The Smoking Musket College Pick 'Em Gauntlet Week 12 Results, Plus Staff Predictions For WVU vs Kansas State

The contest lead is still being held by wvpark, while JP Fanshawe holds on to the overall (and staff) lead. SmithFire13 wins the week with 12 points (of 17 available for the week) to jump back into the staff lead mix.

Because it's a cumulative score game, you can miss a week or two and catch up. Here are the top eleven (with ties):

Here is the Week 12 breakdown:

Official Rules (PDF document link)

Our game, as in the past, will be hosted by Yahoo! Fantasy. GAME LINK

Group Name: The Smoking Musket

Group ID: 10575

Group password: westbygod

We have 17 games to pick this week, starting with Friday at 9:30 pm ET. Make sure you at least have your tie breakers in by then. Deadline for each game pick is 5 minutes before kickoff.

Also, as a way to change things up a bit this year, we will also be featuring staff predictions for the weekly WVU game (or game of interest on the off-weeks). Here are the staff predictions for the WVU/Kansas St. game (in Gauntlet ranking order with total score in parentheses):

JPFanshawe (136)

WVU 34, Kansas St 33

It will be hard-fought, but we will prevail late.

WVUIE97 (130)

I'm just torn over this one. KSt has seemed to have our number, but this is a different team this year...emphasis on "team." It'll definitely be a close one, if WVU can get the offense back on track.

SmithFire13 (129)

Wizards aren't real.

JohnRadcliff (128)

WVU 20 KSU 17

Tight game in miserable conditions. A wizard should know better. You don't just walk into Morgantown for a night game and expect to win.

whirsch_wvu2014 (127)

Kansas State 42 WVU 27

WVU still is not over the loss to TCU.

D White (122)

Kansas State 35, WVU 21

Snyder has his guys ready to play, and a rowdy Mountaineer Field to begin the game turns silent by the end.

WVUfanMG (119)

WVU 35 K State 24

WVU gets one in the win column after bouncing back from two tough losses. The bye week allows the Mountaineers to get healthy and regroup for a final push to bowl season.

sbwvu1 (117)

WVU 31 KSU 21

The bye week does wonders as a rejuvenated run game allows Trickett to have his best game since Baylor, and the defense plays lights out redeeming themselves from a terrible first half performance against Texas.

MKirchner12 (89)

West Virginia 28 Kansas State 24

I have no logical reason for this prediction.

Abpriddy (49)

West Virginia 36 Kansas State 24

Did you know the last time WVU lost a Thursday game in Morgantown was 1926 against Washington & Jefferson? They are 13-0-1 since (Props to @BlueGoldNews for that tidbit). I say WVU keeps the streak alive against Purple Kansas. This staff seems to have game planned well when given extra time to do so (the best plan of the year against Alabama and a fantastic first half against Kansas) and they're ready for the Wizard. A rejuvenating week off helps - especially for worn down offensive and defensive lines - and the Mountaineers regroup to get win #7. Bonus - we spend the next few days wondering why the hell the Big 12 gave WVU and 3 other teams (Texas, Texas Tech, Kansas) an off week on the last week of the season, thus providing a huge advantage to the other 5 members. Is scheduling REALLY that hard?

UpToMyEERS

West Virginia 31 Kansas State 21

The defense is hungry and active and things starting working again for Trickett and Co. Kansas State is still reeling from a tough loss to TCU and the bye week doesn't help them out enough, meanwhile WVU has finally gotten over their loss to TCU and comes ready to play.