# Oak's College Pick'em '11 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 30, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807 "2011-07-30T03:04:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/1 "2011-07-30T03:04:06Z")
As promised, I’ve started a College Pick’em league. Invitations should have gone out to everyone that played last year, and everyone else is welcome to participate. There is no limit of the number of players. There should be fewer games to pick each week this year, as I set it to “Top 25” and “SEC”, but not the Yahoo choices. We’re using confidence point scoring, and your lowest week will be dropped for ranking purposes. The league is at Yahoo, Group ID# 1362 Password is cecil Note: I will not edit your picks, ever, for any reason. You may as well not select the option that would allow it, cuz it ain’t gonna happen. You can select an option to send you email reminders before the first game each week if you like. The deadline to get your picks in is 5 minutes before each game. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/2 "2011-07-30T04:16:30Z")
Good work, Oak! Beasley’s in. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/3 "2011-07-30T17:47:35Z")
Got the invite, glad you are reducing the # games, although I would like to see it fixed to a specific number of games per week. If a player happens to miss a week that has more games played than any other week then he will be at a disadvantage. IIRC, I think a couple of entrants (me included) forgot to hit the submit button after making the picks last year. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/4 "2011-07-30T22:20:22Z")
I don’t think there’s an option for a set number of games. I only remember choices for Yahoo choices, Top 25, and one conference. The dropped lowest week will partially mitigate a player forgetting to hit submit one time. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/5 "2011-08-07T16:11:51Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > There should be fewer games to pick each week this year, as I set it to “Top 25” and “SEC”, but not the Yahoo choices. Judging by the “ranking numbers” at [The Best of Recruiting and High School Sports](http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/scoreboard) they will depend on the AP Poll’s choices. If I remember correctly in past years those numbers get adjusted soon after the new AP numbers come out, but may not be shown in the week’s schedule right away. Do you know how soon the “Top 25” will be visible to the “Pick’em” crowd? ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/6 "2011-08-09T11:55:46Z")
Thanks for the invite - I’m back again as **Pride of the Southland** ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/7 "2011-08-17T21:08:01Z")
If the assumption is good that the AP Top 25 will be in line with the other polls in this list, the games we will have to work with ought to come from these: ```auto Week 1 Scoreboard [Coaches] (Yahoo!) Thursday September 1, 2011 UNLV 8:00 pm EDT [10] (7) <7> Wisconsin [20] (15) Mississippi St. 8:00 pm EDT SEC Memphis Kentucky 9:15 pm EDT SEC West. Kentucky UC Davis 10:00 pm EDT <20> Arizona St. Friday September 2, 2011 Youngstown St. 7:30 pm EDT [17] (14) <18> Michigan St. [15] (2) <15> TCU 8:00 pm EDT Baylor Saturday September 3, 2011 Utah St. 12:00 pm EDT [19] (1) Auburn SEC Indiana St. 12:00 pm EDT [25] <23> Penn St. Miami (OH) 12:00 pm EDT [21] (18) Missouri Akron 12:00 pm EDT [16] (5) <16> Ohio St. Kent St. 12:20 pm EDT [2] (10) <2> Alabama SEC Appalachian St. 12:30 pm EDT [13] (16) <12> Virginia Tech Minnesota 3:30 pm EDT <19> USC LA Monroe 3:30 pm EDT [5] (17) <8> Florida St. Chattanooga 3:30 pm EDT [11] (20) <9> Nebraska South Florida 3:30 pm EDT [18] <13> Notre Dame <25> BYU 4:45 pm EDT Mississippi SEC San Jose St. 5:00 pm EDT [6] (4) <6> Stanford Montana 6:00 pm EDT Tennessee SEC Liberty 6:00 pm EDT (25) N.C. State LA Lafayette 7:00 pm EDT [8] (13) <11> Oklahoma St. [12] (22) <17> South Carolina 7:00 pm EDT SEC East Carolina Rice 7:00 pm EDT [24] <22> Texas Missouri St. 7:00 pm EDT [14] (12) <14> Arkansas SEC Charleston Sou. 7:00 pm EDT (21) UCF Florida Atlantic 7:00 pm EDT [23] <21> Florida SEC Elon 7:30 pm EDT Vanderbilt SEC (24) Tulsa 8:00 pm EDT [1] (6) <1> Oklahoma [4] (8) <4> LSU 8:00 pm EDT SEC [3] (3) <3> Oregon [7] (9) <5> Boise St. 8:00 pm EDT [22] Georgia SEC Sunday September 4, 2011 Marshall 3:30 pm EDT <24> West Virginia SMU 7:30 pm EDT [9] (19) <10> Texas A&M Monday September 5, 2011 Miami (FL) 8:00 pm EDT (23) Maryland ``` The AP numbers are due out on the 20th. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/8 "2011-08-27T20:26:46Z")
We only have 6 people signed up so far. Picks are supposed to be available on Monday, 8/29/11. This game has no limit on the number of players, all are welcome to join. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/9 "2011-08-30T22:45:10Z")
I musta missed it the first time around. You got a link? ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/10 "2011-08-31T20:48:40Z")
Nevermind, I’m in. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/11 "2011-08-31T23:01:12Z")
Just entered and made my picks, remember to save your picks and to do the tiebreakers. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/12 "2011-08-31T23:02:51Z")
Picks are available now. Please remember to save your picks before leaving the screen. I’m a little disappointed we only have 8 players so far this year , but anyone can join. 24 games to pick this week. And the moment you’ve all been waiting for–the first official \*\*Oak’s Upset of the Week \*\*is…(drum roll, please) (19) Georgia at home over (5) Boise State. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/13 "2011-08-31T23:07:43Z")
Ah, but how many confidence points did you give that upset? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/14 "2011-08-31T23:12:52Z")
Not very many. Less than I put on BYU over Ole Miss in Oxford. I expect the Rebels to stink up the place. One of the guys competing for the starting QB job got himself arrested last week. That doesn’t bode well for the season. Fortunately, I’m a Mississippi State fan, so kudos to the fine law enforcement officers in Oxford for doing their duty. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/15 "2011-08-31T23:24:54Z")
RamblinWreckage also picked UGA over Boise. This post might come back to haunt me, but I think if UGA can beat BSU and USC, they will run the table to the SEC Championship (aka the De Facto National Championship game). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/16 "2011-09-02T19:50:44Z")
Hey, guys, let me show you a little tinkering I have done just to give my “confidence points” more “science” than just grabbing numbers. Using [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt11.htm](http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt11.htm) to get Sagarin’s preseason rankings for both teams, and getting the difference in those ranking numbers, and then sorting by the resulting differences I get: ```auto @(18)Ohio St. vs Akron Sat 09/03 11:00am - 3 157 154 @(15)Arkansas vs Missouri St. Sat 09/03 06:00pm - 13 156 143 @(10)Nebraska vs Chattanooga Sat 09/03 02:30pm - 18 148 130 @(22)Florida vs Florida Atlantic Sat 09/03 06:00pm - 6 133 127 @(7)Stanford vs San Jose St. Sat 09/03 04:00pm - 12 136 124 @(2)Alabama vs Kent St. Sat 09/03 11:20am - 1 124 123 @(9)Oklahoma St. vs LA Lafayette Sat 09/03 06:00pm - 16 139 123 @(6)Florida St. vs LA Monroe Sat 09/03 02:30pm - 15 131 116 @(17)Michigan St. vs Youngstown St. Fri 09/02 06:30pm - 36 151 115 @(23)Auburn vs Utah St. Sat 09/03 11:00am - 11 118 107 @(21)Missouri vs Miami (OH) Sat 09/03 11:00am - 21 117 96 @(24)West Virginia vs Marshall Sun 09/04 02:30pm - 22 101 79 @(25)USC vs Minnesota Sat 09/03 02:30pm - 10 81 71 @(13)Virginia Tech vs Appalachian St. Sat 09/03 11:30am - 9 74 65 (14)TCU vs @Baylor Fri 09/02 07:00pm - 4 69 65 @(8)Texas A&M vs SMU Sun 09/04 06:30pm - 37 95 58 @(1)Oklahoma vs Tulsa Sat 09/03 07:00pm - 5 57 52 @Tennessee vs Montana Sat 09/03 05:00pm - 42 91 49 @(12)South Carolina vs East Carolina Sat 09/03 06:00pm - 26 71 45 @Vanderbilt vs Elon Sat 09/03 06:30pm - 90 112 22 (5)Boise St. vs @(19)Georgia Sat 09/03 07:00pm - 7 25 18 BYU vs @Mississippi Sat 09/03 03:45pm - 35 50 15 @(16)Notre Dame vs South Florida Sat 09/03 02:30pm - 33 45 12 (3)Oregon vs @(4)LSU Sat 09/03 07:00pm - 2 8 6 ``` I’m assigning “confidence points” from 24 at the top to 1 at the bottom. Since money’s not involved I thought I’d share the method with y’all just to see what you think. Shoot it down, or use it (or a variation of it) for yourself. Notice that I have not blindly followed Sagarin’s rankings to pick WINNERS; I have some upsets in my picks. But I ranked the games themselves (confidence wise) with this approach. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/17 "2011-09-02T20:28:28Z")
I mock your scientific approach. Mock Mock. Total gut feelings from RamblinWreckage. I don’t even look at the point spread. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/18 "2011-09-02T20:32:27Z")
More mocking here. My confidence point rankings are pulled straight outta my ass, based on what I think/hope might/could/should happen maybe/kinda/sorta. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/19 "2011-09-02T20:34:11Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > I mock your scientific approach. Mock Mock. Total gut feelings from RamblinWreckage. I don’t even look at the point spread. Okay. I will give you credit for lack of perspiration in the process. I have next to zero faith in the “method” I used, but after all the bullshit I spread in that thread about “must-see OOC games” I figured I ought to use some of that approach here as well. Besides, it’s hard to work up much anticipation for tonight’s games. I may watch enough of either or both to see the ranked team get maybe 30 points ahead. Then switch over to some comedy show or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807/20 "2011-09-02T20:39:01Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > More mocking here. My confidence point rankings are pulled straight outta my ass, based on what I think/hope might/could/should happen maybe/kinda/sorta. As soon as I lose this week I will revert to a similar approach, but I think this gives a bit of an indicator of how cupcake the first week really is. Notice how only four games feature rivals within 20 ranking points of each other! And one of them is on our list because it’s an SEC game. I find it really amusing how “tight” the Vandy game is! 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oaks-college-pickem-11/590807.md?page=2)