touchdown

(5) Boise State 13, (4) Florida State 13
A scorefest early in Tucson

(3) Washington State 7, (6) Texas Tech 3
Another close contest sees Wazzou work their way into the early lead

[Wolfpack]

2nd quarter between Michigan and Iowa State...

15:00 2nd, MICH leads 7-0
Iowa State faces third and short, but fails to pick up the first. The Cyclones play the risk on fourth and short and go for it. Again the Wolverine defense is stout and they fail to get the first.

14:07 2nd, MICH leads 7-0
The Wolverines take advantage, connecting on a long pass to move into Iowa State territory and then utizling the running game to smash their way into the end zone from there. Extra point is good.

11:33 2nd, MICH leads 14-0
Things seem to go from bad to worse for the Cyclones as they navigate near midfield. The QB drops back and goes for a home run touchdown down the sideline, but the ball hangs up in the air, allowing the safety to come over and pick it off before going out of bounds near the Michigan 20.

9:13 2nd, MICH leads 14-0
The Wolverines bludgeon the ISU defense, getting all the way down to inside the Cyclone 5. The Cyclones make a goalline stand, leaving the Wolverines with a fourth down dilemma. Sensing a chance to put the Cyclones away early, the Wolverines go for it. QB hands away to the running back who is met at the line by a batch of ISU defenders. He never had a chance to get to the end zone.

3:59 2nd, MICH leads 14-0
The Cyclones, deep in their own territory and time winding down in the half, execute a masterful two-minute offense that sees them hitting all the passes and getting out of bounds at the needed moments, though they do burn up their timeouts in the process. The result is a nice touchdown pass with under thirty seconds left in the half that gets them on the board. However, the snap is bad on the extra point and they fail to convert.

0:22 2nd, MICH leads 14-6
The QB takes a knee and the Wolverines go to the half with a lead, but the last two possessions seem to have shifted momentum a bit.

End of 2nd Quarter
Michigan 14, Iowa State 6

[Wolfpack]

Scoreboard Update

East Region
(3) Maryland 14, (6) Virginia 7
Continues to be a tight contest between ACC rivals

Southeast Region
(4) Penn State 20, (12) Mississippi 7
Rebels get on the board, but Lions extend the lead to 13

Midwest Region
(5) Virginia Tech 7, (4) Notre Dame 0
Defensive war continues as both offenses are shut out in the second quarter

(3) Alabama 10, (6) West Virginia 0
Mountaineers hanging around, but still haven't put points on the board

West Region
(1) Southern California 17, (8) UCLA 0
Trojans score 10 more in second to enhance their control of the contest

(5) Boise State 30, (4) Florida State 23
The Broncos aren't backing down from the Seminoles and have taken the lead in a contest where defense is clearly lacking

(6) Texas Tech 10, (3) Washington State 7
The Raiders finally get their first touchdown and have the lead at the half

[Wolfpack]

Third quarter between Wolverines and Cyclones...

15:00 3rd, MICH leads 14-6
Cyclones start on offense to begin the half, but the offense didn't come out of the locker room as they go three and out to start.

13:48 3rd, MICH leads 14-6
Wolverines get the ball and proceed to work their way down the field but a sack and penalty for holding shove them back to midfield and forces them to punt.

8:50 3rd, MICH leads 14-6
First play of the new drive, the ISU QB eludes the rush and suddenly breaks free in the secondary, racing down the sideline before being knocked out of bounds well into Michigan territory. The Wolverine defense stiffens after that and the Cyclones have to settle for a field goal attempt, which is converted to draw them a little closer.

7:05 3rd, MICH leads 14-9
The Wolverines respond to the challenge as they march through the ISU defense on the next possession and cap it with a nice touchdown run from 23 yards out to expand the lead again. Extra point is good.

3:09 3rd, MICH leads 21-9
The Cyclones try to answer back. They work themselves out to near midfield and face a crucial third down as the quarter ends.

End of 3rd Quarter
Michigan 21, Iowa State 9

[Wolfpack]

Scoreboard Update

East Region
(6) Virginia 14, (3) Maryland 14
It's all tied up now heading into the fourth

Southeast Region
(4) Penn State 37, (12) Mississippi 7
Lions score 17 unanswered in the third to take firm control of the contest

Midwest Region
(5) Virgnia Tech 7, (4) Notre Dame 0
Hokies continue to hang on to the lead as the defenses are just overwhelming the offenses

(3) Alabama 27, (6) West Virginia 7
WVU gets a TD, but the roof caves in as the Tide tacks on 17 in the third

West Region
(1) Southern California 31, (8) UCLA 14
Bruins pass on field goal in third and get touchdown, but can't make up ground as the Trojans match them score for score

(4) Florida State 37, (5) Boise State 30
Seminoles get two touchdowns in third while blanking the Broncos to roar into the lead

(6) Texas Tech 24, (3) Washington State 14
Raiders pick up two touchdowns in third to expand their lead to ten

[Wolfpack]

Conclusion of Michigan-Iowa State...

15:00 4th, MICH leads 21-9
The Cyclones fail to pick up the needed third down, killing the drive and forcing them to punt it away.

14:18 4th, MICH leads 21-9
Starting deep in their own end, the Wolverines manage to dig themselves out and move to midfield before stalling. Punt.

10:21 4th, MICH leads 21-9
The Cyclones get a good drive going in response, working their way into Michigan territory, but face a fourth down with time winding down and trailing by 12. With little choice, the Cyclones go for it. QB drops back, throws...the receiver dropped it! Had it in his hands and he dropped it! Michigan gets the ball on downs.

5:38 4th, MICH leads 21-9
The Wolverines begin to eat away at the clock, forcing the Cyclones to burn timeouts until the Wolverines are made to punt away after a failed third down.

1:42 4th, MICH leads 21-9
Remarkably for the Cyclones, they get a new lease on life as the return man catches a short, line drive kick on the dead run, blows through the initial coverage, and outruns the punter to make it into the end zone for the touchdown! Extra point is good.

1:19 4th, MICH leads 21-16
The Cyclones line up for an onside kick. Here we go. There's the bounce! Easily taken in by the Wolverines and the Wolverines get the ball!

1:13 4th, MICH leads 21-16
Powerless to stop the clock, the Cyclones can only watch as the Michigan QB kneels on it a couple of times, killing the clock and ending the game.

Final Score
Michigan 21, Iowa State 16

--------------

These kick and punt returns are having all sorts of impacts on my games. BTW, I also had to provision something for onside kicks. Anyone got a clue about how successful those things are? I was guessing about 20%, though I think that's probably way high.

[Wolfpack]

Scoreboard Update

East Region
(3) Maryland 21, (6) Virginia 17 (LATE 4TH)
Terps take the lead again in the fourth, but Virginia has the ball and is looking for the go-ahead score

Southeast Region
(4) Penn State 44, (12) Mississippi 7 (FINAL)
Lions add final TD in fourth, move on to face Miami in the Sweet Sixteen

Midwest Region
(4) Notre Dame 10, (5) Virginia Tech 7 (LATE 4TH)
The Irish break through in the fourth to get 10 points and the lead, but the Hokies have the ball and are pushing for a game-tying field goal

(3) Alabama 37, (6) West Virginia 14 (FINAL)
Tide rolls on, will play Kansas State in the next round

West Region
(1) Southern California 37, (8) UCLA 14 (FINAL)
UCLA tried for six again in fourth, wasn't so lucky this time, not that it mattered as the Trojans easily move on to Sweet Sixteen to play winner of Boise State and FSU

(5) Boise State 47, (4) Florida State 44 (LATE 4TH)
The Bronco offense came to life in the fourth, racking up 17 points and putting Boise State in position to win the biggest game in school history. However, FSU has possession and is driving for a game-tying field goal.

(6) Texas Tech 31, (3) Washington State 21 (FINAL)
A close contest, but the Raiders answer a Cougar score with one of their own and they upset the West #3 to move on and face Longhorn slayers Boston College in the Sweet Sixteen (this is the worse news from Jeeber's perspective).

[Wolfpack]

Late in the fourth quarter

EAST: (3) Maryland 21, (6) Virginia 17
The Terps and Cavaliers have battled their way through four quarters and Maryland now has a four point lead with a few minutes to go.

Virginia gets one last chance with its offense to win the game. The offense does not disappoint on the drive, moving through Maryland defense with relative ease, working their way into Maryland territory. The drive eventually reaches the Maryland 8, time enough for a shot into the end zone. The QB drops back...looking...looking...firing! Caught! Touchdown, Virginia! The QB waited until his receiver broke open in the back of the end zone and the Cavaliers have taken the lead with just three seconds remaining! The extra point is good! Virginia 24, Maryland 21!

The return is anti-climatic as the Cavs squib the kickoff and quickly smother the return. The Cavaliers win and advance to the Sweet Sixteen against Iowa!

MW: (4) Notre Dame 10, (5) Virginia Tech 7
The Hokies had lead much of the game with a solitary first quarter touchdown. The Irish managed to rally in the fourth with 10 points to take the lead. The Hokies now look to tie it up and perhaps force an overtime.

The Hokies manage to work the ball into field goal range, but the Irish defense has hardened and the kick won't be an easy one to tie it up, a 39-yarder. On comes the kicker. Counts off the linemen and marks his angle. Snap, hold, kick is away...no good! It's to the right! Notre Dame gets the ball and they'll escape the Hokies! The Irish advance to Lincoln where they'll play Midwest top seed Ohio State!

WEST: (5) Boise State 47, (4) Florida State 44
It's been a high-scoring affair in this contest. The Broncos managed to get a lead at halftime, but the Seminoles seemingly had momentum on their side after that with 14 third quarter points to take the lead. However, the Broncos showed tremendous resolve, rallying for 17 points in the fourth quarter to retake a slim lead in the dying minutes. FSU is now in possession of the ball with time winding down and looking to tie or win.

The Seminoles have worked the ball into Boise State's end of the field, but now have twelve second remaining. Enough time for a last crack at the end zone. QB drops back...looks...here comes the rush...hit as he throws...! Incomplete! Just missed! The pressure made him throw it before he was ready. Now on comes the kicker for a 42-yard attempt to tie the game and send it to overtime. Snap is good, hold is good, kick is up...NO GOOD! NO GOOD! NO GOOD! WIDE LEFT! Boise State has done it! They've defeated Florida State and moved on to the Sweet Sixteen! Look out, Los Angeles, here come the Boise State Broncos!

(Unfortunately, the Broncos have a monumental task, beating Southern Cal in the Coliseum in the next round...and Jeeber, this is your good news. )

[Wolfpack]

Sweet Sixteen Pairings

East Region

Rentschler Field, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT
(4) NC State vs. (1) Georgia
(6) Virginia vs. (2) Iowa

Southeast Region

Orange Bowl, University of Miami, Miami, FL
(4) Penn State vs. (1) Miami**
(3) Michigan vs. (2) Oklahoma

Midwest Region

Memorial Stadium, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
(4) Notre Dame vs. (1) Ohio State
(3) Alabama vs. (2) Kansas State**

West Region

LA Memorial Coliseum, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
(5) Boise State vs. (1) Southern California**
(7) Boston College vs. (6) Texas Tech

**--Strong home field advantage this game
*--Some home field advantage this game