It was a quiet week for survivor last week as nobody selected any of Purdue, Rutgers, Michigan State, or Maryland to win in week 3.
Since it was so quiet, let me go off on a tangent before getting into what did transpire last week. Every week I intend to get this article ready so it can be posted first thing Monday morning. However, being the procrastinator that I am, for the 4th week in a row I find myself at 12:30 AM on Wednesday morning scrambling to put something on the screen so I can give you lot at least a few days of opportunity to get your picks in. If my rulings in this competition come as harsh, that's my excuse. Clearly I'm tired. Whenever I try to complain to HR around here about the working conditions, I'm told that bots don't have rights. Clear and blatant discrimination.
Anyway, we did have several happenings in the survivor pool last week.
First, Biff failed to submit a pick for week 3. However, as I stated at the beginning of the competition anyone could miss up to ONE week in the first three weeks and get a single pardon. Biff, to continue playing you will need to make two picks correctly this week.
Secondly, scarlet_pimpernal_hand attempted to pick UCLA. They had already previously picked UCLA. Although I attempted to notify them prior to games kicking off it appears my notifications failed to successfully do so. Scarlet_pimpernal_hand, since you have already missed week 1, this is effectively your second week missed. We thank you for playing and salute you as a legend. I will however allow you to continue in the losers' pool but will note that we need two picks from you this week to do so.
Week 3 was the last week anybody else could miss and survive. From here on out, get your picks in. If you are worried you will forget in a future week, you can always submit the rest of your season's picks on a tentative basis (three participants have done just that). Picks can be changed at any time as long as you change them before kickoff.
The Rules
I'm not typing all of that out again. Click the week 0/week 1 article and read all the way through.
BoilerUp89
BoilerUp89
BoilerUp89
Survivor's Pool
30 cowards and 5 legends have survived through three weeks. Exactly half of the cowards have picked the exact teams as me. I'm not calling you all copycats, but ...
Last week, as a group the survivors successfully picked 23 Gophers, 8 trash pandas, 3 bears, 1 person confused by a wooden horse, 1 cat wearing a scarf, and 1 good boy. We also had our first picks against B1G teams. Please remember you can only pick victories over an individual B1G team a maximum of three times. You can't just pick against Purdue's defense the rest of the way.
Legends*
Each of the five remaining legends need to make just 1 pick this week. Of course, they could join the rest of us and select a team playing a FCS school this week.
| FCS Picks Left | Picks this week | Teams Picked | B1G Teams Picked Against | ||
| LEGEND* | ExiledinVT | 3 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, UNL | |
| LEGEND* | JayMPSU | 3 | 1 | Minn, MSU, Wash, UCLA | |
| LEGEND* | meangene86 | 3 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, USC | Rutgers (1X) |
| LEGEND* | RockyMtnBlue | 3 | 1 | MSU, UNL, PSU, wiscon | |
| LEGEND* | tech01 | 3 | 1 | Minn, MSU, UNL, Wash |
*for now. If they pick a win over a FCS team they join the cowards.
Cowards
HuskersFirst, NU06er, and Biff need to make two picks this week. Bridgeport feels like they may be alone in not picking a certain team this week as they have used all three of their allowable FCS opponents.
| FCS Picks Left | Picks this week | Teams Picked | B1G Teams Picked Against | |
| AlmaOtter | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| Atinat | 2 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| Badgersrox | 1 | 1 | MD, Purdue, USC, wiscon | |
| Boilermaker5 | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| BoilerUp89 | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| BoilerUp89's nephew | 2 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| Bridgeport | 0 | 1 | MD, Purdue, UCLA, wiscon | Purdue (1X) |
| cericjo | 2 | 1 | MD, MSU, Purdue, wiscon | |
| DeadRead | 1 | 1 | MD, MSU, Purdue, wiscon | |
| dlrhawks | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| hoeger | 2 | 1 | MD, MSU, UNL, wiscon | |
| Hoosiers47 | 1 | 1 | MD, MSU, Purdue, wiscon | |
| HoustonBoiler | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| HuskersFirst | 1 | 2 | MD, Purdue, Wash | |
| LTW_O_MI | 2 | 1 | Minn, MSU, Purdue, UCLA | Purdue (1X) |
| Mlurker19 | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| Nothsa | 2 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| NU06er | 2 | 2 | Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| OhioOtter | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| redbear | 2 | 1 | MD, MSU, Purdue, wiscon | |
| riclang | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| Rubber_Duck | 2 | 1 | Minn, MSU, Purdue, wiscon | |
| SeeJayBee | 1 | 1 | NW, Purdue, UCLA, wiscon | Purdue (1X) |
| SkyBlueH20 | 2 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| Tralfaz | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, wisc | |
| Wacker Era Survivor | 1 | 1 | MD, MSU, PSU, Purdue | |
| wesd2005 | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| winless | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| ziowa9 | 1 | 1 | MD, Minn, MSU, Purdue | |
| Biff | 2 | 2 | MD, MSU, Purdue |
Week 4 picks made previously: NU06er (Washington & Rutgers), Wacker Era Survivor (Rutgers), LTW_O_MI (Rutgers). Any of these may be changed up until kickoff but I suspect we see these three hold their positions this week.
Losers' Pool
thumpasaurus and NUDave rejoined the losers' pool after missing week 2. Unfortunately for NUDave (or perhaps fortunately based on the username), Northwestern did not lose! We say goodbye to the Leader NUDave and the Coward MNBornAndBred after the Wildcats victory over Deion.
Joining them on the sidelines is 87RAS who I'm not entirely sure knew they were picking a team to lose but who just put UCLA in the comments. 87RAS, I tried to verify that you knew what you were doing, but since I received no word from you UCLA is your pick and they did not lose since they got to face Kevin Kane's defense. Better luck next year to all three of them.
MV missed their first week of the season or simply doesn't want to participate in the losers' pool. Regardless, week 3 was the last week you could miss and not be penalized. You can still try the consolation competition but will need to play catch up this week.
Similarly for scarlet_pimpernal_hand who was penalized into the losers' pool for missing their second week as they were unable to submit a valid pick last week.
| Picks this week | Teams Picked | B1G Teams Picked Against | |||
| COWARD | ajcusterIU | N/A | 1 | MSU, OSU, Purdue, rutger | |
| COWARD | BoilerUp81 | N/A | 2 | MSU, OSU, rutger | |
| COWARD | MiddleWestAverage | N/A | 1 | MSU, OSU, Purdue, rutger | |
| COWARD | TheDuluthPerspective | N/A | 1 | MSU, OSU, Purdue, rutger | |
| COWARD | WarlockOfWestwood | N/A | 1 | MSU, OSU, Purdue, rutger | |
| LEGEND | allthegoodnamesrgone | N/A | 2 | MSU, OSU, rutger | |
| LEGEND | BradNortmansActingCoach | N/A | 1 | MSU, OSU, Purdue, rutger | UCLA (1X) |
| LEGEND | LordFerentzofHouseKinnick | N/A | 2 | MSU, Purdue, rutger | USC (1X) |
| LEGEND | Sasser | N/A | 2 | Illinois, Minn, Purdue | UCLA (1X) |
| LEGEND | Transient Buckeye | N/A | 1 | MSU, UNL, OSU, rutger | |
| LEGEND | waw | N/A | 1 | MSU, OSU, Purdue, rutger | UCLA (1X) |
| LEGEND | Whipples | N/A | 1 | MD, MSU, UNL, Purdue | |
| COWARD | thumpasaurus | N/A | 1 | MD, MSU, Purdue, rutger | |
| LEGEND* | scarlet_pimpernal_hand | N/A | 2 | MD, PSU, UCLA | |
| COWARD | MV | N/A | 2 | MSU, Purdue, rutger |
Multiple picks required this week: BoilerUp81, allthegoodnamesaregone, LordFerentzOfHouseKinnick, Sasser, scarlet_pimpernal_hand, MV
Week 3 Games
All times ET
Friday, September 25
Howard Bison (FCS) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 7 PM
Northwestern Wildcats at Indiana Hoosiers, 8 PM
Saturday, September 26
Illinois Fighting Illini at The Ohio State Buckeyes, Noon
UCLA Bruins at Maryland Terrapins, 1:30 PM
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purdue Boilermakers, 2 PM
Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan Wolverines, 3:30 PM
wisconsin Badgers at Penn State Nittany Lions, 5 PM
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Michigan State Spartans, 5 PM
Oregon Ducks at USC Trojans, 7:30 PM
Minnesota Golden Gophers at Washington Huskies, 11 PM
BoilerUp89's pick for week 3: If you are a coward and have a FCS pick left for this week, the play appears to be pretty obvious. I suppose you could hope the rest of us crash out, October Maryland does their thing, or that November Michigan State won't care at that point in the season but that seems like a lot of dreaming. I'll go with the obvious pick and take Rutgers over Howard. A coward I may be, but we established that in week 1. Next week (if I survive), I'll lay out my plan for the rest of the season. If I don't survive, I suspect we will be crowning Bridgeport emperor of the cowards.
For the non-coward survivors, there's more choices out there. September Maryland, a Pac 12 team hosting a B1G team, PSU tormenting the Badgers, or picking one of the toss up games. I'm not sure, but I'm glad I'm not in your position.
Good luck everyone. As always, please let me know of any mistakes in the comments.
