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A Leap of Stupidity: Introducing a 128-Team College Football Playoff Simulation (Part 1)

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As of writing, the College Football Playoff stands at four teams. Many people have pined for six or eight-team playoffs.

I want a 128-team playoff.

Why do I want a 128-team playoff?

Because it’s stupid. I like stupid.

College football is the epitome of the mantra “every game matters.” I want to push college football to the brink of every game mattering where every game is an elimination game. The quest is simple: win seven games and become the National Champion.

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With the power of whatifsports.com, I can simulate 127 playoff games and see if any team can usurp Clemson and Alabama. Games will be simmed with the 2018 version of the teams as it is the most recent installment for each team.

In this universe, the AP Poll is irrelevant. The College Football Playoff Committee is irrelevant. Bowl games are irrelevant. Rivalries and conferences are irrelevant. Win or you are out.

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Due to the NCAA being satanic and having 130 teams (instead of an easily bracket-able 128), I have made the executive decision to cut Liberty and Coastal Carolina out of the bracket. Liberty is the most recent team to make the jump to FBS, and Coastal Carolina joined at the same time as UAB. UAB, however, had been an FBS program before the university having a panic attack and cutting the football team. UAB is in. Coastal Carolina is out.

I thought about having seeding, but seeding would represent bias in the procedure. If Alabama and Clemson play in the first round, that’s fine. The teams will be randomly ordered between 1 and 128, and the bracket will be made on challonge.com.

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If you have a problem with my methodology, please make your own series of articles!

After being randomly assigned a number between one and 128, a traditional 128-team bracket will commence. No. 1 will play No. 2, and No. 3 will play No. 4. The winners will play each other.

For full transparency, here is the list of teams randomly organized. To make the list easier to organize, the teams will be listed in sets of eight.

Baylor
Mississippi State
Iowa
Tulane
TCU
NC State
Stanford
Army

New Mexico
Missouri
Houston
Indiana
Illinois
Pittsburgh
App State
Clemson

Georgia Southern
Western Kentucky
Alabama
Cincinnati
Miami Ohio
Arkansas
UMASS
Penn State

Rutgers
Ole Miss
North Carolina
Ball State
Florida
South Alabama
Connecticut
Akron

North Texas
FIU
Vanderbilt
Oregon State
Wyoming
SMU
Michigan
Louisville

New Mexico State
UTEP
Oregon
Southern Miss
Kansas
Oklahoma State
UNLV
Iowa State

Michigan State
Georgia
Wisconsin
West Virginia
Oklahoma
Virginia Tech
Miami
Virginia

Colorado
Maryland
South Carolina
Arizona State
Northwestern
Kent State
Texas Tech
Kentucky

Western Michigan
Bowling Green
Colorado State
Toledo
Kansas State
Lafayette
FAU
Charlotte

UCLA
Utah State
Nevada
Florida State
Nebraska
Arizona
Washington State
South Florida

Louisiana-Monroe
Eastern Michigan
Air Force
Texas A&M
Syracuse
Arkansas State
Utah
Wake Forest

Washington
Tulsa
LSU
Louisiana Tech
Northern Illinois
San Diego State
Minnesota
Tennessee

Texas
Georgia Tech
Cal
Troy
Texas State
Notre Dame
Georgia State
Duke

Central Michigan
Memphis
Ohio State
UTSA
Auburn
Rice
East Carolina
Old Dominion

San Jose State
BYU
Boise State
Navy
Central Florida
Hawaii
USC
Boston College

Middle Tennessee State
Fresno State
Marshall
Buffalo
UAB
Ohio
Purdue
Temple

Games will be described in greater detail as the bracket proceeds (due to the volume of games). Stats will be tracked and posted in a follow-up article. For the first round of games, only the score and the game MVP will be noted. For the second round of games, one MVP will be noted. Beyond the second round, trends and major statistical outliers will be posted alongside the score. For the final four rounds, a more comprehensive analysis of the game will be posted.

I could go into greater detail for every game of the simulation, but the presence of extra analysis gets in the way of the ideas: a simple simulation.

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