WHAT A GREAT FIELD OF PLAYERS FOR THIS YEAR'S CONTEST. SARA
AND I THANK YOU FOR PLAYING AND SUPPORTING THE BLOG.
IF WEST VIRGINIA, NOTRE DAME, GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA ALL
WIN, THERE WILL BE A BIG PARTY AT THE ALE HOUSE IN THE VISTA !!
IF NOTRE DAME WINS, LOOK OUT FRIENDS, JOHN AND KIEL COULD BE
BUYING A FEW DRINKS. HERE COME THE IRISH!!! ALL PLAYERS
HAVE OFFERED CONDOLENCES TO SARA ON BALL STATE'S LOSS.
JUST WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR HONEY, THEY WILL BE BACK.
Let's Meet the Players!!
Sara, aka "The Blogette": The Blogette isn't sure she has been the same since The Great Squirrel Incident in June. Caught by surprise when said squirrel was caught in a trap in the Beckman attic on that fateful day, she perforated her eardrum with a Q-Tip. Yes, we all know we aren't supposed to clean out the ears with such a dangerous device, but we also all know that "everyone does it". In golf, in sports and in life....timing is everything. Sara is chalking up the incident to bad luck and bad timing and has agreed to sound off on her picks, even though she is recovering from ear surgery and can only hear about half of what is said (and is quite selective about hearing anything John says!) Her picks:
Arizona Utah St San Diego St Ball State East Carolina
Washington SMU Central Mich Baylor Cincinnati
San Jose St La Monroe Va. Tech Texas Tech Air Force
West Virginia Ariz St Oregon St. Michigan St Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Iowa St. LSU Northwestern Purdue
Michigan Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Kent St.
Stanford Fla. St. Flordia Oregon Notre Dame
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 59 points
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Rob Catlett: Rob is the golf pro at the new Dick's Sporting Goods Store in northeast Columbia. He is originally from Mullins, SC and has been in the golf business for 18 years as a PGA professsional. This family man loves to duck-hunt and plays golf in his spare time. Rob invites you to stop by and see him at Dick's for all your golfing needs. His picks:
Nevada Toledo San Diego St Central Fla East Carolina
Washington Fresno St Western Ky UCLA Cincinnati
Bowling Green Ohio Va Tech Texas Tech Air Force
West Virginia Arizona St Oregon St TCU Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Miss. State Oklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Kent St
Stanford Flordia St Florida Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 56 points
Jamie Mabe: Congrats to this recent Clemson grad - - You finally made it, buddy! Jamie is getting ready to jump into the big, wide world in January. He is excited about getting started in a new job and eager to begin making some serious bucks. Work will occupy a lot of his former free time, making it tough for Jamie to work in his other usual hobbies - Lauren, golf, and sports - especially Wolfpack basketball. Hoping to improve on his bowl picks from last year (tying for last place), he has submitted the following picks:
Arizona Utah St San Diego St Central Fla East Carolina
Washington Fresno St Western Ky San Jose St Cincinnati
UCLA Louisiana Monroe Rutgers Texas Tech Air Force
Navy West Virginia Oregon St TCU NC State
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Oklahoma St Miss State
South Carolina Georgia Stanford Fla State Florida
Oregon Texas A&M Pitt Kent St Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 38 points
Jason and Logan: Son-in-law Jason and grandson Logan have once again entered the field all the way from Indiana. Last year, Team Who-Day finshed tied for 8th place, and we aren't sure which one is team captain. We do know that they are serious followers of Notre Dame football, Indiana basketball and the Cincinnati Bengals. They have been studying the bowl picture and are hoping for a top finish. Their picks:
Nevada Toledo San Diego St BALL STATE East Carolina
Boise St Fresno St Central Mich UCLA Cincinnati
San Jose St Ohio Rutgers Texas Tech Air Force
West Virginia Navy Oregon St Michigan St NC State
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Miss St Oklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Kent St
Stanford Fla State Florida Oregon Notre Dame
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 32 points
Amanda Mitchum: Born and raised a Gamecock fan in the Columbia area, Amanda has a degree from Midlands Tech and works at the bar at Carolina Ale House in the Vista. She would love to be a sports journalist or working for a pro basketball or football team in the future. Her picks:
Nevada Utah St San Diego St Ball St East Carolina
Boise St Fresno St Central Mich UCLA Cincinnati
San Jose St Ohio Rutgers Texas Tech Air Force
Syracuse Arizona St Oregon St Michigan St Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Miss State Oklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Arkansas St
Stanford Fla State Florida Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 33 points
Steve Price: A regular pigskin picker, Steve is sales manager for Bruce Jenner Aviation, and also manages Sundance Motors in West Columbia. He's a big sports fan, and you can find him enjoying a game along side a cold bottle of Miller beer. This past winner of the 2012 Masters Mix on the blog obviously knows something about picking a winner. His picks:
Nevada Utah St San Diego St Central Fla Louisiana-Laf
Boise St Fresno St Central Mich San Jose St Cincinnati
UCLA Louisiana- Mon Rutgers Texas Tech Air Force
Arizona St West Virginia Oregon St TCU Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Northwestern Oklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Stanford Northern Ill. Flordia
Oregon Oklahoma Ole Miss Kent St Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 63 points
Kiel Ott: Originally from Maryland, Kiel attended the University of South Carolina. He is a huge sports fan and fortunately works at Carolina Ale House's Vista location as a bartender, where he can keep an eye on all the action. He is shown here proudly wearing his Notre Dame hat. Go Irish! It is the blog's understanding that if Notre Dame wins the National Championship, Taylor will wear a kilt while working along side his buddy Kiel His picks:
Nevada Utah St San Diego Central Fla Louisiana Laf.
Boise St Fresno St Central Mich UCLA Cincinnati
San Jose St Louisiana Monroe Rutgers Texas Tech Air Force
West Virginia Navy Oregon St TCU NC State
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Northwestern Oklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Pitt. Kent St
Stanford Fla State Florida Oregon Notre Dame
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 35 points
Jim Beckman: Known on the blog as "Brutus", Jim is a faithful fan of Ohio State sports, gin and tonics, and wife Rhonda ... but not necessarily in that order. Here he is shown toasting a ND win, since OSU is on hold until next year. This bowl season, Jim is likely to pull out tapes of this year's 12 Buckeye wins. He took time off from the golf course in Florida to select these picks:
Arizona Utah St BYU Ball State East Carolina
Boise St Fresno St Central Mich UCLA Cincinnati
Bowling Green Ohio Rutgers Texas Tech Rice
West Virginia Arizona St Oregon St TCU Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Northwestern Oklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Arkansas St
Stanford Fla State Florida Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 67 points
Wes Graves: Currently living in Augusta, Wes is formerly from the Fort Wayne, IN area. An avid golfer and big sports fan, he can bring life to any foursome with his funny stories and antics on the course. His golf game could use some work, and he and John frequently compare horror stories from their experiences on the course (a few cold brews always solves the problems) He is hoping the prize for winning this Bowl Edition of Pigskin Picks is a lesson from Rob at Dick's (see above) or possibly some damn good advice on how to play the game.. Wes says it's time for a change from SEC teams winning the BCS, so he's going with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. His picks:
Nevada Utah St San Diego St Ball State Louisiana Laf.
Boise St Fresno St Central Mich San Jose St Cincinnati
Baylor Louisiana M Va Tech Texas Tech Rice
West Virginia Arizona St Texas TCU NC State
Southern Cal Tulsa Clemson Northwestern Oklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Stanford Northern Ill. Florida
Oregon Texas A&M Ole Miss Kent State Notre Dame
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 37 points
Robert Peeler: Robert is a self-proclaimed sports junkie. He carries around a mini-computer in which he has created many files of sports information. It is stored under that white hat in his brain. Robert is a former Clemson student and sometime professional caddy. Currently, he is getting ready for the Web.com Tour in February 2013. That means hitting the gym lifting weights in preparation for carrying that big bag, and battling the elements over long-yardage courses. His picks:
Arizona Utah St San Diego St Ball State Louisiana Laf
Boise St Fresno St Western Ky San Jose St Duke
UCLA Louisiana M Rutgers Texas Tech Air Force
Arizona St West Virginia Oregon St TCU Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Iowa St LSU Oklahoma St Northwestern
South Carolina Georgia Stanford Fla State Florida
Oregon Oklahoma Ole Miss Kent St Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 48 points
Chris Johnson: Chris is a fan of the Indianapolis Colts, and is pleased by their progress under rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. He is still a follower of Peyton Manning, and now keeps tabs on the Denver Broncos as well. When not following pro football, Chris can be found managing the meat department at the Sparkleberry Kroger store. He is from Muncie, Indiana and hopes to conclude with a better finish than last year's bowl picks. His picks:
Arizona Utah St BYU Ball State East Carolina
Boise St Fresno St Western Ky Baylor Cincinnati
San Jose St Ohio Virginia Tech Texas Tech Air Force
West Virginia Navy Oregon St Michigan St Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Iowa St LSU Miss St. Oklahoma St
South Carolina Nebraska Texas A&M Ole Miss Arkansas St
Stanford Northern Ill. Florida Oregon Notre Dame
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 56 points
Brian Anderson: This service manager at Mastercraft in Northeast Columbia is our go-to guy when
it comes to car repair, and he has provided us with many a rescue. He is looking forward to some of that fudge, since he has sampled it on some holiday cookie platters in the past. He's a huge
Gamecock fan and 18-year season ticker holder. Brian enjoys a good joke and
understands John's way with cars. Drive in to their Two Notch Road location if your car is in need of any repairs. Brian
will always give you a fair price to fix your car. His picks:
Nevada Utah St San Diego St Ball State East Carolina
Boise St Fresno St Western Ky. UCLA Cincinnati
Bowling Green Louisiana M Rutgers Minnesota Air Force
West Virginia Navy Oregon St TCU Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Northwestern Purdue
South Carolina Georgia Oklahoma Pitt Kent St
Stanford Northern Ill. Florida Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 45 points
Marisa Minico: Marisa is a New Yorker and went to school in Long Island. She now bartends at the Carolina Ale House in the Vista, and you can always expect to see that friendly smile. She and her family are devoted Ohio State Buckeye fans. She picked her teams for this contest, but in her heart she is waiting for next year's first dotting of the "I" in the Script Ohio. Looking at her picks we see that she has chosen two big upsets: Louisville over Florida and Northern Illinois beating Florida State. GO GIRL!! Her picks:
Arizona Utah St BYU Central Fla Louisiana Laf
Boise St Fresno St Central Mich UCLA Duke
San Jose St Ohio Rutgers Texas Tech Air Force
West Virginia Navy Oregon St TCU NC State
Southern Cal Iowa St LSU Miss State Oklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Oklahoma Pitt Kent St
Stanford Northern Ill. Louisville Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 25 points
Bob Abney: This colorful old-timer from Richmond, IN spent many years living in sunny Florida before returning to his birthplace. He has participated in almost all of our contests on the blog, tying for 5th place in last year's bowl picks. He is certain Notre Dame will take down Alabama. His picks:
Arizona Utah St San Diego St Central Fla Louisiana Laf
Boise St Fresno St Central Mich UCLA Cincinnati
San Jose St Louisiana M Virginia Tech Texas Tech Rice
West Virginia Arizona St Oregon St Michigan St Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Miss St Oklahoma St
Michigan Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Arkansas St
Stanford Fla St Florida Oregon Notre Dame
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 44 points
Justin Mehaffey: This USC graduate is an entrepreneur who is always looking for clever ways to cash in. Justin is a well-known bartender, who is currently pouring drinks at The Tin Roof in the Vista. It's no surprise that Justin picked all eight SEC teams as winners. This is a popular fad with members of the Gamecock Nation. His picks:
Arizona Toledo San Diego St Ball State East Carolina
Boise St Fresno St Western Ky Baylor Cincinnati
San Jose St Ohio Rutgers Texas Tech Air Force
West Virginia Arizona St Oregon St TCU Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Northwestern Oaklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Kent St
Wisconsin Fla St Florida Kansas St Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson- 68 points
Daniel Hardy: Known to close associates as The Wingman, this big boy can really pound some wings, not to mention a brewski or two. Daniel is a former Spartanburg Methodist Pioneer, who is continuing his studies at USC-Aiken. As a golfer, he can hit it a long way but doesn't take the game too seriously - - smart thinking! His picks:
Nevada Utah St BYU Ball State Louisiana Laf
Boise St Fresno St Western Ky UCLA Duke
Bowling Green Louisiana M Rutgers Texas Tech Air Force
West Virginia Navy Texas Michigan St NC State
Southern Cal Iowa St LSU Miss St Oaklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Pitt Kent St
Stanford Fla St Florida Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 50 points
Donnie Lipscomb: Donnie comes to us by way of world-reknowned Boomer, West Virginia...has anyone ever heard of that place before? He has been in the restaurant business for 18 years, currently serving as manager at Carolina Ale House. There is no more loyal WVU Mountaineer fan...and that applies to all sports. If you stop in to see him in the Vista, ask to see photos of his pride and joy...daughter Jayden. He will be happy to pull out his phone to show her off. His picks:
Arizona Utah St San Diego St Ball State Louisiana Laf
Washington Fresno St Central Mich Baylor Cincinnati
San Jose St Louisiana M Rutgers Texas Tech Rice
West Virginia Arizona St Oregon St TCU Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Northwestern Oaklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Kent St
Stanford Fla St Florida Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 54 points
Marcel Sterling: This former collegiate hockey player from Michigan is a fun-loving guy. He is just biding his time with college football, while he waits for the NHL strike to end. Marcel is one of the few pickers who has chosen the Wolverines over the Gamecocks, so we will not be posting his address here on the blog. We will be watching his picks closely! His picks:
Arizona Toledo BYU Central Fla East Carolina
Washington Fresno St Central Mich Bowling Green Duke
UCLA Ohio Virginia Tech Minnesota Rice
West Virginia Navy Texas TCU Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Purdue Miss State
Michigan Georgia Stanford Northern Ill. Florida
Oregon Texas A&M Pitt Arkansas St Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 51 points
Arizona Utah St San Diego St Ball State East Carolina
Boise St Fresno St Central Mich UCLA Duke
Bowling Green Ohio Rutgers Texas Tech Rice
West Virginia Arizona St Texas Michigan St NC State
Southern Cal Iowa St LSU Miss St Purdue
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Arkansas St
Stanford Northern Ill. Florida Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 52 points
Taylor Hudson: A big-time Georgia fan, Taylor is an Augusta native. He firmly believes the Bulldogs should be in the national championship game, and is still trying to figure out a way for them to beat Alabama. John and buddy Kiel at CAH are trying hard to convert Taylor to becoming a Golden Domer. He is obviously not listening to reason since he has picked Bama.Taylor will look so good in that kilt!!! 32 has made his picks:
Arizona Utah St BYU Ball State East Carolina
Boise St Fresno St Western Ky Baylor Cincinnati
San Jose St Ohio Rutgers Texas Tech Rice
West Virginia Arizona St Oregon St Michigan St Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Miss St Oaklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Kent St
Stanford Fla St Florida Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 68 points
Ronnie Platner: Originally from Augusta, Ronnie currently lives in Lexington. He owns a surveying company, and loves to fish and golf in his spare time. Ladies, he is available and is looking for that special someone. He is confident that he has picked at least 30 games correctly, and will be watching the bowl action from his house at the lake. ( Bud Lite man ) His picks:
Arizona Toledo BYU Central Fla East Carolina
Washington SMU Western Ky UCLA Cincinnati
Bowling Green Ohio Rutgers Texas Tech Air Force
Syracuse Navy Oregon St TCU Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa LSU Miss State Oklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Arkansas St
Stanford Fla State Florida Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 50 points
Kenny Wilhelm: Kenny is known to his golfing buddies as The Thinman. He manages a recycling business in Lexington, and loves to play golf. He is a true gentleman both on and off the course. He is a huge Gamecock fan and thinks they truly belong in National Championship game. Wait till next year, Kenny. His picks:
Nevada Toledo San Diego St Central Fla East Carolina
Washington Fresno St Western Ky UCLA Cincinnati
San Jose St Louisiana M Rutgers Texas Tech Rice
West Virginia Navy Oregon St TCU Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Iowa St LSU Northwestern Oklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Kent St
Stanford Fla St Florida Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 54 points
John Gunter: John is originally from Germany and has lived in Columbia for most of his life. He is a big Gamecock fan, just like the hometown boys. He is assistant manage in the meat department of the Sparkleberry Kroger and is always ready with a smile and eager to talk about the daily specials. He made his picks with a lucky rabbit's foot in his hand. Who can argue with that strategy? His picks
Arizona Toledo San Diego St Central Fla Louisiana Laf
Boise St Fresno St Central Mich UCLA Cincinnati
San Jose St Ohio Virginia Tech Texas Tech Rice
Syracuse Arizona St Texas TCU Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Tulsa Clemson Northwestern Oklahoma St
Michigan Georgia Oklahoma Ole Miss Arkansas St
Stanford Fla State Florida Oregon Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 46 points
Paul Milleman: Paul thinks he can make a living as a professional picker. He is actually a contractor, whose specialty is boats. Originally from Michigan, Paul is a Michigan State- Michigan fan and cheers on the Carolina Panthers on Sundays. He spent a fair amount of time studying the schedule and records before turning in his selections. His picks:
Arizona Utah St BYU Ball State Louisiana Laf
Boise St Fresno St Western Ky UCLA Cincinnati
San Jose St Ohio Rutgers Minnesota Air Force
Syracuse Arizona St Oregon St Michigan St Vanderbilt
Southern Cal Iowa St LSU Miss St Oklahoma St
South Carolina Georgia Texas A&M Ole Miss Kent St
Stanford Fla State Florida Kansas St Alabama
Tiebreaker Game LSU-Clemson 52 points
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