Filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket based on who would win in football

Round 2: East Region

The second round will feature some solid matchups, football-wise. The East Region actually has a few programs that could compete at the highest level. Who will punch their ticket to the Sweet 16?

No. 16 North Dakota State vs. No. 9 Central Florida

A battle of true underdogs takes place in the East Region’s second round as North Dakota State battles Central Florida for some national respect. North Dakota State is an FCS powerhouse and national titles are nothing new, but this is the FBS level and the style and speed of play is much different. Expect an exciting game, but in the end, Central Florida and McKenzie Milton will be too much to handle.

Final Score: North Dakota State 27, Central Florida 35

No. 5 Mississippi State vs. No. 4 Virginia Tech

Nick Fitzgerald didn’t quite have the year he was expecting, but neither did Josh Jackson and Virginia Tech. The Hokies were a nightmare all season long, failing to meet goals and looking like one of the worst teams in the ACC while Mississippi State played some of the nation’s toughest teams, including Alabama and Florida. Also, Montez Sweat will make life miserable for whoever Justin Fuente puts at quarterback.

Final Score: Mississippi State 24, Virginia Tech 13

No. 11 Temple vs. No. 3 LSU

Temple actually faced the team that LSU beat in the Fiesta Bowl, so we have a good idea of just how good the Owls are. They finished the season 8-5 with a bad loss to Villanova and a 52-40 defeat against the Central Florida Knights. This is one of the better non-Power Five conference teams in the football ranks, but LSU won’t have much of a problem with the Owls.

Final Score: Temple 13, LSU 34

No. 10 Minnesota vs. No. 2 Michigan State

Michigan State hasn’t made the Sweet 16 in basketball in three seasons, but if you put the football team in this bracket against other football programs, that might change. The Spartans got a nice draw with Bradley in round one and then Minnesota in round two. Michigan State has shown it can beat Minnesota regularly and a healthy Brian Lewerke would get his rhythm back against the Gophers defense.

Final Score: Minnesota 10, Michigan State 24