Pickem Dash Football

[PA Chime] Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second leg of our NCAA Postseason gauntlet, the P-F25 NCAA Bowl Challenge:  A confidence-style game with 35 bowls, but zero playoff games. As a reminder of the rules just changed this year, the CFP Contest + Bowl Contest scores will be weighted 50/50 to determine the overall NCAA Postseason Champion. That means you'll want to do reasonably well at both. TL;DR NCAA Bowl Challenge Begins Pick all 35 bowl winners straight up (CFP games are not on this card). Spreadsheet card → select your team name first. Assign confidence values 1–35 (use each number once). No bonus points used in this contest. CFP + Bowl scores are weighted 50/50 for the overall Postseason Champ. Deadline: Friday 12/13 at 7:00 PM CT — email your completed card to me. Bowl Challenge Rules (Flight Manual Edition) This is a Confidence Contest. Pick the winner of all 35 bowl games. Assign each a confidence value from 1 to 35 (use each number once ). Yo...

[PA Chime] Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We’ve reached that time of year when we are reminded that the College Football Playoff committee makes up its foundational rules on the fly. So why shouldn't we? (I feel I have to rewrite the rules because I dominated last year’s bracket so thoroughly that the championship was a victory lap. Also in previous seasons, only one or two teams were still alive by New Year’s. What should we do this year, you ask? We fix that. Or break it worse. We'll see!) Welcome to the P-F25 CFP Bracket Contest , the first half of our NCAA Postseason double-header. A Bowl Confidence Contest will follow shortly. How to Win the NCAA Postseason Contest Simple: score the most points across BOTH contests combined. CFP Bracket Contest (scaled 50%) + Bowl Confidence Contest (scaled 50%) = NCAA Postseason Champion. That’s it. Two contests, one winner. How the CFP Bracket Contest Works You’ll fill out THE ENTIRE bracket now — everyt...

“Give a Turkey Leg Trophy to someone/something/some concept.” [PA Chime] This is your captain speaking. In the spirit of John Madden’s legendary turducken tradition, we asked the cabin to hand out a Turkey Leg Trophy to anyone -- real, fictional, conceptual -- who truly deserved a celebratory drumstick. The results were… well, exactly what you’d expect from a plane full of football fanatics, street philosophers, and one person who fears Vanderbilt Admissions more than any SEC defense. Let’s carve this bird. A Northmen (AN) Turkey Leg → Paul Tagliabue +4 A ceremonial nod to the most overlooked commissioner in NFL history. Somewhere, Tagliabue is hoping you just stop for a picture and not a hug. TEAMNAME (BR) Turkey Leg → “Joe blows” +5 I assume Joe doesn't blow, so this likely goes to all the Joe Blow's out there. [Biggie voice] Yeah… this bonus right here... this bonus i s dedicated to all the Joe Blows out there... a ll the folks who doubted, a ll the people in the...

[PA Chime] This is your captain speaking. As we approached Thanksgiving airspace, we invited passengers to quietly enter what they’re thankful for into a “totally private” box. What followed was obviously an honest, chaotic, and fully on-brand display of gratitude from our fellow pick’em travelers. A Northmen (AN):  My car. +3 Efficient. Practical. Grounded. But does it drive itself? TEAMNAME (BR):  This league. +5 And who can blame him? The spreadsheets, drama, and bonus value. Queenbspice (CC):  Stretchy pants. +4 The true MVP of November. A garment of freedom. 18 National Championships (CG):  Jesus Christ. +4 A sincere and stabilizing force. I'm sure He was there in spirit. Pure Random Cubed (CN):  A bigger coin for playoff season. +4 No mention of penny. RIP. Cuernos Largos (CT):  Pecan pie. +3 A regional treasure that can be a spiritual experience. Swamp Dogs (DR):  My dachshund Otto turns 17 this week. +5 A *very* good Swamp Dog! B...

The Pick'em plane mysteriously lands near a deserted town. The scoreboard flickers in the window like a haunted sportsbook, and wandering around are a few kids dressed as a 6-6 season. The house has a sign reading "Trick or Treat… Mostly Treat!" and a bowl full of bonus points poorly disguised as tampered wrapped candy.  There’s a knock at the door…  Knock 1 - Club Random: First up we’ve got a cluster of grapes, Run-DMC (presumably Rev Run... despite it being a very committed white guy in Adidas), and Tails (editor’s choice: from Sonic). Not far behind is someone and two minions dressed together as 7, 3, and 6. If you don't get the costume, that's the number of days Oklahoma hasn't scored a touchdown against The University of Texas. Full-size Snickers and Twix for everyone. (CC,CG+3; CN,AN+4)   Knock 2 - This is SportsCenter: The Vanderbilt Commander, Oregon Donald Duck, and Dan Wetzel carrying a case of Busch with a fat bear in tow walk into a bar. “No animal...

[PA Chime] This is your captain speaking. I’m not sure if you’ve seen from the seatback entertainment this flight, but the Texas passing game has problems.  At Pick’em Dash Football Airlines, we solve all problems mid-air and by committee -- so what’s wrong with Arch ? The initial advice was more back-of-the-airplane-beverage napkin. Swamp Dogs (DR) suggests “run the ball.” Shot Callers (RD) blames the sidelines with "Sark play calling." Feels accurate.  Bevo XV (DW) demanded a nostalgic reroute: “Bring back David Ash.” Wookie Cookies (KH) left us with a mid-season obit or a really great comeback movie: "Fallen." What happens when "his line is straight trash, and the dude is seeing ghosts. He'll be 'aight."  18 National Championships (CG) knows that kind of play doesn't cut it year after year in the SEC.  I assume TEAMNAME (BR) was also alluding to o-line issues, although what came through on the form was "O♧", and I'm not sure ...

[NFL Sounding PA Chime] (scroll down for the NCAA update) Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Week 6 brought some turbulence, and when the dust settled in the cabin, some of you lost your cards in seatback pockets. Turbulence happens, and we drop the lowest score, so whether it was me or those upsets, we are mostly forgetting those Week 6 NFL picks. Please ensure your seat backs are in the full upright position, you've chugged your beverages, and your tray tables are in their full upright position. All chugged? Did I mention the bathrooms are closed for Week 7?  Boarding now : NFL Week 7 card is ready for departure. We have another London game and two Monday Night Football games again. Yeehaw. NFL Weekly Card: https://tinyurl.com/pf25-pro-card Week 6 NFL Scoreboard Recap:  High flyers: Bite a Kneecap Offs (RK), Swamp Dogs (DR), and Far Left Handed (GN) (8!) Dubs: No one. Reverse Wins: CG, MN, CT (would have scored 10 with reverse picks) Leaderboard: Your overa...

[PA Chime] Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain with a brief update from the cockpit. Our in-flight beverage service is now open. We're a little short on help here at Pick'em Dash Football Airlines. You can just take what you want from the shelves. I'll vouch. Boarding now : Both the NCAA and NFL Week 5 cards are up. File your flight plans at your earliest convenience. (All the metaphors don't have to make perfect sense, right?) NCAA Weekly Card: https://tinyurl.com/pf25-fbs-card NFL Weekly Card: https://tinyurl.com/pf25-pro-card Flight data : Weekly scores and the updated leaderboard are posted at their respective game sites. NCAA Scoreboard: https://tinyurl.com/pf25-fbs-score NFL Scoreboard: https://tinyurl.com/pf25-pro-score In-flight entertainment : Speaking of the help, this week’s full review will be written by none other than Eleven Verticals (ON). Tray tables up and eyes forward -- unless you are "grabbing a totally free beverage off the closest bever...

[PA Chime] Thiiiiiiis is your captain speaking. For our NFL Week 3 bonus we asked why doubling up Monday Night Football is the best. The cabin chimed in with answers ranging from bedtime complaints to bold mathematical proofs. We'll board in reverse order. Economy: These all felt like they belonged together. Simple, somewhat punchy one-liners that leaned on numbers, timing, or just the joy of more football. This group wasn't weighed down with heavy baggage. They just gave their quick tray-table takes.  Swamp Dogs (DR): Twice as much is always at least three times as nice. Bevo XV (DW): Two is always better than one! Unsolicited Dicker Kicks (MK): When everyone’s on prime time, no one’s on prime time. Accidentchild (MN): There's 2 games. Which is better than 1. Shot Callers (RD): More football is better! Mediocrity (RH): I get to stay up past my bedtime (maybe). Jerry’s Gerrymander-ers (KW):  It doesn’t, the second game is past my bedtime. Far Left-Handed (GN): Because I g...

[PA Chime]  Good morning passengers, this is your captain speaking. Week 3 scores are in, the flight log has been updated, and many of us are feeling turbulence. UPDATES: 9/17/25 2:47 PM: Week 4 NFL card is up.  https://tinyurl.com/pf25-pro-card Scoreboard Links:  NCAA:  https://tinyurl.com/pf25-fbs-score   NFL:  https://tinyurl.com/pf25-pro-score  Scoreboard Recaps: NCAA Week 3 High flyers: Bite a Kneecap Offs (RK), Unsolicited Dicker Kicks (MK), Pure Random Cubed (CN): Each scored 10 of 15 Dubs (>=10): Same 3 With our leaders this week scoring 10 of 15, we had a reverse winner! Swamp Dogs (DR) picked up 5 bonus points for what would have been a 12 and a weekly win if he'd picked the exact opposite. NFL Week 3 High flyers: Accidentchild (MN), Unsolicited Dicker Kicks (MK), and Far Left-Handed (GN): All tied with 13 of 16. Dubs (>=12): Same 3 Chhh-ding! Stay tuned for the bonus answers. They've been scored, but I'll post the answers too...

[PA Chime]  Good morning passengers, this is your captain speaking. Please direct your attention to the in-seat monitors. The Week 2 scoreboards are live. Week 2 NFL?!? A quick reminder about our flight numbering system. We had a quick connection at the NFL headquarters this week, so while the NFL just kicked off their Week 1, here at Pick’em Dash we just completed Week 2. This numbering discrepancy will occur throughout our journey. New Scoreboard Links (bookmark these for the season)  NCAA: https://tinyurl.com/pf25-fbs-score   NFL: https://tinyurl.com/pf25-pro-score  (the bit.ly links I've sent prior will still get you there if you want to keep that bookmark, but I didn’t love the extra layover screen bit.ly forces for free users) Weekly Flight Plan  Here's what a typical Pick'em Dash Football weekly schedule in the skies look like each week: Monday: Last scores entered to the scoreboards.  Tuesday: The Captain scores bonus points, cleans up any ling...

9/4/25 Evening  [PA Chime] We’ve reached our cruising altitude of, I don't know, blimp height(?). Sit back, relax, and enjoy some reminders about scoring and points. And if that doesn't excite you, how about the NCAA scoreboard. http://bit.ly/pf25-fbs-score Double Digit Pick Weeks ("Dubs"): Scoring >10 in NCAA +3 bonus points Week 1 Dubs: Jerry’s Gerrymander-ers (KW), Shot Callers (RD), Mediocrity (RH), A Northmen (AN), 18 National Championships (CG) Weekly Win:  Highest score of the week +3 bonus points Week 1 Winner: Jerry’s Gerrymander-ers (KW) Bonus Scoring Lag: Sometimes bonus points get tallied late (c’mon, it’s just bonus) Clarification: Bonus points don’t affect regular season standings In postseason, bonus totals provide a slight advantage Forgetting to Pick: If you forget, don't sweat it Scores of non-pickers will the lowest score of the week among those who did pick Drop the Lowest Score: Implemented last year You aren't your worst mistake I...

  [PA chime] Welcome aboard, passengers! This is your captain speaking. Flight P-F25 is now taxiing to the runway, and Week 1 of NCAA Pick’em is officially cleared for departure. (note, this will be one of the last times I use PF24's mailing list; apologies to those that have registered using different emails; non-apologies for those that are ghosting us) Boarding pass link (Week 1 card): https://bit.ly/pf25-fbs-card (as long as your captain presses all the right buttons, this same link should stay good for college games all year) Good news: Even if you haven’t officially “registered” yet, submitting a Week 1 card is all you need to join the manifest. Just buckle in, make your picks, and you’re flying with us. No standby list, no TSA hassle. Or is it that you make your picks, buckle in, -- I’ll have all the imagery right before Bowl Season. Departure times: Picks are due before kickoff of each game. But! For smooth skies, please file your whole card before the first...

[PA chime] Good evening passengers. Surely you can’t be serious about skipping Pick’em Dash Football this year.  I am serious -- and like, don’t call me Shirley.  How to board Returning passengers: Grab your boarding pass and head to the priority queue (by clicking the signup form ) New passengers: Actually the same process, same pas, then *sonic boom*, you’re on the manifest.  In-flight procedure  NCAA Regular Season route: ~15 games per week; picks against the spread (mind the crosswinds). 1st & 2nd place winners. 1/3 of pot total.  NFL Regular Season seating: all games, 14–16 per week; straight up landings (no point-spreads, no layovers). 1st & 2nd place winners. 1/3 of pot total.  NCAA Bowls + Playoff Challenge: set your confidence seatbelts + college football playoff cockpit showdown. 1/2 of 1/3 of pot total  NFL Playoff Approach: weekly, against the spread, Vegas-style vectors. 1/2 of 1/3 of pot total  Cabin advisories Deadline for...