We handicapped the College World Series Jell-O Shot Challenge — you're welcome

Eight teams have descended upon Omaha, Nebraska in search of a College World Series championship. Eight fanbases will soon descend upon Rocco’s Pizza to drink a whole bunch of mostly bad Jell-O shots.

Rocco’s, fully understanding the opportunity it faces for two weeks each June, capitalized with racks of premade (and room temperature!) gelatin shots tinged with a hint of booze. The bar and restaurant’s Jell-O shot challenge (not made with actual Jell-O) pits fans from across the country, united by their love for college baseball in the heart of America, against each other in an effort to see who can spike their glucose the highest while getting kinda, sorta buzzed. Behold, the 2023 shot leaderboard:

Last but certainly not least @Vol_Baseball rounds out this year's field. The count starts Thursday y'all, come prepared. #cws2023 #RoccosOmaha pic.twitter.com/HuOOpj7sop

— CWS Jello Shot Challenge (@CWSShotBoard) June 13, 2023

While this may pervert the vision the great Tom Lehrer had so long ago when he used the dessert to sneak booze onto an Naval base, it’s become a sensation nonetheless. And while the in the past those shots have been relatively expensive ($4.50 per last year) and light on both booze and taste, Rocco’s is promising a new supplier for 2023. Of course, the cheapest and best tasting solution would just be to make them in-house, but apparently that ship has sailed.

Anyway, this white board is a big deal. Lots of down time between games and unpredictable schedules leave fans with the chance to explore Omaha. And this leads to plenty of opportunities to booze. Last year, Ole Miss fans celebrated their first baseball title with nearly 19,000 sugary shots.

Ladies and Gentlemen your OFFICIAL 2022 Rocco's Jello Shot Challenge. Congrats to @OleMissBSB for their victory on the field and their fans for the victory across the street at Rocco's. It was a special year and we couldn't be more thankful for y'all. #CWS2022 #CWSS #RoccosOmaha pic.twitter.com/XuloBnXmDM

— CWS Jello Shot Challenge (@CWSShotBoard) June 27, 2022

That ran six laps around the record Mississippi State put up the year prior. And the Bulldogs title quest tripled up Arkansas’ previous Jell-O shot best, set in 2019.

The College Baseball National Championship wasn’t the only thing Mississippi State won last night. #CWS #HailState pic.twitter.com/eIgcyXj3h3

— Tyler Jones (@TylerJonesLive) July 1, 2021

So here’s what we know about the challenge:

a) getting further in the bracket is going to lead to more shots

b) SEC teams are going to show out, because they care deeply about bragging rights regardless of how stupid the competition is

c) teams making a run to their first title have something to prove

d) Stanford will be a competitor in name only.

While you can’t find official odds for this contest at any sportsbook — since, you know, anyone can alter the outcome with enough money and insulin — you can find them here at BetFTW. Based on past results, here are your 2023 Rocco’s Jell-O Shot Challenge odds, followed by a few key breakout candidates.

• LSU: +300
• Tennessee: +400
• Florida: +400
• TCU: +500
• Wake Forest: +800
• Oral Roberts: +1200
• Virginia: +1500
• Stanford: +4000

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