Gene Ross
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Life in Simulation: EA CFB 25 predicts Ohio State vs. Iowa
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
The virtual Buckeyes take on the virtual Hawkeyes in Week 6.
College football finally returned to the virtual world in 2024 with the release of EA Sports College Football 25, allowing fans of all 134 FBS schools to take control of their favorite team. For Buckeye Nation, that means getting to dominate with one of the best rosters in the game,
The new game also allows us to get a glimpse at what the season could look like, at least if the computers had their say. Each week, Land-Grant Holy Land will simulate Ohio State’s real-life matchup to see what our AI overlords think will happen.
Here are the results of our Week 6 sim:
After a tight first half, Ohio State pulled away from Iowa in the second half to come away with a 35-10 victory and remain unbeaten. It was a big game for Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more. The Silver Bullets held the Hawkeyes under 100 yards rushing to keep them out of the end zone for most of the afternoon, and Ohio State recorded the game’s only takeaway.
Ohio State got on the board first with the only scoring play of the opening quarter — a 49-yard touchdown run by Howard on the Buckeyes’ first offensive series of the game. Iowa would answer in the second quarter when Leshon Williams punched it in on the goal line, but Howard struck again on the next drive with a 1-yard touchdown of his own. Drew Stevens knocked through a 33-yard field goal as time expired in the half, and Ohio State took a 14-10 lead into the break.
From there it was all Buckeyes. Emeka Egbuka hauled in a 33-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter, and a little while later Jelnai Thurman added on with a 16-yard touchdown catch. TreVeyon Henderson put a bow on things with a 38-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and Ohio State’s defense held Iowa scoreless over the final two quarters as it closed out an impressive 35-10 victory.
Howard’s final numbers didn’t jump off the page, but he was an efficient 12-of-17 passing for 143 yards and two touchdowns while adding 73 yards and two scores on the ground. It was a strong day for the Ohio State rushing attack overall, as the team finished with 273 yards rushing on 45 carries, good for 6.1 yards per attempt. Henderson led the way with 16 carries for 127 yards and a score, while Judkins ran it 16 times for 76 yards.
A quiet passing game for Howard meant a quiet receiving game for the wideouts — duh — as Egbuka’s two catches for 46 yards led the team. Carnell Tate caught three balls for 45 yards and Jeremiah Smith caught four passes for 26 yards, while Thurman’s 16-yard touchdowns was his lone reception of the afternoon.
Defensively, Cody Simon led the way with eight total tackles, followed by Tyler Bourne (J.T. Tuimoloau) with six and Caleb Downs with five. Tuimoloau recorded 2.5 sacks and two tackles for loss, while Jack Sawyer tallied 1.5 sacks and a TFL and Tyleik Williams had one of each as well. Keenan Nelson Jr., a sophomore safety transfer from South Carolina, apparently found his way into the game to snag the team’s lone takeaway on an interception. Jordan Hancock and Davison Igbinosun each had two pass breakups.
For Iowa, Cade McNamara did not have a great day at the office, completing 10 of his 32 pass attempts for 136 yards and a pick. Leshon Williams actually out-carried Kaleb Johnson nine to seven, and out-gained the star running back 76 to 43 while also scoring the Hawkeyes’ only touchdown. Seth Anderson was the team’s receiving leader with three catches for 42 yards.
Overall, Ohio State out-gained Iowa 422 to 263. Neither team was particularly good on third down, with the Buckeyes converting 7-of-14 chances and the Hawkeyes 3-of-13. Iowa also failed to convert on its lone fourth down attempt. Ohio State did not turn the ball over and only committed one penalty for 10 yards, compared to Iowa’s four penalties for 30 yards.
The virtual Buckeyes move to a perfect 5-0 on the year. Check back next week to see how Ohio State actually performed on the field compared to the simulation, and see how they fare in our big Week 7 simulation against Oregon.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
The virtual Buckeyes take on the virtual Hawkeyes in Week 6.
College football finally returned to the virtual world in 2024 with the release of EA Sports College Football 25, allowing fans of all 134 FBS schools to take control of their favorite team. For Buckeye Nation, that means getting to dominate with one of the best rosters in the game,
The new game also allows us to get a glimpse at what the season could look like, at least if the computers had their say. Each week, Land-Grant Holy Land will simulate Ohio State’s real-life matchup to see what our AI overlords think will happen.
Here are the results of our Week 6 sim:
Ohio State 35 - Iowa 10
After a tight first half, Ohio State pulled away from Iowa in the second half to come away with a 35-10 victory and remain unbeaten. It was a big game for Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more. The Silver Bullets held the Hawkeyes under 100 yards rushing to keep them out of the end zone for most of the afternoon, and Ohio State recorded the game’s only takeaway.
Ohio State got on the board first with the only scoring play of the opening quarter — a 49-yard touchdown run by Howard on the Buckeyes’ first offensive series of the game. Iowa would answer in the second quarter when Leshon Williams punched it in on the goal line, but Howard struck again on the next drive with a 1-yard touchdown of his own. Drew Stevens knocked through a 33-yard field goal as time expired in the half, and Ohio State took a 14-10 lead into the break.
From there it was all Buckeyes. Emeka Egbuka hauled in a 33-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter, and a little while later Jelnai Thurman added on with a 16-yard touchdown catch. TreVeyon Henderson put a bow on things with a 38-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and Ohio State’s defense held Iowa scoreless over the final two quarters as it closed out an impressive 35-10 victory.
Howard’s final numbers didn’t jump off the page, but he was an efficient 12-of-17 passing for 143 yards and two touchdowns while adding 73 yards and two scores on the ground. It was a strong day for the Ohio State rushing attack overall, as the team finished with 273 yards rushing on 45 carries, good for 6.1 yards per attempt. Henderson led the way with 16 carries for 127 yards and a score, while Judkins ran it 16 times for 76 yards.
A quiet passing game for Howard meant a quiet receiving game for the wideouts — duh — as Egbuka’s two catches for 46 yards led the team. Carnell Tate caught three balls for 45 yards and Jeremiah Smith caught four passes for 26 yards, while Thurman’s 16-yard touchdowns was his lone reception of the afternoon.
Defensively, Cody Simon led the way with eight total tackles, followed by Tyler Bourne (J.T. Tuimoloau) with six and Caleb Downs with five. Tuimoloau recorded 2.5 sacks and two tackles for loss, while Jack Sawyer tallied 1.5 sacks and a TFL and Tyleik Williams had one of each as well. Keenan Nelson Jr., a sophomore safety transfer from South Carolina, apparently found his way into the game to snag the team’s lone takeaway on an interception. Jordan Hancock and Davison Igbinosun each had two pass breakups.
For Iowa, Cade McNamara did not have a great day at the office, completing 10 of his 32 pass attempts for 136 yards and a pick. Leshon Williams actually out-carried Kaleb Johnson nine to seven, and out-gained the star running back 76 to 43 while also scoring the Hawkeyes’ only touchdown. Seth Anderson was the team’s receiving leader with three catches for 42 yards.
Overall, Ohio State out-gained Iowa 422 to 263. Neither team was particularly good on third down, with the Buckeyes converting 7-of-14 chances and the Hawkeyes 3-of-13. Iowa also failed to convert on its lone fourth down attempt. Ohio State did not turn the ball over and only committed one penalty for 10 yards, compared to Iowa’s four penalties for 30 yards.
The virtual Buckeyes move to a perfect 5-0 on the year. Check back next week to see how Ohio State actually performed on the field compared to the simulation, and see how they fare in our big Week 7 simulation against Oregon.
Continue reading...