[Iconoclastic]

I enjoy this show simply because it's like an All-Star game of trivia. I certainly concur with OP's last sentence.

I personally think John Carpenter is going to take it. He's got a winner's attitude, a killer instinct. A lot of these guys' body language tells you they have low self esteem and don't really think too highly of their abilities, whereas John is composed, like Tiger Woods with a lead going into the last round. I would have seeded him #1 over Jennings.

This game is 50% playing the game, 50% knowledge. Many of the contestants seem unable to actually play the game, ie use switches and passes when they can't answer it, remember that it's their turn, etc. The ones who keep their cool and manage their time well do better than the book smart geniuses.

I think I can beat the lower 1/3 of the brackets just by answering the easy questions quickly and passing/switching the hard ones effectively while they take like 20 sec with a question like "What is 3.3-5.6?"