TUSCALOOSA, AL - NOVEMBER 19: Running back Trent Richardson #3 of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs with the ball during the game against the Georgia Southern Eagles at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 19, 2011 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
Say, here's a 64-team college football tournament bracket. We can call it December Delirium! Also, what might it look like if we include FCS teams?
'Round this time every year, college football people tend to talk up what fun it would be to get to fill out (non-FCS) playoff brackets for our fair sport as well. This leads to that point in the week at which everybody comes up with a 16-team bracket based on the previous season, which is kind of fun. There's also picking the basketball bracket based entirely on each school's football program, which is way more fun.
So here's a 64-team bracket, which would mean about a month and a half of postseason college football. That sounds crazy! But it's pretty much what we already have now, with conference championship games beginning in early December the the title game not until some ugly date in January. So kindly give us a 32-team bracket and we'll call it even.
Here's what a 2011-2012 college football bracket could've looked like, based on F/+ ratings -- those do take bowl game performances into account, so ... so they're even better! Rub your eyes twice, as, yes, this bracket includes Northwestern:
South Region
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 16 Washington
No. 8 Miami vs. No. 9 Kansas State
No. 5 TCU vs. No. 12 Georgia Tech
No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 North Carolina
No. 6 Temple vs. No. 11 Arizona State
No. 3 Stanford vs. No. 14 Ohio
No. 7 Missouri vs. No. 10 South Florida
No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 15 Tennessee
Midwest Region
No. 1 LSU vs. No. 16 Nevada
No. 8 Penn State vs. No. 9 Rutgers
No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 Pittsburgh
No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 13 Northern Illinois
No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Iowa
No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 SMU
No. 7 Nebraska vs. No. 10 Louisiana Tech
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Arkansas State
East Region
No. 1 Oklahoma State vs. No. 16 Illinois
No. 8 Florida vs. No. 9 Tulsa
No. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Vanderbilt
No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Western Michigan
No. 6 Virginia Tech vs. No. 11 Mississippi State
No. 3 USC vs. No. 14 Utah
No. 7 Cincinnati vs. No. 10 Ohio State
No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 15 Northwestern
West Region
No. 1 Boise State vs. No. 16 UConn
No. 8 Baylor vs. No. 9 Clemson
No. 5 Southern Miss vs. No. 12 California
No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 13 Auburn
No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Louisville
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 14 Central Florida
No. 7 Toledo vs. No. 10 BYU
No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 15 Florida International
Intrigue abounds, from Clemson's defense trying to stop Robert Griffin III to Cincy and the Buckeyes battling for Ohio to a 1999 BCS championship rematch to West Virginians and Iowans boggling at each other's offenses before finding kinship in a deep, deep bottle. Upset alerts include UNC vs. Texas A&M, Auburn vs. Notre Dame, and Cal vs. Southern Miss, who lost to UAB. Also, absolutely nobody wants to play Kansas State.
Now let's really get crazy! March Madness includes teams from conferences you've never heard of all throughout Division I. Just for funsies, here's what our bracket could look like if the field could include teams currently in FCS, since they are indeed Division I programs. This would mean replacing lower-tier FBS teams with FCS conference champions, like so -- it would also mean bumping North Carolina (and not MAC champ Northern Illinois) to ensure the Sun Belt champs, Arkansas State, make it in:
South Region
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 16 Stony Brook
No. 8 Miami vs. No. 9 Kansas State
No. 5 TCU vs. No. 12 Georgia Tech
No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Arkansas State
No. 6 Temple vs. No. 11 Arizona State
No. 3 Stanford vs. No. 14 Towson
No. 7 Missouri vs. No. 10 South Florida
No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 15 Jackson State
Midwest Region
No. 1 LSU vs. No. 16 Duquesne
No. 8 Penn State vs. No. 9 Rutgers
No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 Pittsburgh
No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 13 Northern Illinois
No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Iowa
No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 Lehigh
No. 7 Nebraska vs. No. 10 Louisiana Tech
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Tennessee Tech
East Region
No. 1 Oklahoma State vs. No. 16 San Diego
No. 8 Florida vs. No. 9 Tulsa
No. 5 Texas vs. No. 12 Vanderbilt
No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Georgia Southern
No. 6 Virginia Tech vs. No. 11 Mississippi State
No. 3 USC vs. No. 14 Montana
No. 7 Cincinnati vs. No. 10 Ohio State
No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 15 Norfolk State
West Region
No. 1 Boise State vs. No. 16 Harvard
No. 8 Baylor vs. No. 9 Clemson
No. 5 Southern Miss vs. No. 12 California
No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 13 Sam Houston State
No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Louisville
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 14 North Dakota State
No. 7 Toledo vs. No. 10 BYU
No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 15 North Dakota
This one is kind of more fun, and rewards higher seeds even more while making sure every conference in the country has rooting interests in at least one game. These could get competitive, too -- if Georgia Southern can run on Alabama, surely it can run on Arkansas.
Also, Michigan's playing an FCS team in Round 1, and we all know how exciting that can be.
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