NCAA Football Tournament of Champions 1996-2010 from Whatifsports.com

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With the NFL in a state of flux and college football still a few months away, Whatifsports.com wanted to provide a fix for fans craving football. We've teamed up with FOXSports.com and created "The Champs are Here: NCAA Football Tournament of Champions 1996-2010."

Using our college football simulation engine, we simulated each matchup 2,001 times. The team with the higher winning percentage advanced in our bracket. We'll unveil the simulation results round-by-round over the next four weeks until a champion in crowned.

For more information about our tournament simulation, be sure to check out this Beyond the Boxscore article.

Round 1 Recaps 

Miami (FL) 2001 vs Nebraska 1997

It does not matter whether you are oozing hyperbole about the quality of a cheeseburger or hyping your favorite college football team, the claim "best ever" makes it a target for scrutiny. Like Uncle Jo-Jo's ground sirloin special, the 2001 Miami Hurricanes crack every "best college football team ever" top-10 list. 

Larry Coker's squad was loaded with future NFL talent that included Ken Dorsey at quarterback, Clinton Portis and Willis McGahee at running back, Andre Johnson at wide receiver, Jeremy Shockey at tight end and Ed Reed on defense. 

Miami beat Nebraska 37-14 in the Rose Bowl championship showdown to secure their fifth national title in 19 seasons. 

In 1997, Nebraska and Michigan shared the national championship. Michigan earned the Associated Press' praise, and the Cornhuskers received the respect of the coaches. Both programs punched a ticket to this Tournament of Champions, but Tom Osborne's final team at Nebraska ranked 16th in our tourney seeding simulation. 

The Cornhuskers averaged 5.5 rushing touchdowns per game in 1997, led by running backs Ahman Green and Correll Buckhalter, fullback Joel Makovicka and quarterback Scott Frost. They dropped 77 points on Iowa State in the 10th game of the season. Seven weeks later, they beat third-ranked Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. The Bowl Championship Series made its debut the following season. 

Simulation recap 

Kris Brown's 43-yard field goal in the first quarter was the calm before the storm. Miami took Nebraska's 3-0 lead and rocked it like a hurricane. Portis, Johnson and Kevin Beard touchdowns started the Hurricanes' scoreboard surge. The Cornhuskers failed to counter the offensive assault and were dealt a 45-13 beat-down. 

Dorsey finished 20 of 32 for 323 yards and two touchdowns. Miami's running back tandem of Portis and McGahee combined for four touchdowns and 152 yards rushing. 

Green led Nebraska's offense with 118 yards on the ground, but he did not punch his way into the end zone as the Huskers head home. 

Winning Percentage of 2,001: Miami-FL 97.2 percent - Nebraska 2.8 percent

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Oklahoma 2000 vs Florida 1996

Love him or hate him, a college football Tournament of Champions wouldn't be the same if we forgot to invite the ol' ball coach. Steve Spurrier's 1996 Gators were led by Heisman Trophy recipient Danny Wuerffel. The quarterback was surrounded by future NFL wide receiver Ike Hilliard and running back Fred Taylor. 

The Gators' only loss of the 1996 regular season came at the hands of rival Florida State, but Spurrier got his revenge in the Sugar Bowl by blasting the Seminoles 52-20 to win the national title. 

Oklahoma's Bob Stoops was in his second season with the Sooners in 2000, but he was also Florida's defensive coordinator in 1996. The Stoops vs. Stoops dynamic is what makes Whatifsports.com's college football simulations so unique. Like their first-round opponent, the Sooners beat Florida State to win their national championship. That completed an unblemished 13-0 season. Oklahoma upset then-top-ranked Nebraska during the regular season. The championship season was accomplished with few star players. Current Sooners co-offensive coordinator, Josh Heupel, was at quarterback. 

Simulation recap 

The Sooners and Gators were knotted 10-10 at halftime. Oklahoma's Quentin Griffin and Florida's Terry Jackson supplied the first-half touchdowns. Then Florida had back-to-back scores to kick-start the third quarter. Taylor punched in a five yard touchdown on his team's first possession. Next, Wuerffel hit Reidel Anthony on a 74-yard touchdown pass. The Gators' 24-10 lead created enough space for them to cruise the rest of the game, which they won 31-20. 

Wuerffel passed for two touchdowns and more than 300 yards. Griffin led the Sooners with 68 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. 

Winning Percentage of 2,001: Florida 70.0 percent - Oklahoma 30.0 percent

To see more 1st Round results, make sure to check out Whatifsports.com