SwampButt Underwear’s™ weather-based tool, the Scale of Sultry, remains above .500 picking winners as research explores the relationship between climate, conditioning, game-day weather and outcomes.

LAKE JACKSON, Texas, Nov. 3, 2026 — The SwampButt Underwear Scale of Sultry correctly selected USC to defeat Ohio State in Week 9 of the current college football season. This adds another prominent upset to its season record of college football predictions based on heat, humidity and a possible climate-conditioning advantage.

USC’s 30–18 victory joins earlier successful selections of Texas over Ohio State, Kentucky over Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State over Oregon, and UCF over BYU. Through Week 9, the Scale’s published selections stand at 326–294, a 52.6% success rate picking winners, including the Week 0 pilot. The tool finished Week 9 at 29–27 across 56 games.

Intrigued By Upset Picks

The upset selections provide intriguing examples, although the complete results remain mixed. Additionally, Week 9 selections finished 25–30–1 against consensus closing point spreads. The season’s above-.500 straight-up record does not, by itself, establish an advantage over conventional football forecasts or betting markets.

“I am of the opinion that training and practicing in hot and humid conditions leads to better conditioning because workouts in sultry climates is always harder for athletes no matter their level of competition,” said SwampButt Underwear founder and inventor Harold Nicoll. “But opinions are often hard to prove, and this is one of them.”

Nicoll believed that the best way to prove or at least show causation, of his theory would come from college football games when or if schools from the south and southwest would consistently outperform those from cooler and dryer places.

Isolating Variables

Knowing there were as many variables in college football games as there were players and coaches for every game, rather than try and figure all of those in, he left every variable except climate out of the equation.  “There are enough games in enough places to think that spotting a trend would be possible,” Nicoll said. “And nine weeks in, the climate selection tool, or Scale of Sultry, has picked more winners than losers. The latest extreme upset is reinforcement of my belief in climate and conditioning.”

The Scale of Sultry explores whether teams accustomed to hotter, more humid environments may gain a conditioning advantage under demanding game-day conditions. Its next phase of research will compare each school’s fixed August 15 campus SOS score with conditions at the stadium near kickoff.

That approach separates two questions: Which team has the higher climate-conditioning baseline, and how demanding are conditions where the game is played?

The working hypothesis is that a higher campus baseline may become more relevant as game-day heat and humidity increase. The research will examine both outright winners and performance against the point spread.

The August 15 baseline analysis will be reported separately from the earlier published forecasting method, which generated the Week 9 selections. The distinction preserves the original predictions while allowing the revised hypothesis to be evaluated on its own results.

Beyond predicting winners, the Scale draws attention to conditions experienced by spectators, players, bands and stadium workers. Temperature, humidity, sunlight, shade and time outdoors all influence comfort during a football game. The Scale is an informational and entertainment tool, not an official heat-warning system.

The published Week 9 selections are available at: Scale of Sultry Week 9 Forecast Directory

About SwampButt Underwear

SwampButt Underwear is a Lake Jackson, Texas-based men’s underwear brand designed to manage moisture and improve comfort. Its Scale of Sultry project explores hot-weather comfort and the possible relationship between climate conditioning and college football performance. SwampButt Underwear developed the Scale of Sultry to encourage discussion about heat, humidity and comfort. Further research will examine whether game-day conditions help explain when differences in campus weather are most relevant.

SwampButt Underwear™ is a real company with a product that helps solve a problem, that being visible sweat on a man’s backside. SwampButt Underwear is for men who experience excessive perspiration, uncomfortable dampness and visible butt sweat. The company’s performance underwear is designed to move moisture away from the skin, dry faster than traditional cotton underwear and reduce the discomfort associated with heat, humidity and physical activity.

SwampButt Underwear™ is based in Lake Jackson, Texas. SwampButt Underwear™ is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries. We paid a lot for it so only use it with permission.

Media contact:
Harold Nicoll, APR
Media Public Relations
media-public-relations.com