21st Schitzoid Ram wins the final week of the season; Ram-a-lackin! captures the 2011 championship!

Week 14 / Final Recap--What a fantastic finish to the 2011 RamNation Pigskin Pick'Em Contest, sponsored by Rams Bookstore. Our first-, second-, and third-place contestants over the past few weeks stayed strong and held their same positions over that span and into Week 14 to claim the top three prizes from Rams Bookstore. Ram-a-lackin! has held the lead for almost the entire second half of the season and finished with 8 wins in Week 14 to cinch the title. He finished with 126 Season Wins (gross total), which is five more than the next closest challenger. He finished at 112 "Contest Wins" (factoring in throwing out each contestant's worst two weeks), which was two ahead of our second- and third-place contestants, asudevil88 and mdwatts who each finished at 110. For first place, Ram-a-lackin! earns a $100 store credit to Rams Bookstore, while asudevil 88 and mdwatts actually tied for second place. Typically, we break the tiebreaker by percentage, and if the two contestants are still tied, we conduct a final playoff during the Conference Championship weekend, between contestants who are tied. That's never happened in our contest history, and unfortunately it can't happen this year either because this year we ran the contest through conference championship week. SO, we'll split the total second- and third-place prize amount in half to each contestant. They'll each receive a $40 credit to Rams Bookstore.

Ram-a-lackin! had one of the best years in contest history. In fact, his 60% winning percentage is tied for second place all-time, behind only montanaram's stunning 61.9% clip in 2010. Ram-a-lackin! now shares the second-best winning percentage in contest history with BoomBoomRam, whose 60% last year wasn't even good enough to win the year thanks to montanaram's amazing season. Ram-a-lackin's 112 Contest Wins are second all-time behind the top three contestants in 2010 and the 126 Season Wins are tied for second all-time with BoomBoomRam (2010), and behind only montanram's 130 in 2010. Amazingly, Ram-a-lackin! had just one sub-.500 week all year, with a 6 in Week 10. It was a tremendous run!

Over the last month, it seemed like the same contestants were battling near the top: Ram-a-lackin!, asudevil88, mdwatts, CSU_Rams_Rule, RamFan, and Good SHEPHERD. However, with everything on the line, only Ram-a-lackin could come up with a plus-.500 win percentage this week with an 8. Asudevil88 and mdwatts managed 7s, CSU_Rams_Rule and Good SHEP recorded 6s, and RamFan flopped with a 3 (only num1rams had a worse week, with a Toilet Bowl-earning 2). Just behind that bunch was 21stCentury Schitzoid Ram, who had a very good year of his own, and in fact, won his second week of the season in Week 14. It was only a 10, but in a tough week, it was good enough to win the honors thanks to the tiebreaker over Ram Guidon-Bearer and Littleton_Ram. Schitzoid guessed a total score of 34 in the Border War, which was closest to the actual total of 41 (22-19) than Littleton_Ram's 51 and Ram Buidon-Bearer's 59. Schitzoid thus earns a hat or T-shirt of his choice, courtesy of Rams Bookstore. (Please contact us ASAP at staff@ramnation.com to arrange collecting your prize.)

So, the top 10 looks like this:

1. Ram-a-lackin!, 112 Contest Wins
2. asudevil88, 110
3. mdwatts, 110
4. CSU_Rams_Rule, 108
5. RamFan, 107
6. Good SHEPHERD, 106
7. 21stCentury Schitzoid Ram, 105
8. Ramulous, 105
9. Ramsrus, 104
10. rammies34, 104

Click the "Game-by-game results/standings" link for the full results and final standings.

Unfortunately, as a field, we had our worst outing of the year, with just a 42% winning percentage this week. On a positive note, we had been pretty good for most of the year that we still finished plus.-500 for the only the third time in contest history at 50.65%. It is third behind the 51.3% in 2010 and 51.0% in 2006. We saw some outstanding individual performances this year as well as a very solid season from the field.

So, that wraps up our 11th RamNation Pigskin Pick'em Contest sponsored by Rams Bookstore. If you won a week this year and have not submitted your prize request, this is your last chance. You must email us ASAP and we'll tell you how to collect your prize. And, remember, while one contest ends, we'll have our annual Bowl Pick'em contest coming soon, where you play the exact same way, but pick every single bowl game against the spread. As always, please join me in thanking Rams Bookstore for their 11th year of sponsorship to this contest. When you're in need of CSU memorabilia, gear, or school books, Rams Bookstore should be your first choice!

--Joel Cantalamessa
(Good SHEPHERD)

Contest details/rules

Each weekly winner can pick a T-shirt or hat of his/her choice from Rams Bookstore. Season winners win gift certificates to Rams Bookstore.

Prizes:

Each weekly winner will receive their choice of CSU T-shirt or hat, compliments of Rams Bookstore. The top three finishers will receive gift certificates to 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 Boise State is favored by 3.5 vs. Georgia, and Boise State wins by more than 3.5 points, they win "against the spread." If Boise State does not win by more than 3.5 points, then Georgia wins "against the spread," even though they might lose the game outright.
• 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