Dougw65 wins the week; 98ram still maintains a two-game lead in the overall standings with two weeks go go!

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Week 12 Recap -- First of all, let me please encourage you all to take a look at the special TV deals our contest sponsor Quality Audio Video is offering RamNationers for the next 10 days. If you are in the market for a new HDTV or other audio/video equipment, please give Quality Audio Video first shot at your business! What a great way to pick up a sweet HDTV for Christmas! Your patronage of our sponsors is vital to the success and existence of this website! Quality Audio Video is owned by a CSU grad and Ram fan and has been a gracious sponsor of this contest. Click here for a list of the deals...and call 303-870-3478 for more information and to order! And, these guys also specialize in customized home theaters. Check out their website at www.goqav.com.

Now, onto our recap...For the first time all year, Dougw65 notched a double-digit week, posting a solid 12 correct picks out of 15, but it still nearly wasn't good enough to win the week. He tied with DaSqueeb, who also had 12 correct picks, and both amazingly chose a total score tiebreaker of 44 in the CSU-New Mexico game (actual total was 26). So, to determine this week's winner, we had to go to the second tiebreaker, which was total yards, and Doug's guess of 712 was closer to the actual yardage total of 748 than Squeeb's 615. So, Dougw65 wins the weekly prize from Rams Bookstore. (The weekly winner simply needs to email RamNation staff to arrange collecting your prize). Other good performances this week included 11s by Rams Rule, Fan-O-Rama, and HawkRamFan (which vaulted him from a tie of 17th place in the overall standings to just one win out of second place and three out of first place.

With just two weeks remaining, 98ram still holds his two-win lead on the rest of the field at 89 wins. He posted his second-consecutive 7, but none of his closest competitors did much better this week cut into the deficit. It is the third straight week that 98ram will hold a two-win lead over the rest of the field in the "Contest Total" (factoring throw-outs of each contestant's two worst weeks). He's actually tied with jcl508 in the Season Total at 99 wins (55.6%), but has higher weeks overall than jcl508. For example, 98ram has four double-digit weeks compared to jcl508's two, although jcl508 also boasts a weekly win with a 13 in Week 4. Jcl508 is tied in the Contest Total at 87 wins with autumnatic, ramdogg, and Big Horn (who stepped up from a tie of third place to a tie of second this week). In the next closest cluster at 86 wins is HawkRamFan, Ram_Buck, and sduss1. The title is still very much in reach, but they'll need big performances over the next couple of weeks. Eleven other contestants are within five wins of the leader. And remember, our top several spots will all receive prizes. The champ gets a 37" Samsung LCD HDTV, courtesy of Quality Audio Video!

The field snapped its two-week skid and went back above .500, posting a 52% clip this week. That gives the field six plus-.500 weeks and six sub-.500 weeks, and currently sits at an official 49.1% clip on the year. Let's make a strong push the next couple of weeks to finish at .500! That means people like "rammiesrock", who earned this week's Toilet Bowl with a measly 3 wins, needs to pick it up a notch!. It will also be interesting to see who takes the season-long Toilet Bowl...who we'll determine as the player who has played all 14 weeks but has the fewest wins. Currently, northbuff is the leader for that award, with 63 in the "Contest Total" category and 73 (41%) in the "Season Total" category. Finish strong folks!

Thanks to everyone for playing, and again, we ask you to give your business to our two contest sponsors, Quality Audio Video, Inc., and Rams Bookstore. This contest would not be possible without their support. QAV is a professional custom electronics retailer specializing in high-end home theaters and commercial audio/video systems. The company is owned by a Colorado State University alum and Ram fan who wanted to get involved with this year's Pick'Em contest by donating a new Samsung 37" flat-screen LCD television to the winning contestant at the end of the year. No matter where you are in the country, QAV will ship you your prize. Please check out their website at www.qualityaudiovideo.com, and see the great products and services they provide. The same goes for Rams Bookstore, when you're looking for school books or CSU gear, Rams Bookstore should be your first option. These sponsors are vital to the success of this website, so we thank you in advance for giving them your business as a way of thanking them for their loyalty to RamNation.com and CSU!

--Joel Cantalamessa
(Good SHEPHERD)

Contest details/rules

The grand prize is a 37" Samsung LCD HDTV, courtesy of Quality Audio Video.

Prizes:

Each weekly winner will receive their choice of CSU T-shirt or hat, compliments of Rams Bookstore. The contestant with the most correct picks at the end of the season will receive a 37" Samsung LCD HDTV grand prize courtesy of Quality Audio Video, Inc. The second- and third-place finishers will also receive prizes courtesy of Rams Bookstore.

Rules:

• Each week contestants will pick a winner in 15 games.
• Contestant's should make their picks "against the spread". For instance, if Michigan is favored by 3.5 vs. Utah, and Michigan wins by more than 3.5 points, they win "against the spread." If Michigan does not win by more than 3.5 points, then Utah 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 each Friday by 4 p.m. MST, with the exception of Thanksgiving week, when picks will be due by Wednesday afternoon. We will send out a reminder that week.
• 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 exisiting 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 highest win percentage for all weeks will be the first tiebreaker. (A contestant must have participated in 11 or more weeks to be eligible.) If the tie is not broken by win percentage, 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. (Neither he or any of the contest administrators or QAV employees/family members are eligible to win the grand prize.)

Remember, if you are in the market for audio/video equipment and/or installation, please give QAV first shot at your business. Also, if you are in the market for text books and CSU gear, Rams Bookstore 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 Bookstore 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