ESPN's no-count playoff predictions!

[BamaDude]

I say "no-count" because the ESPN staff put out an article that listed the picks "from our 42 experts," yet had a total of 43 names on the list. Since Desmond Howard's picks were the most outlandish - in addition to having West Virginia in the playoffs, he also picked Michigan to win it all - I'm guessing he's the one that vacated the "expert" conotation. Or, the folks at ESPN just can't count.

Each of the 43 pickers had the team logo of their champion listed first, followed by those of the other three teams they thought would be in the playoffs. I'm guessing that the second team each participant listed is the one they thought would be runners-up; and with that in mind, here is a breakdown of the picks:

Total number of teams picked to make the playoffs: 16.

Team picked the most times: Clemson (43). Alabama was second (40), Washington 3rd (22), and Wisconsin 4th (15).

Total number of teams picked to win the National Championship: 5.

Team with the most title picks: Clemson (23); followed by Alabama (14), Georgia (3), and Wisconsin (2). The only other team with a championship pick was Michigan.

Only 3 schools were picked as runners-up: Alabama (24), Clemson (17), Georgia (2).

 

[olympicoscar]

I say "no-count" because the ESPN staff put out an article that listed the picks "from our 42 experts," yet had a total of 43 names on the list. Since Desmond Howard's picks were the most outlandish - in addition to having West Virginia in the playoffs, he also picked Michigan to win it all - I'm guessing he's the one that vacated the "expert" conotation. Or, the folks at ESPN just can't count.

Each of the 43 pickers had the team logo of their champion listed first, followed by those of the other three teams they thought would be in the playoffs. I'm guessing that the second team each participant listed is the one they thought would be runners-up; and with that in mind, here is a breakdown of the picks:

Total number of teams picked to make the playoffs: 16.

Team picked the most times: Clemson (43). Alabama was second (40), Washington 3rd (22), and Wisconsin 4th (15).

Total number of teams picked to win the National Championship: 5.

Team with the most title picks: Clemson (23); followed by Alabama (14), Georgia (3), and Wisconsin (2). The only other team with a championship pick was Michigan.

Only 3 schools were picked as runners-up: Alabama (24), Clemson (17), Georgia (2).

Desmond will be loyal to the end for Michigan.

 

[BamaDude]

Here's a breakdown of the predicted championship teams:

Team * Champ * Runner-up * 1st round loser * Total mentions
Clemson 23 * 17 * 3 * 43
Alabama 14 * 24 * 2 * 40
Georgia 3 * 2 * 8 * 13
Wisconsin 2 * 0 * 13 * 15
Michigan 1 * 0 * 5 * 6

 

[BamaDude]

Schools that were picked to make the playoffs but not advance beyond the first round, and the number of times they were picked:

Washington (22), Ohio St. (11), Penn St. (8), Michigan St. (3), Stanford (3), Oklahoma (2), West Virginia (2), Auburn (1), Miami (1), Notre Dame (1), USC (1).

 

[Erie Warrior]

 

[podsox]

Well he had Stanford winning the whole thing last yr. so obviously he knows what he’s talking about

 

[Scapegoat]

I watched the show. They always have someone pick some crazy shit. It's to boring if they all pick the same 4 schools.

 

[podsox]

2017-18 College Gameday Season Preview! Last years predictions

 

[tducey]

Desmond Howard picked Michigan to win it all? Looks like we know who the non expert was. In any event thanks for sharing this, always good to read other's opinions.

 

[outofyourmind]

They'll all regert not picking Oklahoma

 

[7Samurai13]

Desmond Howard picked Michigan to win it all? Looks like we know who the non expert was. In any event thanks for sharing this, always good to read other's opinions.

 

[BamaDude]

2017-18 College Gameday Season Preview! Last years predictions

Those were some pretty funny picks for the 2017 season! Jennifer (whoever that is) was the only one to pick Alabama to win it all, but the other three pickers all had the Tide making the championship game. Lee Corso picked USC to win it, Kirk Herbstreit picked Ohio St., and Desmond Howard picked Stanford.

Both Corso & Herbstreit correctly picked Ohio St. & USC as winners of the Big 10 & Pac-12, respectively. Both also has USC, Ohio St., Alabama & FSU in the playoff field. Howard had Wisconsin & Miami as his other playoff contenders. Oddly enough, he was the only person to correctly pick Georgia to win the SEC, but he did not pick the Bulldogs to make the playoffs.

Howard was also on the money when he picked Washington St. over USC in his Big Upset pick. Herbstreit guessed right in picking San Diego St. over Stanford. Corso misfired by picking FSU over Alabama, and Jennifer didn't have an upset pick listed. But she was the only one to get two playoff teams correctly, putting Alabama over Clemson for the title, with Washington & Oklahoma St. being the picks that didn't pan out. She was also the only one who correctly picked Clemson to win the ACC.

All the guys picked USF as their top Group of Five team, while Jennifer went with Boise St. Three of the panelists listed Oklahoma as Biggest Disappointment/most over-rated. Herbstreit went with Oklahoma St.

 

[BamaDude]

So, rating their performances from a year ago, they get one point each for every team they correctly picked to make the playoffs, another point for picking the correct national champion, one point for each correctly picked conference champion, and one for each upset pick that came true.

Jennifer & Kirk both get 4 points; Lee & Desmond both get 3 points. That is out of 11 possible total points. If I were to subtract a point for each person that picked Oklahoma as over-rated/most disappointing, then the totals would look like this:

Kirk Herbstreit 4
Jennifer somebody 3
Lee Corso 2
Desmond Howard 2