Simulating Auburn's 2020 season: Alabama

Day 102 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.

• Auburn tight end John Samuel Shenker catches three passes on the game's first six plays as Auburn moves down to Alabama's 35-yard line.

• D.J. Williams' 22-yard run breaks the Tigers inside the 10, then the sophomore tailback scores from 3 yards out. It's a 10-play, 69-yard opening series for Auburn. 7-0 Auburn.

• Big Kat Bryant gets a hit on Najee Harris in the backfield on third down for a three-and-out and a punt from the Crimson Tide.

• Bo Nix starts scrambling well against Alabama's defensive front. Auburn can't convert on third down after starting 3-for-3, and it settles for a field goal. 10-0 Auburn.

• Alabama quarterback Mac Jones starts heating up, connecting with a variety of receivers for chunks plays down the field.

• Harris scores in the red zone. 10-7 Auburn.

• Nix is looking for Shenker so much because Alabama's defense is in his face almost immediately, and he has to look short to get the ball out quickly. Auburn goes three-and-out.

• Harris is starting to cook for the Tide on the ground.

• Jones throws a short touchdown pass to dash a short-lived Auburn lead. 14-10 Alabama.

• Nix finds Seth Williams on the run but it's dropped, and the Tigers go three-and-out again.

• Jones converts a third-and-19 by hitting Jaylen Waddle for a long touchdown down the sideline. 21-10 Alabama.

• Nix moves Auburn past midfield but again can't get a completion on third down. Anders Carlson hits from long range. 21-13 Alabama.

• Harris picks up steam again for Alabama, not going down on the first or second hit on every run. But Tyrone Truesdell hits Jones as he throws on third down for the incompletion and a punt.

• Auburn goes three-and-out, with no semblance of a run game. Patrick Markwalter booms a nice punt, but Waddle still returns it 30 yards.

• Former 5-star running back Trey Sanders is starting to get work in for Alabama, but Auburn gets a stop for a short field goal. 24-13 Alabama.

• There's an incredible amount of pressure each play on Nix, who throws an interception over the middle to safety Daniel Wright. Alabama has it at Auburn's 44-yard line with 14 seconds in the half.

• Waddle is picking up right where he left off in last year's Iron Bowl, making spectacular plays in all facets of his game, like the catch below.

• But Christian Tutt gets an interception in the end zone before halftime, stepping in front of Devonta Smith and keeping the Tide off the board.

• Auburn forces an Alabama punt out of halftime.

• Williams can't get a yard for Auburn on third-and-1. The Tigers started 3-for-3 on third downs and have since missed on eight straight.

• But Alabama does the same as Sanders is stopped on third-and-1 for a punt.

• Jones is having an excellent night minus the interception. He finishes off Alabama's next drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to John Metchie III as he continues to pick his spots in Auburn's secondary. 31-13 Alabama.

• Nix is running well for Auburn but can't hit any targets on third down.

• Metchie III fumbles and Derick Hall recovers for Auburn, but it's ruled the Alabama receiver's knee was down as he was breaking tackles on a short slant.

• Auburn defensive tackle Coynis Miller gets a sack near the goal line to prevent another touchdown. 34-13 Alabama.

• Nix is coming up empty against Alabama's pressure, but he finally gets a third-down completion to Shenker.

• Auburn is now stringing together a decent drive. They go for it on fourth down and convert inside Alabama's 15 with a completion to Tyler Fromm.

• But Nix is intercepted in the end zone by Patrick Surtain.

• Alabama keeps things on the ground to wind the clock. This simulation is easily the worst Auburn's offense has been this season.

• Auburn gets the ball back with just under a minute left. A few good throws to Eli Stove have the Tigers across the 50, but there's not enough time to score any consolation points.

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TOTAL YARDS

Auburn: 348

Alabama: 439

PASSING YARDS

Auburn: 184

Alabama: 361

RUSHING YARDS

Auburn: 164

Alabama: 78

THIRD DOWN

Auburn: 6-of-17

Alabama: 7-of-14

TURNOVERS

Auburn: 2

Alabama: 1

PASSING

B. Nix (AU): 24-for-41, 184 yards, 2 INTs

M. Jones (ALA): 26-for-32, 361 yards, 3 TDs, INT

RUSHING

B. Nix (AU): 15 carries, 57 yards

D. Williams (AU): 7 carries, 48 yards

T. Bigsby (AU): 11 carries, 45 yards

M. Richards (AU): 1 carry, 10 yards

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

T. Sanders (ALA): 12 carries, 50 yards

N. Harris (ALA): 10 carries, 45 yards, TD

B. Robinson Jr. (ALA): 4 carries, 9 yards

J. McClellan (ALA): 1 carry, 2 yards

M. Jones (ALA): 5 carries, -28 yards

RECEIVING

J. Shenker (AU): 11 catches, 87 yards

E. Stove (AU): 5 catches, 44 yards

T. Fromm (AU): 2 catches, 20 yards

T. Bigsby (AU): 2 catches, 16 yards

S. Shivers (AU): 3 catches, 5 yards

M. Richards (AU): 1 catch, 2 yards

J. Waddle (ALA): 3 catches, 100 yards, TD

J. Metchie III (ALA): 6 catches, 74 yards, TD

C. Tucker (ALA): 6 catches, 59 yards, TD

X. Williams (ALA): 4 catches, 32 yards

D. Smith (ALA): 3 catches, 28 yards

T. Sanders (ALA): 1 catch, 26 yards, TD

S. Bolden (ALA): 1 catch, 20 yards

B. Robinson Jr. (ALA): 1 catch, 13 yards

N. Harris (ALA): 1 catch, 9 yards

AUBURN DEFENSE

O. Pappoe (AU): 12 tackles, 2 TFLs, sack, PBU

S. Monday (AU): 5 tackles, 2 TFLS, sack, PBU

C. Tutt (AU): 3 tackles, INT, PBU

D. Hall (AU): 4 tackles, 2 TFLs, sack

K. Britt (AU): 8 tackles, TFL

EAST

1. ** Florida (11-1, 7-1 SEC) def. Florida State

2. Georgia (10-2, 6-2 SEC) def. Georgia Tech

3. Tennessee (8-4, 5-3 SEC) def. Vanderbilt

4. Missouri (7-5, 3-5 SEC) def. Arkansas

5. Kentucky (5-7, 2-6 SEC) loses to Louisville

6. South Carolina (4-8, 1-7 SEC) loses to Clemson

7. Vanderbilt (2-10, 1-7 SEC) loses to Tennessee

** Clinched SEC East

WEST

1. ** Alabama (12-0, 8-0 SEC) def. Auburn

2. Auburn (10-2, 6-2 SEC) loses to Alabama

3. LSU (8-4, 5-3 SEC) def. Texas A&M

4. Mississippi State (9-3, 5-3 SEC) def. Ole Miss

5. Texas A&M (8-4, 4-4 SEC) loses to LSU

6. Arkansas (4-8, 1-7 SEC) loses to Missouri

7. Ole Miss (4-8, 1-7 SEC) loses to Miss State

** Clinched SEC West

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