Huskers will play in BCS title game this year!!

[huskerhaze]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/7159172

That video game sure can pick 'em

 

 

Peter Schrager

 

 

Two years ago, I found myself wide awake at 3 a.m. on a random Thursday night in August, playing NCAA '06. I'd gotten the game earlier in the day, spent the first few hours of the night making all the necessary changes on the depth charts, and just cracked open the first of what would be several Barq's Root Beers.

 

Starting off a season with the Tennessee Volunteers, I was excited for the realism and accuracy that made the video game one of the best on the market. Of course, a mere 15 minutes into my opener with UAB, I noticed something very odd scrolling across the fake bottom line ticker. According to the game, unranked TCU, apparently, had beaten No. 3 Oklahoma in Norman.

 

I was disgusted.

 

Long a fan of the Electronic Arts franchise, I couldn't take the game seriously from that point on. I'd lost faith. A crazy upset? On the road? During the opening week of the season? Ugh.

 

That kind of stuff didn't happen in real life. My beloved game had clearly let me down.

 

Sure enough, three weeks later, the real TCU Horned Frogs beat the real Oklahoma Sooners in Norman.

 

I haven't doubted the game since.

 

Throughout last year, we turned to NCAA '07 for predictions. The results were uncanny. Before the season, a simulated run-through of the game revealed Florida as the eventual SEC Champions, Boise State making a run at a BCS bowl berth, and both Florida State and Miami finishing the season outside of the Top 25. Furthermore, Troy Smith was accurately predicted as the Heisman, Arkansas and Wake Forest foreseen with winning records, and Kentucky capable of both an upset over Georgia and an eventual victory in a bowl game.

 

Move over Kreskin.

 

By now, you've read all the college football previews, heard all the hype, and seen all the lame Heisman promotional material you'll ever need for the 2007 college football season. You know Colt Brennan's going to throw for 40-plus touchdowns, Darren McFadden's going to do some wild stuff out of the Wildcat formation, and Jimbo Fisher's going to bring offense back to Tallahassee. Boise State returns a slew of starters, West Virginia adds Noel Devine to its already loaded backfield, and Tulsa's everyone's sexy mid-major sleeper pick.

 

It all starts this week, and you've never been more prepared.

 

But before we get started, let's see what the old video game console had to say.

 

With every player's name loaded and every team's roster updated on to the game, we've simulated the entire 2007 college football season. After a half hour of scores zipping, names flashing, and fight song music blaring in the background, we've got polls, awards, a national champion — the whole deal. Take some time and read through.

 

NCAA '08 end of regular season rankings

: 1. LSU

2. Nebraska

3. West Virginia

4. Arkansas

5. Virginia Tech

6. Louisville

7. Boise State

8. Penn State

9. Michigan

10. USC

11. Ohio State

12. Florida State

13. Wisconsin

14. Texas A&M

15. UCLA

16. Florida

17. Rutgers

18. Auburn

19. Oklahoma

20. Miami

21. Texas

22. Tennessee

23. Notre Dame

24. Washington

25. Purdue

 

BCS matchups

 

Rose Bowl: Penn State (Big Ten Champions) vs. USC (Pac-10 Champions)

Final score: USC wins 51-13

 

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech (ACC Champions) vs. West Virginia (Big East Champions)

Final score: West Virginia wins 31-28

 

Sugar Bowl: Louisville (At-large) vs. Michigan (At-large)

Final score: Louisville wins 27-20

 

Fiesta Bowl: Arkansas (At-large) vs. Boise State (At-large)

Final score: Arkansas wins 35-21

 

National championship: Nebraska (BCS No. 2) at LSU (BCS No. 1)

Final score: LSU wins 34-17

MVP: Matt Flynn, QB, LSU — 23-30, 311 yards, 3 TDs

 

National champions: LSU Tigers

 

Heisman finalists

 

Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville

John David Booty, QB, USC

Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State

Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

Sam Keller, QB, Nebraska

 

Winner: McFadden

 

Other award winners

 

Maxwell (best player): Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

Bednarik (best defensive player): Dan Connor, LB, Penn State

Davey O'Brien (best quarterback): Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville

Walker (best running back): Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

Best WR: Mario Urrutia, WR, Louisville

Best TE: Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue

Best OL: Sam Baker, OT, USC

Rimington (best center): Jeremy Harrell, C, Arkansas

Lombardi (dest defensive lineman): Andrae Wright, DE, West Virginia

Best LB: Vince Hall, LB, Virginia Tech

Thorpe (best defensive back): Jonathan Hefney, CB, Tennessee

Groza (best kicker): Richard Jackson, K, Clemson

Best Punter: Zoltan Mesko, P, Michigan

Best kick/punt returner: Eddie Royal, WR, Virginia Tech

Best coach: Bill Callahan, Nebraska

First-team All-Americans:

QB: Brian Brohm, Louisville

RB: Chris Wells, Ohio State

RB: Darren McFadden, Arkansas

WR: Mario Urrutia, Louisville

WR: Early Doucet, LSU

TE: Sam Wheeler, Virginia Tech

G: Sergio Render, Virginia Tech

C: Ryan Schuman, Virginia Tech

G: Greg Isdaner, West Virginia

T: Sam Baker, USC

T: Jake Long, Michigan

DE: Andrae Wright, West Virginia

DE: Bruce Davis, UCLA

DT: Frank Okam, Texas

DT: Glen Dorsey, LSU

LB: Steve Octavien, Nebraska

LB: Dan Connor, Penn State

LB: Vince Hall, Virginia Tech

CB: Zack Bowman, Nebraska

CB: Jonathan Hefney, Tennessee

FS: Kyle Jackson, Florida

SS: Reggie Smith, Oklahoma

K: Richard Jackson, Clemson

P: Zoltan Mesko, Michigan

 

Second-team All-Americans:

QB: Colt Brennan, Hawaii

RB: Branden Ore, Virginia Tech

RB: Steve Slaton, West Virginia

WR: Jason Rivers, Hawaii

WR: DeSean Jackson, California

TE: Dustin Keller, Purdue

T: Jose Valdez, Arkansas

C: Mike Dent, West Virginia

G: Ramon Foster, Tennessee

G: Jordan Picou, Nebraska

T: King Dunlap, Auburn

DE: Chris Long, Virginia

DE: Chris Harrington, Texas A&M

DT: Terrance Knighton, Temple

DT: Derrell Hand, Notre Dame

LB: Ali Highsmith, LSU

LB: Rey Maualuga, USC

LB: Xavier Abidi, Virginia Tech

CB: Jonathan Zenon, LSU

CB: Chevis Jackson, LSU

FS: Otis Wiley, Michigan State

SS: Myron Rolle, Florida State

K: Kevin Kelly, Penn State

P: Patrick Fisher, LSU

 

All-freshman team:

QB: Adam Weber, Minnesota

RB: Noel Devine, West Virginia

RB: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma

WR: Terrance Tolliver, LSU

WR: Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech

TE: Bailey Woods, Auburn

G: James Pouncey, Florida

C: Beau Warren, Virginia Tech

G: Kevin Young, South Carolina

T: Aaron Brown, Virginia Tech

T: Jarvis Jones, LSU

DE: Lawrence Marsh, Florida

DE: Jason Adjepong, Virginia Tech

DT: Wayne Thomas, Rutgers

DT: Dexter Larrimore, Ohio State

LB: Jared Detrick, Virginia

LB: Manny Abreu, Rutgers

LB: Jeremiha Hunter, Iowa

CB: Eric Berry, Tennessee

CB: Jai Eugene, LSU

FS: Deunta Williams, North Carolina

SS: Jordan Bernstine, Iowa

K: Richard Jackson, Clemson

P: Chas Henry, Florida

 

Get all that?

 

USC losing to Nebraska in Lincoln on Sept. 15, Penn State topping Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin in the Big 10, and both Oklahoma and Texas finishing out of the top 15. Bill Callahan leading an undefeated Nebraska squad to the BCS Championship Game, UCLA and Washington edging out Oregon and Cal for the 2 and 3 spots in the Pac-10, and Boise State making a return to the Fiesta Bowl. Sam Keller invited to New York for the Heisman presentation? A team that had four players from last year's Sugar Bowl champion squad get selected in the first round of April's NFL Draft winning it less than twelve months later?

 

 

It sounds absurd, I know.

 

And hey, believe what you want.

 

But I'd keep this article bookmarked somewhere on your desktop. Save it for early December.

 

This video game is eerily good at predicting things.

 

The TCU-Oklahoma upset in 2005, Boise State's miracle season last year, Wake Forest and Arkansas turning it around in '06 ...

 

All things considered, Nebraska in the BCS Championship doesn't seem so crazy after all.

[Necava Husker]

Well, there you have it. Scientific proof.

[hack]

mr. moderator... MERGE THIS THREAD!

[huskerhaze]

mr. moderator... MERGE THIS THREAD!

oops..sorry didn't see this posted elsewhere.

[HuskerJosh82]

God I hope that is true.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

That would be an outstanding season!!!!! Now if we could find a way to win that National Championship that would be awesome!!!!

[Always a husker]

I simulated my season and went undefeated and had the same top 3 that the article did. It was crazy... game after game I would be thinking ok im going to lose some time but it never happended.