2021 AGS Pick'em Challenge (Week 8)

[MTfan4life]

So, I decided to try something very different for the two bonus questions this week. I kind of hinted at it in last week's thread after 50% of you picked Eastern Washington to record the longest touchdown. It backfired and in the end zero people got that given bonus. So this week, there is almost a full guarantee someone will score and probably three different people will get the bonus for each question. Each prompt has this explanation, but just to reiterate, your goal is to pick a team nobody else will pick. Yes, it's basically just blind luck, but at least this blind luck probably guarantees a point scorer! Your task will be to try to pick a team for each given question who no one else will pick. I will take all the solo picked teams and rank them in the respective statistic. Anyways, without further ado:

Here are the week 8 picks: https://forms.gle/g7ipYxYeVHjZFsdc7

Prime Power is still in full control of the season long standings:


​

1
Prime Power
151


2
ElCid
146


2
JacksFan40
146


4
Scrappy94
142


5
sdsuceegrad
140


6
TheValleyRaider
138


7
caribbeanhen
135


7
Katfan
135


9
CockyGeek
134


9
Daytripper
134


9
Gangtackle11
134


9
gjw0007
134


9
POD Knows
134


14
bonarae
133


14
mvemjsunpx
133


16
melloware13
132


17
footballer23
131


17
TheKingpin28
131


19
BEAR
130


20
Bisonator
129


20
Catbooster
129


20
Go Lehigh TU owl
129


20
MR. CHICKEN
129


24
MSUBobcat
128


25
Chalupa Batman
127


25
McNeese75
127


25
ncspiderfan
127


28
Hambone
126


28
JALMOND
126


30
JSUSoutherner
125


30
MTfan4life
125


30
Roamingriz
125


30
Wapiti
125


34
katss07
124


34
Preferred Walk-On
124


36
The Cats
123


37
Drblankstare
121


38
SonuvaHenx2
119


39
zPuddin Tane
117


40
bluefish
116


41
YSUBIGRED
113


41
zpaward
113


43
zST_Lawson
112


44
Carolina010
111


44
Fcsbuff319
111


46
zzzTheRevSFA
65


47
zzzzkalm
55


47
zzzzkdinva
55


49
zzzAnthony215
46


50
zzblackbeard
33


51
zzLibertine
19


51
zzzzSpreadTheWord
19


53
zzzmvfcfan
17


54
zzzNodak651
16


55
zzzgrizband
15

[katss07]

In

[Katfan]

In

[MSUBobcat]

So, I decided to try something very different for the two bonus questions this week. I kind of hinted at it in last week's thread after 50% of you picked Eastern Washington to record the longest touchdown. It backfired and in the end zero people got that given bonus. So this week, there is almost a full guarantee someone will score and probably three different people will get the bonus for each question. Each prompt has this explanation, but just to reiterate, your goal is to pick a team nobody else will pick. Yes, it's basically just blind luck, but at least this blind luck probably guarantees a point scorer! Your task will be to try to pick a team for each given question who no one else will pick. I will take all the solo picked teams and rank them in the respective statistic. Anyways, without further ado:



I was thinking about this when you mentioned it last week... Does one avoid the more obvious choices in order to not match with someone else? Or do you gamble and take one of the obvious choices, thinking that everyone else is going to think someone will choose the obvious so they don't pick it, thereby leaving the "favorite" available for selection? But then is someone else having this exact same thought as me, so I should NOT take the likely option to avoid the double-up?. But, if I don't double-up the obvious choice, won't someone get a freebie? xchinscratchx xrotatehx

[wapiti]

I was thinking about this when you mentioned it last week... Does one avoid the more obvious choices in order to not match with someone else? Or do you gamble and take one of the obvious choices, thinking that everyone else is going to think someone will choose the obvious so they don't pick it, thereby leaving the "favorite" available for selection? But then is someone else having this exact same thought as me, so I should NOT take the likely option to avoid the double-up?. But, if I don't double-up the obvious choice, won't someone get a freebie? xchinscratchx xrotatehx


https://youtu.be/rMz7JBRbmNo

and I am in too. I obviously did not choose the cup in front of you.

[MSUBobcat]

https://youtu.be/rMz7JBRbmNo

and I am in too. I obviously did not choose the cup in front of you.

Thank you for adding the video reference to the scene which I alluded! xthumbsupx

[McNeese75]

in

[POD Knows]

In.

[ElCid]

https://youtu.be/rMz7JBRbmNo

and I am in too. I obviously did not choose the cup in front of you.

This is priceless. Nice!

[ElCid]

Yup E Wash for least yards. Ain't nobody going to pick them. Or will they...

[kdinva]

In.

[Daytripper]

In.

[MTfan4life]

https://youtu.be/rMz7JBRbmNo

and I am in too. I obviously did not choose the cup in front of you.


This is exactly the intent of the bonus questions! I'm glad people have caught on with the same thought process! It's like a game of Scattergories, but with 45 or so people! I am on the honor system as well. It doesn't need to be said, but I promise I won't look before I submit. I will admit, though, I'm very excited to see who gets picked and what teams end up being the ones not picked. If it goes well, this will definitely come back at least one more time this season!

[Carolina010]

In

[ElCid]

Done. Nobody better pick my Bonus picks.xtroublex

[ncspiderfan]

In

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

In!

[ysubigred]

In.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[ysubigred]

Yup E Wash for least yards. Ain't nobody going to pick them. Or will they...EWash will have more yards in the 1st quarter than a lot of teams will have in 4 [emoji2960]

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[MR. CHICKEN]

IN

[MTfan4life]

So I decided to go ahead and make my picks so I could track how this plays out. I don't want to give anything away other than one of my picks was selected by two other people! xsmhx Far too many people taking the Dwight Schrute route! xlolx I'm also curious to see how many people pick teams not included in the pick set this week. (You'd be surprised how often that happens.)

[MSUBobcat]

In. To sink even further down the standings.....

[JSUSoutherner]

100% not a fan of the bonus questions.

Takes the game from "be a better guesser" to "be a luckier guesser".

It gives scrubs like me a chance to be relevant.

[MR. CHICKEN]

100% not a fan of the bonus questions.

Takes the game from "be a better guesser" to "be a luckier guesser".

It gives scrubs like me a chance to be relevant.

.....EGG-ZAKLEY..........AWK!

.....BUT........COOD ARGUE SKILL IN NAMIN' E.WASHIN'TON......FO' MOST YARDS PILED UP.......O' TEAM WHIFF STINGY "D"......FO' LEAST POINTS ALLOWED........IS LEADER LEADIN'.....'CAUSE UH BONUS'S/PICKS ??

....OWNLAH 4 PICKSTERS GOT UH BONER....ER UH UMMMMM....BONUS LAST TIME!.....AWK!

[Bisonator]

In and yes this is becoming less a game of knowledge and more a game of chance.......oh well

[MSUBobcat]

I think just not having "who will score the most" or "who will have the most yards of offense" as the bonus question when EWU or a game against Presby is among those selected would alleviate the need to have to be the only one to pick an particular team. Most TO's for or against, longest punt/kick return, most penalties, longest FG made, even longest FG attempted could be options. Then you could make an educated guess, but by no means a guarantee.

But it's MTfan's game and I'm good with whatever. The bonus questions really aren't where I'm falling down lately... xlolx

[ElCid]

I wasn't a fan at first, but there has to be a way of picking up points, and chance is a as good a way as any. It's not like the entire game is chance, just one very small part. And it still requires a bit of knowledge because you now have to know how other people may pick as well. A little subjective reasoning as well as objective data. Gives it a little flavor. I'm sure we will see how it works out after this week.

[MSUBobcat]

I wasn't a fan at first, but there has to be a way of picking up points, and chance is a as good a way as any. It's not like the entire game is chance, just one very small part. And it still requires a bit of knowledge because you now have to know how other people may pick as well. A little subjective reasoning as well as objective data. Gives it a little flavor. I'm sure we will see how it works out after this week.

If I get one or both bonuses.... let's keep it! If not, it's really gotta go.

[caribbeanhen]

But it's MTfan's game and I'm good with whatever. The bonus questions really aren't where I'm falling down lately... xlolx

This!

[POD Knows]

This!
After I made my completely informed pics this week, I had my wife make the same pics and she knows zero about FCS football outside of the MVFC and a couple of BSC teams and she only knows about those because we went to the NDSU games at Missoula and Cheney She will absolutely beat me in this deal. I will share the results and if she wins, she is taking over my pick ‘‘em duties.

[Prime Power]

.....EGG-ZAKLEY..........AWK!

.....BUT........COOD ARGUE SKILL IN NAMIN' E.WASHIN'TON......FO' MOST YARDS PILED UP.......O' TEAM WHIFF STINGY "D"......FO' LEAST POINTS ALLOWED........IS LEADER LEADIN'.....'CAUSE UH BONUS'S/PICKS ??

....OWNLAH 4 PICKSTERS GOT UH BONER....ER UH UMMMMM....BONUS LAST TIME!.....AWK!



Only one bonus question right all year so far and on top of that I am only 2 of 7 on the 2 point games.

[caribbeanhen]

Only one bonus question right all year so far and on top of that I am only 2 of 7 on the 2 point games.

So you're basically killing it on the Pick em’s

nice lob

[MSUBobcat]

After I made my completely informed pics this week, I had my wife make the same pics and she knows zero about FCS football outside of the MVFC and a couple of BSC teams and she only knows about those because we went to the NDSU games at Missoula and Cheney She will absolutely beat me in this deal. I will share the results and if she wins, she is taking over my pick ‘‘em duties.

I bet she kills it. I was doing much better early on when there was very few data points and even less common opponents. I should really stop even looking at records and just flip a coin. Getting downright embarrassing!

[Catbooster]

In

[MTfan4life]

In and yes this is becoming less a game of knowledge and more a game of chance.......oh well
There have been 256 total questions this season and just now because of questions #255 & #256 it's a game of chance? One could argue well over 33% of the games picked from so far this season have been completely up to chance. Why is it so bad there's TWO props that just add a different variation of chance?

After I made my completely informed pics this week, I had my wife make the same pics and she knows zero about FCS football outside of the MVFC and a couple of BSC teams and she only knows about those because we went to the NDSU games at Missoula and Cheney She will absolutely beat me in this deal. I will share the results and if she wins, she is taking over my pick ‘‘em duties.

I've actually had my wife participate on the side every week I've done this for the reason of having a "control" to the data. (She knows zilch about college football.) She'll do pretty well some weeks, and not so much others. However, each season her collective results would rank dead last. You're all a little more informed than you think you are! Even us bozos in the bottom 15 this year! xlolx


I think just not having "who will score the most" or "who will have the most yards of offense" as the bonus question when EWU or a game against Presby is among those selected would alleviate the need to have to be the only one to pick an particular team. Most TO's for or against, longest punt/kick return, most penalties, longest FG made, even longest FG attempted could be options. Then you could make an educated guess, but by no means a guarantee.

But it's MTfan's game and I'm good with whatever. The bonus questions really aren't where I'm falling down lately... xlolx

Even when I do alternative questions, it's usually loaded with the JMUs, NDSUs, SDSUs of the world. I had longest kick return, and SDSU/NDSU/JMU were nearly a 1/3 of the teams picked. The main reason for doing this was to get people to take roads less traveled. Plus, in a game where you pick 30 basically coin flip games, what's the issue with adding a little fun to the end of it. There's a little added strategy and enjoyable variation in scrolling through and talking yourself out of teams because you think someone else might have that same idea.

Plus, you're not being a "better guesser" by correctly guessing Furman, of all teams, would have one of the longest offensive touchdowns of the week or that otherwise offensively inept Abilene Christian would score the most points in a week. Those results are just as much luck as this game, the only difference is this time around there aren't 25 people picking Eastern Washington. And, above all there will be guaranteed winners.

[MR. CHICKEN]

....AREN'T BONUS ?'s.....WORTH MO' POINTS?................IFIN' SO......AH THINK THEY SHOOD COUNT AS REGULAR PICKS (1 POINT)......2 OR MO' POINTS ISN'T FAIR......FO' LUCKILY GUESSIN' OFF DUH WALL ?'s.......AWK!

.....PLEASE DON'T TAKE PERSONAL........ENJOYIN' DUH GAME......AN' YER EFFORTS........MUCHO APPRECIATED...xhugxxhandshakexxwavexxlovexxhypedxx beerchugxxhighfivex.......AWQ!

[MTfan4life]

....AREN'T BONUS ?'s.....WORTH MO' POINTS?................IFIN' SO......AH THINK THEY SHOOD COUNT AS REGULAR PICKS (1 POINT)......2 OR MO' POINTS ISN'T FAIR......FO' LUCKILY GUESSIN' OFF DUH WALL ?'s.......AWK!


The higher points is simply because it's a much lower chance of getting it correctly. Regular picks you have a 50% chance. Bonus picks, you have just over a 5% chance.

[Katfan]

I could be wrong but I’m thinking the top pickers are ahead of the lucky pickers. I’m neither lucky or good so I’ll probably end the year close to the middle. I have gotten to enjoy the questions and have actually given some thought to the answers to learn more about some of the teams. It hasn’t helped I don’t think I’ve gotten too many correct! Anyway thanks for putting this together I really enjoy it!

[MTfan4life]

Picks are posted: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OIOu5aJXKNQBJIoD1Z5Iok49CcsbeSuAR1fbirU17Lw/edit?usp=sharing

It's kind of wild the way the picks worked out and strategies people took. For example, only one person picked Sam Houston for the most points question. About 10 people successfully selected both teams without a match, and about 15 have matches for both games. On your form if your team is marked in red, that means someone else picked them as well. If your picks have been replaced by clowns, please contact your local memory care facility.

[MTfan4life]

We did it! We finally gave Prime Power a bad week! Jokes aside, there's a 4 way tie at the top for the week with 3 top 20 people, JacksFan40, mvemjsunpx, & footballer23, and routine cellar dweller Fcsbuff319. The bonus question charade actually worked out very well. There's no way anybody would have picked Samford for getting the least yards otherwise, haha. Bonus winners were Mvem, Fcsbuff, Scrappy94, JALMOND, gjw0007, and MSUBobcat. And the best result of all, paward is back to his old ways getting 18 for the 5th time in 7 weeks!



CockyGeek
22


fcsbuff319
22


JacksFan40
22


mvemjsunpx
22


footballer23
21


Go Lehigh TU owl
21


Hambone
21


kdinva
21


Kalm
20


MSUBobcat
20


Katfan
19


katss07
19


ncspiderfan
19


TheKingpin28
19


TheRevSFA
19


bonarae
18


Chalupa Batman
18


McNeese75
18


MR. CHICKEN
18


paward
18


POD Knows
18


sdsuceegrad
18


Bisonator
17


Gangtackle11
17


gjw0007
17


JSUSoutherner
17


MTfan4life
17


Puddin Tane
17


Roamingriz
17


Carolina010
16


Catbooster
16


Daytripper
16


Preferred Walk-On
16


Scrappy94
16


YSUBIGRED
16


JALMOND
15


melloware13
15


SonuvaHenx2
15


Prime Power
14


The Cats
14


Caribbeanhen
13


Drblankstare
13


ElCid
13


TheValleyRaider
13


Wapiti
13




And we have a new leader for the first time in a long time. Both JacksFan40 and Prime Power have dominated this season with substantial separation over the rest of the pack:



1
JacksFan40
168


2
Prime Power
165


3
ElCid
159


4
Scrappy94
158


4
sdsuceegrad
158


6
CockyGeek
156


7
mvemjsunpx
155


8
Katfan
154


9
footballer23
152


9
POD Knows
152


11
bonarae
151


11
Gangtackle11
151


11
gjw0007
151


11
TheValleyRaider
151


15
Daytripper
150


15
Go Lehigh TU owl
150


15
TheKingpin28
150


18
caribbeanhen
148


18
MSUBobcat
148


20
Hambone
147


20
melloware13
147


20
MR. CHICKEN
147


23
Bisonator
146


23
ncspiderfan
146


25
Catbooster
145


25
Chalupa Batman
145


25
McNeese75
145


28
katss07
143


29
JSUSoutherner
142


29
MTfan4life
142


29
Roamingriz
142


32
JALMOND
141


33
Preferred Walk-On
140


34
Wapiti
138


35
The Cats
137


36
Drblankstare
134


36
SonuvaHenx2
134


36
zPuddin Tane
134


39
Fcsbuff319
133


40
zpaward
131


41
zBEAR
130


42
YSUBIGRED
129


43
Carolina010
127


44
zbluefish
116


45
zzST_Lawson
112


46
zzzTheRevSFA
84


47
zzzzkdinva
76


48
zzzzkalm
75

[CockyGeek]

I get the most points on the week I was literally did the least research. I love football.

[Roamingriz]

Really loving up to your name eh CG 😉 Nice work

[paward]

Who da heck is that z Puddin Tane in front of me? His ashe has got ta go! I will meet you half way, lol. I want to be the z champion.

[caribbeanhen]

Who da heck is that z Puddin Tane in front of me? His ashe has got ta go! I will meet you half way, lol. I want to be the z champion.

18 points a week is a thing of beauty

[POD Knows]

I got 17 games correct in the pick ‘em this week, my wife, isn’t who doesn’t know jack **** about anything FCS related outside of the MVFC, got 18 correct.

Beam me the hell up.

[ElCid]

I got 17 games correct in the pick ‘em this week, my wife, isn’t who doesn’t know jack **** about anything FCS related outside of the MVFC, got 18 correct.

Beam me the hell up.

This past week I literally sat for 4 hours and went over every single result of the every team to pick...and had my absolutely worse week yet.