Simulating Auburn's 2020 season: Bowl game, season stats

Day 103 without Auburn sports: I rummaged up a copy of NCAA Football 14 for Xbox 360, downloaded 2020 rosters for every team, set up the schedule, and simulated Auburn's entire 2020 football season — because, at this point, why not?

Video-game depictions of sporting events have become common during the pandemic, and fans seem to eat it up. Look at Barstool Sports' NCAA 14 series, for example, which netted more than 125,000 viewers during a national championship playthrough earlier this month.

But our usage of the game will differ slightly. Here are the ground rules, for those who missed the first installment. In short, I don't touch the controller; I let the CPU simulate the game how it will.

Onto the games.

• Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan starts 4-for-4 passing on the Badgers' opening drive.

• Christian Tutt makes a good play in the open field on third down just outside the red zone to force a Wisconsin field goal. 3-0 Wisconsin.

• Bo Nix opens with two incompletions and a sack as Auburn quickly goes three-and-out.

• Coan again is on the money into Auburn territory, avoiding pressure and making quick decisions across the field.

• Running back Nakia Watson breaks the tackle of Zakoby McClain and scores on a short touchdown reception. 10-0 Wisconsin.

• Tank Bigsby is hit from the side on a third-down carry and fumbles. Defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk scoops it up and scores a 32-yard defensive touchdown. 17-0 Wisconsin.

• Bigsby gets a few first downs for Auburn on the ground before the Tigers fail on another third down and punt.

• Auburn finally forces a punt as Derick Hall sacks Coan after just one first down.

• Bigsby is running hard for Auburn, breaking tackles at the line of scrimmage and looking to punish defenders at the second level. He's up to 75 yards early in the second quarter.

• After a good run by Shaun Shivers, Nix finds Seth Williams on the near sideline for 31 yards into Wisconsin's red zone.

• Bigsby redeems his earlier fumble and scores on a goal-to-go situation. 17-7 Wisconsin.

• The teams trade punts until Auburn has the ball with 45 seconds left.

• Auburn gets across midfield, but Nix can't find anyone in the end zone on a Hail Mary try before the break.

• D.J. Williams comes up short on third-and-2 as Auburn again punts to open the second half.

• Following a good punt return, the Badgers strike quickly with a series of chunk plays. Coan throws his second touchdown to extend Wisconsin's lead. 24-7 Wisconsin.

• Bigsby surpasses 100 yards as the Tigers lean on their ground game.

• On a play action pass, Nix finds Eli Stove with a step on his defender for a 51-yard score. 24-14 Wisconsin.

• Coan continues his standout afternoon with another string of effective passes into Auburn territory.

• But on a first-and-goal at Auburn's 9-yard line, K.J. Britt comes up with a fumble forced by Big Kat Bryant on Badgers tailback Isaac Guerendo.

• Auburn passes midfield with its rushing attack.

• Nix finds Seth Williams on a slant for a first down, then the big receiver breaks a safety's tackle for a 29-yard touchdown. 24-21 Wisconsin.

• Wisconsin takes up clock on the ground but ultimately can't complete a third-down pass attempt at Auburn's 38-yard line.

• Badgers coach Paul Chryst elects to go for it on fourth-and-5, and Coan is pressured out of the pocket and can't hook up with his receiver on the sideline.

• Auburn gets to a third-and-2 but can't convert, punting with under 3 minutes left.

• Wisconsin passes midfield but has to punt at Auburn's 47-yard line. The Tigers start at their own 8 with 1:30 left.

• After a first down, Nix launches to a wide open Stove behind the defense. He breaks two tackles for a 60-yard completion all the way to Wisconsin's 22-yard line.

• Nix picks up a fourth-and-2 with his legs to get Auburn inside the 10.

• Two plays later, Auburn dials up a pass, and Nix finds Anthony Schwartz on a slant for a 6-yard touchdown, giving the Tigers the lead with 28 seconds left in the game. 28-24 Auburn.

• Coan is sacked by Daquan Newkirk, and Wisconsin has one play left after a timeout, with 82 yards in front of it.

• The Hail Mary is completed in a crowd of receivers, but Badgers wideout Kendric Pryor is tackled on the spot by Smoke Monday at Auburn's 48-yard line. Ballgame.

TOTAL YARDS

Auburn: 460

Wisconsin: 404

PASSING YARDS

Auburn: 242

Wisconsin: 332

RUSHING YARDS

Auburn: 218

Wisconsin: 72

THIRD DOWNS

Auburn: 8-of-17

Wisconsin: 7-of-18

TURNOVERS

Auburn: 1

Wisconsin: 1

PASSING

B. Nix (AU): 16-for-30, 242 yards, 3 TDs

J. Coan (WISC): 28-for-42, 332 yards, 2 TDs

RUSHING

T. Bigsby (AU): 19 carries, 149 yards, TD, lost fumble

S. Shivers (AU): 6 carries, 29 yards

B. Nix (AU): 10 carries, 26 yards

D. Williams (AU): 6 carries, 9 yards

E. Stove (AU): 2 carries, 5 yards

N. Watson (WISC): 13 carries, 45 yards

I. Guerendo (WISC): 5 carries, 20 yards

G. Groshek (WISC): 1 carry, 3 yards

J. Coan (WISC): 5 carries, 4 yards, lost fumble

RECEIVING

E. Stove (AU): 8 catches, 148 yards, TD

S. Williams (AU) 3 catches, 52 yards, TD

J. Shenker (AU): 1 catch, 17 yards

A. Schwartz (AU): 2 catches, 11 yards, TD

T. Bigsby (AU): 1 catch, 10 yards

S. Shivers (AU): 1 catch, 4 yards

K. Pryor (WISC): 8 catches, 108 yards, TD

D. Davis (WISC): 4 catches, 80 yards

J. Dunn (WISC): 6 catches, 51 yards

N. Watson (WISC): 5 catches, 43 yards, TD

J. Ferguson (WISC): 3 catches, 35 yards

M. Stokke (WISC): 1 catch, 8 yards

G. Groshek (WISC): 1 catch, 7 yards

AUBURN DEFENSE

B. Bryant (AU): 6 tackles, 2 TFLs, sack, forced fumble

K. Britt (AU): 9 tackles, TFL, PBU

S. Monday (AU): 6 tackles, 2 PBUs

D. Newkirk (AU): 4 tackles, sack

D. Hall (AU): 3 tackles, sack

PASSING

Bo Nix: 3,242 yards (66%), 21 touchdowns, 14 interceptions

RUSHING YARDS

1. Tank Bigsby: 674 yards

T-2. D.J. Williams: 620 yards

T-2. Bo Nix: 620 yards

4. Shaun Shivers: 337 yards

5. Mark-Antony Richards: 99 yards

RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS

1. Tank Bigsby: 8 TDs

T-2. D.J. Williams: 6 TDs

T-2. Bo Nix: 6 TDs

4. Shaun Shivers: 4 TDs

5. Mark-Antony Richards: 1 TD

RECEPTIONS

1. Eli Stove: 59 receptions

2. John Samuel Shenker: 54 receptions

3. Seth Williams: 43 receptions

4. Anthony Schwartz: 40 receptions

5. D.J. Williams: 30 receptions

RECEIVING YARDS

1. Anthony Schwartz: 793 yards

2. Eli Stove: 758 yards

3. Seth Williams: 752 yards

4. John Samuel Shenker: 461 yards

5. D.J. Williams: 151 yards

RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS

1. Seth Williams: 8 TDs

2. Anthony Schwartz: 6 TDs

3. Eli Stove: 3 TDs

T-4. John Samuel Shenker: 1 TD

T-4. Shaun Shivers: 1 TD

TACKLES

T-1. Owen Pappoe: 91 tackles

T-1. K.J. Britt: 91 tackles

3. Jamien Sherwood: 73 tackles

4. Roger McCreary: 56 tackles

5. Christian Tutt: 51 tackles

SACKS

1. Derick Hall: 13 sacks

2. Daquan Newkirk: 8 sacks

3. Tyrone Truesdell: 6 sacks

4. Owen Pappoe: 4 sacks

5. Coynis Miller: 3 sacks

INTERCEPTIONS

T-1. Christian Tutt: 6 interceptions

T-1. Jamien Sherwood: 6 interceptions

3. Roger McCreary: 4 interceptions

T-4. Smoke Monday: 1 interception

T-4. Owen Pappoe 1 interception

Week 1: Auburn 63, Alcorn State 7

Week 2: Auburn 24, North Carolina 22

Week 3: Auburn 21, Ole Miss 18

Week 4: Auburn 43, Southern Miss 20

Week 5: Auburn 34, Kentucky 13

Week 6: Auburn 27, Georgia 20

Week 7: Auburn 44, Texas A&M 17

Week 9: Miss State 34, Auburn 29

Week 10: Auburn 69, Arkansas 36

Week 11: Auburn 30, UMass 17

Week 12: Auburn 38, LSU 17

Week 13: Alabama 34, Auburn 13

Bowl season (Outback Bowl): Auburn 28, Wisconsin 24

ACC: Clemson

Big 12: Texas

Big Ten: Ohio State

Pac-12: Oregon

SEC: Florida

American: UCF

Conference USA: Western Kentucky

MAC: Buffalo

Mountain West: Boise State

Sun Belt: Georgia Southern

SEMIFINALS

No. 1 Ohio State def. No. 4 Texas (Rose Bowl Game)

No. 2 Clemson def. No. 3 Florida (Sugar Bowl)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Ohio State 42, Clemson 31