Note: because we're so early in the season, all the 2-0 teams are going to be ahead of all the 1-1 teams, etc. Unfortunately it's hard to tell who is a great team with one bad loss, and who is merely mediocre. 
2-0 teams
1) Bowling Green Broncos
The Broncos have played two non-gutted teams with levels only slightly below theirs, in one close win and one really convincing win. They have shown they are one of the teams to beat.
2) Boston DrunkNDisorderly
Teams 2 and 4 possess very similar resumes: One win against an equally leveled team, and a huge blowout against a gutted team, much more impressive than what the Caps did against the Blues. However, Boston's overall rating is a better one and the opponent they beat was also better than Appalachian's opponent.
3) Washington Capitals
They possess one solid win over a good team in the Tampa Bandits. However, their offense wasn't nearly as explosive as teams 2 or 4 against a terrible Michigan Blues team (#15 in these rankings). It doesn't matter much whether you beat a terrible team 100-0 or 200-0, but when you've only got 2 games to go on, everything counts.
4) Appalachian Mountaineers
As mentioned in Boston's blurb, they have a similar resume to Boston. The only reason they are at #4 is that Appalachian are underleveled compared to the rest of the undefeated teams. This may mean they have superior builds and tactics, or merely that they got lucky. It will take a few more wins to convince me.
1-1 teams
5) Seattle Rainmakers
I almost wanted to call Seattle and Mid-Michigan a tie for #5. They lost to the #1 (Seattle lost by 7 points) and #2 (Mid-Michigan lost by 3 points) teams in respectable fashion. They both put a beating on other 1-1 teams. Seattle had a rating 3 better than Minneapolis and beat them by 48 points. Mid-Michigan had a rating equal to Rutgers and beat them by 21 points.
But I didn't want to, so I found a flimsy way to break the tie. Seattle has an overall chemistry of 58, whereas Mid-Michigan has an overall chemistry of 88. That means, all other things equal, Seattle will improve more than Mid-Michigan over the next few games. So for the purposes of the power rankings, that broke the tie.
6) Mid-Michigan Storm
See #5.
7) Cincinnati Norris Ninjas
The Norris Ninjas are kinda underleveled like Appalachian, but only lost to Appalachian by 2 points. They went on to prove that ratings aren't everything, plastering a Starkville team that had levels on them, 21-6. This team obviously has good builds and better tactics, and could be a sleeper.
8) Tampa Bandits
The Tampa Bandits started off their season by putting a solid beating on the San Francisco Fire Cats, 69-14. This was about expected given their overall rating 9 higher - not impressive, but not unimpressive either. They then got plastered by the Caps, 37-14. Not totally sure about Tampa yet, but for now they fall in the middle of the 1-1 teams.
9) Rutgers Silent Willies
The Silent Willies lost a close game to the #6 Mid-Michigan Storm, but blew out #10 Chicago Sirius. Both of these teams were equally rated, so their builds and tactics are probably average for the league. We've yet to see if they can beat somebody in the top half of the league, but they appear to have the pieces in place to climb into the playoffs.
10) Chicago Sirius
Chicago lost a close game to the Rutgers Silent Willies (equal ratings), and took out their frustrations on the San Francisco Fire Cats, whom they pounded into submission 69-0. Unfortunately they had a +9 rating differential over them, so that doesn't really need much. They need to win games like that against Rutgers to move up.
11) Minneapolis Masterminds
Of all the teams in the league, the Minneapolis Masterminds have shown us the least through 2 games. They crushed King Donaldt, over whom they had a +6 rating differential. They lost badly to the Seattle Rainmakers, to whom they gave up only a -3 rating differential. How good are they? Nobody knows. Presumably they're somewhere between #5 and #12, but at this point they need to win a close game before I can believe they're playoff bound.
12) King Donaldt
They lost badly to the Minneapolis Masterminds, above, and turned a thrashable Michigan Blues team into a closer than needed win. King Donalt would probably be rated lower than 12 if I weren't going strictly based on W-L first.
0-2 teams
13) Starkville Fire Dogs
This is the only respectable 0-2 team. They would have been MUCH higher if I were not going by overall record first. They have lost close games to two teams in the top half of the rankings, #1 Bowling Green and #7 Cincinnati. Unfortunately, they have a brutal first 6 games, and it could be a while before they put one in the win column. Still, I will be rooting for them.
14) San Francisco Fire Cats
Don't name your team the Fire {animals} or you will go 0-2.
Like the Fire Dogs, the Fire Cats have lost to two respectable teams: #8 Tampa and #10 Chicago. Unlike the Fire Dogs, the Fire Cats have lost badly, by a combined score of 14-138.
15) Michigan Blues
They lost to King Donaldt by 17 points. Need I say more?
16) Houston Raiders
All CPUs = No review from me. However, it shouldn't take much for the new owner to jump the Fire Cats and Blues.
Predictions:
LaCrosse RiverRats > Rhode Island Revolutionaries
Seattle Rainmakers > Starkville Firedogs
Boston DrunkN'Disorderly > Cincinnati Norris Ninjas
Minneapolis Masterminds > Michigan Blues
Rutgers Silent Willies > Houston Raiders
Mid Michigan Storm > San Francisco Fire Cats
Bowling Green Broncos > Appalachian Mountaineers **Game of the Week**
Tampa Bandits > King Donaldt
Washington Caps > Chicago Sirius
2-0 teams
1) Bowling Green Broncos
The Broncos have played two non-gutted teams with levels only slightly below theirs, in one close win and one really convincing win. They have shown they are one of the teams to beat.
2) Boston DrunkNDisorderly
Teams 2 and 4 possess very similar resumes: One win against an equally leveled team, and a huge blowout against a gutted team, much more impressive than what the Caps did against the Blues. However, Boston's overall rating is a better one and the opponent they beat was also better than Appalachian's opponent.
3) Washington Capitals
They possess one solid win over a good team in the Tampa Bandits. However, their offense wasn't nearly as explosive as teams 2 or 4 against a terrible Michigan Blues team (#15 in these rankings). It doesn't matter much whether you beat a terrible team 100-0 or 200-0, but when you've only got 2 games to go on, everything counts.
4) Appalachian Mountaineers
As mentioned in Boston's blurb, they have a similar resume to Boston. The only reason they are at #4 is that Appalachian are underleveled compared to the rest of the undefeated teams. This may mean they have superior builds and tactics, or merely that they got lucky. It will take a few more wins to convince me.
1-1 teams
5) Seattle Rainmakers
I almost wanted to call Seattle and Mid-Michigan a tie for #5. They lost to the #1 (Seattle lost by 7 points) and #2 (Mid-Michigan lost by 3 points) teams in respectable fashion. They both put a beating on other 1-1 teams. Seattle had a rating 3 better than Minneapolis and beat them by 48 points. Mid-Michigan had a rating equal to Rutgers and beat them by 21 points.
But I didn't want to, so I found a flimsy way to break the tie. Seattle has an overall chemistry of 58, whereas Mid-Michigan has an overall chemistry of 88. That means, all other things equal, Seattle will improve more than Mid-Michigan over the next few games. So for the purposes of the power rankings, that broke the tie.
6) Mid-Michigan Storm
See #5.
7) Cincinnati Norris Ninjas
The Norris Ninjas are kinda underleveled like Appalachian, but only lost to Appalachian by 2 points. They went on to prove that ratings aren't everything, plastering a Starkville team that had levels on them, 21-6. This team obviously has good builds and better tactics, and could be a sleeper.
8) Tampa Bandits
The Tampa Bandits started off their season by putting a solid beating on the San Francisco Fire Cats, 69-14. This was about expected given their overall rating 9 higher - not impressive, but not unimpressive either. They then got plastered by the Caps, 37-14. Not totally sure about Tampa yet, but for now they fall in the middle of the 1-1 teams.
9) Rutgers Silent Willies
The Silent Willies lost a close game to the #6 Mid-Michigan Storm, but blew out #10 Chicago Sirius. Both of these teams were equally rated, so their builds and tactics are probably average for the league. We've yet to see if they can beat somebody in the top half of the league, but they appear to have the pieces in place to climb into the playoffs.
10) Chicago Sirius
Chicago lost a close game to the Rutgers Silent Willies (equal ratings), and took out their frustrations on the San Francisco Fire Cats, whom they pounded into submission 69-0. Unfortunately they had a +9 rating differential over them, so that doesn't really need much. They need to win games like that against Rutgers to move up.
11) Minneapolis Masterminds
Of all the teams in the league, the Minneapolis Masterminds have shown us the least through 2 games. They crushed King Donaldt, over whom they had a +6 rating differential. They lost badly to the Seattle Rainmakers, to whom they gave up only a -3 rating differential. How good are they? Nobody knows. Presumably they're somewhere between #5 and #12, but at this point they need to win a close game before I can believe they're playoff bound.
12) King Donaldt
They lost badly to the Minneapolis Masterminds, above, and turned a thrashable Michigan Blues team into a closer than needed win. King Donalt would probably be rated lower than 12 if I weren't going strictly based on W-L first.
0-2 teams
13) Starkville Fire Dogs
This is the only respectable 0-2 team. They would have been MUCH higher if I were not going by overall record first. They have lost close games to two teams in the top half of the rankings, #1 Bowling Green and #7 Cincinnati. Unfortunately, they have a brutal first 6 games, and it could be a while before they put one in the win column. Still, I will be rooting for them.
14) San Francisco Fire Cats
Don't name your team the Fire {animals} or you will go 0-2.
Like the Fire Dogs, the Fire Cats have lost to two respectable teams: #8 Tampa and #10 Chicago. Unlike the Fire Dogs, the Fire Cats have lost badly, by a combined score of 14-138.
15) Michigan Blues
They lost to King Donaldt by 17 points. Need I say more?
16) Houston Raiders
All CPUs = No review from me. However, it shouldn't take much for the new owner to jump the Fire Cats and Blues.
Predictions:
LaCrosse RiverRats > Rhode Island Revolutionaries
Seattle Rainmakers > Starkville Firedogs
Boston DrunkN'Disorderly > Cincinnati Norris Ninjas
Minneapolis Masterminds > Michigan Blues
Rutgers Silent Willies > Houston Raiders
Mid Michigan Storm > San Francisco Fire Cats
Bowling Green Broncos > Appalachian Mountaineers **Game of the Week**
Tampa Bandits > King Donaldt
Washington Caps > Chicago Sirius
Last edited Sep 26, 2008 13:47:05
I'm about to do the West now.
