The playoffs picture is coming into focus, as home field in both the East and West has been locked up, and all but two playoff berths have been locked up.
In the East it is as simple as Houston wins and they are in, but should they loose (in what would be the biggest upset of the year vs. Richmond) things get very complicated.
In the West The Tarheel’s losses to both Malibu and Chicago make their upcoming game vs. Visalia a must win. And even at 5-9 Visalia has an outside shot if they can pull of the win vs. The Tarheels. From their it just gets even more convoluted.
Originally posted by
The major components of the rankings are as follows:
Strength of Schedule (SOS): The winning percentage of your opponents to date.
Quality of Wins (QW): Bonus points are awarded for every win based on the opponents winning percentage. So if you beat a winless team, you get nothing, if you beat a previously undefeated team, big bonus.
Offensive Points Over Average (OPOA): If you opponent averages 14 points against and you score 17, you get +3 in the ranking.
Defensive Points Under Average (DPUA): If your opponent averages 21 points scored and you allow 14 you get +7 in the ranking.
Not as much movement as some would expect this week, as there were a couple upsets. But the rankings are based on the season as a whole, so a top team dropping a close match-up at this point won’t shake things up too much. Some extended coverage of the playoff picture has been added to try and make sense of the mess that is at the bottom of each playoff picture as multiple teams fight for that last playoff berth in each conference.
Clinched Home Field
#1 – Oakland Nation (14-0, rank 54.90) (Last Week #1, Same) *
With two games remaining Oakland has clinched home field advantage in the West thanks to Anchorage’s upset of Austin A. Oakland did their part by downing Big Whiskey (and if you know me, if you put Whiskey in front of me, its going down). Oakland closes out conference plat this week with the Chicago Whodat’s.
#2 - Atlanta Purple Penguins (14-0, rank 46.42)(Last Week #2, Same)*
APP performed perfectly, pounding the Panthers by 14. They also clinched home field in their conference with the win. This week APP is once again featured in the BBB#7 game of the week as they travel to Louisville to take on the Baby Kittens in their last real test before the playoffs.
Battling for Home Field advantage in round 1 & 2
#3 - Niagara Rapids (12-2, rank 39.41)(Last Week #3, Same) *
Niagara continued their march towards the playoffs with yet another dominating win as they dispatched the Buckeye’s 44-0. The Rapids close out the season with back-to-back road trips to Texas where they face tough squads with playoff aspirations.
#4 – Louisville Baby Kittens (12-2, rank 37.70)(Last Week #5, +1)*
Louisville moves back up in the rankings thanks to a blowout of River City and the upset of Austin A. Louisville faces perhaps the toughest last two weeks of any top team with home games vs. APP and LAC to close out the season. This week’s battle with APP will have big Eastern conference playoff implications, making it the clear cut BBB#7 game of the week.
#5 – Austin Alcoholics (12-2, rank 37.17)(Last Week #4, -1)*
The Alcoholics dropped a tough match-up to Anchorage last week, dropping them 1 spot in the rankings and eliminating them from contention for home field throughout the playoffs. Things get no easier this week as they travel to face a surging Chupacabras squad.
#6 - Austin Breakers (10-4, rank 31.54)(Last Week #6, Same)*
The Breakers dropped a tough game to the Chupacabras by 7, and their hopes for getting a #2 seed went out the window.
#7 - Anchorage Vikings (11-3, rank 31.52)(Last Week #8, +1)*
Anchorage earned a split in their series vs. Austin teams, and now only trail Austin B. by .02 in the rankings.
#8 - Lincoln Freedom Warriors (10-4, rank 29.87)(Last Week #7, -1)*
Two straight losses have the Freedom Warriors reeling as the playoffs approach, a rebound game vs. Saginaw is next before closing out the season vs. a top squad in the Breakers.
Playoff teams
#9 - LA Chupacabras (10-4, rank 26.02)(Last Week #10, +1)*
LA extended their win streak to 10 with a win over the Breakers, but face a tough close to the regular season with games vs. the Alcoholics and Baby Kittens in the last 2 weeks.
#10 - DLF Gods (10-4, rank 25.58)(Last Week #11, +1)*
This team defies the system; they are the only squad in the top 15 with a negative OPOA, and have the lowest DPUA in the top 15 as well. But somehow they just keep winning.
#11 - Appalachian Lycans (9-5, rank 25.33)(Last Week #14, +3)*
The Lycans have rebounded from two straight losses with a 3 game win streak, including an upset of Lincoln last week. A team that was looking like they could drop out of the playoffs is now a lock.
#12 - Red Bank Thundercats (9-5, rank 24.39)(Last Week #12, Same)*
The Thudercats stepped up and knocked off Houston in their last game. Jax Beach is no bye in week 15 as the Thudercats look to improve their playoff stock.
On the Bubble
#13 - Houston Armageddon (8-6, rank 23.05)(Last Week #9, -4)
It’s a long shot, but this team could still miss the playoffs if they don’t finish strong. Fortunately, Richmond is next which should wrap up a playoff berth.
#14 - The State of Texas Domination (8-5-1, rank 19.86)(Last Week #13, -1)*
Not sure exactly how a tie affects the playoff tie breakers, but I believe this team has clinched despite a loss last week.
#15 - Texas Tarheels (7-7, rank 18.43)(Last Week #15, Same)
A win vs. Visalia and losses for Chicago and Malibu and they are in.
#16 - Texas Two-Step (8-6, rank 16.95)(Last Week #17, +1)*
Lock, ranking just puts them in this category.
#17 - Mailbu Mels (6-8, rank 16.61)(Last Week #16, -1)
Need to win out and have the Tarheels drop 1, or win 1 and have the Tarheels drop 2.
#18 - Las Vegas Outlaws (6-8, rank 11.56)(Last Week #23, +5)
Need to win out, and have Houston drop 2.
#19 - Roswell Invaders (6-8, rank 11.54)(Last Week #18, +1)
Need to win out, and have Houston drop 2.
#20 - Jax Beach Juggernauts (6-7-1, rank 11.19)(Last Week #20, Same)
Need to win out, and have Houston drop 2.
#21 - Chicago Whodat’s (6-8, rank 9.64)(Last Week #19, -2)
Need to win out and have the Tarheels drop 1, or win 1 and have the Tarheels drop 2, and in either case finish above Malibu.
#22 - The Killer Rabbits of Caerbannog (5-9, rank 8.43)(Last Week #21, -1)**
Out, but we need to talk about the next team.
#23 - Visalia Paraplegics (5-9, rank 7.77)(Last Week #24, +1)
Need to win out and have the Tarheels lose to Cleveland, and at least tie with Malibu and Chicago.
Practicing their Golf swings
#24 Saginaw Spirit (5-9, rank 7.47)(Last Week #22, -2)**
#25 Big Money Dynasty (4-10, rank 5.11)(Last Week #25, Same)**
#26 South Bend ShamRockers (3-11, rank 0.03)(Last Week #26, Same)**
#27 Atlanta Ducks (2-12, rank –1.17)(Last Week #28, +1) **
#28 Cleveland Buckeyes (2-12, rank –1.56) (Last Week #27, -1)**
#29 Fresno Anarchs (2-12, rank –6.33) (Last Week #29, +1)**
#30 The River City Ransom (1-13, rank –7.79) (Last Week #30, -1)**
Maybe they think they are playing for a #1 draft pick?
#31 Big Whiskey Assassins (0-14, rank –19.88) (Last Week #31, Same)**
#32 Richmond Empire (0-14, rank –28.70) (Last Week #32, Same)**
* Clinched playoff berth
** Eliminated from playoff contention
In the East it is as simple as Houston wins and they are in, but should they loose (in what would be the biggest upset of the year vs. Richmond) things get very complicated.
In the West The Tarheel’s losses to both Malibu and Chicago make their upcoming game vs. Visalia a must win. And even at 5-9 Visalia has an outside shot if they can pull of the win vs. The Tarheels. From their it just gets even more convoluted.
Originally posted by
The major components of the rankings are as follows:
Strength of Schedule (SOS): The winning percentage of your opponents to date.
Quality of Wins (QW): Bonus points are awarded for every win based on the opponents winning percentage. So if you beat a winless team, you get nothing, if you beat a previously undefeated team, big bonus.
Offensive Points Over Average (OPOA): If you opponent averages 14 points against and you score 17, you get +3 in the ranking.
Defensive Points Under Average (DPUA): If your opponent averages 21 points scored and you allow 14 you get +7 in the ranking.
Not as much movement as some would expect this week, as there were a couple upsets. But the rankings are based on the season as a whole, so a top team dropping a close match-up at this point won’t shake things up too much. Some extended coverage of the playoff picture has been added to try and make sense of the mess that is at the bottom of each playoff picture as multiple teams fight for that last playoff berth in each conference.
Clinched Home Field
#1 – Oakland Nation (14-0, rank 54.90) (Last Week #1, Same) *
With two games remaining Oakland has clinched home field advantage in the West thanks to Anchorage’s upset of Austin A. Oakland did their part by downing Big Whiskey (and if you know me, if you put Whiskey in front of me, its going down). Oakland closes out conference plat this week with the Chicago Whodat’s.
#2 - Atlanta Purple Penguins (14-0, rank 46.42)(Last Week #2, Same)*
APP performed perfectly, pounding the Panthers by 14. They also clinched home field in their conference with the win. This week APP is once again featured in the BBB#7 game of the week as they travel to Louisville to take on the Baby Kittens in their last real test before the playoffs.
Battling for Home Field advantage in round 1 & 2
#3 - Niagara Rapids (12-2, rank 39.41)(Last Week #3, Same) *
Niagara continued their march towards the playoffs with yet another dominating win as they dispatched the Buckeye’s 44-0. The Rapids close out the season with back-to-back road trips to Texas where they face tough squads with playoff aspirations.
#4 – Louisville Baby Kittens (12-2, rank 37.70)(Last Week #5, +1)*
Louisville moves back up in the rankings thanks to a blowout of River City and the upset of Austin A. Louisville faces perhaps the toughest last two weeks of any top team with home games vs. APP and LAC to close out the season. This week’s battle with APP will have big Eastern conference playoff implications, making it the clear cut BBB#7 game of the week.
#5 – Austin Alcoholics (12-2, rank 37.17)(Last Week #4, -1)*
The Alcoholics dropped a tough match-up to Anchorage last week, dropping them 1 spot in the rankings and eliminating them from contention for home field throughout the playoffs. Things get no easier this week as they travel to face a surging Chupacabras squad.
#6 - Austin Breakers (10-4, rank 31.54)(Last Week #6, Same)*
The Breakers dropped a tough game to the Chupacabras by 7, and their hopes for getting a #2 seed went out the window.
#7 - Anchorage Vikings (11-3, rank 31.52)(Last Week #8, +1)*
Anchorage earned a split in their series vs. Austin teams, and now only trail Austin B. by .02 in the rankings.
#8 - Lincoln Freedom Warriors (10-4, rank 29.87)(Last Week #7, -1)*
Two straight losses have the Freedom Warriors reeling as the playoffs approach, a rebound game vs. Saginaw is next before closing out the season vs. a top squad in the Breakers.
Playoff teams
#9 - LA Chupacabras (10-4, rank 26.02)(Last Week #10, +1)*
LA extended their win streak to 10 with a win over the Breakers, but face a tough close to the regular season with games vs. the Alcoholics and Baby Kittens in the last 2 weeks.
#10 - DLF Gods (10-4, rank 25.58)(Last Week #11, +1)*
This team defies the system; they are the only squad in the top 15 with a negative OPOA, and have the lowest DPUA in the top 15 as well. But somehow they just keep winning.
#11 - Appalachian Lycans (9-5, rank 25.33)(Last Week #14, +3)*
The Lycans have rebounded from two straight losses with a 3 game win streak, including an upset of Lincoln last week. A team that was looking like they could drop out of the playoffs is now a lock.
#12 - Red Bank Thundercats (9-5, rank 24.39)(Last Week #12, Same)*
The Thudercats stepped up and knocked off Houston in their last game. Jax Beach is no bye in week 15 as the Thudercats look to improve their playoff stock.
On the Bubble
#13 - Houston Armageddon (8-6, rank 23.05)(Last Week #9, -4)
It’s a long shot, but this team could still miss the playoffs if they don’t finish strong. Fortunately, Richmond is next which should wrap up a playoff berth.
#14 - The State of Texas Domination (8-5-1, rank 19.86)(Last Week #13, -1)*
Not sure exactly how a tie affects the playoff tie breakers, but I believe this team has clinched despite a loss last week.
#15 - Texas Tarheels (7-7, rank 18.43)(Last Week #15, Same)
A win vs. Visalia and losses for Chicago and Malibu and they are in.
#16 - Texas Two-Step (8-6, rank 16.95)(Last Week #17, +1)*
Lock, ranking just puts them in this category.
#17 - Mailbu Mels (6-8, rank 16.61)(Last Week #16, -1)
Need to win out and have the Tarheels drop 1, or win 1 and have the Tarheels drop 2.
#18 - Las Vegas Outlaws (6-8, rank 11.56)(Last Week #23, +5)
Need to win out, and have Houston drop 2.
#19 - Roswell Invaders (6-8, rank 11.54)(Last Week #18, +1)
Need to win out, and have Houston drop 2.
#20 - Jax Beach Juggernauts (6-7-1, rank 11.19)(Last Week #20, Same)
Need to win out, and have Houston drop 2.
#21 - Chicago Whodat’s (6-8, rank 9.64)(Last Week #19, -2)
Need to win out and have the Tarheels drop 1, or win 1 and have the Tarheels drop 2, and in either case finish above Malibu.
#22 - The Killer Rabbits of Caerbannog (5-9, rank 8.43)(Last Week #21, -1)**
Out, but we need to talk about the next team.
#23 - Visalia Paraplegics (5-9, rank 7.77)(Last Week #24, +1)
Need to win out and have the Tarheels lose to Cleveland, and at least tie with Malibu and Chicago.
Practicing their Golf swings
#24 Saginaw Spirit (5-9, rank 7.47)(Last Week #22, -2)**
#25 Big Money Dynasty (4-10, rank 5.11)(Last Week #25, Same)**
#26 South Bend ShamRockers (3-11, rank 0.03)(Last Week #26, Same)**
#27 Atlanta Ducks (2-12, rank –1.17)(Last Week #28, +1) **
#28 Cleveland Buckeyes (2-12, rank –1.56) (Last Week #27, -1)**
#29 Fresno Anarchs (2-12, rank –6.33) (Last Week #29, +1)**
#30 The River City Ransom (1-13, rank –7.79) (Last Week #30, -1)**
Maybe they think they are playing for a #1 draft pick?
#31 Big Whiskey Assassins (0-14, rank –19.88) (Last Week #31, Same)**
#32 Richmond Empire (0-14, rank –28.70) (Last Week #32, Same)**
* Clinched playoff berth
** Eliminated from playoff contention
