SEMINOLE FOOTBALL PREDIXN DERBY RESULTS GAME X, FSU VS. WFU

POS PRESTIGIOUS PROGRNOSTICATOR                    PREDIXN        DIFFER
=== ============================================== ============== ======
 1. Travis Vaughan <travismv#mindspring.com>       FSU 57, WFU  7   1.00
 2. BB3 <BB3#SPAMJAMMERibm.net>                    FSU 54, WFU  6   4.12
 3. PackBacker <pmarfman#unity.NCSU.edu>           FSU 62, WFU 10   5.00
 4. Jason Saltsman <jes5650#Garnet.acns.FSU.edu>   FSU 52, WFU  6   6.08
 5. JMIKE CPA <jmikecpa#aol.com>                   FSU 53, WFU  3   6.40
 6. Enrique Machado <EMachado#comsysinc.com>       FSU 52, WFU 10   6.71
 6. jp <jpjohn#lex.infi.net>                       FSU 52, WFU 10   6.71
 8. Bob Laffen <laffen#capital.net>                FSU 59, WFU 14   7.07
 8. <Inovashun#aol.com>                            FSU 51, WFU  8   7.07
10. Patrick J McDonough <mcdonpj#WFU.edu>          FSU 54, WFU 13   7.21
10. <slerner#bellsouth.net>                        FSU 52, WFU  3   7.21
12. Peter Elliott <PSElliott#aol.com>              FSU 56, WFU  0   7.28
13. Scott Hill <rambo67#webtv.net>                 FSU 66, WFU  7   8.00
14. Ron Smith <ronps#mindspring.com>               FSU 49, WFU  7   9.00
14. Eric Smythers <esmyther#Warren-Wilson.edu>     FSU 49, WFU  7   9.00
16. Kathleen Healy <KMH#mail.municode.com>         FSU 49, WFU  3   9.85
17. Marc Southworth <worth18#thegrid.net>          FSU 65, WFU 14   9.90
18. GRUE <grue#prism.u-net.com>                    FSU 48, WFU  7  10.00
19. C. Chambers <bpanther#U.Washington.edu>        FSU 55, WFU 17  10.44
20. Sean Linkenback <Showcase#onramp.net>          FSU 47, WFU 10  11.40
20. Amanda Cumbie <akc1898#Garnet.acns.FSU.edu>    FSU 49, WFU  0  11.40
22. John Thurber <JTHURB#aol.com>                  FSU 48, WFU 14  12.21
23. Joe Sandy <JSandy24#aol.com>                   FSU 45, WFU 10  13.34
24. Bill Lott <William_A_Lott#mail.dbf.state.fl.us>FSU 49, WFU 17  13.45
25. BeachNole <beachnole#aol.com>                  FSU 45, WFU 13  14.32
26. Lance <???lancec#ct.net???>                    FSU 45, WFU 14  14.76
26. Dr. Mark Weaver <weaver#magnet.fsu.edu>        FSU 45, WFU  0  14.76
28. <Sperrl#aol.com>                               FSU 44, WFU 12  14.87
29. Herb Wills <HWills#FreeNet.TLH.FL.US>          FSU 50, WFU 20  15.26
30. Tony Turner <t-turner#worldnet.att.net>        FSU 48, WFU 19  15.62
31. Christopher <chris#christopher.org>            FSU 42, WFU  3  16.49
32. SLTycho <sltycho#aol.com>                      FSU 42, WFU 13  17.09
33. Dan Seamon <chgconsult#austin360.com>          FSU 41, WFU 10  17.26
34. Paul Barkowitz <paulb#transarc.com>            FSU 48, WFU 24  19.72
35. Tony Patterson <Tony.Patterson.tonyp#nt.com>   FSU 38, WFU  6  20.02
36. Steven Allbritton, CFP <allb#mindspring.com>   FSU 38, WFU 10  20.22
37. Stephen Kroustalis <kroussm4#WFU.edu>          FSU 42, WFU 20  20.62
38. <RALAMORE#aol.com>                             FSU 37, WFU 15  22.47
39. Tom Galvin <TGalvin#manausa.com>               FSU 35, WFU  3  23.35
40. Jeff Munson <MunsonJ#DOACS.STATE.FL.US>        FSU 35, WFU 14  24.04
41. Scott Mandell <ScootM#aol.com>                 FSU 33, WFU  9  25.08
42. Swimsouth <swimsouth#aol.com>                  FSU 39, WFU 24  25.50

The actual score was Florida State 58, Wake Forest 7.

No post-Carolina letdown, no pre-Florida distraction. Was it Senior Day? Peaking at the right time? Destiny? Whatever the cause of the Seminoles' fine performance Saturday, it was best foreseen by Travis Vaughn, who won this week's PrediXn Derby with a difference of 1.00. Vaughn's mark ties Chris Brady's FSU-Maryland predixn as the best of the season. Vaughn had not previously finished in the top five, nor had any of the rest of this week's top five prognosticators, "BB3" (2nd, 4.12), "PackBacker" (3rd, 5.00), Jason Saltsman (4th, 6.08), and "JMIKE" (5th, 6.40).

As you can see above, it was a tough field this week. Predixns were so accurate that a difference of less than 10.00 would only just put you in the top half of Derby. A mundane performance--say a difference of, oh, 15.26--would have mired you well back in the Pack. It wouldn't even have played well in the sports pages:

    Richard Rosenblatt (Associated Press)          FSU 55, WFU 14   7.62
    John Nogowski (Tallahassee Democrat)           FSU 48, WFU  7  10.00

So a big "Thank You!" to everyone who sent in a predixn this week; you guys are real competitors!

That wraps up the ACC campaign for both Wake Forest and Florida State; the Deacons finish tied for sixth at 3-5 and the Seminoles are 8-0 and can order their conference championship rings. Coming up are three ACC vs. SEC matchups, intrastate games Georgia Tech vs. Georgia and Clemson vs. South Carolina on November 29, and Florida State vs. Florida on November 22. FSU at Florida is the last game in this season's Seminole Football PrediXn Derby. Florida seems to be struggling, having finished with a 6-2 record in the SEC. However, don't discount the ability of the Offensive Genius to rally his team and give anyone a game at Florida Field in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. If you've got a predixn for the final score, send it to:

HWILLS@FREENET.TLH.FL.US

Make sure you put something like "FSU @ UF" in the subject line so that I immediately spot it as a predixn and not some of the other e-mail I get. Send it early so it gets here well before kickoff at 3:30 PM EST on Saturday, November 22. The earlier the better; I may be in Gainesville on Friday. Timely entries will be recorded to be scored and ranked following the outcome of the game. Results will be posted to this newsgroup, and will be archived on the web at:

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/5177/

...which is the PrediXn Derby homepage. Results of every PrediXn Derby back to 1994 are there, as well as a current list of entries and some outdated 1997 season stats.

Good luck, everyone!

Herb Wills, HWILLS@FREENET.TLH.FL.US