Bowl Picks Update, Day 9

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Bacon

The Champs Sports Bowl was the first of our contest yesterday, featuring Notre Dame vs. Florida State. Notre Dame stifled the Florida State offense for much of the first half, controlling the game through the first 2 quarters. FSU made some adjustments at halftime and successfully put a few drives together to squeak out the victory and keep their Bowl win streak alive. Most of us picked FSU so this became somewhat of a nail biter.

Game 2 featured Heisman Trophy Winner RGIII and Rambo’s alma mater, the Baylor Bears. The Bears wasted no time putting points on the board, but Washington fired right back, knotting it at 7 with only 7 minutes run off of the game clock.We learned fast that both teams could score, so this may come down to which defense can make a stop. Baylor made the first stop and before you knew it they were up 21-7. It looked like a rout was in store. But wait! Here comes Washington, who owns the second quarter, to take a lead into halftime. The Huskies score early in the second half and now it looks bleak for Baylor, down 42-24. The Bears offense ensues again as they finish strong in the 3rd to regain the lead. Eventually, the Huskies score again, but not enough as Baylor goes on to win the game. This was a record setting high scoring affair, fun to watch, and definitely a much different game than I think any of us anticipated. Hope you got to watch some of it.

Here are the updated standings for you. Check them out:

The Office Crew:
Bacon: 11-3
Rebecca: 11-3
Rambo: 9-5

The Rest:
1st place: 12-2 – Cass Waddell, Michael Humphrey, John Lloyd
2nd place: 11-3 – T-Bone, Charlie Flint, Bubbles, Dill, Nike, Trip, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Kelsey Weed, Aaron Sims, Robin Dent, David Martin
3rd place: 10-4 – Kristine Zeman, Jacob Bottomley, Pretzel, Steve James, Madison Tart, Pistol, Dennis McElhaney, Sharon Latimer, Caitlin Weed, Kirsten Weed, Chris Earnest, Becky Martin, Snaps, Baylor Rainbow

Notables: Only 2 entries in our contest have a record below .500, and those 2 were late entries.  Pretty impressive picking so far. The meat of the bowl season comes in the next 3 or 4 days, so we will see if we can keep this trend alive.

Bowl season is in high gear now with 4 games today. The fun starts at noon and runs through midnight or later. I’m not super excited about any of the match ups, but it should be a fun day to see what happens anyway. Tune in, catch a few games and enjoy the last few weeks of college football!

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Bowl Picks Update, Day 8

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Bacon

The afternoon game yesterday was a crazy one. Air Force and Toledo both seemed to be able to just about score at will in the game and both teams put up some impressive offensive stats. Toledo seemed to have the edge most of the way, with Air Force consistently answering to keep the game close. In the end though, the Falcons came up short on a gutsy call to go for two and the win instead of settling for the extra point to send the game into overtime. I was watching the game over pizza at the Mellow Mushroom, so I didn’t hear if there was any good logic to that decision, but I will say that the overall tone at the restaurant was that the coach made a bad call. Unless something was going on that I didn’t see, I too believe Air Force should have kicked the extra point and taken the game into overtime. Oh well, there’s always next year.

Game two saw the Texas Longhorns take on the California Bears. Most of us thought Texas would run away with this game, but California scored first and kept the game close in the first half. Texas did finally stretch out the lead a bit to seal the deal, but this was not as convincing of a win as I thought it would be.

More changes in our standings today. Check them out:

The Office Crew:
Bacon: 9-3
Rebecca: 9-3
Rambo: 7-5

The Rest:
1st place: 10-2 – Dill, Cass Waddell, Michael Humphrey, Kelsey Weed, John Lloyd
2nd place: 9-3 – T-Bone, Jacob Bottomley, Charlie Flint, Bubbles, Pretzel, Nike, Trip, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Dennis McElhaney, Caitlin Weed, Aaron Sims, Robin Dent, David Martin
3rd place: 8-4 – Kristine Zeman, Cricket, Steve James, Madison Tart, Pistol, Erin Esping, Lee Wall, Sharon Latimer, Kirsten Weed, Chris Earnest, Becky Martin, Snaps, Baylor Rainbow

Notables: Again, I won’t name names, but we have a dancer from Florida holding down a 4-8 record. Hope she picks it up a little.

Today we have a couple of big name programs battling it out in the Champs Sports Bowl.  Notre Dame travels to Florida to take on the Florida State Seminoles.  The Seminoles started out the season on fire, but really took a blow when Oklahoma knocked them around in a hard fought battle.  They never really recovered. The Fighting Irish are still struggling to bring the glory and pride back to the school and would love to collect a solid win to spring them forward into the New Year.

The second match up of the day features the red hot Baylor Bears against the less than stellar Washington Huskies. This should be a fun game to watch as Baylor’s high powered offense hopes to walk all over Washington. In our contest, Baylor received about 95% of your votes to bring home this trophy.

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Bowl Picks Update, Day 7

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Bacon

Two games yesterday and both were fairly competitive outings. The first match up in the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl featured Western Michigan against Purdue. The Boilermakers were hungry for a bowl win after coming up short the last few tries. This game was rather entertaining to watch as their were several onside kicks and other trick plays to keep both teams a little off balance. Purdue finally jumped out to a decent lead, but barely hung on to get the win as Western Michigan never gave up.

Game two featured one of my favorite coaches in Charlie Strong and his Louisville squad taking on NC State.  Both teams have had somewhat of roller coaster seasons, looking great one week, followed by disappointing losses the next.  They fought back and forth throughout the first half, with the Wolfpack eventually claiming their biggest lead at 31-10 midway through the 3rd quarter.  The Cardinals scored twice to close the gap to 31-24 and had a chance to tie it on their final drive before tossing interception number 3 for the night.

Lots of changes in our standings today.  Check them out:

The Office Crew:
Bacon: 8-2
Rebecca: 7-3
Rambo: 5-5

The Rest:
1st place: 8-2 – T-Bone, Bubbles, Dill, Nike, Trip, Cass Waddell, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Michael Humphrey, Kelsey Weed, John Lloyd, Aaron Sims, David Martin
2nd place: 7-3 - Kristine Zemen, Cricket, Jacob Bottomley, Charlie Flint, Pretzel, Susan James, Steve James, Pistol, Will Miller, Kim Halder, Dennis McElhaney, Caitlin Weed, Kirsten Weed, Robin Dent, Chris Earnest, Becky Martin, Baylor Rainbow
3rd place: 6-4 - James Knight, Willow, Madison Tart, Paige Fierbaugh, Ryan Esping, Erin Esping, Kay Lloyd, Sarah Jane Collins, Lee Wall, Sharon Latimer, Snaps, Steve Lowry, Wes Jones

Notables: I won’t name names, but we have an inaugural camper hanging out at 4-6. This guy usually picks them well and ends up at the top of our contest. Hopefully, he will get a Dose of good luck soon to turn this thing around.

Today / tonight’s games feature Toledo and Air Force competing in the Armed Forces Bowl. This was a pretty even split among our picks with Air Force having a slight edge at 60%. Later, Texas will face California in the Holiday Bowl, looking for a big win to finish out their season on a positive note. You guys have Texas favored to win as 85% of us think the Longhorns will rout the Bears.

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Bowl Picks Update, Day 6

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Bacon

Last night featured a contest between Missouri and UNC. This one was never really close as Missouri pulled away from the Tarheels early and never looked back. I had picked the Tigers to win this match up, but I certainly thought it would be a closer game.

A little more movement today including our leader taking her first loss.

The Office Crew:
Bacon: 6-2
Rebecca: 6-2
Rambo: 5-3

The Rest:
1st place: 7-1 - Caitlin Weed, Dill, Trip, Kelsey Weed, Aaron Sims
2nd place: 6-2 - Cricket, T-Bone, Bubbles, Pretzel, Susan James, Steve James, Paige Fierbaugh, Nike, Will Miller, Cass Waddell, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Michael Humphrey, Dennis McElhaney, Sharon Latimer, Kirsten Weed, John Lloyd, Becky Martin, David Martin, Snaps
3rd place: 5-3 - Kristine Zemen, James Knight, Jacob Bottomley, Charlie Flint, Willow, Madison Tart, Pistol, Ryan Esping, Erin Esping, Sarah Jane Collins, Kim Halder, Robin Dent, Chris Earnest, Austin Martin, Baylor Rainbow

Notables: Nurse Jenny likes the ACC. This might pose a problem.

Today / tonight’s games feature Western Michigan vs. Purdue in the Pizza Bowl, followed by Louisville vs. NC State in the Belk Bowl. We should see another day of decent movement in our contest as both of these games were pretty much a split in our selections. Check in tomorrow to see if you moved up in the rankings!

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Bowl Picks Update, Day 5

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Bacon

Only one game last night for those of you who might have had a chance to watch it. Personally, I was too busy stuffing my belly with some tasty treats whipped up right here in the Strong Rock kitchen. I did check in on the score once in a while and thought that we all might be in for a loss as Nevada came to play and really tested Southern Miss. In the end, the Golden Eagles found a way to soar past the Wolfpack and bring home the trophy from Hawaii.

Once again, not much movement in our contest as almost all of us picked this game correctly. Things will shake up over the next week, so keep tuning in to see how you fare. Here are the updated records for you:

The Office Crew:
Bacon: 5-2
Rebecca: 5-2
Rambo: 4-3

The Rest:
1st place: 7-0 - Caitlin Weed (Still perfect)
2nd place: 6-1 - T-Bone, Pretzel, Dill, Trip, Cass Waddell, Kelsey Weed, Aaron Sims
3rd place: 5-2 - Kristine Zemen, Cricket, James Knight, Bubbles, Susan James, Steve James, Paige Fierbaugh, Nike, Will Miller, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Kim Halder, Michael Humphrey, Dennis McElhaney, Sharon Latimer, Kirsten Weed, John Lloyd, Becky Martin, David Martin, Snaps

Notables: Unfortunately we turn to Nurse Jenny again today.  She was one of the unfortunate souls that picked Nevada. Looks like she pulls for the ACC a lot too, so it could be a loooooong bowl season for her.

Next up, UNC versus Missouri. This could be a pretty competitive game as both teams are somewhat middle of the road this season. The Tarheels are still working to overcome the recent violations while Missouri has been so focused on switching conferences and dealing with distractions surrounding all of that. UNC arguably has somewhat of a home field advantage, playing just 2 hours from campus, but Missouri has plenty of experience in the post season, so that shouldn’t be too much of a factor. Looking across the picks from our contest, it looks like about 65% of us believe the Tigers will bruise the Tarheels.  Merry Christmas to all!!

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Bowl Picks Update, Day 4

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Bacon

Boise State scored on the first play of the game and never looked back as the Bronco’s beat the Sun Devils by 32 points. In his final game, Kellen Moore led his team to an easy victory, despite coughing up the ball a few times. Boise State showed their strength and arguably made a statement that they should have been in the Sugar Bowl. Personally, I agree. This team deserved a bigger game and a better challenge. The outcome may have been different against a top-tier team, but based on what I have seen, Boise State can play with almost anyone. On any given day, this bunch could probably beat 95% of the other schools out there this year.

Not much changed in relation to our standings as only 3 or 4 people in our contest picked against the Broncos.  Here are the updated records for you:

The Office Crew:
Bacon: 4-2
Rebecca: 4-2
Rambo: 3-3

The Rest:
1st place: 6-0 - Caitlin Weed (Still perfect)
2nd place: 5-1 - T-Bone, Pretzel, Dill, Trip, Cass Waddell, Kelsey Weed, Aaron Sims
3rd place: 4-2 - Kristine Zemen, Cricket, James Knight, Bubbles, Susan James, Steve James, Paige Fierbaugh, Nike, Will Miller, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Kim Halder, Michael Humphrey, Dennis McElhaney, Sharon Latimer, Kirsten Weed, John Lloyd, Becky Martin, David Martin, Snaps

Notables: I’m giving Pistol a break today since Nurse Jenny decided to join the contest.  She entered quite late, so she is technically 1-5, but since her first pick that counts was yesterday, I guess you could say she’s 1-0.

Next up, Southern Miss vs. Nevada. Take a look at these mascots and you have what looks to be a Strong Rock Tribal battle as the Golden Eagles take on the Wolfpack. Unfortunately, based on your picks, this could be another lopsided game.  Only 3 people in our entire contest placed their faith in Nevada.  Let’s see if Brett Favre’s alma mater can seal the deal.

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Bowl Picks Update, Day 3

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Bacon

TCU barely squeaks out the victory in what turned out to be a very close game. La Tech came ready to play and kept TCU on their heels for most of the night. The Horned Frogs never gave up, never quit, kept believing and eventually pulled ahead late in the 4th quarter to finish strong in their last game as a member of the Mountain West conference. Most of us picked this game correctly, so not much change in the leaderboard.

Here’s the office snapshot:

Bacon: 3-2
Rebecca: 3-2
Rambo: 2-3

Here are the leaders from the rest of the contestants:

1st place: 5-0 - Caitlin Weed (Still lonely)
2nd place: 4-1 - T-Bone, Pretzel, Dill, Trip, Cass Waddell, Kelsey Weed, Aaron Sims
3rd place: 3-2 - Kristine Zemen, Cricket, James Knight, Bubbles, Susan James, Steve James, Paige Fierbaugh, Nike, Will Miller, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Kim Halder, Michael Humphrey, Dennis McElhaney, Sharon Latimer, Kirsten Weed, John Lloyd, Becky Martin, David Martin, Snaps, Steve Lowry

Notables: 2-3 - Pistol is on a roll.  Two wins in a row!!  Nice turnaround.

Boise State and Kellen Moore head into a match-up tonight with Arizona State. Though Boise had their hopes set much higher as far as bowls go, I expect and hope QB Kellen Moore finishes his football career with a great game as a victory could place him at 50 career wins during his college career. No doubt, this guy is one of the best college QB’s that we will ever watch play. He’s not flashy and seems pretty humble, but finds a way to lead his team to victory week after week. Arizona State on the other hand started the season strong but ended it horribly, so it is hard to say how the Sun Devils will close out their season. They may come out fighting, ready to show the nation that they are a better team than their record states. Conversely, they may just want to put this nightmare end of the season to rest and hang up the pads for the year. If they show up ready to play, this could be a pretty good game. Otherwise, the Broncos could put a beating on ASU.

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Bowl Picks Roundup, Day 2

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Bacon

Upset Alert! Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of us picked the FIU Panthers, it seemed like Marshall wanted it more last night as their defense really stepped it up to help lead them to victory. That unit recorded a huge blocked punt late in the fourth quarter to help seal the win. For most of us, that play set us back a bit in the contest, but a few of you guys had the upset pegged.

Here’s the office snapshot:

Bacon: 2-2
Rebecca: 2-2
Rambo: 1-3

Here are the leaders from the rest of the contestants:

1st place: 4-0 - Caitlin Weed (It’s lonely at the top)
2nd place: 3-1 - T-Bone, Pretzel, Dill, Trip, Cass Waddell, Kelsey Weed, Dennis McElhaney, Aaron Sims, Steve Lowry
3rd place: 2-2 - Kristine Zemen, Cricket, James Knight, Bubbles, Susan James, Steve James, Paige Fierbaugh, Nike, Will Miller, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Kim Halder, Michael Humphrey, Sharon Latimer, Kirsten Weed, John Lloyd, Becky Martin, David Martin, Snaps
Notables: 1-3 - Pistol picked against the flow last night and showed us that she is not totally out of this competition.

Tonight’s game has TCU lined up against Louisiana Tech. Only 3 people in our whole contest picked La Tech to pull off the upset, so our standings shouldn’t shift much regardless of the outcome.  We either all win or all lose.  For the sake of staying above .500, I’m pulling for the purple. TCU should have plenty of firepower to put this game away, but as we have already learned this bowl season, you just can’t underestimate any team from the state of Louisiana. However, I hear Texas is a pretty solid football state as well, so maybe this one will go as planned.

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Bowl Picks Roundup, Day 1

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Bacon

The first day of games had some close contests and thrilling finishes, despite the lack of big name teams.  Two games were decided by 2 points or less, with only one being a convincing victory.  So, as far as our picks are concerned, it was sort of a toss up kind of day.  The good news is that it is early and there are still 30+ games to go, so if you got off to a slow start, no need to worry too much.  Records don’t mean anything until the final day of the season.

Here’s the office snapshot:

Bacon: 2-1
Rambo: 1-2
Rebecca: 1-2

Here are the leaders from the rest of the contestants:

1st place: 3-0 – T-Bone, Dill, Cass Waddell, Caitlin Weed, Aaron Sims
2nd place: 2-1 – John Lloyd, Kelsey Weed, Sharon Latimer, Dennis McElhaney, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Trip, Will Miller, Nike, Paige Fierbaugh, Susan James, Pretzel, Bubbles, James Knight, Cricket, Kristine Zeman
3rd place: 1-2 – Lots of people…  I’ll add this when there is more separation
Notables: 0-3 – Pistol is perfect so far (of course she forgot that you are supposed to pick the winners)

Tonight’s game features the FIU Panthers against Marshall.  As Rebecca alluded to in her picks, Marshall has a prettied storied football history, while FIU is quite the up-and-coming program.  The Panthers have had their year in school history, while Marshall struggled a bit but would love to walk away with a big win to cap off their season finale’.  As for our contest, 73% of us favor FIU in this game.  Bring it on, let’s see what happens!

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Bowl Contest Begins Today!

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Bacon

It’s finally game day! College football bowl game day that is. The most anticipated contest of the year (outside of our tribal competitions) begins this afternoon with 3 games. Unfortunately, there isn’t a ton to be excited about as the teams playing today don’t really have many followers among our campers or staff. So, this day will serve as a teaser, a dry run if you will to get our feet wet and see how we all fare in our first picks. Bowl season is crazy, so anything can happen.

Here’s a look at how the contestants in our contest picked the three games on tap for today:

Tune in tomorrow for our first round of updated standings!!

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