Author: maplecupgolf

A hearty Congratulations to the 2025 Champion of the Greatest Pool in the History of the World! Armed with a seemingly endless supply of gadgets and good football teams, Wile E. bested the field with a resounding stretch run. He took the lead in week 10 and closed it out going 17-2 down the stretch. It’s a long-time coming for Wile E. From Junkyard Dog and Dr. X, Chief Wahoo and Dwight to Reggie, OJ, and PJ, it’s a long, long line of losing seasons. And hopefully that makes the 2025 Championship taste that much sweeter. Texas Tech ties the bow on the season with big win – Cover, Ranked, and Defensive points. And he had the Dawgs resting on the porch.

There was no movement in the standings in the final week. The Group of Pizza is locked in for the 2026 Draft.

The draft order is set. On the clock…

Canio.

(pictured here at Open Mic Night, Northfield, MN. Nov. 27,2025)

His 2025 CFB Pool story was remarkable for its intense verismo, raw emotion, and devastating plot – somehow navigating a path to finish worse than Igor. Canio gets the double win of the year with the Hoosiers knocking off Sergio’s Buckeyes in a head-to-head final showdown. But Igor answers with a double win out of top-pick Boise State – holding off Canio by 3 points.

The “modern era” in the Greatest Pool in the History of the World started in 2004 with a fitting champion – Keith Jackson (Mike). Yes, there were champions prior. Talked about and debated in draft rooms and on Bowl Days, these titles are “mythical”, unsubstantiated by historic records.

The GPITHOTW has its very own Cubs, Red Sox, Browns, long-suffering, snake-bit loser. Wile E. may be the most fitting nickname ever as he chased, and chased, and chased his title. While there is a mathematic possibility, he’s a virtual lock for his first title heading into Championship week.

Wile E. is running away from the field with another solid 5-1 week. Texas Tech gets a road shutout at West Virginia for 11 points. The Dawgs get defensive points.

Navin jumps to 2nd place powered by 5 road wins including a double win from the Tide in the Iron Bowl.

Champ slips to the 3rd spot. The Irish win by 29 and fail to cover in his double game. San Diego State falls to New Mexico.

Bronko continues to climb the standings. another 6-0 week, he’s posted 111 points in the last 2 weeks. The Ducks get a road, cover, double win at Washington. USF and Hawaii get defensive points.

Cletus and Sergio are locked in a tight battle to avoid the Group of Pizza.

Cletus loses his double game as his Aggies can’t shake the Longhorns. #1 pick Penn State gets a rare win.

Sergio‘s team has a split personality. There’s the 14-0, 236 point double wins (Ohio St) and the 46-20 rest of his team. Chasing points, he gets losses from LSU, SMU and Auburn.

Safely in the GOP: Squirrel, Igor, and Operaman.

Squirrel wins his double showdown in the Texas win over the Aggies. Memphis and UTSA take home losses.

Igor’s Mormons secure a conference championship bid with a double win over UCF. Marshall drops a home game to Ga Southern.

Operaman has one more verse in his swan song. He will bid adieu with his final pick next week. His Hoosiers continue to steamroll the fodder on the schedule.

Happy Thanksgiving fellas,

I’m feeling very thankful for my group of college football friends. Here’s wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday weekend.

As the headline says – It all comes down to this. 7 games left, 6 this week and 1 double-game for championship weekend.

For the 3rd straight season, a modern-era CFB Pool title is tantalizingly close for Wile E. He goes 6-0, his first undefeated week since week 6. Georgia fails to cover his double game but he gets 4 covers and 4 road wins. 50 points for the week.

Champ vaults into 2nd place with a 5-1, 50 point week. Notre Dame routs Syracuse in his double game. Illinois’s loss at Wisconsin was his lone setback.

Navin is fading fast. Ga Tech continues to befuddle him, losing at home to Pitt.

Cletus moves up to 5th place. (Note: After double-checking Cletus’s season total, he was 10 points short, that was corrected this week.) Utah had to rally to beat Kansas State – Cal loses to Stanford for his only loss.

Sergio drops to 5th, the last position safe from relegation and the GOP. East Carolina (-2) and Wyoming (-4) take losses. His doublers, primarily OSU, continue to rack up the points – 214 for the season.

Bronko leads the GOP, chasing down Sergio with a 6-0, 58 point week. Oregon gets ranked points with a cover-win over USC. 4 road wins – 5-1 vs. the spread.

Squirrel looks like a lock for the 7 hole. The Fighting Entz’s take another loss, losing at home to Utah State. His Longhorns rout Arkansas in his double game.

And drama surrounds the #1 pick in the 2026 draft. Igor has risen from the dead with a 6-0, 57 point week. He gains 43 points on Operaman and climbs into the 8th spot. Tulane gets a road-cover double win.

Operaman posts a pool-low 14 points with losses by UTEP, Army, and Florida State. #1 pick is there for the taking.

Only 2 full weeks remain as Wile E. looks to close out his first CFB Pool title in the modern era. He expands his lead in Week 12, winning 5 games – topped by a 20 point double win with his Dawgs resounding beat-down of ranked Texas. So. Miss was his lone loss getting whipped at home by Texas State. Can he exorcise the demons of his past?

Navin loses 2 games, posting a pool-low 29 points. Ga Tech survives but doesn’t cover his double game. Alabama and Cincinnati lose at home.

Sergio is poised in 3rd place, hoping there will be enough Buckeye points left to chase down Wile E.. 12-0, 196 points in double games, an average of over 16 points per double win keep him in the hunt. Losses by San Jose State and Delaware sidetracked his week 12.

Champ – only 3 points behind Sergio – managed 41 points out of 4 wins. Liberty and Buffalo lose but the Irish get a nice road cover double win at Pitt. The Irish piling up style points in the polls and cover points in the pool.

Cletus wins the week with 54 points. Utah routs Baylor in the 2X game – Penn State and No Texas pick up road wins. He expands the margin over the Group of Pizza in 5th place.

Bronko travels to Autzen and witnesses his Ducks double win over the Gophers. His only loss of the week? – The “Highest Ranked Group of 6” curse, USF losing at Navy.

Squirrel is trying to hang on to 7th place – Memphis and TCU handed him losses in week 12- USC gets a gutty win over Iowa and UTSA routs Charlotte in his double game.

Operaman is reeling in Squirrel – 2 points back in 8th place. Kennesaw State was his only loss – Indiana (2X) and No. Illinois rack up 10 points each in wins.

Igor is firmly in control of the #1 pick in the 2026 draft. Playing with pride, he posts a 6-0 week scoring 51 points. Toledo gets a 10 point in Tuesday MACtion. 5-1 against the spread – Tulane (2X) was his only non-cover.

22 points separate the Top 4 teams in the standings.

15 points separate teams 5-7 and the last team clear of the GOP.

Operaman, extremely likely. Igor, certainly in the Group of Pizza.

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Our leader, Wile E., went a little off the rails with losses by 3 favorites. La Tech (6), Duke (9.5), and Oregon St (20.5) all lose, The Beavers lose at home to then-winless Sam Houston. On the flipside, Georgia looked like Georgia at Mississippi State – and the Dawgs have big potential with games vs ranked Texas and G Tech looming.

Navin wins the week with 49 points on 6 wins. JMU wins his double game – but loses the spread by a half point. Bama holds LSU to 9 points.

Sergio – sits in 3rd. Ohio State wins his double game, but (finally) fails to cover. San Jose drops a home game to the Zoomies.

Champ’s title hopes dimmed a bit with a 19 point week. Liberty, Virginia, and SDSU combine for -13 points in his 3 losses. The Irish post a nice double win.

In 5th place (22 points behind Champ) – Cletus. Washington loses at Sconny, BGSU loses in MACtion, and Florida gets mauled at Kentucky.

Bronko leads the GOP – 15 points behind Cletus. Cal and Texas State drop close games. Oregon squeaks out a tough win at Iowa in his double game.

Squirrel continues to sink in the standings – UAB loses at Rice – TCU and Memphis drop home games. Ole Miss beats the Citadel in his double game.

Operaman is reeling in Squirrel – only 8 points back. App State was his lone loser, losing by 2 points to Ga. State. 1-5 against the spread? 5 wins gets you 28 points. Ugh.

Igor’s double play of BYU over Texas Tech backfired. UCF loses at home. He did pick up 3 road wins scrambling for a 29 point week. On the clock for 2026…

(With all due respect to NFL Films)

The Upset Game is a pirate
  Blustering in from sea,
With a rollicking song, she sweeps along,
  Swaggering boisterously.

She growls as she storms the country,
  A villain big and bold.
And the poolsters all shake and quiver and quake,
  As she robs them of their gold.

The Upset Game is a bee-otch,
  Pillaging just for fun.
She’ll knock you ’round and upside down,
  And laugh when she’s conquered and won.

The dust clears and standing at the top of the canyon wall – Wile E. He posts a modest 34 points with UNLV getting upset at home by New Mexico. Georgia wins his double game but fails to cover over the Gators.

Sergio sits in 2nd place. Ohio State covers (again) in his double game but Auburn and Washington State lose – and get negative points for scoring less than 10 points. A remarkable 170 points in double games, 32 points clear of Bronko’s 138.

Champ moves into 3rd place with a 5-1, 36 point week. Vandy comes up just short and gets “upset” by Texas in Austin. The Irish win a lackluster double game on the road. Champ has the lead in his sights.

Navin slides all the way to 4th – Miami gets upset by SMU in his double game – his 4th double loss of the year. Ga Tech, Wake F, and Cincy also lose – A pool-low 7 points for the week.

Cletus rounds out the top 5 – safe (for now) from relegation into the GOP. Utah gets a bug 18 point double win over ranked Cincinnati. Houston gets upset at home losing to W Va. and Cal loses at home to ACC-leading Virginia.

Squirrel tops the GOP in 6th place. The curious double play for Troy backfired with a -6 home upset loss to Arkansas State. His other 5 all win – 28 points for the week.

Bronko checks in at #7. ODO shuts out ULM in his double game for a big 20 points. Iowa State, Tennessee, Syracuse, and Hawaii burst that bubble with 4 losses. 24 total points for the week.

The top score in week 10 goes to Operaman. 50 points – led by Indiana’s troucing of the Terrapins in College Park. His only loss – #1 pick Clemson drops another home game, this week falling the the Dookies.

Igor’s Boise State team lost a home double game – getting trounced by the Fresno State Entz’s. Marshall and Tulane also take upset losses.

The Upset Game, she’s a bitch.

-The term for when a marathon runner “hits the wall”.

The college football season is always a wild ride but the additional bye week is causing (and will continue to cause) some wild swings in weekly point totals.

Season-long pool leader Sergio drops to 3rd place – going 4-2. SMU and Kansas lose – and doubler Delaware was no Ohio State scoring only 8 points in the win. 31 points for the week. The chasee becomes the chaser.

Navin climbs to the top with the lone 6 win week in the pool. Bama survives at So Carolina in his double game. His stay at the top may be brief with 6 teams on bye next week.

Wile E. in in 2nd place – familiar territory for our runner-up the last 2 seasons. UConn was his lone loss of the week getting upset by Rice.

Champ settles in – in 4th place. Oklahoma and Buffalo lose as home favorites. San Diego State gets a road shutout win over the FSU Entz’s.

Cletus ties Navin for the weekly win with 48 points on 5 wins. Texas A&M gets 20 points in a huge double win at ranked LSU. And gets the coach fired.

That leaves us with the Group of Pizza:

Squirrel sits in 6th place – 8 points behind Cletus. Fresno State gets shutout at home for his only loss. 42 points for the week.

Bronko falls to 7th place. USF and Arizona State take losses, The Ducks get past the Fadgers in lackluster fashion in his double game (no cover).

Operaman’s apathy towards his roster this year results in a 3-loss week. UNC, EMU, and Ga Southern take losses. His Big10 “I-team” get wins, Indiana pummeling UCLA – Iowa likewise over the Beloved in his double game.

He’s comin’…Igor is almost out of the dungeon. He’s closed the gap with Operaman to 6 points. FlaInt and Arkansas lose at home. Boise St tallies 18 points in a double-win.

The 2025 Battle for the Bones Trophy goes to the UAB Blazers! Fire Trent Dilfer and look what happens. A 3 touchdown underdog gets an upset win over ranked Memphis dealing a double loss for Squirrel – one of 4 poolsters scoring fewer than 20 points this week – one of 3 losing double games.

The lowest of the lows this week (in a basso profondo voice) – Operaman. His ACC duo of Clemson and Florida State remain winless in the conference and continue to rack up L’s for Jonny. His Big10 duo of Iowa and Indiana get wins (no covers). 12 points for the week, clearly in play for the #1 pick in next year’s draft.

Cletus gets 13 points for the week – more salt in the CFB wound after watching his Huskers get run up and down on Friday night in Minny. WKU starts out the week with a bad Tuesday night home loss and Utah loses his double game in the Holy War . He slides to 6th place, leading the Group of Pizza.

14 points for Squirrel – joining Operaman and Cletus in the GOP. Smart enough to stay away from Ole Miss and USC – he gets losses by UTSA, Arizona, and Memphis (2X).

Our pool leader, Sergio, is hanging on – barely after a 17 point week. Ohio State shuts out Sconny in Madison to notch a 22 point win. The rest of the lineup (-5) points for the week. LSU, SJSU, Delaware, and Auburn take L’s this week.

From 17 – we jump to a 34 point week. Bronko rode the Gopher buzz into the weekend but Texas State and BC killed the buzz with losses to Marshall and UConn.

Navin loses his double game Friday night – Louisville upsets his Hurricanes. 5 wins on Saturday boost him to a 38 point week.

Wile E. gets a double win out of the Dawgs – beating #5 Ole Miss- good for 22 points. Duke and Texas Tech take losses – 40 points for the week, he’s tied for 2nd place with Navin – only 2 points behind Sergio.

Champ sits in 4th place following a 42 point week. He rallies after a -3 Nebraska loss to reel off 5 wins Saturday bolstered by the Irish double win over ranked USC.

Which leaves last place Igor. He wins the week going 6-0, scoring 52 points. Boise State beats undefeated UNLV in his double game, Tulane was his only winner that failed to cover.

Hard to believe, but we’re already/only at the halfway point in the season. We’ve – no doubt – seen more and more craziness in this burgeoning NIL $$$-influenced era. Buckle up, it will be a fun ride. For our mid-season report, let’s look back at the August evening when this mess started.

Our leader at the halfway point is Sergio. He’s earned the “favorite” label, led by the double-game covering machine Ohio State. The “best pick of the draft” at this point is the Buckeyes. He got them with the 6th pick and they’ve led the way to Sergio’s dominance in double game points. He’s scored 124 points in double games, 34 points more than the next closest competitor. He goes 4-2 in week 7, losses by Auburn (7th rnd) and a loss in his head-to-head Wyoming (12th) vs. SJSU (6th) strategery.

Bronko is this week’s poster-child for the volatility of the pool. He’s in a free-fall following up last week’s 15 point stinker with a DOUGHNUT in week 7. A home-double loss by Oregon (Pick #5). Iowa State (5th rnd) is crumbling with a 2nd straight loss. Tennessee (3rd rnd) and USF (8th) were his winners – but he plummets from 2nd to 7th. From contender to GoP. (Group of Pizza)

Navin’s #1 pick Alabama (#9) beat it’s 4th straight ranked opponent beating his own Mizzou Tigers (5th). Ga Tech (6th rnd) and Cincy (10th) continue to win. He moves into 2nd place. And 2nd rnder Miami is done with it’s byes.

Wile E.’s Georgia Bulldogs (#8) are just a rock-solid investment. Paying dividends almost every week beating Auburn on the road. UNLV (3rd rnd) and Texas Tech (4th) are unbeaten. He’s sits in 3rd place, poised for a stretch run.

Champ sits in 4th, Top pick Notre Dame (#4) has it rolling now. The Irish (and Champ’s) season could come down to this Saturday’s showdown with USC. SDSU (12th rnd) gets an 18-point double win. Oklahoma (6th rnd) started a brutal stretch with a loss to Texas.

Cletus wins the week and sits in 5th place. 2nd overall pick Penn State has flopped – losing it’s 3rd straight. Utah (2nd rnd) thumps ASU – Navy (3rd rnd) survives a scare at Temple. 9th rnd Houston gets 18 points in a double-win.

The GoP:

Squirrel appears to be fading. Top overall pick Texas gets a much-needed win beating OU but the Longhorns have played their way out of double games. 3rd rnd Ole Miss wins a lackluster double game surviving Wazzou. 4th rnd USC gets a solid win over Michigan and now head to South Bend. (Showdown with Champ!)

Operaman settles in – in 8th place. Clemson (3rd overall pick) has been a disaster but picks up a week 7 win over BC. 3rd rnd Indiana gets the road win of the year. 9th rounder Florida State is playing like a 9th round pick.

Safe to say – 50 points behind Operaman – Igor is a lock for the GoP and the likely top pick in the 2026 CFB draft. Boise State (#7 overall) gets 8 points in a double-win. Toledo (3rd rnd) loses to Bowling Green. 4th rnd BYU needs 2OT but gets a road win at Arizona.

NOTE: Tuesday night games start this week.

Gotta admit – The additional bye week is proving to be more of a thorn in our collective sides than I anticipated. 33 Teams had the week off. We are starting more underdogs than ever – Throw in the upsets – The weekly CFB Pool crapshoot is turning out crappier scores than ever.

Case in Point: Sween started 4 underdogs this week. All 4 lost. 0 covered. Throw in favored Va. Tech’s home loss to Wake Forest. Top it off with a no-cover double win by BYU. -3,-3,-3,-3,-2, 8. Add ’em up: -6. So welcome to the pool a man for the season, screaming for a new name…

Igor.

Bronko’s reign at the top of the pool was brief. 4 losses including favorites Rice, Texas State, and Louisville and underdog Iowa State. USF and ODU’s wins salvaged 15 points for the week, he slides to 2nd place.

Sergio’s Buckeyes took advantage of PJ’s coaching (and their own talent) to widen his lead in double point game scoring (106 pts.). Delaware falls at home to WKU for his lone loss. He floats back to the top of the pool.

Navin wins 5 games. The loss – a double loss by Ohio at Ball State. You’d think after 20+ years, he’d figure it out. NEVER, EVER, EVER trust a MAC point spread. The shit is spread evenly in that point-swallowing abyss of a conference. He manages 39 points with 5 wins and stays in 3rd.

The genius at work, Wile E., ordered a brilliant ACME plan resulting in a 6-win, pool-high 54 point week. The Dawgs bounce back with a double win, Texas Tech and Miami OH get road wins.

Champ also posts a 6-0 week. The Irish continue to roll, Oklahoma gets a shutout win and Illinois gets an 18 point double win. It’s a dead heat for the Relegation/Group of Pizza spot – tied for 5th with…

Squirrel. Texas befuddles him again in a loss at the Swamp. UTSA loses to Temple.Memphis gets 18 in his double game.

Cletus drops his 3rd double game of the year as Penn State inexplicably loses to winless, coachless UCLA. Cal drops a home game to Duke. 21 points for the week, 7th place in the standings.

Operaman continues to add new chapters to his tragic season. 3 more losses including Florida State, Kansas State, and No. Illinois. Army gets a double win, he’s 41 points clear of the Igor experiment.