The Pie Championship Series

NFL Wild Card Update.

2009-01-11T10:27:00.001-08:00

Both Brian and Paul looked pretty sorry in the first round of the NFL playoffs.

At the end of the first round, we are tied at 1 point each (ouch).

I picked Arizona correctly, Paul picked Baltimore correctly.

NFL Playoff Picks!

2009-01-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

NFL Picks are in for the PCS 2009 season:

Wild Card
P and B: Indy
P and B: Minn
P: Baltimore vs. B: Miami
P: Atlanta vs. B: Arizona

Winners of Division Playoffs:
P: Balt, Indy, Atl, Minn
B: Indy, Pitt, NY, Car

Winners of Conference Championships:
P: Tenn, Car
B: Pitt, NY

Super Bowl Winner:
P: Tenn
B: NY

Tie:
P: 38
B: 34

2008 Bowl Picks Recap

2009-01-04T10:21:00.001-08:00

Paul TROUNCED Brian, winning 5 of the 6 differences between the two:

Different picks:

B: Wisconsin, P: Florida State
B: Northern Ill, P: LA Tech
B: Northwester, P: Missouri
B: Pitt, P: Oregon State
B: Georgia Tech, P: LSU
B: Georgia, P: MSU

First Two Bowl Pick Disparities Determined

2008-12-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

This year, Paul and I had six differences in our bowl picks. They are:

B: Wisconsin, P: Florida State
B: Northern Ill, P: LA Tech
B: Northwestern, P: Missouri
B: Pitt, P: Oregon State
B: Georgia Tech, P: LSU
B: Georgia, P: MSU

So far, Paul has taken the first two! C'mon, Brian!

Fantasy Football 2008

2008-12-27T07:06:00.000-08:00

From the league homepage:

A big congratulations to Mike Purcell and Team Awesome for taking this year's trophy--coming all the way from sixth place to dominate in the postseason. Jon's Idaho Vandals also had a strong showing during the year, but they came up just short in the end.

On the other side of the postseason action, Paul's Silver Bullets put on a sorry display to drop from 7th place all the way to 11th. Also of note, Sarah walloped Brian in placing 6th to his less-than-respectable 9th (though the commish did at least beat Paul for this event in the PCS race.

PCS 2008

2008-12-23T09:20:00.000-08:00

Paul won the PCS for 2008. It was a brutally blood battle, but he took home the trophy for the first time in three years. Brian is still crying.

2007: Brian Makes It Three in a Row

2007-12-27T06:14:00.000-08:00

Brian masterfully mastered Paul during the 2007 PCS season. Paul hasn't seen the PCS trophy in so long he's forgotten what it looks like.

NCAA March Madness

2006-03-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

Paul and I have made our picks for the NCAA Tournament, and if Paul loses, I clinch the entire 2006 PCS Cup! The drama! The tension! The controversy! Of course, if I do win this Event I will attempt to do what no man has ever done: achieve the elusive PCS SWEEP--win EVERY event!!!

NFL Postseason Results

2006-02-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

Rather belatedly, here are the results of NFL Postseason (out of 28):

Brian: 19
Paul: 7

Brian wins the Event, taking a 3-0 lead for the 2006 PCS Cup. Go Brian!

NFL Postseason - Standings and Super Bowl Picks

2006-02-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

Current standings (out of 20 possible points):

Brian: 11
Paul: 7

The winner of the Super Bowl round gets 8 points, which means whoever wins this round wins the whole Event.

Picks
Brian: PIT def. SEA, 42 total pts (tiebreak)
Paul: SEA def. PIT, 27-24 (tiebreak)

GO STEELERS!!!

NFL Postseason - Week 3 Picks

2006-01-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

Each correct pick is worth 4 points in Week 3.

Pittsburgh vs. Denver
Brian: PIT
Paul: DEN

Carolina vs. Seattle
Brian: CAR
Paul: SEA

It's coming down to the wire...if we split or Paul wins both picks, the Super Bowl pick will determine the winner. If Brian wins both picks, he wins (Go Brian!)!

NFL Postseason - Standings After Week 2

2006-01-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

Here are the standings after Week 2 (out of 12 points possible):
Brian: 7
Paul: 3

The two Week 3 games will each be worth 4 points. The Super Bowl will be worth 8, with a tie-breaker to be determined.

NFL Postseason - Week 2 Picks

2006-01-14T17:54:00.000-08:00

Each correct pick is worth 2 points in Week 2.

Washington vs. Seattle
Brian: SEA
Paul: SEA

New England vs. Denver
Brian: NE
Paul: NE

Pittsburgh vs. Indianapolis
Brian: IND
Paul: IND

Carolina vs. Chicago
Brian: CAR
Paul: CHI

Current Standings (out of 4 Points):
Brian: 3
Paul: 1

NFL Postseason - Week 1 Picks

2006-01-06T17:01:00.001-08:00

The NFL Postseason Week 1 picks are in--and we have some controversy! Brian and Paul only have ONE pick the same!

Tampa Bay vs Washington
Paul: TB
Brian: WAS

New England vs Jacksonville
Paul: NE
Brian: NE

New York vs Carolina
Paul: NYG
Brian: CAR

Cincinnati vs Pittsburg
Paul: CIN
Brian: PIT

Each correct pick is worth one point during Week 1; the point values for each game will increase by 1 in each successive week.

Fantasy Footbal Final

2006-01-05T18:48:00.000-08:00

Fantasy Football results for the 2006 PCS:

Brian finished in 3rd Place.

Paul finished in 10th Place.

OUCH...

Final Bowl Results

2006-01-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 27*)
Brian: 18
Paul: 14

*Does not include the Notre Dame-Ohio State game, as picks for this game were not made.

Bowl Picks Update - 1/4/06

2006-01-04T15:48:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 26*)
Brian: 18
Paul: 13

*Does not include the Notre Dame-Ohio State game, as picks for this game were not made.

Bowl Picks Update - 1/3/06

2006-01-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 25*)
Brian: 17
Paul: 12

*Does not include the Notre Dame-Ohio State game, as picks for this game were not made.

NFL Postseason

2006-01-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

Paul and Brian have decided that this year the NFL Postseason picks will be made on a week by week basis, with each week being worth one more point than the last:

Week 1 Games: 1 point
Week 2 Games: 2 points
Week 3 Games: 3 points
Super Bowl: 4 points

Picks for Week 1 will be made soon.

Bowl Picks Update - 1/1/06

2006-01-01T17:04:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 20)
Brian: 14
Paul: 10

Brian clinched the Event!

Bowl Picks Update - 12/31/05

2005-12-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 17)
Brian: 12
Paul:9

Apparently we've begun to slip a bit...

For Paul to come back, South Florida must beat NC State, Iowa must beat Florida, and Texas must beat USC. Then, to win he must win the tie-break.

RE: A Modest Proposal

2005-12-31T09:23:00.000-08:00

A very interesting proposal, Mr. Paul. Perhaps we should apply this scoring system to the inaugural season of the PCS?

As for this year, let's put it up to a vote. Let the fans of the PCS decide: if the fans feel strongly one way or another let them comment on it!

If we don't get many comments, I believe we should continue with the "proper" way of conducting the PCS. But if there is an overwhelming demand for this new scoring system, I'm open to the possibility of change.

A Modest Proposal

2005-12-30T20:33:00.000-08:00

I suggest that the method by which a winner is chosen for the Bowl Game portion of the PCS is flawed. Just going by who picks the winners is WAY too easy. I suggest that a more perfect way of determining the winner of this portion of the PCS is to add the points scored by each person's respective picks. For example, currently Brian is ahead 4-1 in the simplistic method used to date. Using my improved method, the results would be as follows

Nevada 49 UCF 38
Memphis 38 Akron 31
Oklahoma 17 Oregon 14
UCLA 50 Northwestern 38
Miami 3 LSU 40

Totals 158 171

This method is better for sevral reasons. First, if a game is ablowout, every score still matters. This makes all the PCS spectators watch every game more closely. Secondly, it is obviously a more realistic gauge of the pickers fottball knowledge as a few upsets don't skew the results.

Our juniour partner in the NCAA Championship game (the BCS) has undergone many "tweaks" to get things right. I suggest that the PCS deserves the same.

Bowl Picks Update - 12/30/05

2005-12-30T11:44:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 13)
Brian: 11
Paul: 8

At the time of posting, Northwestern is up 22-0 over UCLA--Paul could still possibly come back...

Bowl Games Thus far

2005-12-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

Well! Brian seems to have a slight but soon to be short-lived advantage as of today (12/29/2005). I am about to take control as the "real" games begin. Last night was satisfying, even though there was no gain/loss achieved. Michigan lost. Again. For the 5th time this year. This must be viewed as divine intervention. Satan is showing his weakness and all is good with the world. Look for more divine intervention as I surge into the lead in the next few days.

Bowl Picks Update - 12/29/05

2005-12-29T07:03:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 11)
Brian: 10
Paul: 8

Totally worth it. Paul and I both picked Michigan to win for some reason, so it's definitely okay that they lost, even if it does mean the end to my perfect picks. Why is U of M still an accredited university?

Tonight will be the real test--I picked Oklahoma, Paul picked Oregon. Nail biter.

Bowl Picks Update - 12/28/05

2005-12-28T10:14:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 9)
Brian: 9
Paul: 7

Next deciding game: tomorrow, 8:00 ET, Oregon vs. Oklahoma. GO SOONERS!

Bowl Picks Update - 12/27/05

2005-12-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 7)
Brian: 7
Paul: 5

Yes, the winner is startng to emerge. Can Brian be stopped???

Bowl Picks Update - 12/25/05

2005-12-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 6)
Brian: 6
Paul: 5

Yes, Brian has taken a commanding lead, correctly picking the outcomes of all bowl games so far. There are only 7 differing picks between Paul and Brian left--the next being the Memphis-Akron matchup. GO MEMPHIS!!!

Bowl Picks Update - 12/24/05

2005-12-24T11:47:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 5)
Brian: 5
Paul: 5

This evening one of the contenders will be less than perfect. That contender will be Paul.

GO NEVADA!!!

Bowl Picks Update - 12/23/05

2005-12-23T08:34:00.000-08:00

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 4)
Brian: 4
Paul: 4

Perfection so far--but tomorrow's game will be the first deciding contest--GO NEVADA!

Happy Festivus, everyone!

Bowl Picks Update - 12/22/05

2005-12-22T11:22:00.001-08:00

Here is the PCS Bowl Picks situation so far:

With Toledo's stunning defeat of UTEP last night in the GMAC bowl, Brian and Paul are neck-and-neck, each having correctly predicted the outcome of the first two bowl games.

Correct Bowl Picks (out of 2)
Brian: 2
Paul: 2

The first contentious bowl game of the season will be on Dec. 24th, when Nevada plays UCF. Brian has picked Nevada to win, while Paul has gone with UCF.

College Bowl Picks

2005-12-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

The first Event for the 2006 PCS Cup has begun! Below are the picks for the College Bowl games. Follow along to see who will take the first Event!

2006 PCS Combined College Bowl Picks

Southern Miss (6-5)
vs. Arkansas State (6-5)
Brian: Southern Miss. Paul: Southern Miss.

UTEP (8-3)
vs. Toledo (8-3)
Brian: Toledo Paul: Toledo

BYU (6-5)
vs. California (7-4)
Brian: California Paul: California

Colorado State (6-5)
vs. Navy (7-4)
Brian: Navy Paul: Navy

Kansas (6-5)
vs. Houston (6-5)
Brian: Kansas Paul: Kansas

Nevada (8-3)
vs. UCF (8-4)
Brian: Nevada Paul: UCF

Memphis (6-5)
vs. Akron (7-5)
Brian: Memphis Paul: Akron

Clemson (7-4)
vs. Colorado (7-5)
Brian: Clemson Paul: Clemson

Arizona State (6-5)
vs. Rutgers (7-4)
Brian: Arizona State Paul: Arizona State

Boise State (9-3)
vs. Boston College (8-3)
Brian: Boston College Paul: Boston College

Michigan (7-4)
vs. Nebraska (7-4)
Brian: Michigan Paul: Michigan

Georgia Tech (7-4)
vs. Utah (6-5)
Brian: Georgia Tech Paul: Georgia Tech

Oregon (10-1)
vs. Oklahoma (7-4)
Brian: Oklahoma Paul: Oregon

Minnesota (7-4)
vs. Virginia (6-5)
Brian: Minnesota Paul: Minnesota

Northwestern (7-4)
vs. UCLA (9-2)
Brian: UCLA Paul: Northwestern

South Carolina (7-4)
vs. Missouri (6-5)
Brian: South Carolina Paul: South Carolina

Miami (9-2)
vs. LSU (10-2)
Brian: Miami Paul: LSU

South Florida (6-5)
vs. NC State (6-5)
Brian: NC State Paul: South Florida

Tulsa (8-4)
vs. Fresno State (8-4)
Brian: Fresno State Paul: Fresno State

TCU (10-1)
vs. Iowa State (7-4)
Brian: TCU Paul: TCU

Texas Tech (9-2)
vs. Alabama (9-2)
Brian: Alabama Paul: Alabama

Iowa (7-4)
vs. Florida (8-3)
Brian: Florida Paul: Iowa

Louisville (9-2)
vs. Virginia Tech (10-2)
Brian: Virginia Tech Paul: Virginia Tech

Wisconsin (9-3)
vs. Auburn (9-2)
Brian: Auburn Paul: Auburn

Notre Dame (9-2)
vs. Ohio State (9-2)
IMPOSSIBLE DECISION!!!

West Virginia (10-1)
vs. Georgia (10-2)
Brian: Georgia Paul: Georgia

Penn State (10-1)
vs. Florida State (8-4)
Brian: Penn State Paul: Penn State

USC (12-0)
vs. Texas (12-0)
Brian: USC Paul: Texas

Tie Break (Overall Score for OSU-ND Game):
Brian: 52 total pts. Paul: 55 total pts.

The 2005 PCS: Redemption

2005-12-18T06:16:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to say that Brian (me) was able to make quite a strong showing in the second season of the PCS. I won the first Event, but Paul came on to win the next two. Searching deep within myself, I was able to pull off the upset and take the final two Events for my first PCS win EVER! Victory has never tasted so sweet.

Here are the results from 2005:

January College Football Bowl Games Brian
January Professional Football Postseason Paul
April NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Paul
October Fantasy Baseball Brian
October MLB Postseason Brian
WINNER: Brian!

Pictures forthcoming!

The First Championship --- As Easy As Pie

2005-12-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

The first year of the PCS was probably the most rewarding. The first year championship was very exciting. Brian won the first event (picking the College Bowl games) but I won the next 2 (NFL Post season and NCAA basketball March madness). Brian won the 4th event (Fantasy baseball). The final event was Post-season major league baseball. This was an amazing way to finsih the first PCS season. Brian and I both selected exactly the same teams to win each of the playoff games right thru to the World Series. More importantly, WE BOTH PICKED ALL THE PLYAOFF SERIES WINNERS CORRECTLY, INCLUDING THE WINNER OF THE WORLD SERIES. The tiebreaker was total runs scored in the world series. I won the tiebreaker and along with it, the PCS championship. The award ceremony was held over the Thanksgiving holiday and the trophy (a breathtaking ceramic palm tree) was mine along with the eternal bragging rights for having won the very first PCS.

The Origins of the Pie Championship Series

2005-12-17T13:45:00.000-08:00

The Pie Championship Series (or PCS) began in 2003, when Paul Otto and Brian South wanted to promote unity and camaraderie through competition.

In the beginning, the original and sole Event was the College Football Bowl Games. In this event--originally--Paul and Brian traded picks as to who would win each postseason matchup (with the exception of Notre Dame and Ohio State). For each correct call, the winner was to get a pie from the loser. This never happened.

Instead, it was determined that instead of just one Event, multiple Events throughout the year would occur, and the winner of the majority of those events would get a single pie (theoretically baked by Mom) and taken out to dinner by the loser. Also, and most importantly, the winner receives the PCS Cup for one year and is entered on the Log of PCS Victors. Taunting while in possession of the PCS Cup has always been frowned upon, but in recent years this rule has been enforced very loosely.

The events for the 2004 and 2005 seasons of the PCS were as follows:

1. NCAA College Football Bowl Games
2. National Football League Postseason
3. NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
4. Fantasy Baseball
5. Major League Baseball Postseason

For the 2006 PCS, two more events have been added:

1. Fantasy Football
2. NCAA College Football Bowl Games
3. National Football League Postseason
4. NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
5. Major League Baseball All-Star Game
6. Fantasy Baseball
7. Major League Baseball Postseason

While highly competitive, the PCS is also extremely exclusive; only members of the Otto/South Family are permitted to apply for membership. And since Mom shows no interest in becoming a member--and Brian has no children (or even a girlfriend at the time of writing)--it appears that it will be a two-participant competition for the foreseeable future.