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Anyone interested in a little CFB Game?

I'm thinking about doing a competition for College Football this year.

This is the format:

Straight up pick the winner. No point spread except in the Beat the Spread category.

TOP 25 - One game featuring two teams ranked in the Top 25 (10 pts if you are correct)

INTER CONFERENCE - One game featuring teams from two different Conferences (10 pts if you are correct)

INTRA CONFERENCE - One game featuring two teams from the same Conference (10 pts if you are correct)

RANDOM - One game featuring two teams that I picked randomly (10 pts if you are correct)

BEAT THE SPREAD - This will be a game that has a ridiculous gambling spread number. You predict Over/Under (10 pts if you are correct)

FCS GAME OF THE WEEK - One game featuring teams from the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) that I select. (10 pts if you are correct)

UNDERDOG WIN (OPTIONAL) - This is a Wild Card. You do not have to select this option as it has a high Risk/Reward factor. You have to select a team that is at least a 10 point underdog to win. If you are correct you will earn 50 points. If your team loses then you do as well - negative 50 points.

Each week I will post 6 choices: the Top 25, Intra Conference, Inter Conference, Random, Beat the Spread and FCS Game of the Week match ups. Your picks have to be in before the games start. If you decide to go for the Underdog Win (you do not have to, it is your choice) then you select whatever game you want and predict the winner. It does not have to be a game that I have chosen for the competition that week. When/If you decide to do that please post your prediction and the current point spread so that I can verify. If your Underdog wins then you get 50 points. If they lose then 50 points will be deducted from your score.

Base total you can accumulate per week would be 60 if you get all 6 picks correct. Depending on if you use the Underdog pick you could get 110. Or you could get all six picks right, your Underdog wrong, and end up with 10.

Starts back up in a few weeks, let me know if you are interested!

Sure. I'm in.

Let's do this!

Alright! Anybody else?

Yes, I know that technically college football started this weekend. However, I decided to wait until the REAL games started and that is this week!

Tomorrow I will post the first slate of games. Please have your picks in before the first game is played, usually Saturday morning.

Have fun!

Every selection is worth 10 points except for Underdog Win.

TOP 25 - #19 Penn State @ #12 Wisconsin

Inter Conference - Louisiana (Sun Belt) @ Texas (Big 12 - for now)

Intra Conference - University of North Carolina @ Virginia Tech (ACC)

Random - Marshall @ Navy

Beat the Spread - Wake Forest vs Old Dominion +31 (Do you think that Wake will win by 32 or more points? Yes/No)

FCS GotW - Howard Bison (MEAC) @ Richmond Spiders (CAA)

Underdog Win (Optional) - You can pick a team that is a 10 point or more underdog to win. If you are correct then you earn 50 points. If you lose then 50 points are deducted. If you use this option you have to post a link to show what the spread is so that I can verify it.

Picks have to be in before the first game starts on Saturday, September 4th at 12:00 EST. If you make your picks early and then want to change one or more you have until the deadline to do so. Please note EDIT if you do so.

Please let me know if I screw anything up! Wouldn't be unprecedented.

If any games are canceled or postponed for whatever reason then the selection will not count. If a game is canceled early enough I might be able to add a suitable replacement game. Hopefully we won't have to worry about it.

Good luck and have fun!

My Picks:

TOP 25 - Wisconsin

Inter Conference - Texas

Intra Conference - UNC (don't like the Tar Heels but don't like the Hokies more - sorry, Chip! )

Random - Navy

Beat the Spread - Wake Forest vs Old Dominion +31 (Do you think that Wake will win by 32 or more points? Yes/No) NO

FCS GotW - Richmond Spiders - gotta go hometown Richmond!

Underdog Win (Optional) - Not going to do this yet. Unless I see something interesting later this week...

UNC at VT is on Friday night.

(And technically, interconference and intraconference should be the other way around. "intra" is within)

Let's do this.

TOP 25 - #12 Wisconsin

Intra Conference - Texas

Inter Conference - Virginia Tech

Random - Navy

Beat the Spread - Wake Forest vs Old Dominion +31 (Do you think that Wake will win by 32 or more points? Yes/No) NO

FCS GotW - Richmond Spiders

Week 1 is always difficult because there's not a baseline, especially coming off the COVID season.

TOP 25 - #19 Penn State @ #12 Wisconsin
Kind of a tough one...Not a fan of PSU's coach and they did stink it up last year. But Wisconsin has been dodging VT for years, almost decades now. Seriously, back when I was in college, we scheduled a home-and-home with them that should have been played a couple years after I graduated. But that series has gotten kicked down the road so many times that by the time it gets played (if it doesn't get postponed again), at least one of my kids will be in college. Still, I like their mascot.

pick: Wisconsin

Intra Conference - Louisiana (Sun Belt) @ Texas (Big 12 - for now)
Not a tough one. Texas is already getting used to their future SEC life, playing a team from their cannon fodder conference.

pick: Texas

Inter Conference - University of North Carolina @ Virginia Tech (ACC)
Damn it, why did you have to put Tech in the first week of picks? Especially for a conference game? On the one hand, I hate UNCheat. Mack Brown should not be able to get the team that good that fast, and there's no way it's sustainable. But I honestly don't know what we're getting with VT this year. After the first year, Fuente hasn't been able to live up to expectations, although you could conceivably come up with an excuse for each season (injuries, locker room drama, COVID). I'm sick of the excuses, and would like to have a season where the team can go out there and play, win or lose, and there's no excuses or asterisks. Plus there's still that bad taste left over of the really awkward press conference that the AD called at the end of last season where everyone thought the coach was going to get fired, until he wasn't. So this is the make or break pick of this week's set. Ah, screw it . . .

pick: Virginia Tech

Random - Marshall @ Navy
Seems like a lot of question marks for Marshall. Navy limped out of the gate last year, but they should have tackled at practice this summer. And defending that triple option is a (banned).

pick: Navy

Beat the Spread - Wake Forest vs Old Dominion +31 (Do you think that Wake will win by 32 or more points? Yes/No)
Oh, hell no.

FCS GotW - Howard Bison (MEAC) @ Richmond Spiders (CAA)
Gotta go with the wife's team.

pick: Richmond

Underdog Win (Optional) - not this week. As I said above, too much uncertainty.

Somehow, despite knowing the difference and pledging to myself not to mix them up, I did anyway. It has been corrected.

Yup, also forgot that Tar Heels/Hokies was Friday night.



Don't worry buddy, I'll have a UVA game soon that you can pick against!

Stupid ODU....final score of the game was 42-10.

When I saw that this morning I freaking fell off the couch.

Congrats to your Hokies. Looks like they have a defense.

Results



Every selection is worth 10 points except for Underdog Win.

TOP 25 - #19 Penn State @ #12 Wisconsin - Penn State

Inter Conference - Louisiana (Sun Belt) @ Texas (Big 12 - for now) - Texas

Intra Conference - University of North Carolina @ Virginia Tech (ACC) - VA Tech

Random - Marshall @ Navy - Marshall

Beat the Spread - Wake Forest vs Old Dominion +31 (Do you think that Wake will win by 32 or more points? Yes/No) - YES They won by 32 points exactly.

FCS GotW - Howard Bison (MEAC) @ Richmond Spiders (CAA) - UR Spiders

Underdog Win (Optional) - You can pick a team that is a 10 point or more underdog to win. If you are correct then you earn 50 points. If you lose then 50 points are deducted. If you use this option you have to post a link to show what the spread is so that I can verify it. - Wish I had pulled the trigger on Montana beating Washington as 22-1/2 point underdogs. Montana is in the Top 10 of the FCS but I blinked and didn't do it.

We all picked Wisconsin and Navy who lost. We also all picked Texas and Richmond who won. I was the only one to pick UNC (L) and we all didn't think Wake have a chance to cover the 31-1/2 point spread which they did exactly that.

Standings:

bluedevil2002 - 30
jbeeman85 - 30
MoonKnight1 - 20

Every selection is worth 10 points except for Underdog Win.

TOP 25 - Iowa #7 @ Iowa State #18

Inter Conference - Utah (PAC-12) @ BYU (Independent - for now)

Intra Conference - Stanford @ USC (PAC-12)

Random - Pittsburgh (ACC) @ Tennessee (SEC)

Beat the Spread - Indiana State +26.5 @ Northwestern (Do you think that Northwestern will win by 27 or more points? Yes/No)

FCS GotW - Stony Brook Seawolves (America East Conference) @ Colgate Raiders (Patriot League)

Underdog Win (Optional) - You can pick a team that is a 10 point or more underdog to win. If you are correct then you earn 50 points. If you lose then 50 points are deducted. If you use this option you have to post a link to show what the spread is so that I can verify it.

Picks have to be in before the first game starts on Saturday, September 4th at 12:00 EST. If you make your picks early and then want to change one or more you have until the deadline to do so. Please note EDIT if you do so.

TOP 25 - Iowa #7

Inter Conference - Utah (PAC-12)

Intra Conference - USC

Random - Tennessee (SEC)

Beat the Spread - Indiana State +26.5 @ Northwestern (Do you think that Northwestern will win by 27 or more points? Yes/No) - NO

FCS GotW - Stony Brook Seawolves

TOP 25 - Iowa #10 @ Iowa State #9
The new rankings came out after Howie posted the games. Now this is a top 10 matchup. Now, I have a bit of distain for this match-up because about 10 years ago, it was scheduled back to back with a VT game and went into overtime. I missed most of the first quarter of the VT game for this one, and it was on a freaking regional sports channel. Anyway, I think I've forgiven the schools now. Iowa has that heartwarming story of waving to all of the kids in the hospital every game...but they're not playing there. If Iowa State can maintain the momentum from last year, they look to be a team on the rise in the Big 12.

pick: Iowa State

Inter Conference - Utah (PAC-12) @ BYU (Independent - for now)
Another rivalry that sneaks up on us in September. I don't have a lot of insight on this one, but Utah is ranked higher (#21 vs. unranked) and their QB is the younger brother of a former VT QB.

pick: Utah

Intra Conference - Stanford @ USC (PAC-12)
Remember when Stanford was the doormat of the west? I feel like USC is on a rebound and might be able to rise up out of the Pac-12 mediocrity and join the national conversation again.

pick: USC

Random - Pittsburgh (ACC) @ Tennessee (SEC)
Ugh...flarg both teams. How the hell did they get a freaking home-and-home series? On the one hand, it'd be nice to see another ACC victory over the SEC. On the other, there's only one thing I can agree with WVU fans on -- eat (banned), Pitt!

pick: Tennessee

Beat the Spread - Indiana State +26.5 @ Northwestern (Do you think that Northwestern will win by 27 or more points? Yes/No)
They should. Please do. YES.

FCS GotW - Stony Brook Seawolves (America East Conference) @ Colgate Raiders (Patriot League)
Looking at their 2019 and 2020 (spring 2021) records, these teams stink. But prior to that, they have some decent records and playoff appearances. So I'm going to go with the team that's actually scored points this season.

pick: Stony Brook.

Every selection is worth 10 points except for Underdog Win.

TOP 25 - Iowa #7 (I want to pick Iowa State but they didn't impress me last week so...)

Inter Conference BYU (Win one for Bronco!)

Intra Conference - USC (I was set to pick Stanford until I saw that they are starting a new QB. Smells like trouble)

Random Tennessee (I think the Vols are better than Pitt)

Beat the Spread - Indiana State +26.5 @ Northwestern (Do you think that Northwestern will win by 27 or more points? Yes/No) YES,

FCS GotW - Stony Brook Seawolves (I just like the name of the Seawolves. There is no such thing as a Sea Wolf but it's still a cool name)

Underdog Win (Optional) - I'm looking at a few games. Not sure if I'll pull the trigger yet.

stupid Vols. Can't hit an open receiver and about a bajillion penalties. Flippin threw that game away.

Results



Every selection is worth 10 points except for Underdog Win.

TOP 25 - Iowa #7 @ Iowa State #18 - Iowa

Inter Conference - Utah (PAC-12) @ BYU - BYU

Intra Conference - Stanford @ USC (PAC-12) - Stanford

Random - Pittsburgh (ACC) @ Tennessee (SEC) - Pittsburgh

Beat the Spread - Indiana State +26.5 @ Northwestern (Do you think that Northwestern will win by 27 or more points? Yes/No) NO Northwestern won 24-6 so the margin was well short.

FCS GotW - Stony Brook Seawolves (America East Conference) @ Colgate Raiders (Patriot League) - The Fighting Seawolves of Stony Brook defeated the lowly Colgate Raiders!

Underdog Win (Optional) - None

Standings:

jbeeman85 - 30 + 30 = 60
MoonKnight1 - 20 + 30 = 50
bluedevil2002 - 30 + 10 = 40

Jeremy and I got Iowa, I was the only one to pick BYU, we all missed on USC losing to Stanford and the Vols dropping one to the Panthers (sorry Jeremy), Jeremy was the only one to get the Under on the Spread and we were all on the Stony Brook bandwagon.