NCAA

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Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks- Week 1

You asked for it (well, Chas did, at least), and here it is: The Weekly NCAA College Football Challenge. Or as it was dubbed last year: Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks. So, you know the rules. You pick the winner of nine D-1 gridiron contests, as well as the winner and score in the tiebreaker game, which will be the game involving Arizona each week, unless they have a bye. Or maybe this year we’ll do a rotating tie breaker, letting the weekly winners pick which game it will be. Yeah, something different this time.

 So, without any further ado or reckless rambling, here are the games for Week 1 8/28 – 9/1. (Numbers are the ranking in the AP Top 25 poll.)

  1. #21 Texas A&M @ #9 South Carolina

  2. Boise State vs. #18 Ole Miss

  3. #5 Ohio State @ Navy

  4. West Virginia vs. #2 Alabama

  5. Arkansas @ #6 Auburn

  6. #16 Clemson @ #12 Georgia

  7. Idaho @ Florida

  8. #1 Florida State vs. Oklahoma State

  9. #14 Wisconsin vs. #13 LSU

       10. TB UNLV @ Arizona – Guess winner and score.

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Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks- Week 14

This is it. This is the week that decides who gets the big money BCS bowl games and who has to settle for a “Never-Heard-of-it” Bowl. I have selected the eight conference championship games for the week, as well as two Big 12 games that have significance for some of our regulars. The tie breaker will be the SEC game between Mizzou and Auburn. Choose well. Just remember- in that game you have to name the school, not just the mascot, because both teams are Tigers. Oh, and pick before Friday @ 7:00PM EST, since that is when the MAC game is. So, without further ado, here are your choices:

1. ACC- Duke vs Florida State

2. B1G- Ohio State vs Michigan State

3. PAC 12- #7 Stanford @ #11 Arizona State

4. MAC- Bowling Green vs Northern Illinois

5. SWAC- Southern vs Jackson State

6. MWC- Utah State @ #23 Fresno State

7. Big 12- Texas vs Baylor

8. Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State

9. Rice vs Marshall

10. SEC- Mizzou vs Auburn – TIE BREAKER: Guess the winner and the score.

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* Administrator’s note-

I would like to extend my gratitude to Peter for putting this together for us every week. It’s been a lot of fun. Thank you so much for your time and effort. 🙂

And we will have one last contest for this season when the Bowl Games start. And I mean the good ones, not the early ones that no one cares about.  🙂

* Also I changed one game because tonight is too soon to start it. Not enough will have a chance to make their picks. So Louis/Cinncy has been removed, and I’ve added Rice/Marshall. If you’ve already picked, post your new choice and I’ll fix it. Sorry for the confusion.

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Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks- Week 13

Here ye, here ye!

’Tis Rivalry Week in the realm of the college gridiron. All over the nation, football fans will don the colors of their chosen team, and trash talk anyone in the opposing team’s gear. Orange and Blue Tigers will face a Crimson challenge. Other Tigers will face Raiders and Roosters. Trojans host Bruins; Wolverines take on some Nuts from Ohio. Sun Devils try to burn Wildcats that took down not-so-mighty Ducks. Hawkeyes face Cornhuskers. Boilermakers visit Hoosiers.  Rebels take on Bulldogs. And the Gators will try to make something out of a dismal season while hosting the #2 Seminoles. Most of these are in the same state. Most don’t care what happens during the rest of the season, as long as they win this game.

And you get to guess the winners in the ten rivalry games below. Trash talk all you want, but remember, this is a family-friendly blog.

 1. #1 Alabama @ #4 Auburn – This is the Civil War of the South. They even sabotage trees in this one.

  2. #2 Florida State @ Florida – Normally, this is a big game. For Florida it is. For FSU, a loss would take them out of the national championship. Yeah, I guess it is a bog game.

  3. #3 Ohio State @ Michigan – How do you take a team named for a nut seriously? Michigan does.

  4. #21 Texas A&M @ #5 Missouri – Not a major rivalry, but the two teams that went from Big 12 to SEC play an important game for both of them.

  5. #6 Clemson @ #10 South Carolina – Chas has been mentioning this one all year. Now it’s here.

  6. #22 UCLA @ #23 USC – The I-10, PAC-12 game of the week. Hey, in what other game does the “visiting” team get penalized for wearing their home jersey?

  7. Iowa @ Nebraska – What is a Hawkeye? I lived and Iowa and can’t answer that. But Iowa grows a lot of corn. Will they get husked in Lincoln?

  8. Ole Miss @ Mississippi State – Why is the University of Mississippi called “Ole” Miss? They don’t act like elderly spinsters on the field.

  9. Purdue @ Indiana – A dismal year for Purdue. I’m not calling this a pillow fight, but how often is Purdue worse than its cross state rival?

 10. Tie Breaker: Arizona @ #12 Arizona State – Pick winner and score. After last Saturday, anything could happen in this one. And it often doesn’t matter what either team’s record is, they both want this one big. But ASU has more to lose by losing.

Play on, fans. Just get your picks in by Thursday 7:30 PM EST, when the two Misses play. Don’t “Miss” out.

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Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks- Week 12

‘Tis almost the season to be jolly, Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

Football to some is but folly, Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

Boo to them and their opinions, Fa-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la!

Let’s have fun and forget those minions! Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

Okay, so I should keep to teaching Spanish instead of writing carols. Or picking games for people to try and guess the winners. Sorry to say the games are coming to an end. Next week is rivalry week, and after that are the conference playoffs. I suppose that will be all for our little contest.

And my apologies for the picks, but games involving blog favorites were not very challenging this week. I mean, Alabama and Florida State are playing push over teams (no offense to those from Chattanooga and Idaho).There are a couple of big games to choose, though. The Big 12 and the SEC have important games, and Wisconsin and Minnesota face off, with both being in the Top 25! That hasn’t happened in a long time. Finally, the Pillow Fight features two B1G 10 teams that haven’t won a conference game all year. In fact, Illinois has lost its last 20 conference games.

Pick early, but not often. The first game is scheduled for Friday night at 9:30 PM EST, as the Midshipmen take on the Spartans. No, not Michigan State, but San Jose State.

  1. Navy @ San Jose State

  2. #4 Baylor @ #10 Oklahoma State

  3. #8 Missouri @ #24 Ole Miss

  4. #12 Texas A&M @ #22 LSU

  5. Brigham Young @ Notre Dame

  6. #19 Wisconsin @ #25 Minnesota

  7. Duke @ Wake Forest

  8. Boise State @ San Diego State

  9. Pillow Fight: Illinois @ Purdue

 10. Tie Breaker: #5 Oregon @ Arizona– winner and final score.

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Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks- Week 11

It’s early, I know. But one of the featured games this week is Thursday night, a big battle in the ACC: Georgia Tech goes to Clemson. Several other big games in various conferences this week as well, as the season winds down to conference playoffs. So I tried to include as many conference “big games” as possible, including the Pillow Fight, which may decide the worst team in the Conference USA.

Oh, and for Mumsee, the Mountain West is represented by Boise State. So, here they are!

1. Georgia Tech @ #8 Clemson – ACC records: GT 5-2, 1st in Coastal division; Clemson 6-1, 2nd in Atlantic.

2. #25 Georgia @ #7 Auburn – SEC records: UG 4-2, 3rd in the East; AU 5-1 2nd in West.

3. #12 Oklahoma State @ #24 Texas – Big 12 records: OSU 5-1, 3rd; UT 6-0, 1st.

4. #16 Michigan State @ Nebraska – B1G 10 records: Both in the Legends division, MSU 5-0, 1st; Neb 4-1, 2nd.

5. Oregon State @ #19 Arizona State – PAC 12 records: OSU 4-2, 2nd in North; ASU 5-1, 1st in South.

6. Florida @ #10 South Carolina – SEC records: Both in East, Fla 3-4, 4th; SC 5-2, 2nd

7. Wyoming @ Boise State – MWC: This really will have no bearing on the conference, but Wyoming is 2-3, BSU 4-1, 2nd in the Mountain division.

8. South Alabama (3-5) @ Navy (5-4) – a non-conference matchup. It’s the only game involving a major military academy.

9. Pillow Fight: Florida International @ UTEP – Conference USA records: combined, 1-9 (conf), 2-16 overall.

10. Washington State @ Arizona PAC 12: Neither has a chance of winning their divisions, but it’s the tie breaker. So guess the score as well as the winner.

Open to all readers of this blog post regardless of regularity of visits here or familial ties herewith. Children, siblings and spouses are encouraged to participate.

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Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks-Week 10

Once again, it’s time for the weekly venture into voluntarily vociferating about a violent sport, expressing visionary predictions on the victorious teams in ten games.

Don’t forget the score in the tie breaker. I hope nobody minds that there are five SEC contests this week. But I tried to spread the other five among the other major conferences, even including another B1G 10 pillow fight,
in which Illinois tries to get its first conference win against Indiana, which has only one of its own. If I had been on the ball I could have done this yesterday and included the two major games tonight with top 10 teams, (#10
Oklahoma at #6 Baylor and #3 Oregon at #5 Stanford). But there is the SEC showdown of #13 LSU taking on #1 Alabama.

So have at it, sports fans.
If you have a relative who wants to join in, just mark the entry as such. Open to all readers of this blog and their family or acquaintances, regardless of favorite team, political affiliation, marital status, number of Facebook friends, or global location.

1. #2 Florida State @ Wake Forest

2. #8 Missouri @ Kentucky

3. #9 Auburn @ Tennessee

4. Texas @ West Virginia

5. Iowa @ Purdue

6. Mississippi State @ #15 Texas A&M

7. #13 LSU @ #1 Alabama

8. Vanderbilt @ Florida

9. Pillow Fight: Illinois (0-4) @ Indiana (1-3)

10. Tie Breaker: #19 UCLA @ Arizona

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Peter’s Pickled Pigskin Picks Week-9

Time again for the weekly football poll. There are several big games this week, including two Florida teams going head to head. Plus, how about a pillow fight featuring two ACC teams from North Carolina that have only one conference victory between them? And two military academies trying to improve on otherwise dismal seasons. Then there is a real battle in the state of Battle Creek. Too bad I’ll be away from a TV and won’t get to watch any of the games. Get your choices in by Friday at 9:00PM EDT when So Cal and Oregon go at it. I’ll forego any comments this week due to a tired brain and time constraints.

 1. USC @ Oregon State

  2. Army @ Air Force

  3. Navy @ #25 Notre Dame

  4. Mississippi State @ #14 South Carolina

  5. #21 Michigan @ #22 Michigan State

  6. Tennessee @ #9 Missouri

  7. #7 Miami (FL) @ #3 Florida State

  8. Boise State @ Colorado State

  9. Pillow Fight: North Carolina (1-3 ACC) @ North Carolina State (0-4 ACC)

10. Tie breaker (pick the winner and the score): Arizona @ California

 

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Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks- Week 8

It’s late. It’s cold. I have a cold. So this will be short. Not as short as Georgia’s winning streaks have been, though.  This week we go to the Big 12 for an exciting possibility at both extremes. #10 Texas Tech crosses the Red River to play #15 Oklahoma. Could be an upset there. And for the Pillow Fight, I chose West Virginia at Kansas State. Neither has had much success in the conference so far.  Oh, and pick early since the Boise State game is on Friday night. Again.

1. Boise State @ Brigham Young (Friday night) – BSU or BYU, that is the question. (Sorry Shakespeare fans.)

2. Tennessee @ #1 Alabama –  Can Tennessee pull another big upset?

3. Pittsburgh @ Navy – Say it with me now: “Go Navy…”

4. #21 South Carolina @ #5 Missouri – So, do Chas and I make a friendly wager? Nah, I don’t gamble.

5. Texas @ TCU – By request. Longhorns and Horned Frogs. What is it with Texas and it’s horns?

6. #10 Texas Tech @ #15 Oklahoma – Red River Rivalry, Junior. Except this year it actually matters in the Big 12 race.

7. #9 Clemson @ Maryland – Clemson was embarrassed last week. Can the Terps make it twice?

8. #12 UCLA @ #3 Oregon – Another request. And a PAC-12 mini-championship.

9. Pillow Fight: West Virginia @ Kansas State – WVU 1-2, 3-4. KSU 0-3, 2-4. Perhaps a pillow would be a good idea watching this one so you can sleep comfortably.

10. Tie breaker Arizona @ Colorado – Pick the winner and the score. Colorado can be tough in Boulder. Will the Wildcats beat the Buffalo there?

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Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks Week 7

Ladies and Gentlemen– Here is what you have been waiting for all week: another chance to show what you know about college football by guessing the results of ten games chosen based on whatever whim I feel at the moment. Like the pillow fight. ESPN chose last week’s loser of two teams who haven’t won all year again. So I decided to make it two BIG 10 teams who haven’t won a conference game all year. So without much further palaver from me, here are your choices for the pigskin picks:

1. #11 South Carolina @ Tennessee —  Chas’ team versus Anlir’s.

2. #22 Florida @ #14 Missouri — Mizzou got a big boost by knocking off Georgia. Can they do it again?

3. #24 Auburn @ #7 Texas A&M — Auburn gets a challenge this week. Go Tigers!

4. #9 UCLA @ #13 Stanford — This one seems like it will be a good game.

5. USC @ Notre Dame — Isn’t this one usually scheduled in November?

6. #5 Florida State @ #3 Clemson — Biggest challenge for Clemson.

7. #18 Oklahoma @ Kansas — A few years ago, this wouldn’t have been a gimme.

8. Nevada @ Boise State

9. A BIG 10 Pillow Fight: Minnesota @ Northwestern — Some think every BIG 10 game is a pillow fight.

10. Tie Breaker: Utah @ Arizona — Pick the winner and the score. Since Utah joined the PAC 12, it restarted a minor rivalry from the old Western Athletic Conference.

Get these picks in by noon Saturday.

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Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks Week 6

It’s been a long week and I’m behind schedule. Sorry folks. I even missed the fact that the usual tie breaker game (Arizona) is Thursday night! (It starts in a couple of hours from when I am typing this.) So I’ll use my adopted home state’s team for the tie breaker, especially since it is of greater interest. The Mizzou Tigers get to visit the Georgia Bulldogs. Sorry, Chas, but another cat and dog fight. The other feature game is the Pillow Fight), in which two winless teams try to eke something positive out of this season. Miami (Ohio) travels to UMass in a battle to get out of ESPN’s Bottom Ten list. Without much further delay, here are the ten games for your prognosticating pleasure: 

1. #12 Oklahoma vs. Texas  — The Battle of the Red River. Always a big game. Perhaps for Texas, not another big loss.

2. #17 Florida @ #10 LSU  — The Gators and Tigers. The SEC at its best.

3. #14 South Carolina @ Arkansas  — For Chas. At least his favorite team isn’t playing Tigers this week.

4. Navy @ Duke  — The Midshipmen get another mention in our little pack of pigskin players.

5. Nebraska @ Purdue — Because Chas likes Purdue. And there are no other B1G Ten teams on the list this week.

6. Boston College @ #3 Clemson — What can I say? Clemson looks like the real thing this year.

7. Western Carolina @ Auburn – The Tigers against a Carolina team that can’t decide if it’s North or South.

8. Boise State @ Utah State  — Maybe Mumsee will take the hint that she should join our little contest.

9. Pillow Fight: Miami (Ohio) @ UMass  — UMass has never beaten a Division 1-A team since moving up last year. Can they do it this week?

10. Tie Breaker: #25 Missouri @ #7 Georgia  — Tigers and Bulldogs. My alma mater was a Bulldog school just 90 miles away from Mizzou.  

Remember: Enter before noon on Saturday. Guess the winners of the ten games, as well as the score of the tie breaker. You just might join the PPPPP Hall of Fame. 

Last week’s results: Chas won with 9 correct. Inbutnotof, AJ and Kbells had 8. JaniceG, Kim and I (Peter L) had 7, and Cheryl had 4. Past winners: Adios, Kim, Tychicus, Mr. Kbells and Chas.