Block 2 Pennant Race

Posted: October 1, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: MB 2013 | Tags: | Leave a comment »

With the end of Block 2 looming on Sunday, it’s time to take a look at the race for the 2nd playoff spot. There is a mad scramble for the Block 2 title with 4 users within 20 points, 6 within 50, 9 within 100, and 11 within 125. Making the conclusion of this block even more exciting is the fact that we have a User Vs User event this weekend – the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The block 2 title has the potential to be changing hands as the golfers come down the stretch on the back nine on Sunday. With 11 users still alive in Block 2, let’s break the title chase down…

Current Standings

  1. Danny 657
  2. mxknkl 647 (-10)
  3. Jimmy 641 (-16)
  4. Bristol* 639 (-18)
  5. skizzow 625 (-32)
  6. abittner 615 (-42)
  7. JP 586 (-71)
  8. Greg 575 (-82)
  9. Chris 559 (-98)
  10. Doug 535 (-122)
  11. Ryan 532 (-125)

* – Bristol has already clinched a playoff spot. If he wins Block 2, the second place finisher will earn the 2nd playoff berth.

Remaining Points Available

NFL Week 4 Picks – The 16 points for the week will be awarded following the conclusion of tonight’s Chicago-Dallas matchup.

Atlantic League – Barring rainouts, the championship series, worth 32 points, will be complete no later than Sunday evening and be included in Block 2.

WNBA – The two remaining in-progress first round series will conclude Tuesday night. With each series worth 16 points, 32 more Block 2 points are available in this event.

CFB Week 6 Picks – Week 6 picks end on Sunday with the Montreal @ Laval CIS game, so the 16 points to the week’s winner(s) will count towards Block 2.

Shriners Open – The event that is overwhelmingly likely to decide Block 2 begins on Thursday and ends Sunday. As with other UvU events, the top 10 finishers earn points on a sliding scale from 80 to 8, with a 32-point bonus for anyone who correctly picks the winner. Thus, 112 points are possible in this one, which is keeping so many users alive for the Block 2 championship.

Note: Since the NFL Week 5 picks conclude on Monday, October 8, those points will count for Block 3.

The Contenders

Here is a breakdown of how each of the contenders for the Block 2 title stands in regards to events that have already begun. All contenders are in play for the 16 points for the upcoming Week 6 CFB picks and the 112 points for the Shriners Open.

Note: The possible points for the Week 4 NFL picks are based on number correct only and not based on who the users currently have picked for tonight. That information is not available until after kickoff.

Danny 657 (+10)

  • Week 4 NFL(16) – Currently tied for the lead with skizzow. If he hangs on to at least a tie for 1st, he will pick up 16 points
  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Atlanta and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

mxknkl 647 (-10)

  • Week 4 NFL (16) – Currently tied with Greg, one behind Danny and skizzow.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Atlanta and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Jimmy 641 (-16)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Bristol 639 (-18)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

skizzow 625 (-32)

  • Week 4 NFL(16) – Currently tied for the lead with Danny. If he hangs on to at least a tie for 1st, he will pick up 16 points
  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

abittner 615 (-42)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick York has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

JP 586 (-71)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Greg 575 (-82)

  • Week 4 NFL (16) – Currently tied with mxknkl, one behind Danny and skizzow.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Long Island is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Chris 559 (-98)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (0) – Champion pick Southern Maryland has been eliminated.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Seattle picked to win in the 1st round.

Doug 535 (-122)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Atlanta and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Ryan 532 (-125)

  • Week 4 NFL(0) – Eliminated from winning the week.
  • Atlantic League (32) – Champion pick Lancaster is in the championship series, which begins Wednesday.
  • WNBA (32) – Has Indiana and Minnesota picked to win in the 1st round.

Event-By-Event Analysis

Week 4 NFL Picks

  • Danny and skizzow are tied for the lead with 1 game remaining. mxknkl and Greg are tied, 1 behind the leaders. Thus, all 4 remain alive for the 16 points.

Atlantic League

  • The championship series between Lancaster and Long Island begins Wednesday night and is a best-of-5 series. The series could end as as soon as Friday or as late as Sunday, barring rainouts.
  • If Long Island wins the championship series, mxknkl, JP & Greg all pick up 32 points. mxknkl currently trails by just 10, although the standings could change before the championship series is completed.
  • If Lancaster wins the championship series, Bristol, Doug & Ryan earn the 32 points.
  • Regardless of who wins, a threesome of users is gaining 32 points on the lead.

WNBA

  • The Indiana-Atlanta and Minnesota-Seattle series will conclude on Tuesday night and are worth 16 points apiece.
  • Rooting interests: Indiana – Jimmy, Bristol, skizzow, abittner, JP, Greg, Chris, Ryan; Atlanta – Danny, mxknkl, Doug. Minnesota – Danny, mxknkl, Jimmy, Bristol, skizzow, abittner, JP, Greg, Doug, Ryan; Seattle – Chris.
  • An Atlanta win tomorrow moves the top 2 users another 16 points clear of everyone else, while an Indiana win tightens things up a bit. A Minnesota win would serve only to push Chris further behind while a Seattle upset would gain he alone the 16 points.

CFB Week 6 Picks

  • One or more users will earn the 16 points for winning the week. At the beginning or in the middle of a block, the 16 points may not seem to have a lot of impact, but that is not the case this week.

Shriners Open

  • The Big One. With a maximum of 112 points available and the possibility of large point swings, the Block 2 championship will almost certainly be decided by the Shriners Open.

Final Note

The only way that the Block 2 championship will not come down to the Shriners Open is if the Atlantic League Championship series is later Sunday evening with a chance to swing the title. Otherwise, it all comes down to a golf event. Perfect.

 

 

 

 

Undefeateds & Defeated – Week 6

Posted: October 1, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: CFB Weekly Picks | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment »

29 more teams fell from the ranks of the unbeaten last week as the number of undefeateds falls under 100.  On the other side of the ledger 34 teams notched their first win of the season, leaving 88 squads victory-free.

Undefeated (96 – 125 last week without CIS)

FBS (23; 27 last week)

Alabama, Cincinnati, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio, Ohio State, Oregon, Oregon State, Rutgers, South Carolina, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, Texas-San Antonio, West Virginia

FCS (11; 15 last week)

Alabama A&M, Cal Poly, Harvard, Illinois State, Lehigh, Montana State, North Dakota State, Old Dominion, Tennessee State, Wofford, Youngstown State

D-II (18; 25 last week)

Ashland, Bentley, Bloomsburg, CSU-Pueblo, Emporia State, Grand Valley State, Harding, Henderson State, Minnesota State, Missouri Western, New Haven, Ouachita Baptist, Pittsburg State, Shippensburg, Sioux Falls, Southern Arkansas, Tuskegee, Winston-Salem

D-III (33; 43 last week)

Amherst, Bethel (MN), Birmingham-Southern, Bridgewater (VA), Coe, Concordia (IL), Concordia (Moorhead, MN), Gettysburg, Heidelberg, Hobart, Illinois College, Illinois Wesleyan, Ithaca, Johns Hopkins, Lewis & Clark, Linfield, Mary Hardin-Baylor, Middlebury, Millsaps, Mount Union, Ohio Wesleyan, Otterbein, Salve Regina, St. John Fisher, St. Thomas (MN), Trinity (CT), Waynesburg, Wesleyan, Whitworth, Widener, Willamette, Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Wittenberg

NAIA (7; 11 last week)

Cumberlands (KY), Georgetown (KY), Hastings, Marian, Missouri Valley, Morningside, William Penn

CIS (4; 4 last week)

Calgary, Laval, McMaster, Montreal

 

Winless (88 – 122 last week without CIS)

FBS (8; 9 last week)

Army, Eastern Michigan, Idaho, Massachusetts, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulane, UAB

FCS (16; 21 last week)

Austin Peay, Bryant, Central Connecticut State, Davidson, Gardner-Webb, Georgia State, Grambling State, Hampton, Holy Cross, Liberty, Missouri State, Prairie View A&M, Rhode Island, Savannah State, Valparaiso, Weber State

D-II (18; 27 last week)

Azusa Pacific, Benedict, Brevard, Fort Lewis, Lake Erie, Lincoln (MO), Lock Haven, Minnesota State-Moorhead, Nebraska-Kearney, North Greenville, Northeastern State, NW Oklahoma State, Pace, Quincy, Saint Anselm, Seton Hill, Southern Nazarene, Western State

D-III (33; 45 last week)

Anderson (IN), Averett, Beloit, Bethany (WV), Bowdoin, Buena Vista, Claremont-Mudd-Scrips, Colby, Earlham,  Hamilton, Hiram, Howard Payne, Knox, Lakeland, Luther, MacMurray, Maine Maritime, Maranatha, Marietta, McDaniel, Misericordia, Morrisville State, Nichols College, Occidental, Olivet, Pomona-Pitzer, Puget Sound, St. Lawrence, St. Vincent, Tufts, Western Connecticut, Wilmington, Wisconsin-River Falls

NAIA (11; 16 last week)

Bethel (KS), Bluefield (VA), Concordia (MI), Culver-Stockton, Dakota State, Dordt, Haskell, Olivet Nazarene, Point, Sterling, Webber International

CIS (2; 4 last week)

Alberta, Ottawa (ON)

 

Battles of Undefeateds (Record, Point Differential) – [8]

FBS (3)

LSU (5-0, 26.40) @ Florida (4-0, 17.75)

West Virginia (4-0, 20.50) @ Texas (4-0, 26.25)

Georgia (5-0, 26.20) @ South Carolina (5-0, 25.40)

FBS (1)

Youngstown State (4-0, 21.75) @ North Dakota State (4-0, 34.50)

D-II (1)

Southern Arkansas (4-0, 20.00) @ Harding (4-0, 28.75)

D-III (3)

Concordia (Moorhead) (4-0, 16.00) @ Bethel (MN) (4-0, 27.25)

Amherst (2-0, 18.00) @ Middlebury (2-0, 26.50)

Willamette (4-0, 19.00) @ Whitworth (5-0, 10.20)

CIS (1)

Montreal (5-0, 27.80) @ Laval (5-0, 31.00)

 

Battles of Defeateds (Record, Point Differential) – [5]

FCS (2)

Gardner-Webb (0-4, -31.50) @ Liberty (0-4, -8.00)

Grambling State (0-4, -19.75) vs. Prairie View A&M (0-5, -25.20)

D-III (3)

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (0-3, -7.67) @ Occidental (0-3, -37.67)

Knox (0-5, -21.20) @ Beloit (0-5, -20.20)

Tufts (0-2, -14.50) @ Bowdoin (0-2, -18.00)

 

Mismatches – Undefeated vs. Winless (Record, Point Differential) – [9]

FCS (1)

Cal Poly (4-0, 13.75) @ Weber State (0-5, -20.60)

D-II (4)

Bentley (4-0, 17.50) @ St. Anslem (0-5, -30.60)

Missouri Western (5-0, 26.40) @ Northeastern State (0-5, -20.20)

D-III (3)

Mount Union (4-0, 50.25) @ Wilmington (0-4, -41.50)

Wesleyan (2-0, 20.50) @ Colby (0-2, -31.50)

Trinity (CT) (2-0, 12.50) @ Hamilton (0-2, -22.00)

NAIA (1)

Hastings (4-0, 10.25) @ Dakota State (0-6, -20.17)

 

Miscellaneous Notes

  • Teams getting outscored by more than 40 points per game:
    • Savannah State (FCS) – 49.50
    • Misericorda (D-III) – 48.60
    • Pace (D-II) – 47.40
    • Buena Vista (D-III) – 41.75
    • Haskell (NAIA) – 41.60
    • Wilmington (D-III) – 41.50
  • Teams outscoring their opponents by more than 40 points per game:
    • Mount Union (D-III) – 50.25
    • Widener (D-III) – 48.20
    • Heidelberg (D-III) – 41.75
    • Wofford (FCS) – 40.75
  • Winless teams losing by less than 10 points per game:
    • Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (D-III) – 7.67
    • Liberty (FCS) – 8.00
  • Undefeated teams winning by less than 10 points per game:
    • Oregon State (FBS) – 4.33
    • Lehigh (FCS) – 7.80
  • The highest combined point differential in an undefeated matchup this week is 58.80 between CIS Montreal (27.80) & Laval (31.00)
  • The lowest combined point differential in a winless matchup is -45.33 between D-III Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (-7.67) & Occidental (-36.67)
  • The largest mismatch in point differential is 91.75 between D-III Mount Union (50.25) & Wilmington (-41.50)

[Ed. Note – Hide the women and children in Wilmington. That one is going to be ugly.]

 

Last Week’s Battles of Undefeateds (Record, Point Differential) – [8]

FBS (2)

Texas Tech (3-0, 40.33) @ Iowa State (3-0, 17.33)

Baylor (3-0, 21.67) @ West Virginia (3-0, 25.00)

D-II (1)

Grand Valley State (4-0, 24.50) @ Michigan Tech (3-0, 28.00)

D-III (4)

Bethel (MN) (3-0, 36.00) @ Augsburg (3-0, 15.67)

Trinity (CT) (1-0, 21.00) @ Williams (1-0, 34.00)

Millikin (3-0, 28.67) @ Illinois Wesleyan (3-0, 30.67)

Otterbein (3-0, 24.33) @ Baldwin-Wallace (3-0, 14.33)

NAIA (1)

Dakota Wesleyan (3-0, 13.33) @ Hastings (3-0, 10.33)

 

Last Week’s Battles of Defeateds (Record, Point Differential) – [14]

FCS (2)

Georgia State (0-4, -27.50) @ William & Mary (0-4, -9.25)

Central Connecticut (0-4, -26.00) @ Sacred Heart (0-3, -12.33)

D-II (2)

Saint Anselm (0-4, -35.50) @ Southern Connecticut (0-4, -14.75)

Black Hills State (0-3, -19.33) @ Western State (0-4, -33.00)

D-III (7)

Stevenson (0-4, -11.00) @ Misericordia (0-4, -53.75)

Wilmington (0-3, -40.33) @ Muskingum (0-3, -25.00)

Alma (0-4, -38.75) @ Olivet (0-4, -27.25)

La Verne (0-2, -35.50) @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (0-2, -3.50)

Occidental (0-2, -35.50) @ Redlands (0-2, -20.00)

Bates (0-1, -21.00) @ Tufts (0-1, -21.00)

Knox (0-4, -20.25) @ Ripon (0-4, -16.50)

NAIA (2)

Briar Cliff (0-4, -10.25) @ Dordt (0-4, -27.00)

Saint Mary (KS) (0-4, -10.00) @ Sterling (0-4, -21.25)

CIS (1)

UBC (0-4, -24.00) @ Alberta (0-4, -29.50)

 

Mismatches – Undefeated vs. Winless (Record, Point Differential) – [21]

FBS (2)

Ohio (4-0, 18.50) @ Massachusetts (0-4, -34.25)

Louisville (4-0, 14.50) @ Southern Miss (0-3, -21.33)

FCS (4)

Lafayette (3-0, 5.33) @ R0bert Morris (PA) (0-3, -27.67)

Grambling State (0-3, -19.33) @ Alabama A&M (4-0, 11.50)

Penn (0-2, -11.50) @ Dartmouth (2-0, 15.50)

Holy Cross (0-3, -9.00) @ Harvard (2-0, 14.50)

D-II (4)

Shippensburg (4-0, 31.75) @ Lock Haven (0-4, -36.00)

CSU-Pueblo (4-0, 16.25) @ Fort Lewis (0-3, -42.00)

Lincoln (MO) (0-4, -25.00) @ Emporia State (4-0, 21,00)

Lake Erie (0-4, -15.50) @ Ashland (4-0, 18.50)

D-III (9)

Marietta (0-3, -20.33) @ Heidelberg (3-0, 45.00)

McDaniel (0-4, -20.75) @ Gettyburg (4-0, 35.75)

Wisconsin-Oshkosh (3-0, 29.67) @ Wisconsin-River Falls (0-3, -18.00)

Amherst (1-0, 24.00) @ Bowdoin (0-1, -24.00)

Middlebury (1-0, 24.00) @ Colby (0-1, -34.00)

Hamilton (0-1, -24.00) @ Wesleyan (CT) (1-0, 21.00)

Buena Vista (0-3, -38.67) @ Coe (3-0, 18.67)

Lewis & Clark (3-0, 15.00) @ Puget Sound (0-3, -24.67)

Hiram (0-4, -27.00) @ Ohio Wesleyan (3-0, 6.00)

NAIA (2)

Olivet Nazarene (0-4, -18.75) @ William Penn (4-0, 33.75)

Culver-Stockton (0-4, -21.25) @ Missouri Valley (4-0, 27.75)