Sign in to follow this  
chowderhead9

BBCF 2015 and Beyond

Recommended Posts

I first picked up a copy of BBCF many years ago.  I really enjoyed the game and played it as often as family, work, and grad school demands permitted.  Fast forward to this past Holiday season and I found myself with some vacation time, good bowl games to watch, and an urge to start up BBCF again.  As a long-time member of the OOTP boards, I have been posting my ongoing "career" of leading the San Jose State Spartans . While I enjoy the OOTP game and its community, I didn't think it was appropriate for me to continue to post in a forum for what is sure to be at some-point an amazing FOF / OOTP collaboration. So with that said, I hope this community finds some enjoyment in following along with my San Jose State Spartans.

Capture.PNG

Edited by chowderhead9

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 minutes ago, chowderhead9 said:

I first picked up a copy of BBCF many years ago.  I really enjoyed the game and played it as often as family, work, and grad school demands permitted.  Fast forward to this past Holiday season and I found myself with some vacation time, good bowl games to watch, and an urge to start up BBCF again.  As a long-time member of the OOTP boards, I have been posting my ongoing "career" of leading the San Jose State Spartans. While I enjoy the OOTP game and its community, I didn't think it was appropriate for me to continue to post in a forum for what is sure to be at some-point an amazing FOF / OOTP collaboration. So with that said, I hope this community finds some enjoyment in following along with my San Jose State Spartans.

Looking forward to this! 


General Manager (GM) Games

email [email protected]
website | discord | youtube | reddit | twitch

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

As indicated above, I decided to take over the San Jose State Spartans and to see how far I can get with the team. While I don't expect to turn the Spartans into a national powerhouse, I am optimistic that I can get to a winning record and eventually parlay that into a coaching gig at a higher-rated school.

As you can see, the Spartans are not good. They have a "Very Low" prestige rating of 20, a "Recruit Rating" of #128 in the Nation, and are projected to finish last in the Mountain West conference. The team is young, so hopefully I can get a couple of wins this season and build some momentum going into the next few years. Time now to schedule some opponents.

Capture.PNG

Edited by chowderhead9

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Good news is the league schedule already had 8 games set for me. Bad news was that I still had to convince 4 other teams to play me. After several offers and simming a few weeks, I was finally able to fill out the schedule. In addition to the 8 in-conference games, I lined up the following out of conference games.

The Week 1 game has me traveling to take on Connecticut, a Week 3 game at home with South Alabama, a Week 14 game at Western Kentucky, and a Week 15 game at home against Coastal Carolina. Based on the current rankings and player projections of my team, I really doubt that I will be favored in any of the 4 non-conference games. My "Strength of Schedule" now sits at 123rd in the Nation. Not trying to sell the drama, but there is a fairly decent chance that I am going to have a lousy first year and it would not come as a total shock if I ended up going 0-12 on the season. And yes, the "Allow User to be Fired" setting is on. #herewego

Capture.PNG

Edited by chowderhead9

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Media Top 25 Preseason Poll

Same old story. The powerhouse teams are right where you would expect them to be -- Top 25 heading into the start of the season. The SEC has 4 teams in the Top 10; the Big Ten has 5 teams in the Top 20; and the Big 12 and Pac 12 each have 4 teams in the Top 25.

Looking over the list, the best match-up of Week 1 should be the #5 USC Trojans traveling to South Bend to take on the #14 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. This shouldn't come as a surprise, but my San Jose State Spartans did not receive any votes for the Top 25. #gofigure

Capture.PNG

Edited by chowderhead9

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Connecticut 21 --- San Jose State 14

Not really the way I wanted to start the season. Despite taking a 14-7 lead into the 4th quarter, the Spartans simply could not stop the Huskies from moving the ball at will in the final minutes of the game.

While the Spartans run game was effective (led by John Moreno's 135 rushing yards on 21 carries), the passing game was dismal. QB Tony Lima completed just 7 of 32 passing attempts for 118 yards, and was sacked 5 times.  Will need much better performance if he has any chance of staying the starting QB.

Because the Spartans struggled to consistently move the ball, punter David Edward was called upon 12 times, resulting in a 41.80 average (net 36.40). Something tells me that Edward is going to see a lot of action this year. #roughstart

Capture.PNG

Capture1.PNG

Edited by chowderhead9

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 1: Recap

The game between USC and Notre Dame did not disappoint. In the week's only match-up between ranked teams, the Trojans relied on the tenacious defensive play of linebacker Taylor Denning to stop the Fighting Irish and pull out a 24-19 road victory. Denning's performance (18 tackles, 5 sacks) earned him National defensive player of the week honors.

In the week's most lopsided game, the #8th ranked Clemson Tigers steamrolled Western Michigan 61-2, gaining 576 total yards and 7 TD's. On the other end of the spectrum, New Mexico State topped Appalachian State by the baseball-like score of 3-0.

Week 1 games are always good for generating big individual numbers. Top player performances are shown below.

Capture.PNG

Capture1.PNG

Capture2.PNG

Capture3.PNG

Capture4.PNG

Edited by chowderhead9

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 1: Media Top 25 Poll

With the exception of TCU (bye week) and Notre Dame (loss to then #5 USC), all Top 25 teams got the Week 1 victory. To be expected, Alabama remains at the top spot and likely will for most (if not all) of the season. #rolltide

Capture.PNG

Edited by chowderhead9

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 2: Recap

Week 2 featured 5 games between ranked teams. The top match-up saw the #3 ranked USC Trojans traveling to play the #6 ranked Auburn Tigers. While the teams traded field goals in the first half, USC was able to put a couple of drives together in the 3rd quarter to finally put the Trojans up for good; winning 20-13. Taylor Denning followed up on last week's great performance by adding 2 more sacks on his 10 tackle, 2 pass deflection day. Denning now has 7 sacks in just 2 games.

The blowout game of the week honors went to the 10th ranked Georgia Bulldogs as they annihilated the Arizona State Sun Devils 54-6. The upset of the week came when the #1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide blew a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter and lost to Rutgers 34-27. Bama just had no answer for the passing attack led by Peter Almeida that put up 343 passing yards and 4 TD's. #wowdidnotseethatcoming

Top player performances are shown below.

Capture.PNG

Capture2.PNG

Capture3.PNG

Capture4.PNG

Capture5.PNG

Edited by chowderhead9

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 2: Top 25 Media Poll

With their stunning loss, the Crimson Tide dropped from 1st to 6th in the media poll. With the top spot now up for grabs, the USC Trojans leapfrogged the Badgers to take over the #1 ranking. You've got to hand it to the Trojans, they did not shy away from a tough early-season schedule and their 2 wins against ranked opponents have them sitting in the cat-bird seat.

The biggest jump in the polls went to Oklahoma State (6 spots from #21 to #15) and Texas (also 6 spots from #26 to #20). Both Alabama (#1 to #6) and Auburn (#6 to #11) fell 5 spots in the polls.There are no ranked match-ups in Week 3.

Capture.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 3: Preview of South Alabama v. San Jose State

Week 3 is here and the Spartans (0-1) take on the South Alabama Jaguars (0-2) in front of the San Jose State faithful.

While I am hopeful the team can play well for the home crowd, the preview analysis expects the Jaguars to have the much better offense, and better special teams play. Their run game looks decent, have some speed at the WR position, and the defensive line is led by Earl Edwards whose 4 sacks currently leads the Sun Belt Conference.

We have been informed that 2-star rated WR Brett Saenz (207th best WR in the nation) accepted our invitation to visit the campus and see the Spartans in action.

Capture.PNG

Logo.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

San Jose State 13 --- South Alabama 10

It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win. For nearly 3 quarters, the Jaguars (0-3) kept the Spartans (1-1) off the scoreboard but you can only keep a good team down for so long; or that's at least what I've heard.

With 2:58 left in the 3rd quarter, Tony Lima connected with John Moreno on a two yard pass to bring the score to 10-7. The score stayed that way until the Spartans came up with a big 3rd down stop that forced the Jaguars to punt the ball with 4:37 left in the game. Over the next 3:43, Lima marched the Spartans down the field (going 4 for 6 for 48 yards) to get within field goal range. With 0:54 left on the clock, Neville Larry drilled a 34 yard filed goal to tie the score at 10-10.

Overtime: The Jaguars got the ball first, but consecutive penalties pushed them back to the 46 yard line. The 64 yard field goal attempt fell short, turning the ball over to the Spartans. With a few quick short passes and runs, the team got the ball down to the 9 yard line. A 27 yard chip-shot by Neville Larry gave San Jose State its first win of the season. #howsweetitis

Capture.PNG

Capture1.PNG

Edited by chowderhead9

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 3: Recap

The Week 3 schedule was pretty light in meaningful match-ups, as most teams were gearing up for the start of their Week 4 in-conference games. As such, there were no games between ranked teams this week.

The #1 ranked USC Trojans (3-0) took on the Kansas Jayhawks (0-2). The Trojans jumped out to a 24-0 lead at the half, a cruised to a 45-7 win. Star outside linebacker and All-American candidate Taylor Denning had, by his recent standards, a down week; totaling 6 tackles, 2 pass deflections, and 1 forced fumble.

The blowout game of the week honors went to the 14th ranked Miami Hurricanes as they crushed the Maryland Terrapins 68-3. The Canes cranked out 519 yards in total offense and 8 TD's. A close second went to the 11th ranked Washington Huskies as they walloped the Wyoming Cowboys 70-13, generating 558 total yards and 10 TD's.

Top player performances are shown below.

Capture.PNG

Capture1.PNG

Capture2.PNG

Capture3.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 3: Top 25 Media Poll

Very little movement in the rankings this week. In fact, the top 8 spots remained the same, led by the USC Trojans maintaining their hold on the #1 spot with their 45-7 win over the Kansas Jayhawks. The only move into the top-10 was The Ohio State Buckeyes who jumped from the #13 spot up to the #9 spot.

The biggest jump in the polls went to the Buckeyes (#13 to #9) and the Purdue Boilermakers (#29 to #25); each rising 4 spots. There are 2 ranked match-ups in the upcoming Week 4 schedule.

Capture.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 4: Preview of Nevada v. San Jose State

Week 4 finds the Nevada Wolf Pack (1-2) coming to town to take on the San Jose State Spartans (1-1). After last week's win, I am optimistic that the Spartans can put together a few solid quarters and keep this one close. While the preview analysis gives a slight edge to Nevada in the Offense and Special Teams categories, the overall edge surprisingly goes to the Spartans.

I am looking for a big game from Moreno, and to build on his 4.79 yards per carry average. I am worried about how well the Spartans' defense will be able to contain 3 1/2 star QB Thomas Ingram; currently leading the Wolf Pack in both passing and rushing (8.15 yards per carry). Ingram is an athletic, mobile QB who will unquestionably test the Spartans defense.

2-star rated CB Kenneth Knight (180th best CB in the nation) will be in attendance to see the Spartans in all their glory. Here's hoping the Spartans show up and play a strong game.

Capture.PNG

Capture1.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nevada 30 --- San Jose State 6

Not sure if the lackluster effort given during weekly practice simply carried over to game-day or maybe that the pre-game speech just wasn't motivational enough, but it was clear early on that the Spartans (1-2) were not prepared to win this game.

The Wolf Pack (2-2) led at every facet of the game, and dominated the time of possession 36:29 to 23:31. While the Spartans were largely able to control Nevada QB Thomas Ingram (18 for 37 for 218 passing yards & only 29 rushing yards), they had no answer for Keith Miller's 88 rushing yards and 2 TD's. Coming into the game, Miller had only amassed 62 rushing yards in the previous 3 games combined.

Nevada maintained a commanding 4th quarter 23-0 lead before San Jose State finally put a few points on the board. While RB John Moreno had a respectable 4.07 yards per carry average, the fact he was only given 14 touches meant that this was going to be a passing day for the Spartans. Unfortunately QB Tony Lima did not come through, going 21 for 42 (269 yards) with 2 first-half interceptions and getting sacked 5 times.

With a final score of 30-6, the Spartans dropped to 0-1 in the "West Division" of the Mountain West Conference.

Capture.PNG

Capture1.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 4: Recap

What a fun Week 4 schedule. While the #1 ranked USC Trojans were on a bye-week and #2 ranked Wisconsin Badgers obliterated the Tulane Green Wave 77-21, there was still plenty of action for all to enjoy.

The Game of the Week turned out to be a match-up between the visiting 27th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes taking on the 16th ranked Michigan State Spartans. With a 38-20 lead early in the 4th quarter, it looked like the Hawkeyes were going to easily finish off the Spartans. That is when 5-star QB Robert Wolford took over. He connected on a quick-strike touchdown passes with RB James Floyd, orchestrated a long drive that culminated in a short field goal, and then was leading another successful drive down the field when Wolford was sandwiched between two defenders and knocked out of the game. In stepped back-up QB James Nelson who maintained the momentum, and connected with Floyd on a short touchdown pass with just 0:02 left on the clock. With the score now 38-36, the Spartans attempted to complete the amazing comeback by going for the 2-point conversion. Sadly for the Michigan State faithful, Nelson's pass was intercepted in the endzone. When the onside kick proved unsuccessful, the surprisingly large contingent of visiting Hawkeye fans stormed the field to celebrate the 38-36 victory.

Other notable scores/performances included:

#7th ranked Clemson (4-0) topping the #19th ranked NC State (2-2) 28-20 despite QB Carson Street's 421 yards passing.
Army (3-1) thumping Air Force (2-2) 41-0 behind Robert Smith's 5 TD's.
Duke (4-0) remaining undefeated by easily beating Texas El-Paso (1-3) 37-6.
Northern Illinois (4-0) blanking Kent State 34-0.
Colby Breen (Northwestern) kicking 6 field goals and 5 extra-points in a 53-0 win over Rutgers.

Capture.PNG

Capture1.PNG

Capture2.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 4: Top 25 Media Poll

Another week of very little movement within the Top 25 poll. While a few of the teams shuffled a spot due to a bye-week, the point totals remained fairly consistent.

The biggest mover in this week's polls was Iowa, moving up 6 spots from #27 to #21 after their win over Michigan State. North Carolina State had the biggest drop among the ranked teams, falling 5 spots from #19 to #24. Purdue (then ranked #25) was the only team to drop out of the Top 25 after its loss to then #18 ranked Notre Dame.

There are 3 games next week between ranked teams, most notably #3 LSU traveling to take on the #12 Auburn Tigers. Should be a fun one to watch.

Capture.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 5: Preview of New Mexico v. San Jose State

Week 5 brings the New Mexico Lobos (1-3) to town to take on the San Jose State Spartans (1-2). Not really sure what to make of the pregame analysis as the Lobos have the advantage in Offense, Defense, and Special Teams, yet the Spartans are somehow favored overall.

After last week's beat-down by the Wolf Pack, the Spartans are looking to bounce back and put up a fight. If the team is going to have a chance, RB John Moreno (averaging 91.5 yards per game) will need to get more touches, and getting a solid game from QB Tony Lima is a must. It would also be nice if the team exercised some discipline and stop committing so many penalties.

The Lobos QB situation is interesting, as they have interchanged Week 1 and 2 starter Clarence Lanier (175 passing ypg, 51 rushing ypg) with Week 3 and 4 starter Steven Fleming (358 passing ypg) despite neither player being injured. Unsure of which QB they will start in this game. The Spartans defense will also need to keep an eye on RB Derrick Cantu who is averaging 4.83 YPC the last 3 games.

On the recruiting side of things, it appears that last week's blowout loss to the Wolf Pack has turned off any interested player from wanting to see the Spartans in action this week.

Capture.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

San Jose State 16 --- New Mexico 6

Well, it wasn't pretty but the Spartans (2-2) finally were able to mount some offense in the 4th quarter to pull out a victory over the visiting New Mexico Lobos (1-4).

The first 3+ quarters were nothing more than a battle of field goals. In fact, it was not until midway through the 4th quarter that San Jose State finally broke the 6-6 tie when QB Tony Lima (293 passing yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) completed a 5 yard TD pass to WR Lawrence Richardson. RB John Moreno saw more action today, rushing for 84 yards on 26 carries. The Spartans defense really came through today, holding the Lobos to just 224 total yards, forcing 3 fumbles, 1 interception, and 6 sacks.

With the victory, the Spartans moved to 1-1 in the "West Division" of the Mountain West Conference.

Capture.PNG

Capture2.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 5: Recap

Week 5 turned out some gems and it was another great week of college football. While USC and Wisconsin remained the top 2 teams in the Nation, there were several teams that put on a show for the voters.

In the Game of the Week, the #11th ranked (and undefeated) Washington Huskies traveled to Eugene take on the #31st ranked (3-1) Oregon Ducks. This one was a nail-bitter, as the game had five lead changes; including two in the final minutes of the 4th quarter. In the end, the Ducks pulled out the 25-24 victory through the outstanding play of RB Phillip Begay (142 yards rushing, 60 receiving yards, and 3 TD's). It should not be overlooked that RB Richard Cherry (Washington Huskies) rushed for 156 yards and 2 TD's in the loss.

Other notable games/performances include:

Memphis Tigers (5-0) remained undefeated with a 41-34 win over SMU.
QB Paul Almeida (Rutgers) and QB Angel Stubbs (Nebraska) combined for 920 passing yards in a game won by the Scarlet Knights.
Mississippi State (5-0) topped Alabama (2-2) 24-20 leaving the Crimson Tide faithful to wonder just how this season might end up.
Stanford RB Samuel Cooper rushed for 216 yards and now leads the Nation with 1,031 yards.
Auburn (3-1) beat LSU (4-1) 27-15, meaning the SEC title is up for grabs this year.

Capture.PNG

Capture2.PNG

Capture3.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 5: Top 25 Media Poll

While the Top 2 spots remained the same, there were several changes in the Top 25 this week. The biggest mover in this week's poll was the Oregon Ducks, moving up 11 spots from #31 to #20 after their big win over the Washington Huskies. Also noteworthy was Auburn moving up 9 spots (#12 to #3) and Mississippi State rising 8 spots (#13 to #5).

Oklahoma had the biggest drop among the ranked teams, falling 6 spots from #4 to #10. NC State (then ranked #24) was the only team to drop out of the Top 25 after its loss to Syracuse.

There are 4 games next week between ranked teams, most notably #5 Mississippi State traveling to take on the #7 LSU Tigers. The French Quarter will no doubt be geared up for this match-up.

Capture.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Grey Dog Championship Series Rankings

The first Grey Dog Champion Series ranking is out and the USC Trojans are at the top of the list. Penn State, Wisconsin, Mississippi State, and Clemson round out the top 5, and remain close in the chase. Following these top teams, the gap really starts to separate -- it will take some big wins and surprising losses to shake things up in the poll.

Admittedly, I am a little surprised to see Alabama  (with a 2-2 record) ranked 13th in the poll; I believe that Oregon will finish in the Top 8 by the final poll; and love seeing a "basketball school" Duke in the Top 25.

Capture.PNG

Edited by chowderhead9

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Mountain West Conference Standings

A quick look at the Mountain West Conference standings:

In the Mountain Division, Boise State has a high-potent offense (currently a +104 point differential) and is dominating the competition. The team is led by senior QB William Harris (1598 passing yards, 15 TD's, and 3 INT's), along with the RB duo of James Brown (451 rushing yards, 4.85 YPC, 3 TD's) and Michael Webster (333 rushing yards, 5.37 YPC, 2 TD's). I fully expect the Broncos to cruise to the MWC title and maybe even crack the Top 25 by the end of the season.

In the West Division, it will likely come down to San Diego State (having the better defense led by senior OLB Edward Jones: 48 tackles (39 solo), 5 QB hurries, 6 stuffs, a pass deflection, and 7 sacks) or Fresno State (having the better offense led by sophomore RB Michael Carson: 638 rushing yards, 4.91 YPC, 4 TD's). I really don't see any other team being able to challenge here.

With 2 wins already on the season, I am optimistic that the Spartans can double that amount by the end of the year. If so, it will have surpassed the sadly low expectations I had for the team. #FingersCrossed.

Capture.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Week 6: Preview of San Jose State v. Fresno State

Week 6 sees the Spartans (2-2) traveling for their first road game, taking on the Fresno State Bulldogs (3-2). Unlike the past few games, the pregame analysis this week is not sending any mixed messages. The Bulldogs are the clear and dominate favorite in this match-up!

Fresno State comes into the game ranked 32nd in the Nation on offense (419.2 YPG), and ranked 34th in the Nation on defense (allowing 327.4 YPG). Put differently, the Bulldogs are averaging 105 YPG more on offense & giving up 12 YPG less on defense than the Spartans. If San Jose State is going to have any chance, they must find a way to stop RB Michael Carlson (638 rushing yards, 4.91 YPC, 4 TD's); currently the 7th leading rusher in the Nation. The Spartans will need a big game from RB John Moreno (366 rushing yards, 4.21 YPC) and QB Tony Lima (QB rating of 97.6). But really, who am I kidding --- this is going to be brutal.

Lastly for you degenerate gamblers out there looking for some action, the Vegas line has the Bulldogs at -12. Good luck...

Capture.PNG

Capture2.PNG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create a GM profile or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create a GM profile

Sign up for a GM profile in our community. It's free & easy!

Create a GM profile

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.