VOTE! Who would win the 1996 CFP?

[OrangeAfroMan]

December 5, 1996 - the regular season is over and these are the 4 playoff teams.  Who wins it all?
1 FSU vs 4 Ohio St
2 Arizona St vs 3 Florida
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#1 FSU, 11-0, ACC Champions
9th in scoring offense
5th in scoring defense
13th strength of schedule
Bobby Bowden's Seminoles were in the top 3 all season.  They shut out #11 UNC and won comfortably @ #6 Miami before a close win over #14 Virginia.  #25 Southern Miss gave them no trouble and they finished the regular season beating #1 Florida by 3, taking over the top spot for themselves.
The FSU offense was good/not great.  Let mostly by RB Dunn's rushing (1100+ yds, 12 TD).  QB Busby spread the ball around to 4 WRs, with no one getting big stats.  Busby had an average season, mostly because the offense didn't have to do much in order to win.
The defense was all-time great in '96.  Teams could not run or pass.  QBs completed only 45% of their passes.  FSU gave up only 59 yards per game on the ground.  Five opponents could only muster single-digit scores.  Only two managed 20+ points, but both lost anyway.
The strength of the special teams was PR Feaster, with 2 TD returns, kicker Bentley hitting 89% of his FGs, and punter Liss' 44.5 yard average.
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#2 Arizona St, 11-0, Pac-10 Champions
4th in scoring offense
20th in scoring defense
39th in strength of schedule
The most unlikely of the playoff participants, ASU began the year ranked 20th.  But they opened everyone's eyes after a shutout win over #1 Nebraska in September.  However, that would be the last and only ranked team the Sun Devils would face in 1996.
The Sun Devils offense was great, scoring 40+ points eight times in eleven games.  It was balanced, too, averaging 244 passing and 249 rushing yards per game.  QB Plummer used an efficient passing season (23 TD, 9 INT) and scrambling ability to keep the chains moving.  RB Battle got his 1,000 yards thanks to a 6.5 ypc average.  Plummer's top target was WR Poole, with 850 yds and 11 TD.  
The ASU defense held 5 teams to single-digit scoring.  Led by the pass-rushing of DE Rodgers and tackling/ball-hawking of LB Tillman, they held teams to under 100 yards rushing on average and only 46% completion percentage.
RB Battle doubled as a great KR as well, at over 31 per return and 2 TD.  Kicker Nycz made only 69% of FG attempts.
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#3 Florida, 11-1, SEC Champions
1st in scoring offense
14th in scoring defense
17th in strength of schedule
The Gators' perfect season ended on the road in their 1 vs 2 matchup vs rival FSU.  Florida had easy victories in their other four games vs ranked teams:  at #2 Tennessee, #12 LSU, #16 Auburn, and #11 Alabama in the SECCG.  
The offense was splendid, scoring 40+ points nine times on the season.  Known as a passing team, the top 2 RB (Williams and Taylor) both averaged 6+ ypc.  Heisman-winner QB Wuerffel had another great season, with 39 TD passes, 18 of which went to WR Anthony.  WRs Hilliard and Green gave Wuerffel plenty of talented targets (19 TDs between them).
The defense allowed just 45% completion percentage from opponents and just over 100 yds rushing per game.  They held half the teams they played to 2 TDs or less.  
The Gators had a good returner in Green (2 TDs) and strong punting, but made only 10 of 18 FGs on the season.
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#4 Ohio St, 10-1, Big Ten Co-Champions
8th in scoring offense
2nd in scoring defense
3rd in strength of schedule
OSU's perfect season also ended to a rival at the end of the regular season, vs #21 Michigan.  The Buckeyes faced three other ranked teams, and won them all by double-digits:  at #5 ND, #4 Penn St, and at #20 Iowa.  
The offense began the year with back-to-back 70-point games and scored 40+ in three others.  OSU utilized a 2-QB system, with athletic Jackson and passer Germaine.  Both had good TD/INT ratios, with Germaine being the more efficient passer.  Both also handed off to RB Pearson, to the tune of 1400+ yards and 17 TD.  Their main targets through the air was WR Stanley (800+ yds, 8 TD) and WR Boston (450 yds, 7 TD).
The strength of this team was the defense.  It held five teams to single-digit scoring and only allowed 13 in it's only loss.  They picked off 21 passes, returning 2 for TDs.  CB Springs didn't have any of those, but virtually shut down his half of the field.
The Buckeyes had good returners and punting, but inconsistent FG kicking.
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Award Winning Players Involved:
QB Danny Wuerffel, Florida (Heisman, Camp, Maxwell, Unitas, O'Brien, All-American)
S   Lawrence Wright, Florida (Thorpe)
OT Orlando Pace, OSU (Outland, Lombardi, AA)
HC Bruce Snyder ASU (Coach of the Year)
WR Reidel Anthony, Florida (AA)
WR Ike Hilliard, Florida (AA)
OT Juan Roque, Arizona St (AA)
DE Peter Boulware, FSU (AA)
DE Derrick Rodgers, Arizona St (AA)
DE Mike Vrabel, OSU (AA)
DE Reinard Wilson, FSU (AA)
CB Shawn Springs, OSU (AA)

[Brutus Buckeye]

It wouldn't have been the Wolverines. 

[ELA]

Pair of upsets in the first round, since one win wouldn't have given Cooper a title, he waits and loses to the Gators in the title game.

[OrangeAfroMan]

I didn't realize what a great season FSU DE Reinard Wilson had in 1996.  Boulware got all the pub, with his 19 sacks, but Wilson led the team with 105 tackles, 22 for loss, including 13.5 sacks.  Wow.

Also, FSU's allowing 1.6 yards per carry on the season.  Sick.

[FearlessF]

#2 Arizona St, 11-0, Pac-10 Champions
4th in scoring offense???? - is this correct?
20th in scoring defense

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Noles win it all

[OrangeAfroMan]

#2 Arizona St, 11-0, Pac-10 Champions
4th in scoring offense???? - is this correct?
20th in scoring defense

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Noles win it all

Yes, 40.7 points per game...4th.

[OrangeAfroMan]

Pair of upsets in the first round, since one win wouldn't have given Cooper a title, he waits and loses to the Gators in the title game.

I know you're going by seed, but Florida would've been favored vs ASU.  

[Cincydawg]

t will be interesting over time to see how often 1 beats 4 and 2 beats 3.  My guess is it will be something like 70% and 55%.

[fezzador]

I know you're going by seed, but Florida would've been favored vs ASU.  

Under the current playoff system, the lower seed is regularly favored in Vegas.  I'm pretty sure #4 Bama was favored in both playoff games last year.

In fact, I think they were dogs maybe two or three times in their past 100 games.  Crazy stat.

[medinabuckeye1]

Pair of upsets in the first round, since one win wouldn't have given Cooper a title, he waits and loses to the Gators in the title game.

Same thought, same reason.  

[Cincydawg]

I think the last two times Bama was not favored was against Georgia, and Bama won both.  I was at the game in Athens in 2012 or so where Bama ran out to a 31-0 halftime lead.  Maybe it was earlier than that,  I think Stafford and Moreno were on that underacheiving team that started the year at #1.

That weekend Atlanta was OUT OF GASOLINE, for 60 miles around, every station was out.  I found a station in Jefferson, GA that had lines, I was at a quarter tank, managed to get a full fill.  Once I got into TN there was plenty of gas.  Apparently there was a scare and everyone filled up their tank and the stations ran out.

I learned that the total capacity of gas tanks in all of the cars in some area vastly exceeds the supply at all the gas stations in an area.

[ELA]

I think the last two times Bama was not favored was against Georgia, and Bama won both.  I was at the game in Athens in 2012 or so where Bama ran out to a 31-0 halftime lead.  Maybe it was earlier than that,  I think Stafford and Moreno were on that underacheiving team that started the year at #1.

Heh, yeah, their last year in Athens was 2008.  Time flies.  Was that the "they're dressing for their funeral" game?

[Cincydawg]

Yup, the infamous "Black Out" that Richt would try to get the team up.  It worked against Auburn.  The crowd was psyched, but just about everything in the first half went wrong for the offense.  2008.  Seems like only a decade back to me.

Ended up 41-30 I think, which sounds more respectable than it was.

All Bama needs to beat UGA is to bring in their backup QB.

[ALA2262]

Heh, yeah, their last year in Athens was 2008.  Time flies.  Was that the "they're dressing for their funeral" game?

Bama also played UGA in Athens in 2015. In fact, the last FIVE times they have played have all been in the State of Georgia. All won by Bama!