Current points -- user name = potential points 67 -- Kurt Kline = 127 66 -- HeadSpun = 140 64 -- cpthomas = 154 64 -- Millennium = 154 64 -- TWSWBC = 154 62 -- mentor5959 = 138 62 -- mpr2477 = 152 For those of you who would like to get a head start on the scoring during each round, I have put together a quick list to see how many points the leaders can potential end up with. From here on out, for every choice you get wrong, just subtract 6 points for every choice you got wrong in round 3 from your potential points, in order to see where you would end up (if all your future choices come out correct). In rounds 4, 5, and 6 you would subtract 8 points for every wrong choice or eliminated team you picked. Please note that I have already subtracted the points lost for teams picked to go further, which have already been eliminated (i.e., Stanford and Florida State).
I agree, they're actually sort of their own thing. I'll be watching to see how the two of them compare to both groups. And, I'm going to feel really bad if either of them comes out on top. I've never trusted either one.
Thanks MiLL...can't you at least let me have 24 hours of gloating before pointing out my glaring inefficiencies in the later rounds?
Hahaha!!! Sorry Kurt, my bad. Totally understand. Congrats, by the way, on being in the lead!!! I've been keeping my own spreadsheet to see where I stood. I should've waited till tomorrow, although, I think we'll have a clear cut winner by then. Not sure, if the later rounds will even matter, not many points in them. .
Oh I disagree about the latter rounds not mattering. The reason being that we have a pretty wide divergence of picks for the semi finals and Champion. So any contestants ending up within 16 points of the leader by the end of the quarter finals has a real shot because the entries are so diverse this year. So consider the following facts. Our 24 contestants have picked a total of 10 different champions. Five of those champion picks have three or four votes. With Stanford and FSU already eliminated, that opens up seven other championship possibilities that others have chosen. So there's 8 points in the mix for a majority of contestants right there. Then if one considers that in the semis, contestants have picked (excluding Stanford and FSU) 7 other possible opponents to play which will provide a differential of another 8 points for picking the runner-up. So, while we will know more tomorrow and things will become even more clear when the final four is known, I am forecasting that there will still be five or six players within 16 points by that time and some of those could luck out and win it all.
Big win for USC over BYU. Can someone explain to me how BYU was just a #4 seed? Their ranking and RPI seem more consistent with a 3 or even 2. Very tough third round game for USC, but they did it again. USC is very strong.
What is the deal with the Georgetown field. It's impossible to see it well via a livestream, but it is brown and hard and it looks like they are almost playing on dirt.
The third round is all finished up and this contest is beginning to sort itself out. Perhaps like a a horse race or an 800 meter foot race coming around the last turn we see a group clearly in the lead and a few others who may yet overtake the leaders, but we also see that there is perhaps half or more who now are lagging pretty far behind with little change of coming in first. Millenium and TWSWBC are now tied for the lead. TWSWBC will take it all if UNC wins the championship. Millenium will win if USC wins over West Virginia in the finals but will loose to sweepsit if UNC beats South Carolina. Duke picker mentor5959 has an outside chance if the final four picks fall the wrong way for the leaders, and cpthomas also has a shot at winning if things fall just right. I'll leave it to the rest of you to see if HeadSpun, the guru, castate, or Liesse00 has a prayer (I've run out of time...) Usually, it's all over but the shouting by the semifinal round, but this contest might get decided on the final day (or not). Human Division Third Round Contest Scores 100 MILLENNIUM 100 TWSWBC 96 sweepsit 90 HeadSpun 90 the guru 88 castate 88 cpthomas 87 Liesse00 86 mentor5959 85 Kurt Kline 84 Soccerhunter 83 Glove Stinks 83 Ingoldsby 81 Jim Halpert 80 REGION 1 78 Persin 75 Got Jukes? 74 mpr2477 73 Merlin 13 72 RtD! 71 KickitHard 71 NilamCA 70 dmthomas49 68 ziggy1010
Without comment, here are the Third Round Computer/Statistical/Poll Scores 87 Iteration 5 URPI 87 Non-Conf ARPI 86 Standards 85 Massey 83 ARPI 83 NCSAA Coaches Poll 79 Top Drawer Rankings 72 ARPI+Conf Stand+Conf Rank
I quite agree. However watching the video, it becomes momentarily tempting to become a believer in the "Soccer Gods" who clearly were for some reason very annoyed with the Cardinal on Friday. Just glancing at the video one sees on the Greek amphitheater stage the two defenders in the box with simultaneous choreograph-like precision separately fall to the ground leaving the shooter open to shoot from 13 yards. The chorus wails. The shooter takes her shot, but right at the keeper. Then the last defender lying prone on the ground stirs herself to lift her leg in an attempt to block the shot and deflects it away from the keeper into the corner of the net. The Furies cheer. Al Capone or Bugsy could not possibly have paid any one to choreograph such a stunt. Soooo... if I ever see this precise sequence again, I will really have to consider the existence of vengeful Soccer Gods.
Agree, it was surreal. I still don't understand why Stanford could have punished by the Soccer God. May be coach Smidt got a little Divine intervention because he is one of the best and nicest coaches in NCAA?
When I was watching the Gators match today, I thought I heard two of their players were suspended and rejoined kind of late. Did I miss something? If not, who? I can't find on Google.
The foul weather ruined some of today's game.s Heavy winds in the UVa-Georgetown game, and UCLA played in the snow at West Virginia. The poor Bruins were not comfortable in 34 degree weather and sliding around in the snow.
I kind of doubt that any team in the tournament (West Virginia included) is comfortable in 34 degree weather and sliding around in the snow!
I agree. I didn't see anything indicating one team was more weather-disadvantaged than the other in the West Virginia v UCLA game. I thought the play was pretty good under the circumstances.
I think Georgetown uses Bermuda Grass. If so, DC is probably a little too far north for using Bermuda grass in late November. Georgetown always had a great field early in the season: smooth, flat, soft. However, the field progressively gets worse as the season goes on. The boys and girls team both practice and play on the same field and it doesn't seem to hold up well when it is played on in the rain....and again depending on the type of grass, the cold weather late season could really harm field quality.
Interesting. At the University of Portland, whose Merlo Field almost always is pristine, the teams do not practice on on the field. They practice on an adjacent field. I doubt any field can hold up with three or four hours of practice each weekday plus games on weekends. And, perhaps the Georgetown grass is dormant this time of year. That's what happens to the field at Texas A&M -- at the College Cup I attended there, they had to paint the field so it would look good on TV.
I guess I don't know if they hold each and every practice on that field, but they do hold at least some practices on the game-field. It is literally the only on-campus grass playing surface for any sport. There is a field turf "field" that is used for lacrosse and football and an old astro-turf style field hockey pitch that is too unsafe for varsity sports...so they play intramurals there. The baseball, softball, and field hockey teams all practice and play off-campus.
As SoccerHunter pointed out earlier, the winner of the contest will most likely come down to the final. Here's a list of the most likely winners of the contest, depending on which school wins the NC: If North Carolina wins the National Championship, then twswbc will win the contest. If Univ. of S. Calif. should win the championship, then sweepsit or millennium win the contest. If West Virginia wins the championship, then cpthomas or castate will win the contest. If Duke wins the championship, then mentor5959 has an outside chance to win the contest. If none of the above win the championship, then TheGuru has an outside chance.
Or not. Often the winner is known several games in advance. Although this year, I think you are correct and that that the final will decide. I will post the official quartefinals results on Saturday late evening. ( I, in a matter of hours, will be without internet or cell phone through out the Thanksgiving holidays. Thanks for your input, Millenium! Cheers to all>
Yes, USC is up 1-0 over Auburn in the 28th minute. Free Video Streaming Link: http://pac-12.com/live/usc
Well, I'm officially out of the contest with SC's 0-1 loss to NC. Best I can do is 2nd place. Note to future self: always bank on the better programs and conferences; don't get swayed by team records.
The Contest Scores after the Quarterfinals. I got in a half hour ago after being out of touch both by internet or cell phone for four days. Was eager to see the results of the quarterfinals... Impressive!! ...Teams having got this far are all struggling for 1-0 wins! The current contest scores are posted below. I haven't had time to to look at the combinations and permutations of the scores and remaining game possibilities, but at first glance, there could be at least two possible winners depending on how the final four goes. Sweepsit and TWSWBC are in the running! Additionally for the esteemed second and third place prizes place prize, there appears also to be a numberst of possibilities. Stay tuned! POST QUARTERFINAL SCORES Human Division 124 TWSWBC 120 sweepsit 116 MILLENNIUM 112 cpthomas 106 HeadSpun 104 castate 104 REGION 1 103 Liesse00 100 Soccerhunter 99 Glove Stinks 99 Ingoldsby 98 the guru 94 mentor5959 93 Kurt Kline 89 Jim Halpert 87 KickitHard 86 dmthomas49 86 Persin 84 ziggy1010 81 Merlin 13 79 NilamCA 75 Got Jukes? 74 mpr2477 72 RtD! Machine/Statistical/Poll Entries 101 Massey 99 NCSAA Coaches Poll 95 Iteration 5 URPI 95 Non-Conf ARPI 94 Standards 91 ARPI 87 Top Drawer Rankings 80 ARPI+Conf Stand+Conf Rank