I hope Alabama kicks the crap out of Ol Miss tomorrow.  Here's to Saban running it up on Kiffin... BIG time.  ROLL TIDE!

Posted by: @stratdal

I hope Alabama kicks the crap out of Ol Miss tomorrow.  Here's to Saban running it up on Kiffin... BIG time.  ROLL TIDE!

Hopefully this time next month you'll be getting ready to watch your Bruins!  Been watching much college ball this year?

Most of my friends, like Lee, here in Big Ten country haven't been able to get into football, some are kind of even oblivious it is even happening without them.  I get that.  Despite the best attempts by ESPN and conference expansion to make it more of a national sport, it is still very regional and local.  Big Ten fans don't care about watching SEC games for the most part, they care about their team and if their team is out, they find something else to do.  It isn't like the NFL where if you team played on Sunday afternoon, chances are you will be still be checking out the Sunday night or Monday night games to some extent.

I'm just a junkie...pretty excited for this Louisville - Georgia Tech game tonight actually!

Scott - 

I have three questions for you on the site. I have been so busy lately I don't pay a ton of attention to the pool.

Anyway, do the lines move throughout the week?

Is there a deadline when the line is set?

Are the number of teams ALL of the games or which ones are chosen?

Thanks!

Posted by: @lee

Scott - 

I have three questions for you on the site. I have been so busy lately I don't pay a ton of attention to the pool.

Anyway, do the lines move throughout the week?

Is there a deadline when the line is set?

Are the number of teams ALL of the games or which ones are chosen?

Thanks!

Hey Lee.

The officefootballpool site appears to just go with whatever the line is on Tuesday which is when I think the list of games is available to make picks in.  I have seen some odd numbers though in some games. I have not heard of a 13.5 on Clemson/Miami being available anywhere.  There have been some in the prior weeks too that raised my eyebrows. 

But directly answer your first question, no the lines do not move once the game list is available to make picks on.

Your second question related to point spread deadlines doesn't apply with the lines not moving once posted.

I select the games for the upcoming week usually Sunday night or Monday.  When I set up the pool I opted to have any and every game available, so unless I went into the game list ahead of Tuesday we'd be picking every game.  Which I am totally cool with, but most people really don't want to pick Texas State at Troy or ULM at Liberty...or even Duke at Syracuse and so on.  So I try and stick with the bigger name teams and compelling matchups.  When Big Ten, PAC12, MWC and MAC start playing I will still try and stick to about 20 to low-20 games per week and have to be more selective in the matchups.  For instance, I can look ahead and see week 9 has 43 games.  I'm cool picking 43 games, but I think most people who play would be mad about that.  In another website I used to manage a pick'em league for people told me they weren't going to play if there were too many games.

Posted by: @nebish

Posted by: @stratdal

I hope Alabama kicks the crap out of Ol Miss tomorrow.  Here's to Saban running it up on Kiffin... BIG time.  ROLL TIDE!

Hopefully this time next month you'll be getting ready to watch your Bruins!  Been watching much college ball this year?

 

Most of my friends, like Lee, here in Big Ten country haven't been able to get into football, some are kind of even oblivious it is even happening without them.  I get that.  Despite the best attempts by ESPN and conference expansion to make it more of a national sport, it is still very regional and local.  Big Ten fans don't care about watching SEC games for the most part, they care about their team and if their team is out, they find something else to do.  It isn't like the NFL where if you team played on Sunday afternoon, chances are you will be still be checking out the Sunday night or Monday night games to some extent.

 

I'm just a junkie...pretty excited for this Louisville - Georgia Tech game tonight actually!

Very true about not being able to get into the season for obvious reasons. I'm still watching of course. Seems like it is pretty much the SEC & ACC. I can't believe how bad The Big 12 is. And I'm accustomed to watching games until like one in the morning or something, which of course isn't possible. I recall coming back from the Northwestern games and still being able to stay up late and watch something out of the Mountain West or WAC or whatever it is. That's how I started liking Wyoming. And speaking of Northwestern, The Big Ten isn't allowing fans (I think that is a conference decision) so I don't go to Evanston. They have fans, I have to work. No fans, no need for Lee. 😀 

As to your comment about Big Ten fans not caring about SEC games, I don't totally agree with that. Would we rather watch Big Ten? Sure. I think it is more that since there is no Big Ten, then fans of the conference kind of tune out college football altogether. Once they get going (PAC 12 too), I bet there will be more interest.

Another thing that is weird is the rivalry games being played at odd times. I'm used to most of them being played in November, not early to mid October.

Oh well, that's just the way it is. There have been some good games the past few weeks between ranked games so that is good TV!

My statement may've been a little too broad, but I have some very good friends who are Ohio State fans that have maybe watched several minutes of a couple games this year.  Ask them about the schedule or good games coming up and they have no idea.  College football fans still care about games in Big Xll or ACC or SEC, but many fans of a certain team just care about what time their game kicks off and if it isn't on, then the sport isn't very relevant to them.  There are 75 teams playing right now.  The national following of the sport still lags behind the regional aspect of it.

With coronavirus I've been pretty lonely watching the games, which can be ok.  I function pretty good alone.  Usually I will have a couple special football fans over on Saturday to watch, by special I mean people who can absorb 8 games on at once and don't like to talk a lot during the action.  My stepson is coming over today, first guest I've had for any games this year.

Posted by: @nebish

Posted by: @stratdal

I hope Alabama kicks the crap out of Ol Miss tomorrow.  Here's to Saban running it up on Kiffin... BIG time.  ROLL TIDE!

Hopefully this time next month you'll be getting ready to watch your Bruins!  Been watching much college ball this year?

 

Most of my friends, like Lee, here in Big Ten country haven't been able to get into football, some are kind of even oblivious it is even happening without them.  I get that.  Despite the best attempts by ESPN and conference expansion to make it more of a national sport, it is still very regional and local.  Big Ten fans don't care about watching SEC games for the most part, they care about their team and if their team is out, they find something else to do.  It isn't like the NFL where if you team played on Sunday afternoon, chances are you will be still be checking out the Sunday night or Monday night games to some extent.

 

I'm just a junkie...pretty excited for this Louisville - Georgia Tech game tonight actually!

Good to hear from ya Nebish.  Not really.  If I'm spinning the dial, I might leave the game on while I'm doing other stuff.  First day of the NFL, I watched the Tour de France instead.

If it works out and the Bruins and the rest of the conference can play, great.  My attitude is believe it when you see it.  As for UCLA, they have some OL transfer so as usual, they'll be real thin there.  I think the QB play will be better but UCLA also lost its best RB from last season.  They'll have a 7 game season.  Hopefully they can finish .500+

Is Sang trying to come in last place? 😛 I mean, there is no way someone could be that bad. 

On a serious note, how does it work that people have different numbers of picks?

Ya gotta hand it to Mississippi State. They avoided a shutout by scoring a safety. 😉 Isn't Leach some kind of offense guru?

Good morning football fans!

If you thought Ed Orgeron was hard to understand before, have you heard him talk through a mask?  I think he said "when do we play Vanderbilt again"?

It took SEC teams all of 1 week to figure out Mike Leach's offense.  2 points vs Kentucky after just 14 vs Arkansas after 44 vs LSU.  Now that Missouri (without 2 of their top 3 receivers) scored 45 on LSU it is pretty clear what is going on here.

  .

Posted by: @lee

On a serious note, how does it work that people have different numbers of picks?

Longhornsrule joined late in week 2 (our first week), missed some games that day, so he will never have the same number of total games.  The site counts him as going 5-0 that day joining late, when everyone else picked 13 games that day. I'm not sure how the site is going to handle the dropped week.  It looks like it doesn't happen until the end.  If you go to season standings you can see the total overall standings and you can see it with one week dropped.  Good thing DanB got that week 4 picture of him leading up...he's not on top anymore.

The U thought they were back. Great win by the Tigers!! the last 3 meetings Tigers 138- Canes 20 

thUg U was on full display still talking trash when down big 

So far TWO SEC games cancelled or in peril this coming weekend.  Nick Saban - coach of my Alabama Crimson Tide - now among those afflicted.  

Here's a football question for ya:  None of Nick's disciples have ever defeated him.  Should this weeks BAMA-UGA game be played - Saban will not be allowed on the sideline.  He will also not be allowed to participate "distance-wise" (computer, telephone, etc - all being violations of Electronic Assistance rules).  Should the game be played - and should Kirby Smart and Georgia prevail ... would Kirby receive the distinction of the first puppy to successfully beat daddy? How big an asterisk will accompany any said victory?  

Back to screwing up the game with politics:  We actually hear about players and coaches who experience Covid - same as all those politicos who attend Rose Garden meetings and such.  We do not hear about common, everyday run of the mill folks who very likely picked the virus up while attending football games.   This is all very safe, right?

The University of Florida coach ... man, I don't even want to get started!  Knowing that he was facing an outbreak - he not only wanted to keep the game with LSU on schedule - he wanted to PACK THE SWAMP - with the blessing of his equally sadistic governor.  UF coach has since backed off of this dangerous request - I'm betting at the plea of the university president (or someone with similar pull).

Most of the NCAA teams had to forego much of their spring/summer training.  A lot of the play that I have witnessed looks more like inter-squad scrimmage.  I believe that years from now, the 2020 NCAA Football season will be regarded as "the Year of the Asterisk".  

I do not like the number of fans at SEC and some of the Big Xll schools.  I think that is a problem.  Another problem is the SEC does not require face coverings.  So people were seeing pictures of Georgia's game vs Auburn two weeks ago and criticizing the no masks...but the SEC doesn't require it.

I'm very supportive of the leagues and teams trying to get their games played, but taking that further and allowing as many fans as they are without proper distancing and precautions worries me for safety and at the very least is bad optics for the critics. 

Other schools do allow some students, family and fans, but I have seen some very spread out and dispersed fans in other places and then you see like Ole Miss fans last week vs Bama.  That is pretty concerning. 

Former Saban coach beating a Saban team without Saban?

First I want to see what his second test says.  My first reaction was a false positive, but we'll find that out soon enough as he said he is going to be getting daily PCR tests as long as he is asymptomatic, which is good.  Assuming he is infact positive and can not coach, absolutely it would carry an asterik and footnote if Smart and Georgia wins the game without Saban on the sideline.  Not sure personally myself how his absence impacts the game on the field.  I like Alabama to win before and I guess right now I just like the line drop down to 3.5/4 without him hoping it won't matter.  But saying playing a game without arguably the best coach ever not on the sidelines won't matter doesn't feel right.

Rumor I heard is that he may've caught it from the police escort he has at games.  Is it state highway patrol that accompanies him on and off the field?  That is what I heard.

Saban is the 4th major college football team to have their head coach test positive for covid.  Mike Norvell at FSU, Kevin Sumlin at Arizona and Les Miles at Kansas.  Kansas is a major college football team in name only though!

The SEC is experiencing what the AAC, ACC, Big Xll, CUSA and Sun Belt have experienced.  No league was going to dodge this bullet.  And it is going to happen for the Big Ten, PAC12 and MAC MWC teams/conferences too.  The problem for the Big Ten is they have absolutely no wiggle room and flexibility to reschedule anything.  Atleast the other leagues that started early have a little. 

Saw LSU QB was going to be out this week.  Good timing for them to get this extra bye (not to mention how bad their defense needed it!).  Florida will have to finish the season Kentucky-Tennessee-LSU then potentially SEC title game (they hope).  Could make for a tricky end to their season.

A win or loss to UGA ... shouldn't count either for or against Saban - this according to Paul Finebaum and other ESPN hucksters.  Offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian has been a formidable head coach, himself.  I (and the ESPNers) feel that the W or L should be Steve's.

https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2020/10/paul-finebaum-david-pollack-on-impact-of-nick-sabans-absence-his-record-vs-assistant-coaches.html

Posted by: @nebish

Rumor I heard is that he may've caught it from the police escort he has at games.  Is it state highway patrol that accompanies him on and off the field?  That is what I heard.

Alabama State Troopers - the posse that escorts pretty much all of the coaches at Alabama's universities (Auburn, UAB, Troy State et al).  FYI - Alabama State Troopers - also the name of a band that featured almost Rolling Stone, Wayne Perkins.  Find that album if you can!

Back to football - I thought Nick looked a little under the weather during last weekends track meet with Ole Miss.  Didn't see anything that resembled an "a$$ chewin'" on the sidelines despite that non-showing by the defense.  I'd be willing to bet that some adjustments are being made as we speak.

Looking like Saban may've have a false positive.  Thursday test negative.  Not sure when we will know today's result and Saturday's.  NASCAR you need two negative tests before returning to action.  SEC they say has a 3 negative test policy.  He'll be on the sidelines tomorrow night I think.

Weeks 2 and 3 saw about 20% of games postponed or canceled.  Then things went fairly clean for a few weeks, relatively speaking, until this week, which out of 34 games I think we are back near 20% adjustment level.  Such is life in 2020!

Ten games at noon tomorrow.  Most crowded any of the weeks have been to start the day yet.

How about Hugh Freeze's Liberty Flames with Auburn transfer QB favored at Syracuse!

Posted by: @rusty

A win or loss to UGA ... shouldn't count either for or against Saban - this according to Paul Finebaum and other ESPN hucksters.  Offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian has been a formidable head coach, himself.  I (and the ESPNers) feel that the W or L should be Steve's.

https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2020/10/paul-finebaum-david-pollack-on-impact-of-nick-sabans-absence-his-record-vs-assistant-coaches.html

From what I read it will count. I was on my phone reading it so I can't post the link but I believe there are some parameters about this. Something about was it planned ahead, was it multiple games, did the college agree to it, blah blah. Seems like a silly thing anyway.

Posted by: @nebish

 

 

Ten games at noon tomorrow.  Most crowded any of the weeks have been to start the day yet.

 

How about Hugh Freeze's Liberty Flames with Auburn transfer QB favored at Syracuse!

Noon? No, 11:00 AM. You are in the wrong time zone!

And the Liberty game is something. Really??

Where is our buddy fensranger...games in Hawaii start at 6 AM!

When I travel in the fall I like college kickoff times in the Mountain Time Zone.  I can handle Pacific when I used to go to Vegas.  But 6 hours behind?  All the games would be over before it gets dark at night!

Oh by the way Lee, I wanted to congratulate you...last week you picked the Miami-Clemson score right on the money for a tie-breaking overall win last week!

@nebish

Since I believe you have my address to send the check, I won't have to post it here. 😉 

Posted by: @lee

Posted by: @rusty

A win or loss to UGA ... shouldn't count either for or against Saban - this according to Paul Finebaum and other ESPN hucksters.  Offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian has been a formidable head coach, himself.  I (and the ESPNers) feel that the W or L should be Steve's.

https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2020/10/paul-finebaum-david-pollack-on-impact-of-nick-sabans-absence-his-record-vs-assistant-coaches.html

From what I read it will count. I was on my phone reading it so I can't post the link but I believe there are some parameters about this. Something about was it planned ahead, was it multiple games, did the college agree to it, blah blah. Seems like a silly thing anyway.

Georgia (Kirby Smart) beating Bama without Nick being present ... I guess this could be construed as a loss on Saban's record - but again - BIG asterisk!  😉 

In the ongoing soap opera that is 2020 NCAA Football - there is still a chance that Saban will indeed be present: https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2020/10/nick-saban-tests-negative-for-covid-19-further-testing-could-clear-him-for-georgia-game.html

Posted by: @lee

@nebish

Since I believe you have my address to send the check, I won't have to post it here. 😉 

Sorry Lee, no prize money.  I actually had to pay a $30 hosting fee myself, that is how much I like playing the pick'ems.  One week does not a winning season make...I think we all have ideas of coming out on top, well, maybe not Sang. 

Big Ten next week!

Nick cleared to coach tonight!  Did Donny send him some super-meds?

https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2020/10/nick-saban-cleared-to-coach-in-alabama-georgia-game.html

F S U !

Posted by: @nebish

Posted by: @lee

@nebish

Since I believe you have my address to send the check, I won't have to post it here. 😉 

Sorry Lee, no prize money.  I actually had to pay a $30 hosting fee myself, that is how much I like playing the pick'ems.  One week does not a winning season make...I think we all have ideas of coming out on top, well, maybe not Sang. 

 

Big Ten next week!

Okay, I'll send you five bucks and we'll see if the cheapskates in this thread will do the same so you can can get your money back. 😉 

Probably got my one and only chance to fade UMASS this year but I didn't miss the opportunity to load up on Georgia Southern. Sure hope UMASS can find another game or two. 🙂 

Buckeyes 21 1/2 over the Huskers. Might be a bit heavy on that number. As disappointing as Martinez has been, no real development, mistake prone, I wouldn't mind McCaffrey getting the staring nod. Probably unlikely with the game on the road against a top flight team.

Lee, thanks for offering that.  That was not my intention, especially with this small group.  It's a free league to play in, we'll leave it at that.

Here are the openers for week 8 courtesty of Circa: