Simulating Auburn's 2020 season: LSU

Day 102 without Auburn sports: I rummaged up a copy of NCAA Football 14 for the 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 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.

• Bo Nix finds Anthony Schwartz wide open along the sideline for a diving conversion on third-and-long.

• Nix hits a slant to Seth Williams to convert another first down, another throw down the sideline to Schwartz, then a touchdown pass on a slant to Schwartz. Nix goes 5-for-7 with 74 yards and a touchdown. 7-0 Auburn.

• LSU's offense resembles last year's spread setup, only with Myles Brennan at quarterback. LSU receivers make some good plays to get into Auburn territory.

• LSU is forced into a fourth-and-3, which they convert on the ground with John Emery Jr.

• Auburn corner Roger McCreary gets into the backfield on third down for a 3-yard loss, forcing a field goal. 7-3 Auburn.

• Nix is zeroed in on Schwartz, who has five catches for 81 yards and a score in the first quarter.

• The QB rifles a deep shot to Eli Stove on third-and-12, getting Auburn inside LSU's 15. Nix is on fire, playing up to a big opponent like he did against virtual Georgia.

• Auburn stalls in the red zone. 10-3 Auburn.

• Auburn forces a quick three-and-out, then its offense punts in LSU territory.

• Brennan is smacked by K.J. Britt as the quarterback releases the ball. It's a scoop-and-score touchdown by Tyrone Truesdell, but replay deems Brennan's knee was down before fumbling. Still, Auburn forces another three-and-out.

• Nix gets Auburn across the 50 again, but the run game is stagnant, evident in D.J. Williams getting stopped on fourth-and-2 inside LSU's 30 for a turnover on downs.

• Brennan finds Jacob Palmer behind Zion Puckett in single coverage, with no safety on the back end. 62-yard touchdown. 10-10.

• Nix is hit as he throws on the run, but he still hits a 32-yard completion to a wide-open Schwartz.

• The Schwartz connection is downright unstoppable in the first half. 36-yard touchdown. 17-10 Auburn.

• Brennan finds another wide-open target in Ja'Marr Chase for 51 yards and a score. Jamien Sherwood had a busted coverage. 17-17.

• Chandler Wooten forces a fumble while hitting Brennan in the backfield. Devan Barrett recovers, but it's ruled the QB's knee was down again. It's another three-and-out, though.

• Schwartz reaches 10 catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns.

• Nix is running well, reeling off a 20-yard scramble. LSU gets a stop on its own side of the field, but Patrick Markwalter pins LSU at its 1-yard line with his best punt of the season.

• LSU goes three-and-out again and punts from its own end zone.

• After starting at LSU's 43, Nix works Auburn into the red zone and finishes with a 7-yard rushing touchdown. 24-17 Auburn.

• LSU's offense starts motoring for the first time in the second half, but Truesdell comes up with a sack on third-and-long to force a punt.

• Auburn moves into LSU territory with some good runs. Tank Bigsby is able to get in on third-and-goal. 31-17 Auburn.

• Myles Brennan fumbles for the third time in the game and it's picked up by Big Kat Bryant, but again he's ruled down after replay review.

• Sherwood redeems his earlier busted coverage with an interception, essentially icing a win for Auburn.

• Bigsby scores again from 3 yards out. 38-17 Auburn.

• Brennan chugs LSU along with less than 2 minutes remaining. He converts on fourth down, but facing a fourth-and-10 in the red zone, Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe shoots through for a sack.

• Auburn kneels out the clock on its first win over LSU since 2016.

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TOTAL YARDS

Auburn: 483

LSU: 389

PASSING YARDS

Auburn: 348

LSU: 309

RUSHING YARDS

Auburn: 135

LSU: 80

THIRD DOWNS

Auburn: 10-of-14

LSU: 7-of-17

TURNOVERS

Auburn: 0

LSU: 1

PASSING

B. Nix (AU): 33-for-42, 348 yards, 2 TDs

M. Brennan (LSU): 22-for-35, 309 yards, 2 TDs, INT

RUSHING

T. Bigsby (AU): 16 carries, 60 yards, 2 TDs

B. Nix (AU): 12 carries, 58 yards, TD

D. Williams (AU): 4 carries, 17 yards

J. Emery Jr. (LSU): 16 carries, 63 yards

J. Thomas (LSU): 1 carry, 14 yards

T. Carter (LSU): 2 carries, 7 yards

M. Brennan (LSU): 10 carries, 0 yards

T. Davis-Price (LSU): 2 carries, -5 yards

RECEIVING

A. Schwartz (AU): 10 catches, 175 yards, 2 TDs

J. Shenker (AU): 6 catches, 59 yards

E. Stove (AU): 4 catches, 47 yards

S. Jackson (AU): 4 catches, 21 yards

T. Bigsby (AU): 3 catches, 15 yards

D. Williams (AU): 4 catches, 12 yards

S. Williams (AU): 1 catch, 11 yards

H. Joiner (AU): 2 catches, 8 yards

J. Chase (LSU): 8 catches, 89 yards, TD

T. Palmer (LSU): 4 catches, 77 yards, TD

R. McCath (LSU): 2 catches, 41 yards

J. Emery Jr. (LSU): 4 catches, 32 yards

T. Marshall (LSU): 3 catches, 28 yards

K. Boutte (LSU): 2 catches, 23 yards

T. Davis-Price (LSU): 2 catches, 10 yards

A. Gilbert (LSU): 1 catch, 9 yards

AUBURN DEFENSE

O. Pappoe (AU): 6 tackles, 2 TFLs, sack

K. Britt (AU): 8 tackles

J. Sherwood (AU): 3 tackles, INT, PBU

D. Newkirk (AU): 3 tackles, 2 sacks

R. McCreary (AU): 4 tackles, TFL

EAST

1. ** Florida (10-1, 7-1 SEC) def. New Mexico State

2. Georgia (9-2, 6-2 SEC) def. Kentucky

3. Tennessee (7-4, 4-3 SEC) def. Troy

4. Missouri (6-5, 2-4 SEC) def. Louisiana

5. Kentucky (5-6, 2-6 SEC) loses to Georgia

6. Vanderbilt (2-9, 1-6 SEC) loses to Louisiana Tech

7. South Carolina (4-7, 1-7 SEC) def. Wofford

** Clinched SEC East

WEST

1. Alabama (11-0, 7-0 SEC) def. Texas A&M

2. Auburn (10-1, 6-1 SEC) def. LSU

3. Texas A&M (8-3, 4-3 SEC) loses to Alabama

4. LSU (7-4, 4-3 SEC) loses to Auburn

5. Mississippi State (8-3, 4-3 SEC) def. Alabama A&M

6. Arkansas (4-7, 1-6 SEC) def. Monroe

7. Ole Miss (4-7, 1-6 SEC) def. Georgia State

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