Fake College Football Playoffs: Recap of Dec. 20 Bowls

Note: This is a simulation of a college football bowl playoff scenario. Read the full proposal here.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl
Northwestern 41, Indiana 10

In a Big Ten rematch, the Northwestern Wildcats made this no match as they rolled over the Indiana Hoosiers 41-10 at the Gildan New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque.  After both teams finished disappointing seasons - particularly the Wildcats - Northwestern came out firing against a weak Indiana defense. Perhaps the brightest spot for NU was the return of QB Kain Colter, who battled through countless injuries, threw for 353 yards and 4 TD's in one of his most impressive games of the year.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Utah State 20, Western Kentucky 17

It was a back-and-forth affair on the blue turf at Bronco Stadium, but Utah State was able to slip past Western Kentucky 20-17 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise.  Trailing 17-13 with just 43 seconds left to play, Aggies' QB Dare Garretson connected with TE Bruce Natson on a 16-yard-touchdown pass that would prove to be the game winner.  Garretson and Natson proved to be an effective combination throughout the game.  Garretson passed for 302 yards and 2 TD's, while Natson had seven receptions for 99 yards.  It was USU's first bowl win since visiting Boise in the same bowl in 2011.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Maryland 27, North Texas 7

Maryland brought a stout run defense to the Big Easy, holding North Texas to just 28 rushing yards in a 27-7 victory in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.  The Mean Green were shutout until the waning minutes of the fourth quarter as the Terrapins remained in control the entire game. Maryland QB C.J. Brown led the way with one of the more impressive performances of the post season thus far, tallying 307 yards and 3 TD's as he completed 75 percent of his passes.  His favorite target was Stefon Diggs, who caught a TD and 129 yards worth of passes.  It was Maryland's first bowl victory since 2010.

Fake College Football Playoffs: Opening Night: FBS II Tournament Begins

Note: This is a simulation of a college football bowl playoff scenario. Read the full proposal here.

The inaugural NCAA Bowl Tournament opened tonight, marking a historical change in the sport. The FBS II Playoffs, comprised of what was formally known as Non-AQ (Automatic Qualifier) conference champions. The initial games of this playoff did not disappoint.

Rice 27, Ball State 24
In Houston, it was a tale of two halves as Rice came back to defeat Ball State 27-24 in the Wild Card round of the FBS II Bowl Championship Tournament.

The Cardinals dominated the first half, establishing a 24-10 lead before heading to the locker room. BSU QB Keith Wenning threw for three touchdowns in the second quarter alone, highlighted by 48 yard strike to Will Snead.

Rice's Klein Kubiak catches the GW TD in the Owls' 27-24 win over Ball State.

Following intermission, the Owls awoke.  The stingy Rice defense shutout the high-flying Cardinals offense as the rain fell in Houston.  Meanwhile, Rice QB Taylor McHargue did what was necessary to get the win. With just 42 seconds remaining in the game, trailing 24-20, McHargue found Klein Kubiak in the end zone on a third down play. The pass and ensuing PAT put Rice up for good at 27-24.

McHargue finished his night with a QB rating of 191.3, completed 19/24 for 242 yards and the two touchdowns.  

Northern Illinois 17, Louisiana-Lafayette 6

NIU QB Jordan Lynch slides in for a 1st quarter TD.

The NIU Huskies took their defense and toughness to the bayou and knocked out the ULL Ragin' Cajuns in a hard-fought battle.

The Huskies held ULL to just 201 yards of total offense, of which only 74 were produced on the ground.  While NIU's offense was not much more potent, NIU QB and Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch did his part in the win. Lynch threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another TD.
A key interception in the fourth quarter by NIU LB Michael Santacaterina sealed the win for NIU.  It was one of two forced turnovers on the day for the Huskies.


FBS II Semifinals Set
On Christmas Day, the FBS II Playoffs will continue with Rice traveling to Bowling Green for a 3:30 kickoff.  Northern Illinois, because they are a Wild Card team and therefore ranked lower than Rice, will travel to Fresno State for an evening clash with the top-seeded Bulldogs.  The winners from those games will go on to play for the FBS II National Championship in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on January 2.