Fernando Mendoza Welcome To Las Vegas

[Sold My Soul]

Call your shot....or add your own.

Dante Moore:

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Dante-Moore-QB-UCLA

Fernando Mendoza:

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Fer ... California

May the football godz look kindly down upon the feeble and inept.

[Willmark]

just looked up the wiki, so the 75 Steelers, with the Steel Curtain Defense, beat the College All Stars 21-14, a pretty close game it seems, yet some don't think the 2001 Hurricanes (which was basically a college all star team), wouldn't beat one of the worst teams in NFL history?

Interesting.

What were the results overall, as in every time it was played?

Inrestsing.

[Willmark]

He is running it for the 456th time. Eventually you will get the results you want

It doesn’t take much. Generally speaking pick whichever one want and run it. The best chance was the 2019 LSU team but even then 91% chance they lose.

Now is it 100% the be all, end all? No but along with the trend of the College All Star game vs the NFL the trend is clear.

[Corleone]

Details are in the link above. From 64 on the NFL went 13-0. Early on there was much more parity.

Also, you never posted your results of running the 2025 Raiders vs the 2001 Hurricanes.

Here's Gemini:

The Simulation: Allegiant Stadium
First Half: The Talent Shock
The game starts with a physical shock. Ashton Jeanty, the Raiders' rookie phenom, finds immediate success. While the Miami defense is full of future legends, Vince Wilfork is only a sophomore and hasn't reached his 325-lb NFL playing weight yet. The Raiders' offensive line, though mediocre by NFL standards, is 4–5 years older and significantly stronger than the Miami front seven.

However, Miami's speed is blinding. Ken Dorsey leans on Jeremy Shockey, who creates a mismatch against a declining Jamal Adams. Andre Johnson beats Eric Stokes for a 40-yard touchdown, proving his Hall of Fame talent was evident even at 20.

Halftime Score: Raiders 17, Hurricanes 14.

Second Half: The "Pro" Factor
This is where the simulation shifts. In the third quarter, the Raiders' depth and specialized conditioning take over.

The Trenches: The Raiders' defensive line—led by Tyree Wilson—starts to bully the Hurricanes' interior. Ken Dorsey, a "pure" college pocket passer, struggles under the relentless pressure of an NFL scheme he hasn't seen before.

The Secondary: While Ed Reed and Sean Taylor are arguably the greatest safety duo in history, they are playing a "read and react" college style. Geno Smith uses veteran eye manipulation to freeze Reed, hitting Tyler Lockett on a deep post.

Physicality: The Hurricanes' roster has 38 future draft picks, but many of them (like Frank Gore and Willis McGahee) are still teenagers. The Raiders' roster consists of 25-to-30-year-old men who have spent years in NFL weight rooms.

The Final Drive
Miami trails by 6. Ed Reed makes a signature play, intercepting Kenny Pickett (who entered for an injured Geno) at the 20-yard line. Dorsey leads a frantic drive, but on 4th and Goal, the size difference of the Raiders' defensive front stops Clinton Portis at the 1-yard line.

Final Score
2025 Las Vegas Raiders: 31 2001 Miami Hurricanes: 24

The Verdict
The 2001 Hurricanes are the most talented college team ever, and they would likely keep it close because the 2025 Raiders (sans Crosby and Bowers) are historically weak. However, the "Old Man Strength" and technical refinement of an NFL roster—even a bad one—almost always trump a college team. The Raiders win, but they leave the field knowing they just played a team with more future Hall of Famers than their own.

Here's Grok:

The 2025 Las Vegas Raiders finished the season with a dismal 2-14 record, ranking last in the NFL in points scored (14.2 per game) and near the bottom in points allowed (26.3 per game). Their active roster (as of January 2026, post-season) excludes key players like DE Maxx Crosby and TE Brock Bowers (both on injured reserve), along with others like OT Kolton Miller. This leaves them with a patchwork lineup featuring veteran QB Geno Smith, RB Raheem Mostert, WR Tyler Lockett, TE Michael Mayer, DE Tyree Wilson, and LB Devin White as notable contributors. The offense relies on aging vets and rookies like RB Ashton Jeanty, while the defense is led by players like DT Adam Butler and CB Eric Stokes. Overall, it's a weak, injury-riddled pro team.

The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are widely regarded as one of the greatest college football teams ever, going 12-0, winning the BCS National Championship with a 37-14 Rose Bowl victory over Nebraska, and outscoring opponents 512-117 (42.6-9.75 per game). Their roster was loaded with future NFL talent, including 38 draftees (17 first-rounders) who amassed 43 Pro Bowl appearances. Key players: QB Ken Dorsey, RBs Clinton Portis/Frank Gore/Willis McGahee/Najeh Davenport, WR Andre Johnson, TE Jeremy Shockey/Kellen Winslow II, OL Bryant McKinnie/Vernon Carey, DL Vince Wilfork/Jerome McDougle, LBs Jonathan Vilma/D.J. Williams, DBs Ed Reed/Sean Taylor/Phillip Buchanon/Antrel Rolle. Their defense was elite, leading the nation in scoring defense, pass defense, and turnover margin.

Expert opinions overwhelmingly agree that even an elite college team like this Miami squad couldn't beat any NFL team, even a bad one, due to the pro level's superior size, speed, experience, and depth. However, given the Raiders' poor performance and missing stars, this hypothetical matchup could be closer than usual.

Game Simulation
I ran a Python-based simulation modeling a full game, assigning ratings based on historical performance (Raiders: weak NFL offense/defense; Miami: elite college, adjusted downward ~15% to account for pro vs. college gap). Each team gets ~12 drives (3 per quarter), with scoring probabilities for TDs/FGs based on offense vs. defense matchups, plus rare safeties. Here's the box score from one simulation run:
Quarter
Raiders
Miami Hurricanes
Q1
0
7
Q2
3
17
Q3
3
10
Q4
0
10
Final
6
44


The 2001 Miami Hurricanes dominate with their superior talent overwhelming the depleted Raiders, winning 44-6. Miami's offense racks up consistent scores against the Raiders' leaky defense, while their own defense stifles Las Vegas' limited attack. In reality, the pros would likely flip this result, but in this sim—factoring in the Raiders' woes—it goes to the 'Canes! If we ran 100 sims, Miami might win ~60% based on these ratings, but adjusting for a bigger pro advantage could swing it back.

[Attyla]

Do I think the 2008 Lions would have beat the 2001 Hurricanes? f[raiders_icon]ck yea, and it would have been closer but it would have been 2 score win

[Corleone]

to be fair, here's chatgpt (they favor nfl)

Talent comparison (position by position)
Trenches (this decides the game)
This is where reality hits.
Raiders OL (no stars)


NFL size, NFL strength, NFL technique


Even bad NFL linemen are facing grown men every week


Miami DL (2001)


Insane talent for college:


Vince Wilfork (not yet NFL Wilfork)


Jerome McDougle


William Joseph




BUT:


19–21 years old


Lighter, slower reaction speed, less refined hand usage




Edge: Raiders, clearly
Miami does not dominate the line the way people imagine.

Raiders offense vs Miami defense
QB


Raiders: NFL backup-level QB


Miami: Elite college defenders, but college coverage rules and spacing


NFL QBs absolutely torch college secondaries if protected even modestly.
RB/WR


Raiders skill players are unremarkable, but:


Bigger


Faster in pads


Better route timing




Miami DBs


Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle, Phillip Buchanon


Phenomenal athletes — but still college processing speed


Result:


Raiders sustain drives


Not explosive, but consistent


Think 5–7 yards per play



Miami offense vs Raiders defense
This is where Miami struggles more than people expect.
Miami OL


Good college OL


Not NFL-caliber depth or size


Raiders DL (even without stars)


NFL rotational linemen


Stronger, better gap discipline


Ken Dorsey


Very good college QB


Limited arm by NFL standards


Windows close much faster


Skill players


Ed Reed, Clinton Portis, McGahee, Andre Johnson


Absolute studs — but:


Timing disrupted


Hits are much harder


Pass rush speed is a shock




Result:


Miami can score


But drives are harder to sustain


Turnovers become a problem



Conditioning & depth (huge)


Raiders: 53-man NFL roster, used to 17 games


Miami: College conditioning, fewer rotations, shorter games


By mid-3rd quarter, the Hurricanes are gassed.

Simulation outcome (100-game mental sim)
If you ran this matchup 100 times under NFL rules:


Raiders win: ~75–80 games


Miami wins: ~20–25 games (usually via turnovers + explosive plays)


That surprises people, but it tracks with reality.

Single-game score prediction
Most likely outcome:
Raiders 31
Miami Hurricanes 20
Alternate Miami-favored chaos game:


Raiders throw early INTs


Miami hits 2 long plays


Miami wins something like 27–24


But that’s not the median outcome.

Key reality check
The worst NFL team is still:


Bigger


Stronger


Faster at processing


More disciplined


The 2001 Hurricanes would obliterate any college team today — but the NFL is a different sport.
If you want, next we can:


Flip it to college rules


Add Maxx Crosby back


Or compare Miami 2001 to the best modern college team instead

[DanKD]

Using AI slop to try and prove your point on either side is ridiculous.

[Corleone]

Using AI slop to try and prove your point on either side is ridiculous.

I really didn't want to, I was provoked into it to be fair.

[DanKD]

I really didn't want to, I was provoked into it to be fair.

Fair enough. Im not a fan of using ai for any argument.

[SkullCrusher]

just looked up the wiki, so the 75 Steelers, with the Steel Curtain Defense, beat the College All Stars 21-14, a pretty close game it seems, yet some don't think the 2001 Hurricanes (which was basically a college all star team), wouldn't beat one of the worst teams in NFL history?

Interesting.

I remember the last few and each year it was just getting more meaningless because of the same things we have today "For what?". Preseason style of play. It had really no juice when I started watching the NFL.

That game you mentioned could have been the worst weather game ever in the NFL, there was in some places over one foot of water on the field. There was a time out where they were questioning playing on, then the fans stormed the field, fights and more pursued, game cancelled and the series.

The Steel Curtain in normal conditions would have killed them definitely if it wasn't meaningless, they took out 2 starting QB's before half.

You would have to pay both sides big money for them to play this game for all it's worth. The leagues won't allow it as we know. It works in a world when nobody was making money.

[Cruisin with Tooz]

Whelp. Its looking like if we want Mendoza, we will have to get him the Smith Barney way.

[Cruisin with Tooz]

Fair enough. Im not a fan of using ai for any argument.

I asked AI who the most knowledgeable poster was. It said that you are.

[DanKD]

I asked AI who the most knowledgeable poster was. It said that you are.

See, AI is crap

[raiderboyron]

Fair enough. Im not a fan of using ai for any argument.

Shoot man. I use my artificial intelligence for every argument .

[Corleone]

Whelp. Its looking like if we want Mendoza, we will have to get him the Smith Barney way.

I think decent chance both NYG wins and we lose.

[Oaktownonly]

Shoot man. I use my artificial intelligence for every argument .

Does it work against the wife?

Asking for a friend.