It's been a long time since I have done these, so I'll try to knock the rust off.
The Western Conference took a beating in week 1, only managing to garner 5 wins. That's not very impressive. Does that mean the WC is a bunch of also rans, and weak sisters? Not really. The one big advantage the Eastern Conference had was Player Retention. In a tight league like the USAPL 10 points of Team Chemistry advantage can be the difference between a win or a loss for two equal teams. I suspect that had the inter-conference game taken place at the end of the season, we would have seen the 8-8 split.
On to the rankings going into week 2! Since this is my first week ranking, I am NOT ranking them by final seed. I am ranking them solely on how good I think they are. Next week, I will give ranking predictions for the playoffs.
1. Honolulu Hurricane Wife Carriers: Despite their game 1 loss, I think they are the team to beat in the WC. They had 6 turnovers in that loss, and I can only think of that as an anomaly. With even 1 less, they would have won the game. In my mind, they are the team to beat in the WC. I am predicting a 15-1 record for them. IMHO with a 100/100/100 TC, they would compete in the WL.
2. Austin Wineswilling Fancy Boys: They suffered a 2 point loss to a really good team, despite some Team Chemistry problems. I put them in in 2nd for 2 reasons, 1. They always recruit top notch talent. 2. Their game planning is nothing, if not through. If you have a weakness, they will find it, if you are predictable on offense, they will shut you down. It is a very rare game they will lose to equal talent. I am predicting a 13-3 season for them, and a 3rd seed, but in my mind they are the 2nd best team in the league.
3. New Jersey Battalion: I think this is the 3rd best team in the conference, but I predict they will finish 2nd seed. They finished the first game with the best passing attack in the conference, and I think that trend will continue. They have some Team Chemistry issues, but with the next 3 games being against beatable teams, they could end up 5-1 going into their 6th game. By then their TC will be good enough to hang with anyone.
4. This is a tough one. It is pretty much a toss up between SOUTH GEORGIA GROWL, and The Richmond Rebel Yell. As I am a GLB Addict, I will claim partisanship and pick the GROWL. They have a great coaching staff, great dots, so I give them a slight edge. The only thing holding them back is player turnover, which may bite them when it comes to seeding, but come the playoffs, I think they are the 4th best team.
5. Richmond Rebel Yell: I gave a slight edge to the GROWL, but Richmond may be up to the task. They got a win out of their Inter-Conference game, and that might give them a seeding edge when the playoffs come. While out of their coaching staff, I only know Adderfist, they have the team talent to take them far this season.
6. 8 Mile Assault: This team managed to gain some talent, and drop some aging players in the off season, but at a very heavy cost in Team Chemistry. Unfortunately for them they face the toughest teams in the league right up front, when their TC is low. They might be able to steal a game or two based on their rushing game, which in my biased opinion will be the best in the league, but they will have to play very well just to make it to the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed. Aint TC a bitch?
7. 7th trough 12th is up in the air. All are solid teams, all have good coaching/game planning. I won't be a puss and not try to call it though: The 7th best team is.... WAR MACHINE! The other big advantage this team has.... it's owned by loonzilla. I don't know if you have heard of him, or much about him.... I had some of his toons on my team once, and they were probably the best builds of any I have seen. The guy can build, and if that rubs off on the rest of the team, they are going to be hard to beat.
8. Chicago Beasts: Out of the remaining rosters, they have the strongest one. My team didn't play against them, but did play against some teams they played against last season. They are a solidly run team, who just needs some more talent to reach the next level.
9. Bratislava Lambeau Leapers: I really like these guys... by that I mean they have plagued my existence for several seasons now, and one of the teams(8 Mile) only finally got a win against them in a scrimmage last season. The team has great coaching, but they are just behind the power curve on talent.
*Intermission.... I just found out that my wife banged the lead singer from Anthrax. It was around the time she banged Dave Mustaine (right around the time he got kicked out of Mettalica, she has love letters from him with the Meggadeath letterhead on them. It was still a gleam in his eye at that point..... In the end you just got to accept that your wife probably got tapped before you got to her... You just live with it.
Intermission Over.*
10. Baton Rouge Buccaneers: They are a team in transition. They have the old, and the new on the roster. Unfortunately, that is going to be their downfall THIS season. Fortunately next season, they will have a really strong base to start from. I haven't played against their coaching staff previously, but if they went 15-1 last season, I figure their coaching staff is pretty competent.
11. Ketchikan Kamper Adventure Rentals: Again another toss up. 4 more players on the roster, can make a big difference on special teams. Ketchikan has that advantage.
12. New Orleans Hoodoo Voodoo: I told you that 7-12 was pretty much a toss up. If there is one team that can defy my predictions, it is New Orleans. I have played against them, and their management does well with what they have. The team is under talented for the USAPL, but that doesn't mean they can't steal a win here and there to possibly get 8 wins, and a playoff spot. As with all the teams 7-12... its all going to depend on how they play the game.
13. Chicago Blitz: The only reason these guys are above Corpus Cristi, is that they can still add talent to boost their roster. Even the best game planning couldn't put them into the playoffs.
14. Corpus Christi Illegal Aliens: See Above. Too low on talent, nothing but losses on their record.
15. Ontario Ice Weasels : I am astounded that I place these guys over the Panters, but there you go.
16. Gaines Panthers: Hands down the worst team in the league, you only need to look at their roster to see why.
There we go... That is my team strength analysis, and I am sticking to it! For a week of GLB at least!
Now down to game predictions. I will order the games based on my rankings.
Game 1: Honolulu Hurricane Wife Carriers VS Corpus Christi Illegal Aliens
I don't even need to bother with this one.
Game Prediction: It is a 255+ - 0 game.
Game 2: Austin Wineswilling Fancy Boys VS Baton Rouge Buccaneers
I talk about the effects of Team Chemistry for a reason... It has a big effect on the game, when it is low, teams under perform. Austin is just getting to the turning point with TC, but should have enough to execute their game plan. When you combine a good game plan with great dots.... = Win.
Game prediction: 109 - 14 Austin.
Game 3: New Jersey Battalion VS 8 Mile Assault.
I hate to say it, but New Jersey has an advantage in average level, average player value, and TC. I think 8 mile will score, but they won't be able to hold the General's offense from scoring more points.
Game prediction: 42 - 14 New Jersey Generals.
Game 4: SOUTH GEORGIA GROWL VS Bratislava Lambeau Leapers
This is one of the more interesting match ups this week. South Georgia has a TC disadvantage. This will exact a price during the game. The teams in my opinion, are fairly equal, and As an Addict I will again claim partisanship and vote for the Addict team. This will be a close game.
Game prediction: 24 - 33 GROWL
Game 5: Richmond Rebel Yell VS New Orleans Hoodoo Voodoo
This should be a reasonably good game, I think that it will turn into a bit of a route in the 2nd half though. I give Richmond the edge.
Game prediction: 44 - 28 Richmond
Game 6: WAR MACHINE VS Chicago Blitz
Again, two closely match teams. I have faith in the WAR MACHINE, though, and I think they will run away with it.
Game prediction: 32 - 16 WAR MACHINE
Game 7: Chicago Beasts VS Baton Rouge Buccaneers
Factoring in all the TC difference (advantage Baton Rouge), and the Player level/Effective level, I have to make an educated guess. I am going with Chicago on this one.
Game prediction: 16 - 7 WAR MACHINE
Game 8: Ontario Ice Weasels VS Gaines Panthers
Last verses Laster. Ontario has a semblance of a team, Gains does not.
Game prediction: 255 - 0 Ontario
There we go... Take every prediction with a grain of salt, don't get offended... Just like the script that people run, it takes a week or two for it to all play out.
Hope this was fun for you!
-Cryptotich
The Western Conference took a beating in week 1, only managing to garner 5 wins. That's not very impressive. Does that mean the WC is a bunch of also rans, and weak sisters? Not really. The one big advantage the Eastern Conference had was Player Retention. In a tight league like the USAPL 10 points of Team Chemistry advantage can be the difference between a win or a loss for two equal teams. I suspect that had the inter-conference game taken place at the end of the season, we would have seen the 8-8 split.
On to the rankings going into week 2! Since this is my first week ranking, I am NOT ranking them by final seed. I am ranking them solely on how good I think they are. Next week, I will give ranking predictions for the playoffs.
1. Honolulu Hurricane Wife Carriers: Despite their game 1 loss, I think they are the team to beat in the WC. They had 6 turnovers in that loss, and I can only think of that as an anomaly. With even 1 less, they would have won the game. In my mind, they are the team to beat in the WC. I am predicting a 15-1 record for them. IMHO with a 100/100/100 TC, they would compete in the WL.
2. Austin Wineswilling Fancy Boys: They suffered a 2 point loss to a really good team, despite some Team Chemistry problems. I put them in in 2nd for 2 reasons, 1. They always recruit top notch talent. 2. Their game planning is nothing, if not through. If you have a weakness, they will find it, if you are predictable on offense, they will shut you down. It is a very rare game they will lose to equal talent. I am predicting a 13-3 season for them, and a 3rd seed, but in my mind they are the 2nd best team in the league.
3. New Jersey Battalion: I think this is the 3rd best team in the conference, but I predict they will finish 2nd seed. They finished the first game with the best passing attack in the conference, and I think that trend will continue. They have some Team Chemistry issues, but with the next 3 games being against beatable teams, they could end up 5-1 going into their 6th game. By then their TC will be good enough to hang with anyone.
4. This is a tough one. It is pretty much a toss up between SOUTH GEORGIA GROWL, and The Richmond Rebel Yell. As I am a GLB Addict, I will claim partisanship and pick the GROWL. They have a great coaching staff, great dots, so I give them a slight edge. The only thing holding them back is player turnover, which may bite them when it comes to seeding, but come the playoffs, I think they are the 4th best team.
5. Richmond Rebel Yell: I gave a slight edge to the GROWL, but Richmond may be up to the task. They got a win out of their Inter-Conference game, and that might give them a seeding edge when the playoffs come. While out of their coaching staff, I only know Adderfist, they have the team talent to take them far this season.
6. 8 Mile Assault: This team managed to gain some talent, and drop some aging players in the off season, but at a very heavy cost in Team Chemistry. Unfortunately for them they face the toughest teams in the league right up front, when their TC is low. They might be able to steal a game or two based on their rushing game, which in my biased opinion will be the best in the league, but they will have to play very well just to make it to the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed. Aint TC a bitch?
7. 7th trough 12th is up in the air. All are solid teams, all have good coaching/game planning. I won't be a puss and not try to call it though: The 7th best team is.... WAR MACHINE! The other big advantage this team has.... it's owned by loonzilla. I don't know if you have heard of him, or much about him.... I had some of his toons on my team once, and they were probably the best builds of any I have seen. The guy can build, and if that rubs off on the rest of the team, they are going to be hard to beat.
8. Chicago Beasts: Out of the remaining rosters, they have the strongest one. My team didn't play against them, but did play against some teams they played against last season. They are a solidly run team, who just needs some more talent to reach the next level.
9. Bratislava Lambeau Leapers: I really like these guys... by that I mean they have plagued my existence for several seasons now, and one of the teams(8 Mile) only finally got a win against them in a scrimmage last season. The team has great coaching, but they are just behind the power curve on talent.
*Intermission.... I just found out that my wife banged the lead singer from Anthrax. It was around the time she banged Dave Mustaine (right around the time he got kicked out of Mettalica, she has love letters from him with the Meggadeath letterhead on them. It was still a gleam in his eye at that point..... In the end you just got to accept that your wife probably got tapped before you got to her... You just live with it.
Intermission Over.*10. Baton Rouge Buccaneers: They are a team in transition. They have the old, and the new on the roster. Unfortunately, that is going to be their downfall THIS season. Fortunately next season, they will have a really strong base to start from. I haven't played against their coaching staff previously, but if they went 15-1 last season, I figure their coaching staff is pretty competent.
11. Ketchikan Kamper Adventure Rentals: Again another toss up. 4 more players on the roster, can make a big difference on special teams. Ketchikan has that advantage.
12. New Orleans Hoodoo Voodoo: I told you that 7-12 was pretty much a toss up. If there is one team that can defy my predictions, it is New Orleans. I have played against them, and their management does well with what they have. The team is under talented for the USAPL, but that doesn't mean they can't steal a win here and there to possibly get 8 wins, and a playoff spot. As with all the teams 7-12... its all going to depend on how they play the game.
13. Chicago Blitz: The only reason these guys are above Corpus Cristi, is that they can still add talent to boost their roster. Even the best game planning couldn't put them into the playoffs.
14. Corpus Christi Illegal Aliens: See Above. Too low on talent, nothing but losses on their record.
15. Ontario Ice Weasels : I am astounded that I place these guys over the Panters, but there you go.
16. Gaines Panthers: Hands down the worst team in the league, you only need to look at their roster to see why.
There we go... That is my team strength analysis, and I am sticking to it! For a week of GLB at least!
Now down to game predictions. I will order the games based on my rankings.
Game 1: Honolulu Hurricane Wife Carriers VS Corpus Christi Illegal Aliens
I don't even need to bother with this one.
Game Prediction: It is a 255+ - 0 game.
Game 2: Austin Wineswilling Fancy Boys VS Baton Rouge Buccaneers
I talk about the effects of Team Chemistry for a reason... It has a big effect on the game, when it is low, teams under perform. Austin is just getting to the turning point with TC, but should have enough to execute their game plan. When you combine a good game plan with great dots.... = Win.
Game prediction: 109 - 14 Austin.
Game 3: New Jersey Battalion VS 8 Mile Assault.
I hate to say it, but New Jersey has an advantage in average level, average player value, and TC. I think 8 mile will score, but they won't be able to hold the General's offense from scoring more points.
Game prediction: 42 - 14 New Jersey Generals.
Game 4: SOUTH GEORGIA GROWL VS Bratislava Lambeau Leapers
This is one of the more interesting match ups this week. South Georgia has a TC disadvantage. This will exact a price during the game. The teams in my opinion, are fairly equal, and As an Addict I will again claim partisanship and vote for the Addict team. This will be a close game.
Game prediction: 24 - 33 GROWL
Game 5: Richmond Rebel Yell VS New Orleans Hoodoo Voodoo
This should be a reasonably good game, I think that it will turn into a bit of a route in the 2nd half though. I give Richmond the edge.
Game prediction: 44 - 28 Richmond
Game 6: WAR MACHINE VS Chicago Blitz
Again, two closely match teams. I have faith in the WAR MACHINE, though, and I think they will run away with it.
Game prediction: 32 - 16 WAR MACHINE
Game 7: Chicago Beasts VS Baton Rouge Buccaneers
Factoring in all the TC difference (advantage Baton Rouge), and the Player level/Effective level, I have to make an educated guess. I am going with Chicago on this one.
Game prediction: 16 - 7 WAR MACHINE
Game 8: Ontario Ice Weasels VS Gaines Panthers
Last verses Laster. Ontario has a semblance of a team, Gains does not.
Game prediction: 255 - 0 Ontario
There we go... Take every prediction with a grain of salt, don't get offended... Just like the script that people run, it takes a week or two for it to all play out.
Hope this was fun for you!
-Cryptotich
