SEMINOLE PREDICTION CONTEST WEEK FIVE: FSU VS. MIAMI

POS COLLEGE FOOTBALL CASSANDRA                     ORACULATION   DIFFER
=== ============================================== ============= ======
 1. <DeionNum1#AOL.com>                            FSU 42, UM 17   1.00
 2. Stephen Brown <SBrown#NUNic.NU.edu>            FSU 38, UM 17   3.00
 2. John Ryan <Ryan#CS.FSU.edu>                    FSU 38, UM 17   3.00
 2. Chris Schmitt <Schmitt#Gauss.Math.FSU.edu>     FSU 41, UM 14   3.00
 5. Larry Brendle <Brendle#SportsLine.com>         FSU 42, UM 14   3.16
 5. Julie Givan <Givan#Met.FSU.edu>                FSU 42, UM 14   3.16
 5. <CKHayne#EOS.NCSU.edu>                         FSU 42, UM 14   3.16
 5. Doug Merrell <Merrell#XI.CS.FSU.edu>           FSU 42, UM 14   3.16
 9. Paul Parks <PParks#NetCom.com>                 FSU 45, UM 17   4.00
 9. <Glenn#Travelfest.com>                         FSU 45, UM 17   4.00
11. Andrew Bagley <DBagley#Rice.edu>               FSU 42, UM 21   4.12
12. Eric Lyman <EJLyman#AOL.com>                   FSU 44, UM 21   5.00
12. Christopher Cline <Helmut#Indy.net>            FSU 45, UM 14   5.00
12. Mark Evans <MRLL66A#Prodigy.com>               FSU 38, UM 21   5.00
15. GGK <GGK#Gate.net>                             FSU 35, UM 17   6.00
16. <Nole32294#AOL.com>                            FSU 35, UM 14   6.71
17. Gary Hodges <Hodges#Huey.Met.FSU.edu>          FSU 48, UM 17   7.00
17. James Gantt <Gantt#CS.UNC.edu>                 FSU 41, UM 24   7.00
19. Jeff Dalton <JWDalton#Mailer.FSU.edu>          FSU 42, UM 10   7.07
19. Tank <KAS2928#Gold.ACNS.FSU.edu>               FSU 42, UM 24   7.07
19. <BirdmanBob#AOL.com>                           FSU 42, UM 24   7.07
22. Scott Stanford <SanTimes#AOL.com>              FSU 35, UM 21   7.21
23. J.D. Taylor <JDTaylor#City-Net.com>            FSU 43, UM 10   7.28
24. <Bashful333#AOL.com>                           FSU 38, UM 10   7.62
24. Ashley Miller <MillAsh#Charlie.ACC.IIT.edu>    FSU 38, UM 10   7.62
24. <FSURyals#AOL.com>                             FSU 48, UM 20   7.62
24. Herb Wills <HWills#FreeNet.TLH.FL.US>          FSU 38, UM 24   7.62
28. Lew Saphar <LSaphar#RBDC.RBDC.com>             FSU 46, UM 23   7.81
29. <Grue#Prism.U-Net.com>                         FSU 49, UM 17   8.00
29. Tom Schaller <TSchalle#email.UNC.edu>          FSU 33, UM 17   8.00
31. Mike Lanford <ML6Z#Andrew.CMU.edu>             FSU 45, UM 10   8.06
31. <PShu#AOL.com>                                 FSU 45, UM 24   8.06
31. Allen Risley <Allen_Risley#Coyote.CSUSM.edu>   FSU 34, UM 13   8.06
34. Greg Kahrs <GregoryK#FreeNet.TLH.FL.US>        FSU 34, UM 22   8.60
35. <RATaylor14#AOL.com>                           FSU 49, UM 21   8.94
36. Barry Gulker <Xerach#Polaris.net>              FSU 35, UM 10   9.22
37. James Cudney <JCudney#IX.NetCom.com>           FSU 34, UM 24   9.90
38. Darcy Miller <DMiller#EMail.UNC.edu>           FSU 51, UM 17  10.00
39. Sean Azarin <Machupo#Best.com>                 FSU 38, UM  7  10.44
40. Ernie Rogers <ErnRog#Business.CBA.KSU.edu>     FSU 49, UM 10  10.63
41. Todd Brannon <JMB3715#Mailer.FSU.edu>          FSU 34, UM  9  10.63
42. Harry Rosenblum <HCR#LanL.gov>                 FSU 31, UM 21  10.77
43. Eric Brandel <Eric.J.Brandel#UWRF.edu>         FSU 52, UM 17  11.00
43. <RBECJO#rohvm1.rohmhaas.com>                   FSU 52, UM 17  11.00
45. Kevin Doherty <KDoherty#IX.NetCom.com>         FSU 42, UM 28  11.05
45. Michael Manausa <MManausa#Mailer.FSU.edu>      FSU 40, UM  6  11.05
47. <Martin#SCRI.FSU.edu>                          FSU 49, UM  9  11.31
48. Mike Gifford <Giff#Gate.net>                   FSU 52, UM 14  11.40
49. Mike Sukhadwala <MSukhadw#Garnet.ACNS.FSU.edu> FSU 53, UM 17  12.00
50. R.K. Dalton <RKD#Mail.NWRDC.FSU.edu>           FSU 52, UM 24  13.04
50. <BCalder361#AOL.com>                           FSU 34, UM 28  13.04
52. Lea Ann <NoleAnimal#AOL.com>                   FSU 54, UM 20  13.34
53. Johnny Eaves <Eaves#NCAT.edu>                  FSU 53, UM 10  13.89
54. Merritt Ashmore <MRA.HAMRADIO#EWorld.com>      FSU 27, UM 20  14.32
55. Ronald Smith <RonSmith#BRBBS.com>              FSU 45, UM  3  14.56
56. Klein <Klein#BWAY.net>                         FSU 35, UM 31  15.23
56. John Boughter <Boughter#Darwin.PSY.FSU.edu>    FSU 27, UM 23  15.23
58. Linda Sierra <Sierra#FreeNet.TLH.FL.US>        FSU 56, UM 21  15.52
59. <dlaushk#UIUC.edu>                             FSU 27, UM 10  15.65
60. Jason Fink <JFink#Garnet.ACNS.FSU.edu>         FSU 49, UM 31  16.12
61. Matt Schoenfeld <SchoenfM#lfs.loral.com>       FSU 56, UM 24  16.55
62. Joe Ottinger <JoeO#FreeNet.TLH.FL.US>          FSU 24, UM 17  17.00
63. Tom Campolettano <TCampolettano#honeywell.com> FSU 42, UM 34  17.03
64. Ashley Chandonia <AMC80#FreeNet.TLH.FL.US>     FSU 43, UM 35  18.11
65. Kevin Delgado <KDelgado#FreeNet.TLH.FL.US>     FSU 59, UM 20  18.25
66. Denise Gardiner <McKeester#AOL.com>            FSU 45, UM 35  18.44
67. Ed Perrine <EPerrine#NetTally.com>             FSU 63, UM 35  28.43
68. <e1020415#Daisy.AC.SIUE.edu>                   UM 28, FSU 24 -20.25
69. Thomas Dabek <Thomas.Dabek#SheridanC.ON.CA>    UM 23, FSU 20 -21.84
70. Rick Workman <RickW267#AOL.com>                UM 38, FSU 34 -22.14
71. Sebastian <102661.1532#CompuServe.com>         UM 24, FSU 17 -25.00
72. Jason McIntyre <JaMcInty#VT.edu>               UM 31, FSU 17 -27.78
73. Bill Suydam III <Golsugo#InterSurf.com>        UM 35, FSU 14 -32.45

The actual score was Seminoles 41, Miami Hurricanes 17.

This was some good old-fashioned, smash-mouth prognosticating this week. Usually, I figure I can hold my head up if I come within ten points. This week, a ten-points difference wouldn't have even put you in the top half of the field. It was a week where close just wasn't close enough. Let me know if I missed a cliche.

With an all-but-perfect season-low difference of 1.00, this week's champion was, umm, some guy whose e-mail address is "DeionNum1#AOL.com". Right after we figure out who he is, we'll be sending him his T-shirt. The runner-up spot was very hotly contested, with Stephen Brown and John Ryan ending up tied with my partner in crime Chris Schmitt. I figure if Chris has time to come up with predictions that accurate, then he could be doing a much better job sweeping the floors around here.

I expected better accuracy up front this week due to the number of entries, but as it turned out, everyone was much closer than in the earlier games. Thirty-seven people had differences of 10.00 or less -- compare that to just TWO in the Central Florida contest. This is getting to be a rough league to prognosticate in, and everyone who finished in the top ten has my total respect -- y'all are either geniuses or you sold your soul to the Man Downstairs.

In the "Where Are They Now?" department, past champions R. A. Taylor, Lew Saphar, Denise Gardiner, and Rick Workman finished 23rd, 28th, 66th, and 70th respectively, workman having actually picked the Seminoles to lose. This is the kind of scrutiny that comes with being number one, guys. Back in 24th, I get to be anonymous.

These results and those of earlier contests this season are archived by Chris Schmitt and available on the WWWeb at:

http://freenet3.scri.fsu.edu:80/users/schmittc/fsupoll.html

Thanks to everyone for playing, and I invite you to get your entries in early for next week's contest, FSU vs. Wake Forest. E-MAIL your prediction to:

HWILLS@FREENET.TLH.FL.US

And include "FSU vs. WFU" in the subject line so I know it's not just hate mail from Gainesville. I only record the predictions, but I read everything, and I appreciate many of the pointed analyses that I receive. Why, I'm still giggling just thinking about some of the stuff Miami fans sent me this week. I'm going to re-read it all just as soon as I make this post.

Go 'Noles!

Herb Wills, HWills@FreeNet.TLH.FL.US