2017 RamNation Pigskin Pick’em Contest Sponsored by Rams Book Store

WEEKLY LINES / ENTRY FORM |
GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS/STANDINGS

Welcome to the 2017 RamNation Pigskin Pick’em Contest, sponsored by Rams Book Store!

Mdwatts holds on to win the championship! Racehorse28 and CSUCUDAD2 round out the Top 3

12/3/17– It’s been a long, grueling season in the RamNation Pigskin Pick’em Contest, sponsored by Rams Book Store, but we’ve finally crowned our champion. For the first time since she started competing in the contest in 2009, mdwatts has landed herself a championship, thanks to an incredible stretch in Weeks 8-12 and doing just enough in the past two weeks to hold on to the top spot. She tied Racehorse28 with 115 “Contest Wins” (which factors in throwing out each contestant’s worst two weeks), but earns the top spot thanks to owning the higher Season Total (gross total) of 129 wins compared to Racehorse28’s 126. She earns honor of being the 18th RamNation Pigskin Pick’em Contest champion and the $100 store credit to Rams Book Store. 

Mdwatts’ 7 this week matched her lowest score of the season, but that’s what helped her win the contest — she avoided disastrous weeks, and when throwing out the worst two scores of the year, the rest of her season consisted of all plus-.500 weeks. She had a trio of 7s during the season, a pair of 8s, two 9s, and seven double-digit weeks. She finished the season with an amazing 61.4% winning percentage. She has been one of our most consistent competitors over the last eight years. She tied for second place in 2011, and took fifth place in 2013. 

Yet, she was challenged to the end by Racehorse28, who had a tremendous run of his own, which included an individual week win in Week 11. His two low scores of 5 and 6 were the difference in the tiebreaker. He still finished with a 60% winning percentage and earns the $50 store credit to Rams Book Store. Third place was secured by CSUCUDAD2, who had a great season as well, with 113 Contest Wins. He started the season extremely hot, sitting atop the standings for part of the season, but hit a lull with scores of 6, 7, 5, 7, 6, and 3 in five of the final seven weeks of the season. His score of 10 this week was enough to hold onto third place outright. For his efforts, he earns the $25 store credit to Rams Book Store. 

So, mdwatts, Racehorse28, and CSUCUDAD2 win prizes. (Please email us at [email protected] to arrange collecting your prizes.)

Desertram (111 Contest Wins) and CSUFanLu (110) rounded out the top five.  The top of the leaderboard looked like this:

1. Mdwatts (115 Contest Wins / 129 Season Wins)
2.  Racehorse28 (115 / 126)
3. CSUCUDAD2 (113 / 119)
4. desertram (111 / 122)
5. CSUFanLu (110 / 123)
t6. durwardram (109 / 122)
t6. boyforrams (109 / 117)
t8. gwebb (107 / 120)
t8. RamMan (107 / 117)
t8. tailgater (107 / 113)
t8. Camdigity (107 / 112)

RamMan was bidding to finish “in the prizes” for the first time ever, and had been in the top three for much of the past month. But he recorded a 4 this week, to plummet to a tie of ninth place. Durwardram and desertram each were just one win out of third place entering this week, but didn’t score well enough this week to move up. 

For the weekly prize, Stalwart Ram had the highest score of the week with a 13 to earn the weekly prize — a store credit to Rams Book Store. (Please email us at [email protected] to arrange collecting your prize.) He’s been playing since the contest’s inaugural season 18 years ago and this is his fifth Weekly Win, and first since 2008. (He also had one in 2007, 2002, and 2001.) 

The field finished strong, with a 53.3% winning percentage for the week. Amazingly, it was the 11th plus-.500 performance in 14 weeks. For the season, our final season winning percentage of 51.65 beat the previous high of 51.3% mark from 2010. It’s the seventh time we’ve finished over .500 for a season, and is the sixth time in the last eight years.

Congratulations to all of our winners! If you’ve had a rough season, don’t fret. We all start anew with Bowl Pick’em that runs through the entire bowl season. Stay tuned for the contest launch sometime this week. 

Thanks to everyone for playing, and please join me in thanking Rams Book Store for their 18th year of sponsorship to this contest. When you’re in need of CSU memorabilia, gear, or school books, Rams Book Store should be your first choice! –Joel Cantalamessa <br>(Good SHEPHERD)

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Contest details/rules

Each weekly winner gets a prize from Rams Book Store. Season winners win gift certificates to Rams Book Store.

Prizes:  Each weekly winner will receive a store credit to Rams Book Store. The top three finishers will receive gift Grand Prize gift certificates to Rams Book Store.

Rules:

  • Each week contestants will pick a winner in 15 games.
  • Contestant’s should make their picks “against the spread”. For instance, if Iowa is favored by 12.5 vs. Wyoming and Iowa wins by more than 12.5 points, they win “against the spread.” If Iowa does not win by more than 12.5 points, then Wyoming wins “against the spread,” even though they might lose the game.
  • The weekly winner will be the contestant with the most correct picks.
  • In the event of a tie between contestants at the end of a week, the first tiebreaker is the total points scored in the “tiebreaker” game (usually a game involving CSU). The contestant that picks closest to the total points scored wins the tiebreaker. If total points does not break the tie, then total yards will be used. Again, closest guess to the total yards gained from scrimmage by both teams during that game will win the tiebreaker. If a tie is still unbroken, both contestants will receive a prize
  • Please have picks in 15 minutes prior to kickoff of the first game on the contest schedule. Please note that Thanksgiving many games start on Thursday.
  • Please submit only one entry form per contestant.
  • The system is set up so that if you want to change your picks before the weekly deadline, you simply have to to resumbit your entry, and it will overwrite the existing entry.

Season Contest: In addition to each weekly contest, there is a contest for the entire 14-week season in which totals will be kept over the course of the season. The season winners will be the contestant’s with the most correct picks throughout the season, while dropping your worst two weekly win totals. If you miss a week or have a bad week, you can drop that week against your season total. This allows for contestants who may miss the first week, or who may miss a week during the season for whatever reason to remain in contention for the title. If there is a tie between contestants at the season, the person with the most Season Wins (gross total) owns the advantage. If the tie is not broken by Season Wins, then there will be a final playoff during the Conference Championship weekend, between contestants who are tied. Guidelines and other notes: The contest administrator (Q.Ram) will determine the weekly games on the following basis:

  1. All games involving MWC teams.
  2. All games involving two teams rated in the Top 25 AP Poll or receiving votes.
  3. At least one game involving each of the eight biggest conferences.
  4. Any other games of note (rivalry games or games involving Top 10 teams).

Please note that CSU games will not be included because the contest administrator (Q.Ram) is highly superstitious and doesn’t believe in betting on games in which he is emotionally involved. (Most of us are CSU fans, and we would all pick CSU to win every week anyway, so that game would be a wash.) CSU games will, however, be used for the Tiebreaker game, unless they are on a Thursday night. Results will typically be posted the following Monday. Please track your picks and make sure you are credited with the right amount of wins. Q.Ram has been known on a very, very rare occurrence to make a mistake, and we will correct errors up until the following week has been played. Q.Ram will make his picks known on the message board prior to deadline, so that everyone will know the contest administrator is not rigging the game to win all of the prizes. Remember, if you are in the market for text books and CSU gear, Rams Book Store should be your first choice. Their sponsorship is what helps make RamNation go. All registered posters are welcome to join the contest, but remember all you Ram foes out there…the prizes are limited to what Rams Book Store has in stock, which is primarily CSU-related gear! Thanks and best of luck to everyone (except Buffaloes, Cowboys, and Falcons). –Q.Ram, Good SHEP, and CSURamFan