Hello everyone, it's once again that time of year. Let us all reconvene and make our selections based on skill, knowledge, and a heavy dose of personal bias. Last year saw @boxcar123 unseat board nemesis @JoeSoccerFan as champion. Will boxcar ride the Stanford train to back to back titles? Will everyone's bracket get blown before Thanksgiving by certain teams throwing away home field in spectacular fashion? Only time will tell (but I can tell you now that, yes, there will be teams that make us all look dumb). We'll go with the standard scoring structure we've used before. Listed in points per game Round 1: 1 point Round 2: 2 points Round 3: 4 points Quarterfinals: 8 points Semifinals: 12 points Final: 24 points Here's the bracket Please list each winner and provide a blank line for when the round changes. I'm not looking to actually use my brain much on this. All picks must be in by the start of the first game on Thursday I probably screwed something up. Tell me and I'll fix it
I'm usually last and usually suck at this. So I'll try something different this year and be one of the first to post. FIRST ROUND winners William & Mary Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina Washington Wisconsin Massachusetts California UNC Wilmington Southern Methodist Fordham Florida International Virginia Tech Maryland New Hampshire Old Dominion SECOND ROUND winners Wake Forest Butler Stanford Coastal Carolina Akron Notre Dame Michigan Louisville North Carolina Georgetown Virginia Florida International Michigan State Maryland New Hampshire Indiana SWEET 16 winners Wake Forest Stanford Notre Dame Louisville North Carolina Virginia Maryland Indiana QUARTERFINAL winners Wake Forest Notre Dame North Carolina Indiana SEMIFINAL winners Wake Forest Indiana 2017 NATIONAL CHAMPION Wake Forest
Columbia Butler Pacific Mercer Seattle Wisconsin UMass San Francisco Presbyterian SMU Fordham FIU VT Maryland New Hampshire NC State Wake Butler Stanford Clemson Akron Wisconsin Michigan Louisville UNC Georgetown Virginia FIU Michigan St. Maryland Dartmouth IU Wake Stanford Akron Louisville UNC Virginia Maryland IU Wake Louisville UNC IU Wake IU IU*********
Maybe motivated by some hope this year for the team you root for (if they decide to play and score goals)?
W & M Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina Washington Wisconsin UMass California UNCW SMU St. Francis FIU Virginia Tech Maryland New Hampshire NC State Wake VCU Stanford Clemson Akron Notre Dame Michigan Louisville UNC Georgetown Virginia FIU MSU Maryland New Hampshire IU Wake Clemson Akron Louisville UNC FIU Maryland IU Wake Louisville UNC Maryland Wake UNC Wake
Columbia Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina Washington UIC UMass California UNCW SMU Fordham FIU Virginia Tech Maryland UNH ODU Wake Forest Butler Stanford Clemson Akron Notre Dame Michigan California North Carolina SMU Virginia FIU Michigan State Maryland Dartmouth Indiana Wake Forest Stanford Akron California North Carolina FIU Michigan State Indiana Wake Forest Akron North Carolina Indiana Wake Forest North Carolina Wake Forest
Getting my picks in early so that I don't forget it about it on Thurs. morning as I often do.... Round 1 Bill & Mary Butler Pacific Coastal Washington Wiscy UMass Cal UNCW SMU Fordham FIU VT Maryland UNH ODU Round 2 Wake Butler Stanford Clemson Akron ND UMass Louisville UNC G’town UVA Duke MSU Maryland UNH Indiana Round 3 Wake Stanford Akron UMass G’town Duke Maryland Indiana Round 4 Stanford Akron G’town Indiana Semis Akron Indiana Final Indiana
Well UCSB isn't in it this year, so I have to go with other California teams, and of course the Zips: Columbia Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina UNCW SMU Fordham FIU Washington Wisconsin Massachusetts California Virginia Tech Maryland New Hampshire NC State Wake Forest VCU Stanford Clemson Akron Notre Dame Massachusetts California North Carolina Georgetown Virginia Duke Michigan State Western Michigan Dartmouth Indiana Wake Forest Stanford Akron California North Carolina Duke Western Michigan Indiana Stanford Akron Duke Western Michigan Akron Duke Akron
Going the prospect route to influence my picks - very little surprises a long the way until we reach the final four. Round 1 William & Mary Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina Washington Wisconsin Colgate California UNCW SMU Fordham FIU Virginia Tech Maryland New Hampshire Old Dominion Round 2 Wake Forest VCU Stanford Clemson Akron Notre Dame Michigan Louisville North Carolina SMU Virginia Duke Michigan State Maryland Dartmouth Indiana Round 3 Wake Forest Stanford Nortre Dame Louisville North Carolina Virginia Maryland Indiana Round 4 Wake Forest Louisville North Carolina Indiana Semi Wake Forest North Carolina Finals North Carolina
Let's get nuts with the right half of the bracket. William & Mary Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina Seattle Wisconsin UMass California UNCW SMU Fordham FIU Virginia Tech Albany UNH NC State Wake Forest Butler Stanford Coastal Carolina Akron Notre Dame UMass Louisville North Carolina Georgetown Virginia FIU Virginia Tech Albany UNH Indiana Wake Forest Stanford Akron Louisville North Carolina FIU Albany UNH Wake Forest Louisville FIU UNH Wake Forest FIU Wake Forest
William & Mary Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina Washington Wisconsin Massachusetts San Francisco UNCW SMU Fordham FIU Virginia Tech Maryland New Hampshire NC State Wake Forest VCU Stanford Clemson Akron Notre Dame Michigan Louisville North Carolina Georgetown Virginia Duke Michigan State Western Michigan Dartmouth Indiana Wake Forest Stanford Notre Dame Louisville North Carolina Duke Michigan State Indiana Wake Forest Louisville North Carolina Indiana Wake Forest North Carolina Wake Forest
William and Mary Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina Seattle U Wisconsin UMass California UNCW SMU Fordham FIU Air Force Maryland New Hampshire ODU Wake Butler Stanford Clemson Akron Notre Dame Michigan Louisville UNC Georgetown UVA FIU Michigan State Maryland New Hampshire Indiana Wake Stanford Notre Dame Louisville UNC FIU Maryland Indiana Wake Notre Dame UNC Maryland Wake Maryland Wake
William & Mary Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina Seattle Illinois-Chicago Massachusetts California UNCW SMU Fordham UNO Air Force Maryland New Hampshire Old Dominion Wake Forest Butler Stanford Clemson Akron Notre Dame Massachusetts Louisville North Carolina Georgetown Virginia UNO Michigan St Maryland Dartmouth Indiana Wake Forest Clemson Notre Dame Massachusetts Georgetown UNO Michigan St Indiana Wake Forest Notre Dame Georgetown Indiana Wake Forest Georgetown Wake Forest
My perennial approach. I select the winner on the sole basis of the RPI ranking (NCAA site). The only positive is that it serves us as a kind of benchmark. And surprisingly... Wake Forest is the final winner in my bracket challenge.... Round 1 Columbia Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina Washington Wisconsin Massachusetts California UNCW SMU Fordham FIU Virginia Tech Maryland New Hampshire Old Dominion Round 2 Wake Forest VCU Stanford Clemson Akron Notre Dame Michigan Louisville North Carolina SMU Virginia Duke Michigan State Western Michigan Dartmouth Indiana Round 3 Wake Forest Clemson Akron Louisville North Carolina Duke Western Michigan Indiana Round 4 Wake Forest Louisville North Carolina Indiana Semi Wake Forest North Carolina Finals Wake Forest
Alright, let's try. Round 1 Columbia Butler Pacific Coastal Seattle Wisconsin UMass Cal Wilmington SMU St. Francis Brooklyn FIU Air Force Maryland New Hampshire Old Dominion Round 2 Wake Forest VCU Stanford Clemson Akron Wisconsin Michigan Louisville North Carolina SMU Virginia Duke Michigan St. Maryland Dartmouth Indiana Round 3 Wake Forest Stanford Akron Louisville North Carolina Virginia Maryland Indiana Quarterfinals Wake Forest Akron Virginia Maryland Semifinals Wake Forest Maryland Finals Maryland Gotta just be a homer, I guess.
Round 1 Columbia Butler Pacific Coastal Washington Wisconsin UMass San Francisco Wilmington SMU Fordham FIU Air Force Maryland New Hampshire NC State Round 2 Wake Forest VCU Stanford Clemson Akron Notre Dame UMass Louisville North Carolina SMU Virginia Duke Michigan St. Western Michigan Dartmouth Indiana Round 3 Wake Forest Clemson Akron Louisville North Carolina Duke Michigan State Indiana Quarterfinals Wake Forest Akron North Carolina Indiana Semifinals Akron Indiana Finals Indiana
First Round William & Mary Butler Pacific Coastal Carolina Washington Wisconsin UMass Cal UNC Wilmington SMU St. Francis Omaha Virginia Tech Maryland New Hampshire NC State Second Round Wake Forest Butler Stanford Coastal Carolina Akron Notre Dame Michigan Louisville North Carolina SMU Virginia Duke Virginia Tech Maryland Dartmouth Indiana Third Round Wake Forest Stanford Notre Dame Louisville SMU Virginia Maryland Indiana College Cup Wake Forest Louisville SMU Indiana Final Wake Forest Indiana Champion Wake Forest
Round 1 William & Mary Butler CSU Fullerton Coastal Carolina UNC Wilmington Southern Methodist Fordham Florida International Washington Wisconsin Massachusetts California Berkley Air Force Maryland New Hampshire Old Dominion Round 2 Wake Forest Virginia Commonwealth Stanford Clemson North Carolina Georgetown Virginia Duke Akron Notre Dame Michigan Louisville Michigan State Maryland New Hampshire Indiana Round of 16 Wake Forest Stanford Notre Dame Michigan North Carolina Duke Michigan State Indiana Quarters Wake Forest Michigan North Carolina Indiana Semis Wake Forest Indiana Final Indiana
William & Mary Butler CSUF Coastal Carolina Seattle Wisconsin Mass. Cal UNCW SMU Fordham Omaha Air Force Maryland New Hamp NC State Wake Forest Butler Stanford Clemson Akron Notre Dame Michigan California North Carolina Georgetown Virginia Duke Michigan State Western Michigan Dartmouth Indiana Wake Forest Stanford Notre Dame Michigan Georgetown Duke Michigan State Indiana Stanford Michigan Duke Indiana Stanford Indiana Indiana
My Annual Shame (sigh). As always, beating JoeSoccerFan is a goal unto itself. That boxcar123 is starting to get on my nerves too. After hours of research by my (on) crack staff, here is how I see it. Truth be told, I would much rather the Zips win it all than for me to win even a sizable bet. Go Zips! Round 1 Columbia Butler Pacific Coastal Washington Wisconsin UMass San Francisco Wilmington SMU Fordham FIU Air Force Maryland New Hampshire NC State Round 2 Wake Forest VCU Stanford Clemson Akron Notre Dame UMass Louisville North Carolina SMU Virginia Duke Michigan St. Western Michigan Dartmouth Indiana Round 3 Wake Forest Clemson Akron Louisville North Carolina Duke Michigan State Indiana Quarterfinals Wake Forest Akron (in Your Face, Lolla!) North Carolina Indiana Semifinals Wake Forest Indiana Champion Indiana (like Hoosiers need a 9th star)
There is a much smaller version of this competition on http://zipsnation.org/forums/forum/13-akron-zips-ncaa-championship-soccer/ . The thread is entitled November Numbness, coined by noted Akron contributor ZipsVoice. If March has a Madness, November has a........