2 games into the Bowl Pool

 We are 2 games into the Bowl Season, so we have some results!!!!  A few comments on the games:  In the Myrtle Beach Bowl, it’s never a good sign when your QB is referred to by the announcers as a “turnover machine”.  Ohio was killing Georgia Southern at halftime.  It got a little closer in the second half, but was never really threatening to be a good game.

On the other hand, the Celebration Bowl didn’t let me down.  That was a pretty good game.  And it allowed us to crown a National Champion – it was the HBCU National Championship, but I’m pretty sure they get a trophy.  I was not at all confident that FAMU was going to win that game.  They were losing by 2 TDs early on.  I thought that we were going to see 2 straight upsets, but FAMU came all the way back to win.

So now we have people with points.  Only 31/69 people went 2/2 in these games.  4 people have yet to get on the board.  The rankings are a little strange.  Since everyone can assign whatever points they want on each game, being ahead or behind in points in mostly a byproduct of how much you wagered on these games.  So, I put out 2 sets of rankings.  The first one is purely based on points.  The tiebreaker is the number of points lost.  The second rankings are net points (points won – points lost).  This second ranking is a little better indicator of the health of your entry.  For example, If you split the first 2 game where you won 5 points on one game, but lost 25 on the other, your net points is 5 – 25 = -20.  That’s not good.

Here are the points rankings:

1. Larry G.: 58 (0)

2. Steve M. #2: 57 (0)

3. Sports Illustrated: 48 (0)

4. Mike S.: 46 (0)

5. CAAT #1: 43 (0)

5. CAAT #2: 43 (0)

5. CAAT #3: 43 (0)

5. CAAT #4: 43 (0)

5. CAAT #5: 43 (0)

10. Scott H. #1: 42 (0)

11. Scott H. #2: 38 (0)

12. Josaih T. #1: 37 (0)

13. Michelle L. #2: 36 (-24)

14. Matt N.: 35 (-30)

15. Sally R.: 34 (-1)

16. Hutch H. #1: 34 (-8)

16. Hutch H. #2: 34 (-8)

18. Kirt R.: 34 (-21)

19. Ally H.: 33 (0)

20. Steve M. #1: 31 (0)

21. Moochi the Man: 30 (0)

22. Mario M.: 29 (0)

23. Michelle L. #1: 29 (-15)

24. Jay H. #1: 27 (0)

25. Jason S.: 27 (-18)

26. Klei R.: 26 (0)

27. Amber the Beast: 26 (-13)

28. Jay H. #2: 26 (-24)

29. Daniel E.: 25 (-8)

30. Becky H.: 24 (-5)

31. Dennis R.: 23 (0)

32. Josaih T. #2: 23 (-14)

33. Marc R. #1: 22 (0)

33. Pete J. #1: 22 (0)

35. Max A. #1: 21 (0)

35. Max A. #2: 21 (0)

37. Charlotte N.: 21 (-15)

38. Tim N.: 19 (0)

39. Brett W.: 19 (-8)

40. Jon F.: 14 (-21)

41. Steve Dz.: 13 (-33)

42. Jim W.: 12 (0)

43. Mike N.: 12 (-1)

44. Andrew D.: 11 (0)

44. Carrie F.: 11 (0)

46. Mike W.: 11 (-1)

47. Adam E.: 10 (-2)

48. Faye N.: 10 (-16)

49. Matt Mal.: 10 (-30)

50. Damien R.: 9 (-16)

51. Ryan W.: 9 (-27)

52. Brian K.: 8 (-5)

53. Howard S.: 7 (-9)

54. Brad R.: 6 (0)

54. Eric G.: 6 (0)

56. Jaxon S.: 5 (0)

57. Dan Du.: 5 (-4)

58. Rich F.: 5 (-21)

59. Brent E. #2: 4 (-28)

59. Brent E. #3: 4 (-28)

61. Marc R. #2: 3 (0)

62. Henry A.: 2 (-1)

62. Paul Kr.: 2 (-1)

64. Matt Mei.: 1 (-15)

65. Slave to Trends: 1 (-28)

66. Jim D.: 0 (-11)

67. Brent E. #1: 0 (-21)

68. Pete J. #2: 0 (-22)

69. Brent E. #4: 0 (-48)

…and here are the net points:

1. Larry G.: 58

2. Steve M. #2: 57

3. Sports Illustrated: 48

4. Mike S.: 46

5. CAAT #1: 43

5. CAAT #2: 43

5. CAAT #3: 43

5. CAAT #4: 43

5. CAAT #5: 43

10. Scott H. #1: 42

11. Scott H. #2: 38

12. Josaih T. #1: 37

13. Sally R.: 33

13. Ally H.: 33

15. Steve M. #1: 31

16. Moochi the Man: 30

17. Mario M.: 29

18. Jay H. #1: 27

19. Hutch H. #1: 26

19. Hutch H. #2: 26

19. Klei R.: 26

22. Dennis R.: 23

23. Marc R. #1: 22

23. Pete J. #1: 22

25. Max A. #1: 21

25. Max A. #2: 21

27. Becky H.: 19

27. Tim N.: 19

29. Daniel E.: 17

30. Michelle L. #1: 14

31. Kirt R.: 13

31. Amber the Beast: 13

33. Michelle L. #2: 12

33. Jim W.: 12

35. Brett W.: 11

35. Mike N.: 11

35. Andrew D.: 11

35. Carrie F.: 11

39. Mike W.: 10

40. Jason S.: 9

40. Josaih T. #2: 9

42. Adam E.: 8

43. Charlotte N.: 6

43. Brad R.: 6

43. Eric G.: 6

46. Matt N.: 5

46. Jaxon S.: 5

48. Brian K.: 3

48. Marc R. #2: 3

50. Jay H. #2: 2

51. Dan Du.: 1

51. Henry A.: 1

51. Paul Kr.: 1

54. Howard S.: -2

55. Faye N.: -6

56. Jon F.: -7

56. Damien R.: -7

58. Jim D.: -11

59. Matt Mei.: -14

60. Rich F.: -16

61. Ryan W.: -18

62. Steve Dz.: -20

62. Matt Mal.: -20

64. Brent E. #1: -21

65. Pete J. #2: -22

66. Brent E. #2: -24

66. Brent E. #3: -24

68. Slave to Trends: -27

69. Brent E. #4: -48

Just like last year, I get to yell CAAAAAAAAT!!!!!  Since they are all over the top 10 to start the pool yet again.  Very consistent, CAAT.

Here are the details for the next 2 games:

New Orleans Bowl:

Vegas Line: Jacksonville State -2.5

Median Pick: Jacksonville State for 7 points.

Average Pick: Jacksonville State for 5.7 points

Picks for Jacksonville State: 49 (Average pick: 13.33 points)

Picks for Louisiana: 20 (Average picks: 12.85 points)

So, Jacksonville State seems to be the pick here.  They aren’t huge favorites, and you’d think the fact that they are playing against Louisiana in Louisiana would give people some pause, but maybe not.  I have t-shirts from both of these schools.  If you’ve read anything I’ve written over the years, you know I’m a big fan of the Ragin Cajuns as a mascot.  Jacksonville State’s t-shirt (at least the one I have) has no text on it saying it’s from Jacksonville State.  You kind of just have to know that’s what it is.  And what is it a picture of, you ask?  It’s a gamecock.  I think it’s kind of a stylized rooster.  It’s strange, to be honest.  I feel like I must have learned this at some point, but I keep forgetting and relearning it every year, but my assumption was that Jacksonville State was a Florida school.  It’s not.  It’s based in Jacksonville, Alabama.  I can’t remember ever hearing of that city.  It’s hard for me to imagine that this is the first time I learned that fact.  Seems like something that should stick with you.

As for the game itself, I’d like to say “who cares?” since it’s got the 2^nd lowest number of points wagered on it.  However, you know who cares?  The 4 people that have this game in their top 10.  This game might actually be the one that separates them from the field and gives them a victory when everything is over.  So, I guess I should pay at least some attention.

 

Cure Bowl:

Vegas Line: Appalachian State -6.5

Median Pick: Appalachian State for 7

Average Pick: Appalachian State for 9.2

Picks for Appalachian State: 43 (average pick: 21.14 points)

Picks for Miami(Ohio): 26 (average pick: 10.62 points)

I’m sure I make this same joke every year, but I think the visual is funny of Robert Smith playing the half time show or even being on the sidelines mingling with the teams during warm-ups, as if the band The Cure sponsored the bowl game.  It’s actually not.  It’s sponsored by Avocados from Mexico, which at least makes sone sense if you consider guacamole essential to football (which you can make a solid case for).  I know nothing about either of these schools as far as what they did this year.  I am kind of rooting for Maimi (Ohio) mostly out of allegiance to the MAC, but my sheet has Appalachian State for 14, so my head and my heart are going to have to duke it out for supremacy today.  Enjoy your avocados!!!

One last insider tip if you want to be strategic about who you root for in these games:  Compare who you picked vs. the median pick for that game.  For example, the median pick for the Cure Bowl is Appalachian State for 7 points.  If I have Appalachian State for 1 point, I am probably better off having them lose.  The reason is that other people in the pool will lose more than you.  The pool is decided by how many points you win, but if you can prevent other people from getting points, that’s almost as good.

Also, if you want to check your pool and keep score, the file is located here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VqEisZnmccS6ge3hcORt5fGcQ79h_Es9/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=115935305822530497124&rtpof=true&sd=true

Let me know if you find something I have incorrectly transcribed in there.