Previous Top Ten (~2 weeks ago)
1.) NY-CA Ground Pounders
2.) Nashville Hounds
3.) Detroit Reservoir Dogs
4.) Happy Valley Whiteout
5.) South Otto Fragile Porcelain Mice
6.) Wala Wala Drunken Shriners
7.) Oakland Suppressors
8.) College Station Aggies
9.) Minnesota Eagles
10.) The CAVE
How things have changed...
1.) NY-CA Ground Pounders (4-0)
Hold onto the top spot for now. Their offensive identity has a completely new look. I think historically these guys have always preferred a ground attack. Now they are slinging balls all over the field. The other surprising thing to note is they have a new offensive weapon in Marcus Maldonado who has a knack at breaking tackles it looks like. It is interesting to see if they are trying to lure future DC's mindsets or this is the new look Ground Pounders.
Defensively is where I am worried. Their schedule wasn't overly tough with opponents record a miserable 4-12. They rank 8th in the league overall with a mediocre pass defense (ranked 14th).
Their next three games should check their manhood. Any slip up here will surely cost them the number one seed. They did burn one of their mini helmets on one of the biggest games in the league against Detroit.
2.) Nashville Hounds (4-0)
I am sure many experts disagree with putting a past World League team in the number two spot. They are probably right, but whats the fun agreeing with the vast majority?
With the exception of floundering Happy Valley, they haven't played anyone yet. The teams that were put in front of them were essentially curb stomped. They are taking care of business. I see they still love their screens with multiple receivers breaking tackles.
Top ranked eastern team in sacks, so I see they still do that well. Vince Jet III and Ted "Mad Stork" Hendricks seem to be quite a tandem in this regard. Their greatest asset is their ability to stop the run. It is top ranked in the entire league.
College Station will probably be the next victim then the Hounds chief operators can go into hibernation for the next week.
3.) Detroit Reservoir Dogs (4-0)
I have to tip my hat to you guys and thanks for not making me look bad so far. Got a big win against Monmouth in Week 1. Since then they haven't given up a point on defense, but have played some very bad teams as well. I can't really say much because your numbers are skewed with two 255-0 games in the bag. I see a balanced attack so far in the two meaningful games.
Your next two games are very critical. South Otto will be the first good test to see if you really belong in the top 4. The winner of the NY-CA game may decide who gets the second round home game assuming things go awry for both of you against the Hounds. It doesn't get any easier after that as Happy Valley is in desperation mode at this point and Atlantic City doesn't seem to be the typical door mat team of the past.
4.) Oakland Suppressors (3-1)
I think there is a huge gap between the top 3 and the next group of teams. That also makes it important for the next group to fight for the last home playoff game spot in the first round. Oakland slides to the four spot primarily because they beat their South Otto buddies. Like Detroit, they have two gimme games, so it is difficult to judge at this point. They could be top three material though. They did take Car Ramrod to the final bell and CR are currently mopping up on the west siders right now. I will also say I am impressed with their OC as he does a fantastic job spreading the stats around. That should make it difficult for any DC to key on any one player.
Big match up for them tomorrow if they want to prove the naysayers wrong. If they can edge out NY-CA, then the east could get messy at the top. I am pretty excited to watch this game tomorrow. Then they need to watch out for the next opponent in Happy Valley.
5.) South Otto Fragile Porcelain Mice (2-2)
I am not really sure where to slot you guys at. I put you into the five hole because I just don't think your pride will allow you to fall any farther then that. I don't know if that Rhode Island game woke you guys up a little but that was quite an embarrassment regardless of your teams personal moves. Quite an imbalance of pass versus run here (74% pass versus 26% run). Maybe you should rename yourselves to the Texas Tech Porcelain Mice (I suppose that could of been more funny if Leech was still there). Slim Henry posing as the vet to help the new recruits adapt to the Pro Game with his league leading 601 receiving yards.
Ranked 20th and higher in many categories for the defense. It looks like they will have to outscore teams to win. Other than Detroit, their schedule looks pretty soft. They might look like fools gold come week 8's edition.
6.) College Station Aggies (3-1)
This is probably my favorite team on the East side. No team in the east has more potential then these guys do. First off, the bulk of the team sits at that deadly 62 level. I don't know if they will get to L64 come playoff team, but if they do, this team could turn into your typical bracket buster. Throw in all that training, bonus tokens, vet points, and the few level ups, these guys should be marginally better down the stretch. I don't think they will slip into the 4-5 spots, but the top three teams may need to keep an eye on where they fall after that.
The negative now. There wins were less than impressive against lesser opponents, but to their credit, they are beating who they need to beat. I am not sure the team can lean on Tecmo Bowl Dave Meggett like they have been. I truly believe you need 3 HB's to make a difference at this level. Is there offense dynamic enough to scare those top teams. I just don't think so. To win, they will need to rely on their defense as it has been good so far and one of the conferences best.
7.) Alabama Slammers (1-3)
When trying to decide who to rank next, I was actually surprised to see these guys aren't too bad. They are under leveled like College Station is and playing competitive ball so far. They have a nice ground attack (9th in the league) backed up with a decent defense (overall ranked 16th). Throw in a big upset win against Happy Valley and these guys are worth taking a note on.
Unfortunately they haven't beaten anyone else and their passing attack is something left to be desired. When you are behind and need to air it out, you will need to do a lot better than 61% completion rate at this level. Five of their next six opponents are teams that are at their level. I think we will learn quite about them in the next update.
8.) Happy Valley Whiteout (1-3)
Ouch! A team looking to be on the Mount Rushmore of the East had the Slammers come chisel them right off. Couldn't beat a bad team from the west. Didn't even show up against Nashville. I could only imagine what their team message board looks like right now. I see some great teams making some noise next season and this could be the only window this team has. Simply cannot afford to be playing like this right now. If their Coordinators didn't get the wake up call now, this will be a long season for their agents.
I hate to be critical of any dot, but when I see one QB nearly have a 70% completion rate and the other QB sit at 52% (49% career wise), then maybe QB number two spends more time handing off and being the holder for kickers. It is evident you guys want to throw it around again this season, so you better study what works and make that a strength. Otis didn't save the running game either with his 2.8 yards per carry. Since that seems to be the standard for all their backs, it must be an OL thing.
You guys may think I am being hash, but my darkest day in all my three years of GLB occurred the other day when I was a victim to this: http://goallineblitz.com/game/game.pl?game_id=1598165
Have a good laugh as many others have had at my expense.
9.) Minnesota Eagles 2-2
I am sure you guys are scratching your heads at how two (1-3) teams are ranked ahead of you. Primarily it is the quality of your wins. You beat a part CPU team and another team struggling to keep its head above water. You will get one more off week, then you begin your gauntlet. We will know more about your team when we convene again.
10.) Wala Wala Drunken Shriners 0-4
I haven't given up on you yet and I am sure that BLACK OP team isn't happy I am disrespecting them. You guys have looked better in your loses then they have, so I am keeping you in the top 10. Your next three games should really test whether you belong in the top 10 anyways as you will play more teams on your level. This is really a gut check time because like Happy Valley, this could be your only window. If I remember correctly, you had little (or none) roster movement, so you are what you are. Your success depends primarily on your coordinating abilities. Your defensive coordinator must really get their act going as you are at the bottom in a lot of defensive categories (dead last in the east if you toss out the two CPU teams).
Enjoy!
1.) NY-CA Ground Pounders
2.) Nashville Hounds
3.) Detroit Reservoir Dogs
4.) Happy Valley Whiteout
5.) South Otto Fragile Porcelain Mice
6.) Wala Wala Drunken Shriners
7.) Oakland Suppressors
8.) College Station Aggies
9.) Minnesota Eagles
10.) The CAVE
How things have changed...
1.) NY-CA Ground Pounders (4-0)
Hold onto the top spot for now. Their offensive identity has a completely new look. I think historically these guys have always preferred a ground attack. Now they are slinging balls all over the field. The other surprising thing to note is they have a new offensive weapon in Marcus Maldonado who has a knack at breaking tackles it looks like. It is interesting to see if they are trying to lure future DC's mindsets or this is the new look Ground Pounders.
Defensively is where I am worried. Their schedule wasn't overly tough with opponents record a miserable 4-12. They rank 8th in the league overall with a mediocre pass defense (ranked 14th).
Their next three games should check their manhood. Any slip up here will surely cost them the number one seed. They did burn one of their mini helmets on one of the biggest games in the league against Detroit.
2.) Nashville Hounds (4-0)
I am sure many experts disagree with putting a past World League team in the number two spot. They are probably right, but whats the fun agreeing with the vast majority?
With the exception of floundering Happy Valley, they haven't played anyone yet. The teams that were put in front of them were essentially curb stomped. They are taking care of business. I see they still love their screens with multiple receivers breaking tackles.
Top ranked eastern team in sacks, so I see they still do that well. Vince Jet III and Ted "Mad Stork" Hendricks seem to be quite a tandem in this regard. Their greatest asset is their ability to stop the run. It is top ranked in the entire league.
College Station will probably be the next victim then the Hounds chief operators can go into hibernation for the next week.
3.) Detroit Reservoir Dogs (4-0)
I have to tip my hat to you guys and thanks for not making me look bad so far. Got a big win against Monmouth in Week 1. Since then they haven't given up a point on defense, but have played some very bad teams as well. I can't really say much because your numbers are skewed with two 255-0 games in the bag. I see a balanced attack so far in the two meaningful games.
Your next two games are very critical. South Otto will be the first good test to see if you really belong in the top 4. The winner of the NY-CA game may decide who gets the second round home game assuming things go awry for both of you against the Hounds. It doesn't get any easier after that as Happy Valley is in desperation mode at this point and Atlantic City doesn't seem to be the typical door mat team of the past.
4.) Oakland Suppressors (3-1)
I think there is a huge gap between the top 3 and the next group of teams. That also makes it important for the next group to fight for the last home playoff game spot in the first round. Oakland slides to the four spot primarily because they beat their South Otto buddies. Like Detroit, they have two gimme games, so it is difficult to judge at this point. They could be top three material though. They did take Car Ramrod to the final bell and CR are currently mopping up on the west siders right now. I will also say I am impressed with their OC as he does a fantastic job spreading the stats around. That should make it difficult for any DC to key on any one player.
Big match up for them tomorrow if they want to prove the naysayers wrong. If they can edge out NY-CA, then the east could get messy at the top. I am pretty excited to watch this game tomorrow. Then they need to watch out for the next opponent in Happy Valley.
5.) South Otto Fragile Porcelain Mice (2-2)
I am not really sure where to slot you guys at. I put you into the five hole because I just don't think your pride will allow you to fall any farther then that. I don't know if that Rhode Island game woke you guys up a little but that was quite an embarrassment regardless of your teams personal moves. Quite an imbalance of pass versus run here (74% pass versus 26% run). Maybe you should rename yourselves to the Texas Tech Porcelain Mice (I suppose that could of been more funny if Leech was still there). Slim Henry posing as the vet to help the new recruits adapt to the Pro Game with his league leading 601 receiving yards.
Ranked 20th and higher in many categories for the defense. It looks like they will have to outscore teams to win. Other than Detroit, their schedule looks pretty soft. They might look like fools gold come week 8's edition.
6.) College Station Aggies (3-1)
This is probably my favorite team on the East side. No team in the east has more potential then these guys do. First off, the bulk of the team sits at that deadly 62 level. I don't know if they will get to L64 come playoff team, but if they do, this team could turn into your typical bracket buster. Throw in all that training, bonus tokens, vet points, and the few level ups, these guys should be marginally better down the stretch. I don't think they will slip into the 4-5 spots, but the top three teams may need to keep an eye on where they fall after that.
The negative now. There wins were less than impressive against lesser opponents, but to their credit, they are beating who they need to beat. I am not sure the team can lean on Tecmo Bowl Dave Meggett like they have been. I truly believe you need 3 HB's to make a difference at this level. Is there offense dynamic enough to scare those top teams. I just don't think so. To win, they will need to rely on their defense as it has been good so far and one of the conferences best.
7.) Alabama Slammers (1-3)
When trying to decide who to rank next, I was actually surprised to see these guys aren't too bad. They are under leveled like College Station is and playing competitive ball so far. They have a nice ground attack (9th in the league) backed up with a decent defense (overall ranked 16th). Throw in a big upset win against Happy Valley and these guys are worth taking a note on.
Unfortunately they haven't beaten anyone else and their passing attack is something left to be desired. When you are behind and need to air it out, you will need to do a lot better than 61% completion rate at this level. Five of their next six opponents are teams that are at their level. I think we will learn quite about them in the next update.
8.) Happy Valley Whiteout (1-3)
Ouch! A team looking to be on the Mount Rushmore of the East had the Slammers come chisel them right off. Couldn't beat a bad team from the west. Didn't even show up against Nashville. I could only imagine what their team message board looks like right now. I see some great teams making some noise next season and this could be the only window this team has. Simply cannot afford to be playing like this right now. If their Coordinators didn't get the wake up call now, this will be a long season for their agents.
I hate to be critical of any dot, but when I see one QB nearly have a 70% completion rate and the other QB sit at 52% (49% career wise), then maybe QB number two spends more time handing off and being the holder for kickers. It is evident you guys want to throw it around again this season, so you better study what works and make that a strength. Otis didn't save the running game either with his 2.8 yards per carry. Since that seems to be the standard for all their backs, it must be an OL thing.
You guys may think I am being hash, but my darkest day in all my three years of GLB occurred the other day when I was a victim to this: http://goallineblitz.com/game/game.pl?game_id=1598165
Have a good laugh as many others have had at my expense.
9.) Minnesota Eagles 2-2
I am sure you guys are scratching your heads at how two (1-3) teams are ranked ahead of you. Primarily it is the quality of your wins. You beat a part CPU team and another team struggling to keep its head above water. You will get one more off week, then you begin your gauntlet. We will know more about your team when we convene again.
10.) Wala Wala Drunken Shriners 0-4
I haven't given up on you yet and I am sure that BLACK OP team isn't happy I am disrespecting them. You guys have looked better in your loses then they have, so I am keeping you in the top 10. Your next three games should really test whether you belong in the top 10 anyways as you will play more teams on your level. This is really a gut check time because like Happy Valley, this could be your only window. If I remember correctly, you had little (or none) roster movement, so you are what you are. Your success depends primarily on your coordinating abilities. Your defensive coordinator must really get their act going as you are at the bottom in a lot of defensive categories (dead last in the east if you toss out the two CPU teams).
Enjoy!
Edited by Night Dragon on Mar 25, 2011 12:43:22
