SmootyGator's Pick'Em - Season 2 - RULES

We're just over 2 weeks away from SHOWTIME! As promised, here are the rules for the Pick'Em contest.

Season 2 Pick’Em Rules:

Each week, I will select 10 games to choose from. Each contestant will pick 5 winners from the selection of games. Point spreads DO NOT matter, only the winner. Selections will be ranked, with first selection worth 5 points, second worth 4 points, third worth 3 points, etc. If you pick all 5 winners correctly in the games you select, you will get 15 points for the week.

The selection of games that will be available to pick from will be based on the following:

1. Point Spread – I will be picking games with the closest point spreads. As mentioned before, contestant picks are based on winners only, with no spreads. If games like Alabama Vs. McNeese St. were available, no doubt everyone would bet on Alabama as their 5-pointer. I will try to mostly include games where the favorite is favored by less than 7 points.

2. UF/SEC Games – For obvious reasons, I will try to include as many UF/SEC games as possible, given the criteria above.

3. Games with National interest and high-profile games.

This contest will be 16 “weeks” this year instead of 15. The first 15 will be the same as last year: 13 Weeks of regular SEC schedule, playoffs, then the bowl games “week”. The bowl game week will still be a bonus week, where contestants pick 10 games instead of 5. This will mean that you can get up to 55 points for the bowl game week. Week 16 will be the newly added Playoff “Week”.

PLAYOFF WEEK RULES/SCORING

The playoffs will include 12 teams. 4 of the teams have bye-weeks, 8 do not. Contestants will pick 3 teams from the pool of 12 playoff teams; however, you will need to include at least one team with a bye-week, and one team that doesn’t have a bye-week. The order of the three teams matter, same as always, with the top team being worth 5, then 4, then 3. That number of points will then be added to your total for every win that team gets throughout the playoffs. For example, if your 5-point selection is a non-bye week team and they end up winning the whole thing, you would get 20 points for that selection (4 wins at 5 points each). If your 2nd pick was a Bye- team and they win their first game, but lose their second game, you would get 4 points. Then say your 3rd pick lost their first game, you would 0 points for that selection. So, your total score for the playoff “week” would be: 20+4+0 = 24 Total.

The advantage of picking teams that have bye-weeks are that they are technically better teams than the non-bye teams. But to counter this, non-bye-week teams have the potential to play 4 games as opposed to only 3 that team with a bye-week have. Not sure if there would be an advantage either way, so that’s why I made the rule that at least one of each needs to be included.

This is the only major change from last season. If these scoring/rules for the playoff week are unclear or need more explaining, let me know and I will do so.

OTHER RULES

Only one team from any game is allowed to be selected (This rule won’t apply to the newly added playoff week). In other words, if team A plays team B you couldn’t pick team A as your 5 pointer, and team B as your 4 point selection (guaranteeing yourself at least 4 points). I don’t know why anyone would do that intentionally, except maybe if someone got a huge lead and wanted hedge a win. But nonetheless, it will not be allowed.

Each week, I will post a new thread with the games available for that week. I will do it on Monday, or Tuesday at the latest. Contestant picks will be due at Noon on that Saturday unless otherwise noted.

***New Rule*** - Changing your picks after they’ve already been posted. If you post your picks early, then decide you want to change it up you will be allowed to do so. However, it must be done in a new post in that week’s thread. The change in picks will still need to be in before the deadline. Do NOT modify your picks in the original post. Sometimes I’ll start inputting selections into my spreadsheet to get a head start for the weekend. If you change your picks after I have input, then your old picks will be used. Also, please don’t abuse this. It takes a bit of time to input 40 or so selections every week, but if everyone keeps changing their picks it will add a lot more work.

I am going to limit the number of players to 50 (probably won’t get that many) this season. If you played all season last year and you put in picks in Week 1, you will be guaranteed a spot. The remainder of the 50 spots will be first come, first serve in the Week 1 picks.

If anyone doesn’t make picks for a week, they will receive 0 points for that week.

When making weekly picks, simply post them in order as shown below:

Team A

Team B

Team C

Team D

Team E

There is no need to put any numbers or point values on them. Your first (top) pick will be the 5-pointer, second will be your 4-pointer, etc. When making your picks, post your picks first, and then if you have any other comments in your post, they should come after. This will help with entering your picks into my spreadsheet weekly. I don’t want to have to scroll through each post looking for picks.

Results and running totals will be posted weekly.

As stated, you can get 15 points maximum weeks 1 through 14, and then 55 points maximum for the bowl week. I think 35 points is the max you can get playoff week (if everything works out). Feel free to check me on that. That would mean a total of 300 possible points for the season.

Most points at the end of the Season wins.

As this is the second time doing this, I anticipate there might be some questions or clarifications needed. Feel free to reach out in this thread and I’ll be happy to help. Looking forward to season 2 and hope everyone enjoys it!

Go Gators!!!

 

Oh... and in case anyone was wondering... here's the standings from last year's inaugural season:

--Total-- Name
---182--- SmootyGator
---175--- bperkins10
---170--- gator_n_sc
---168--- gatormonk
---165--- gator954
---165--- allhailmeyer
---156--- manigordo
---155--- gatortenor37
---152--- senecagator
---151--- Bazza
---150--- gatorbate91
---146--- Gatorrick22
---144--- ApexNC
---143--- igabradley
---143--- 2oldgator
---141--- phatGator
---137--- 62gator
---135--- MRG8R
---135--- gatordavisl
---129--- pigpen
---129--- obone
---123--- TWGator
---123--- ETGator
---120--- Gatorhead
---118--- GoCocks3877
---117--- danmanne65
---114--- Mikog8tor
---103--- Wanne15
---102--- GratefulGator
---100--- midwestfin
---092--- nawlinsgator
---090--- wrrgator
---073--- gatorwilly
---029--- gcger520

 

The Week 1 picks thread will be next and then we'll be off and running! I normally start the weekly threads on Monday/Tuesday of that week, but will be doing it on Saturday or Sunday for the first week. This will give people more time if they're new or have questions. Expect the Week 1 thread on August 24th or 25th.

 

You had more people with lower scores than you than higher, so it you didn't do too bad! Think about the pressure I feel having to defend my crown!

 

Well, you and Wanne are going to have the opportunity to double down on that in Week 1. I haven't picked the games yet, but I guarantee that the UF/UM game will be on the docket the first week.

 

Even more importantly, Smooty keeps track of the score!