Imagine There Was a College Football Playoff: Round 2

We've just completed Round 1 of our 2009 16-team playoff.

There were a couple of early upsets. No. 12 Boise St. knocked off No. 5 Ohio State 27-24, and No. 9 Oregon beat No. 8 Oklahoma St. 31-24.

The Florida Gators still look like the team to beat, but the Oklahoma Sooners are looking for a rematch to last season's game.

Check out Round 3 and Championship.

No. 1 Florida Gators vs No. 9 Oregon Ducks

The Ducks head across country to play the Florida Gators down in the Swamp. The game looks like it will be an offensive shootout on paper, but it turns into somewhat of a defensive struggle.

Tim Tebow tweaks an ankle early in the game and the Gators can't find any offensive rhythm. Good for the Gators though LB Brandon Spikes has sacked Jeramiah Masoli twice, and forced a fumble on Duck running back LeGarrette Blount. Florida lead 13-3 going into the half.

The Senior, Brandon James of Florida, returns the opening half kickoff for a touchdown, to put Florida up 20-3. The Gators put it in cruise control the rest of the game and win 27-6. The Gators hold the high-powered Duck offense to 242 total yards and four turnovers. Urban Meyer calls it Florida's best defensive performance of the season.

No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners vs No. 7 Penn St. Nittany Lions

Two storied programs, two greats teams, one coaching legend in Joe Paterno of Penn St., and one future coaching legend in Bob Stoops of the Sooners. This looks like one great quarterfinal football game.

QB Daryll Clark of the Nittany Lions opens the game leading an 82-yard picture perfect opening drive. Evan Royster has 38 yards rushing on the drive. WR Graham Zug catches a 15 yard TD pass from Clark, and the Lions stun the Sooners 7-0.

That just made the Sooners mad. QB Sam Bradford went to work the rest of the half throwing two TD's to TE Jermaine Gresham. The Sooners take the halftime lead 21-7.

Penn State move to the power running game in the second half, hoping to keep the Sooner offense off the field. The strategy works. Penn State holds the ball for 11 minutes in the third qtr, and add touchdown and FG to be down only 21-17 with 15 minutes left to go.

Sam Bradford adds a touchdown taking it in himself from the two yard line, and then the Sooner defense takes over. Sooners advance with a 28-17 victory.

No. 3 USC Trojans vs No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide

This one is a contrast in styles. The slick pro-style offense of USC Trojans versus the rugged physical style of SEC power Alabama.

QB Aaron Corp has fully recovered from pre-season bruised left knee, threw for over 3,100 yards in 2009, but hasn't seen many linebackers like Alabama's Rolando McClain who sacks Corp three times in the first half.

Alabama WR Julio Jones has stretched the USC defense to the tune of 77 first half pass catching yards and two touchdowns. The Trojans are shell-shocked as the Crimson Tide have taken to the air and lead going into the half 17-7.

USC coach Pete Carroll settles the troops, and Corp throws a 51-yard TD strike to WR Damian Williams on the opening drive to cut the lead to 17-14. The Tide add a FG, but begin to wilt under the Trojans relentless offensive attack. USC running back Joe McKnight adds a 10-yard rushing touchdown, and Damian Williams adds another score. USC on to the next round in a hard fought 28-20 victory.

No. 4 Texas Longhorns vs No. 12 Boise St. Broncos

Boise St. knocked off another Big 12 team once upon time, and gets another shot against the Longhorns.

Colt McCoy throws two touchdowns in the first half, and RB Cody Johnson adds another as the Longhorns score 24 first half points. The Longhorns can't quite shake the Broncos though. Bronco QB Kellen Moore is having the best playoffs of any QB so far completing 68 percent of passes. He throws three touchdowns in the first half, and the Broncos are down only 24-21 when the 3rd qtr begins.

Bronco senior CB Kyle Wilson picks off McCoy and returns it to the Longhorn 15 yard line. The Broncos score on their play and take the lead 28-24.

The offensive explosion continues, and Boise St. get the ball back on their own 28 with the Texas up 42-41 and 67 seconds left.

No fake plays this time. Moore calmly drives the Broncos to the Longhorn 11, and with four seconds left JR Kicker Kyle Brotzman nails a 28-yarder. Boise St. wins 44-42!

Stories comparing the Broncos to the 1980 U.S. Hockey team and the 1985 Villanova National Championship basketball run start appearing all over the country. Bring on the Gators!