College Football Playoff 2020: Simulating a 16-team bracket

16-team College Football Playoff first round: 7 Florida vs. 10 Iowa State

Just to put this to rest, the Florida Gators don’t remotely deserve to be in a four-team College Football Playoff field, no matter what head coach Dan Mullen has to say about the matter. Yes, they played double-digit games this season but they also ended the year with three losses. No matter who those losses came against, no three-loss team should be in the playoff.

While that may be true, it also shouldn’t diminish how good of a team Florida actually is. A three-loss season should disqualify them from CFP consideration but it’s also an underachieving mark for how good this team has looked at times throughout the year. Kyle Trask has led an explosive offense that could put a big number on any team in the country.

Iowa State is not capable of matching the type of offensive firepower that the Gators possess, no matter what you think about Brock Purdy. Having said that, the Cyclones don’t want to do that and would prefer to try and take Florida out of their element and force a low-scoring game that the Gators’ questionable defense might have trouble in.

Florida won’t be denied, however. Their offense simply has too much potency and too much experience to believe that Iowa State would be able to shut them down in a manner necessary to pull out a win. Subsequently, the No. 7 seed Gators advance.

Florida wins, 41-27