Tennessee-Wisconsin-Colorado

Dr. Knapp announced that from hence, any byes will be earned by a single high win in the preceding quiz, thereby putting a premium on getting the high win.

Cullen (TN) got question number 1, Daniel (WI) got question number 2, and Dani (CO) got a free question on #3.  Seems even, but alas we all know that free questions aren't as good.  Knowing this, it probably didn't bother Colorado and Tennessee that much, when they allowed Wisconsin to get a second free question on question #3.  Wisconsin also knows this, so they got a regular question.  So, in summary, we've had three questions and five errors.  Dr. Knapp proves it is frustrating him, so he asked back-to-back quote these three verse questions.  At this level, those are usually gimmes.  Unfortunately, his plan backfired, and we had more errors.

So, the score is TN 20 (3 errors, 1 foul) - WI 50 (1 error) - CO 10 (3 errors).  Theology of Psalm 8 came up, we had a free question error (with challenge) and we just need a break.   Pastor Fuller (WI) is able to create a diversion, which seems to at least reset the emotions of the deal.  Hannah (WI) and Cullen (TN) felt the newfound, refreshing nature of the quiz and got a question.  CO wasn't feeling it, so they called a timeout, and we are now at the end of 5 questions.

TN 40 - WI 70 - CO 10

It would be very hard for any quiz to continue in as rough of a fashion as those first five questions, but in the effort of trying, Ben (CO) made a quick error.  Olivia (WI) got the tossup.  Cullen got up and made a quick error, and Johnathan (WI) got the tossup.  While a pattern is tough to find in this slog of a quiz, Wisconsin has a huge early lead.

After 7 questions, TN 30 - WI 110 - CO 0

I am hopeful that we can have fewer errors in the rest of the quiz, but a quick error took the steam out of my hopes.  The foul for an improper jump was called three times in a row, and all of them were double whammies (i.e., the question was called an error also).  Each team got one question of the next three (with errors interspersed).  We've had 10 questions and 15 errors (not to mention 4 fouls).  If anyone is reading this, it is almost impossible to overstate how ugly this quiz has been.

After 10 questions, TN 30 - WI 140 - CO 10

Another double error and free question, another timeout.  I don't believe I've ever seen two teams run out of timeouts when we are only halfway through the quiz.  Maybe this will be the timeout where the coaches will urge their team to just sit there and collect the requisite free questions.

OK, I can't speak as to what the two coaches of teams rolling around 0 told their teams, but Wisconsin seems like they are glued to the chair unless it's a free.  And who can blame them with a 120 point cushion for a middle win, they're guaranteed a win.  Cullen got two, but then made an error.  It was his 6th.  We are now entering the error zone, which of course has no bearing in a quiz where 19 errors already exist.  So, as we enter the final quarter of the quiz, the score is TN 60 - WI 150 - CO 30.  Wisconsin has not stood up since the timeout, so each error is providing essentially a 20-point free question.

Dr. Knapp is going all quotes and finishes to wrap this up it seems.  Ariana (TN) takes it.  But then she got up on an oddly worded question, and missed it.  20 points for the "free" to Colorado.  TN 70 - CO 50.  Ariana (TN) missed again, but other than the fact that it inches her closer to erroring out herself, it was immaterial, as CO missed the tossup.  Wisconsin proves that there is a third team there as they get the actual free.  For the 7th quote/finish in the last 8 questions, Ariana (TN) gets it right, which gives them a 40 point lead with only two questions to go.  Calling on Ben (CO) before he really started the question, CO loses 10 points and is eliminated.  It will be there second loss and the formality of finishing the quiz can quickly be over.

That may be the worst quiz of the day, but finishes with WI 160 - TN 100 - CO 50.  We're down to three teams, so we know who will make it to Thursday.  First time in several years, we've gone to Thursday with only 3 teams.  Since all three are undefeated, we'll have one more quiz today, and then wrap it up.  It has actually been a really good day of quizzing, but that last quiz (the first since we've been in one room) was not an example of that.  I hope it is not a harbinger of things to come Thursday.