Hi Everyone,

I whipped up my second-annual playoff challenge this weekend, titled the 2013 FCS Playoff Challenge. Just like last year, I've created an interactive web bracket for you to fill out and submit. The entire process is very fast, and there is no account-creation required. Unlike last year, you can also name your own bracket (no more confirmation codes).

All are welcome to participate, and given how easy it is to submit a bracket, I hope that all who read this will participate. Last year we had over 60 entrants, which was considerably more than I had expected. Although that number could be hard to match with the loss of our ODU friends, I hope to surpass that mark this year. If you have any family members or friends who would be interested in participating, please share the website with them, too.

To pick winners for each match, simply click directly on your selected team and the bracket will update itself on the fly. The bracket is also responsive to all of the touch screens I've tested on android products and the iPad. The bracket has worked when I tested it in Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, and Chrome. However, I don't own every device under the sun. If you encounter any major errors or problems, I apologize in advance and will do my best to fix them as quickly as I can. I would like to have added a few more features, but I was somewhat time-constrained this weekend and I needed to have it ready for this week.

I will be working on the leaderboard later this week, and I'll release it once the playoffs begin (bracket submissions will close at that time).

Thanks again for your interest. I hope you will participate and create a second successful year for this challenge. JMUHarpoo, the reigning 2012 FCS Playoff Challenge champ, will hopefully also put his title on the line :-) .

Link: http://fcs-playoff-challenge.comeze.com/ (same as last year)

Thank you to everyone who has submitted a bracket so far! Hopefully the process was painless, and so far I haven't heard about any problems or errors with the website.

I've love to have more of you sign up! Please note that the 2013 FCS Playoff Challenge is open to everyone, and you don't need to have a CSN account to participate (or any account, for that matter).

Thanks for putting this together Lyric. The site is blocked at work, so I'll have to remember to start up a bracket when I get home late tonight.

(11-25-2013 06:45 PM)madizoned-level2004 Wrote:  Thanks for putting this together Lyric. The site is blocked at work, so I'll have to remember to start up a bracket when I get home late tonight.

My pleasure! I should probably invest in a personal domain name instead of relying on the cheap free ones to avoid some of those technical issues.

I will indeed defend my title under the Hart Foundation moniker.
Same prize as last year?

(11-25-2013 10:59 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  I will indeed defend my title under the Hart Foundation moniker.
Same prize as last year?

Wonderful! Yes, same prize as last year lol

After day 1, we're already up to a staggering 47 brackets! I've heard a number of positive comments about the bracket user interface, and I'm glad that it's working out so well for everyone so far. Think we can break 60 today?

I put in a bracket (didn't do this last year). It was very easy and worked well. Thanks Lyric!

I will put one in but my computer at work won't let me in either. I will put it in tonight when I get home.

Submitted under HyperDuke. It started looking REALLY chalk for me after the first two rounds.

There are some teams in the field with some really patsy schedules. I would be shocked to see many upsets of the top 4 seeded teams, but it happens. Seeds #5-#8 better be glad they have home, because a few might be ripe for some upsets.

We're up to 63 brackets now! Thanks again to everyone who has signed up! For those who haven't, there's still plenty of time.

This would be a good time to explain the scoring, which is the same as last year and produced an undisputed winner. Correctly picking a match is scored differently by round:

1st Round matches: 0.5 points each
2nd Round matches: 1 point each
Quarterfinal matches: 2 points each
Semifinal matches: 4 points each
National Championship: 8 points

Thus, a perfect bracket is worth 36 points.

Four real toss-up first round games.

Got my bracket in. Some upsets of the lower Seeds, but I just couldn't find a way to knock off the top 4.

I'm in. Made me realize how much I have no idea about most of the playoff teams. I've never seen an autobid have a losing record overall before.

(11-26-2013 06:50 PM)JMUska Wrote:  I'm in. Made me realize how much I have no idea about most of the playoff teams. I've never seen an autobid have a losing record overall before.

No one has - it's the 1st time it's ever happened. (At least in football....it happens more often in the NCAA Basketball Tourney.)

I like how the new 24 team bracket sets up. 8 seeds is a much better number and they get their proper reward for having great regular seasons... home games. Once you get to the quarterfinals, all the pretenders will be gone and matchups will be pretty even. It should be great watching do or die football games with unconventional coaching decisions being made.

Once the FBS understands that 4 teams is not enough, they too will understand the glorious nature of college football playoffs.
16 is probably the optimal number for FBS football, but it is nice to see some of the lightweight FCS programs get a chance to compete in the playoffs for the first time and all of the potential mismatches occur on Thanksgiving weekend when the spotlight is not on college football. I think 24 works for FCS.

Spotlight not on college football during Thanksgiving weekend? Iron bowl. Clemson vs. South Carolina. Texas am vs. Missouri. To name a few.

Even football fans spend time with family. Attendance always sucks on Thanksgiving weekend and I believe the first round games will have minimal coverage only available on the internet. That's what I meant to convey. Once everybody gets back into hardcore fandom, the playoffs will be down to 16 teams and no phonies left.

Up to 84 brackets! We could actually break 100. Thank you all again for participating!