ALPHA
1. Stockholm Dynamites (Previous: 1)
-What was said about them: Better than advertised. Stockholm looks to be the absolute class of not just Alpha but BBB7. That hurting they put on Cologne must have other teams coming up soon shitting themselves.
-What has changed?: Stockholm continues to roll through Alpha with no resistance from any teams so far. I believe as it stands now there are only two teams left on their schedule that can even think about slowing them down, and I don't think either of them can actually beat them. I don't think the game against Helsinki will be as close as people say it will be. Stockholm's defense is just in a class of its own and I would need to see someone move the ball on them before I could ever pick against them.
-Prediction: Conference champion.
2. Helsinki Hitmen (Previous: 2)
-What was said about them: Very dominating win over South Beach helps solidify their hold on the #2 spot. They're the only team that I think can keep Stockholm from a 16-0 season and that will be a hard task to do.
-What has changed?: Their hold on #2 is slipping, as is their hold on the only team that I think can even give Stockholm a game. In a cluster of three dominating teams I think they are the second best team, but have been the least dominating of the three. Could potentially lose the game today and hold this spot in the rankings, but most likely they will be the #3 team in the next rankings.
-Prediction: Top four.
3. Athens Devils (Previous: 3)
-What was said about them: They flip flop with Dusseldorf because they dominated an excellent team from Zeta in week one, while Dusseldorf barely beat a lower ranked team. In the end the fact that they beat a team the quality of Berlin will have no affect on playoff seeding, but it still can be used to properly gauge how good the team is.
-What has changed?: Amazing win against Barcelona almost puts them in the #2 spot, and has me having second thoughts about their current ranking even as I write this. They can take the #2 spot outright with a win against Dusseldorf, and I think right now they are the team that could give Stockholm the best game. Thankfully they will meet later in the season when the playing field is a little more even, should be an excellent game.
-Prediction: Top four.
4. Dusseldorf Noobs (Previous: 4)
-What was said about them: Their first game was a real head scratcher. Palermo shouldn't have been able to hang with a team like this. I'm gonna chalk it up to a happens-once fluke, but Dusseldorf should really make sure that they don't let lesser teams sneak up on them, there are plenty of good teams in Alpha who could take the coveted fourth seed from them.
-What has changed?: Since the last rankings have shut out two awful teams and handily beat a third decent team. Their easy schedule ends now though, as they have Athens and Barcelona back to back in the stretch of games that literally makes or breaks their season. Wins in both and they can count on some extra cash coming in from a home playoff game. Lose them both and they'll probably end up playing Athens or Helsinki on the road in a round one playoff game. Not very desirable.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
5. Barcelona Dare Devils (Previous: 5)
-What was said about them: Two solid wins against solid teams are starting to turn me around on them. We won't know until they play a top Alpha team at home in week five if Barcelona is for real or not. Until then they have two free wins coming up.
-What has changed?: Took the two free wins, and got SPANKED by Athens. Almost moved them down but a Cologne loss kept them in the 5 spot, with an actual chance to move up after this week's games shake out. They have a couple games coming up in a couple weeks that will show me if Barcelona truly has what it takes to improve over last season.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
6. Cologne Ghosts (Previous: 6)
-What was said about them: A good strong win against the Stockholm Lions from Zeta, followed up by a thorough depantsing at the hands of the Stockholm Dynamites from Alpha. They have a couple of cake games ahead, and then a showdown against Helsinki in week five. The teams ranked three through six in Alpha are pretty similar to each other, I wouldn't be surprised to see one emerge from the pack. Can it be Cologne who is able to beat Helsinki and then hold off the other teams?
-What has changed?: Played well against Helsinki, but still fell short. Unless they make some improvements to their defense, they probably will not be able to scrape their way into the top four. However they do have four easily winnable games coming up, so they should enjoy them while they last and work out any kinks they have.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
7. South Beach Sea Hawks (Previous: 7)
-What was said about them: Great win against Reading. Bad loss against Helsinki. A bunch of winnable games coming up, and then an Athens, Barcelona, and Dusseldorf pu pu platter coming up in the middle of the season. Do they emerge from that as 8-1 or 7-2 and hop right into a top four lock? Do they come back 6-3 having knocked one off to solidify their playoff standing? Or do they lose them all and settle in for another season of being an average team?
-What has changed?: Has one more easy game left before their gauntlet through the 3 4 5 teams in Alpha. Nothing has changed for them really, they can prove themselves as a good team in the conference or as an average one depending on how their games against Athens, Barcelona, and Dusseldorf go.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
8. Liverpool SEA Fusion (Previous: 9)
-What was said about them: Bad loss to Birmingham and a good win against an awful team make me lukewarm about them now. At the same time, the teams below them haven't done anything to make me believe that this team isn't going to be a vast improvement over last season. I still think as the season wears on they will be able to hang with the big boys they will meet in the last two games.
-What has changed?: More good wins against awful teams and a bad loss to a good team. Glasgow this week should be a good barometer of their playoff chances.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
9. Glasgow Vultures (Previous: 8)
-What was said about them: Won a great game at Denver, lost a well-played game at home against Barcelona. That tells me that they're ready to at least hang with the big boys, and as the season goes on perhaps knock one or two of them off to help them in the seeding game. I think they'll be there come playoff time. A good game to affirm my thoughts? Dusseldorf tomorrow night.
-What has changed?: Got shit on by Dusseldorf and South Beach, which does not bode well for their playoff chances if they can be ranked 8 and the #7 team demolishes them. Needs to win against Liverpool and at least hang with Cologne to get back into the thick of the playoff race.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
10. Burlington Blue Devils (Previous: 10)
-What was said about them: Laid an egg at Chambersburg. They will have to win back my favor, but it is not going to happen in the next two games with Stockholm and Athens on the plate. Putting a solid amount of points on either of them would impress me with this team.
-What has changed?: 14 points on Athens was nice, but giving up 75 to them was not. The 72-0 loss at Stockholm was expected. Unfortunately for this team, their 2-3 start will probably be around 4-7 after they finish their brutal stretch of games. I don't see them being favored against anyone save for Norwich coming up. Bad times ahead.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
11. Norwich Nighthawks (Previous: 11)
-What was said about them: Not impressed so far, and there are so many holes that I think it will be hard for them to scrape together enough wins to make the playoffs. It is still early however.
-What has changed?: More losses to better teams. The loss to Liverpool pretty much ends their playoff dreams.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
12. The Fantasy Helmet Project (Previous: 12)
-What was said about them: They have a BRUTAL schedule coming up, but will have a chance at the end of the season to show their worth.
-What has changed?: Brutal schedule continues. Maybe they can find the end zone again after their game tonight is done.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
13. Gonadian Knights (Previous: 14)
-What was said about them: Shellacked by two higher level BBB7 teams so nothing really to report. Still facing the prospects of a very tough season.
-What has changed?: Beat Flat Packed Monkey in a close game to reassure the rest of the league that no, they aren't the worst team in Alpha. But they are still close.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
14. Flat Packed Monkey (Previous: 15)
-What was said about them: Formerly the Messina Blazers, the name change seems to be the only thing the owner has done. Their CPU players should actually keep them in a few games against similar level teams though.
-What has changed?: Their CPU guys are actually putting points on the board.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
15. Hamburg Vipers (Previous: 16)
-What was said about them: The Liverpool game shows how far that they have come and how far Hamburg didn't go. I don't think they are going to go 0-16 and be the worst team in Alpha guaranteed, but you can't score zero points in two games and not be down in the cellar.
-What has changed?: Scored a couple times since their last ranking, and will be rewarded with a trip out of the cellar. For now.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
16. Mannheim Spartans (Previous: 13)
-What was said about them: Their win just shows how horrible Capeside is, tells me nothing about Mannheim other than it may be the only points this team scores all year save for the games against teams like them.
-What has changed?: A disaster, haven't scored a point since their win against Capeside.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
Thoughts on Alpha: Stockholm is the class of BBB7 by far, and I don't think anyone but Athens and Helsinki could even hang more than a touchdown on them. All of this could even out as the season goes on but I have my doubts. Alpha is 6 teams deep at best, and after that it is a steep dropoff. The 4-6 teams are very close together, and the 7th team is decent too. It could easily be said that if either of the top 7 teams in Alpha were in Zeta that they would be guaranteed a playoff spot and a decent seed, but it can also be said that the 8th seed in Alpha would probably miss the playoffs by a mile in Zeta, that is how top heavy Alpha is.
ZETA
1. Lyon Winemakers (Previous: 1)
-What was said about them: Offensive struggles have me questioning their grip on the top spot, but at the same time the defensive play has been excellent. Should be favored in every game for several weeks, but will have to prove their mettle in their Germany road trip against Berlin and Baden.
-What has changed?: Offensive struggles have seemingly been worked out. In a conference with lots of parity, Lyon still stands out. Big stretch of games ahead, however, that should determine if they will be the top seed or not.
-Prediction: Conference champion.
2. Berlin Blitz (Previous: 3)
-What was said about them: Couldn't quite keep up with Athens, but dismantled Denver badly. Have several cakewalk games coming up, but need to make sure they watch out for Chambersburg, lest we forget about last season. I'm starting to warm up to the idea of them competing for the conference championship.
-What has changed?: Their loss to Athens looks better and better as Athens keeps rolling. Have been destroying patsies but that ends tonight with their grudge match against Chambersburg to avenge last season. Their passing and running game is really clicking, the jury is still out on their defense though.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
3. Chambersburg Trojans (Previous: 5)
-What was said about them: I do think that the team is setting itself up to crash and burn next season when it tries to improve its roster but can't afford to. That being said, two great wins for them. They can show the rest of the league that they belong in the top four talk if they beat Birmingham and Denver the next two weeks. I think they can.
-What has changed?: Did what they had to do against Birmingham and Denver. Big game against Berlin this week in the best game out there in Zeta. Chambersburg hopes that they simply have Berlin's number and can keep rolling on their undefeated season.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
4. Atlanta 404 (Previous: 4)
-What was said about them: Getting smoked at the hands of Stockholm is a forgivable offense. Barely beating Milan, however, won't win you points when you are picked to compete for the championship. This team will have a few chances to re-prove itself to me in upcoming weeks.
-What has changed?: Did a solid job of getting back in my good graces the past few games. Good win against Reading is enough for me to be sure that they will be in the mix when home playoff games are being decided. That being said, they can not get complacent because an enigmatic Stockholm team awaits.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
5. Stockholm Lions (Previous: 7)
-What was said about them: Not much really has changed. Lost the game they were supposed to lose, crushed the team they were supposed to crush. Absolutely LETHAL stretch coming up, with Lyon, Baden, and Atlanta set to butt heads with the Lions. A win in any of them puts them in the conference elite talk. Hanging around in either of them shows that they deserve their seeding. Getting destroyed would show that maybe they need another year to compete in BBB7.
-What has changed?: Annihilated by Lyon, but then took care of business against Baden, crushing them. That makes me sure that this team will be there come playoff time. Losses to Luxembourg make me think that maybe that is all they will be. A win against Atlanta is absolutely necessary to keep them in the hunt for a home playoff game.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
6. Baden Bandits (Previous: 2)
-What was said about them: Started off guns blazing, destroying the two teams that stood in their path. Their Palermo win looks great, but I will need another week or two to judge if my perception of Palermo was based on how good I thought they were or how average Dusseldorf might be. This team, however, is firing on all cylinders and should be able to take Reading and Stockholm when they play in the next two weeks.
-What has changed?: Their win against Reading exposed some defensive deficiencies (alliteration bitch!). Those were used by Stockholm to bring Baden back down to earth. This team can still score a healthy amount of points on decent teams, but how will they fare against the conference's elite? luckily for them those games do not come until later on. Unluckily for them, they come almost consecutively. Until then they have some winnable games.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
7. Denver Hounds (Previous: 8)
-What was said about them: I knew the team had holes, but I also thought they would run the table until their matchup with Atlanta. How wrong I was. Two disasterous losses has me questioning if this team even wants to make the playoffs, when the roster moves and their early game play are taken into account. I am fairly certain that the results of the first two games will not be a trend, but to prove that they will need to show up against Chambersburg next week.
-What has changed?: Continues to underperform their preseason projections, which disappoints me. I still can't get the notion out of my head though that they are still a dangerous team. They did give Chambersburg a game two weeks ago, and have good chances to make statements with wins against either Lyon or Baden the next two weeks.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
8. Reading Armed Centaurs (Previous: 6)
-What was said about them: Got throttled by South Beach whom I thought Reading should have beaten, then came back and really shut down the Lyon offense. I think their defense is very strong, but their offense can not keep up with them. They will be in several low scoring games this year against quality opponents. Can they win any of them, like Baden this week?
-What has changed?: Crushed by Baden and Atlanta. Starting to trust their defense less and less as each week goes by. They can climb out of their 1-4 hole, but to do that they need to re-learn how to take care of business starting this week against Milan.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
9. Milan Eagles (Previous: 10)
-What was said about them: Two very respectable losses against much better teams. I like their defense, hopefully their offense blossoms into something that can make some noise. Another tough tough game against Berlin this week, then a couple of winnable games are on the table for Milan.
-What has changed?: Smoked by Berlin so we won't be guaranteeing anything about Milan this week, but a great win against Palermo keeps them in the discussion. Wins in the next two weeks will have me dropping the "contender" from their ranking.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
10. Luxembourg Lightning Bolts (Previous: 11)
-What was said about them: Two wins against teams they should have beaten, although the Norwich win was very nice. Still have some proving to do before I can trust them. Big game against Palermo tomorrow will settle some things.
-What has changed?: Wrote them off after the loss to Palermo. Of course, they immediately turn around and stun Stockholm, who stunned Baden just a week before. This team stays in the playoff hunt, and can really settle in to it if it takes care of business in their winnable games the next few weeks.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
11. Birmingham Polipocs (Previous: 9)
-What was said about them: Two great wins are starting to show me that this team is legit. Beating Chambersburg this week would let me drop the "contender" out of their prediction.
-What has changed?: Gave Chambersburg a mediocre game. Did not give Lyon anything resembling a game with 18 total yards of offense. Will the trend continue or be reversed in their next 3 games?
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
12. Palermo Panthers (Previous: 12)
-What was said about them: Filled most of the holes, but still has emergency level depth problems in the secondary, which Baden game planned for and used against them to light them up in week two. This ranking will start to tumble if they don't get some cornerbacks very very fast.
-What has changed?: Got their cornerbacks, and won a game against Luxembourg. Kept two losses to Atlanta and Milan very close, but close only counts in horseshoes. Will win tonight, then another tough stretch comes up. If they cant steal one, playoffs will remain an illusion.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
13. Middlesbrough Mayhem (Previous: 13)
-What was said about them: Beat a slow build team, then got crushed by Chambersburg. Should easily get a win at Capeside tomorrow, then are probably going to be pin cushions for Lyon and Baden.
-What has changed?: Got throttled the last two games, but the schedule lightens up a bit. If they can keep themselves at .500 or above they can get into the playoff hunt, but its doubtful they can make it.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
14. Southampton Shadows (Previous: 14)
-What was said about them: Keeps getting smoked, no real prospects for the season to improve.
-What has changed?: Good news? will win today. Bad news? Lyon and Baden after. Tough season continues to get tough.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
15. Sexintown Rubbers (Previous: 15)
-What was said about them: Awful.
-What has changed?: Still awful, but at least they can get on the scoreboard.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
16. Capeside Minutemen (Previous: 16)
-What was said about them: By far the worst team in BBB7.
-What has changed?: I think it would take an act of god for them to score a point this season.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
Thoughts on Zeta: Lyon is the class of the conference. After that, there are five good teams who could all make a claim that they can be the second best team in the conference. To make things even more interesting, on any given day the four teams below them could knock either of them off! Parity is the king in Zeta, and will make the playoff push VERY interesting.
picks:
Stockholm Dynamites at Helsinki Hitmen
-Preview: Stockholm is the best, Helsinki could be the second best, but I think I am the only person who doesn't think that this will be close at all.
-Prediction: Stockholm 45-14
Dusseldorf Noobs at Athens Devils **GAME OF THE WEEK**
-Preview: I think it will be an exciting game to watch, but Athens is stronger offensively and defensively in my book. Still, in this game, it could really go either way.
-Prediction: Athens 33-21
South Beach Sea Hawks at The Fantasy Helmet Project
-Prediction: South Beach 93-0
Barcelona Dare devils at Burlington Blue Devils
-Prediction: Barcelona 55-17
Cologne Ghosts at Gonadian Knights
-Prediction: Cologne 107-7
Liverpool SEA Fusion at Glasgow Vultures
-Prediction: Liverpool 62-41
Hamburg Vipers at Norwich Nighthawks
-Prediction: Norwich 56-10
Flat Packed Monkey at Mannheim Spartans
-Prediction: Flat Packed 42-27
Lyon Winemakers at Denver Hounds
-Prediction: Lyon 51-10
Chambersburg Trojans at Berlin Blitz
-Preview: Berlin has the offense and Chambersburg has the defense. I think the defense will give way first but I have been wrong before.
-Prediction: Berlin 44-35
Baden Bandits at Birmingham Polipocs
-Prediction: Baden 56-24
Atlanta 404 at Stockholm Lions
-Prediction: Atlanta 35-21
Luxembourg Lightning Bolts at Middlesbrough Mayhem
-Prediction: Luxembourg 37-27
Milan Eagles at Reading Armed Centaurs
-Prediction: Reading 33-30
Sexintown Rubbers at Palermo Panthers
-Prediction: Palermo 77-3
Capeside Minutemen at Southampton Shadows
-Prediction: Southampton 85-0
enjoy
1. Stockholm Dynamites (Previous: 1)
-What was said about them: Better than advertised. Stockholm looks to be the absolute class of not just Alpha but BBB7. That hurting they put on Cologne must have other teams coming up soon shitting themselves.
-What has changed?: Stockholm continues to roll through Alpha with no resistance from any teams so far. I believe as it stands now there are only two teams left on their schedule that can even think about slowing them down, and I don't think either of them can actually beat them. I don't think the game against Helsinki will be as close as people say it will be. Stockholm's defense is just in a class of its own and I would need to see someone move the ball on them before I could ever pick against them.
-Prediction: Conference champion.
2. Helsinki Hitmen (Previous: 2)
-What was said about them: Very dominating win over South Beach helps solidify their hold on the #2 spot. They're the only team that I think can keep Stockholm from a 16-0 season and that will be a hard task to do.
-What has changed?: Their hold on #2 is slipping, as is their hold on the only team that I think can even give Stockholm a game. In a cluster of three dominating teams I think they are the second best team, but have been the least dominating of the three. Could potentially lose the game today and hold this spot in the rankings, but most likely they will be the #3 team in the next rankings.
-Prediction: Top four.
3. Athens Devils (Previous: 3)
-What was said about them: They flip flop with Dusseldorf because they dominated an excellent team from Zeta in week one, while Dusseldorf barely beat a lower ranked team. In the end the fact that they beat a team the quality of Berlin will have no affect on playoff seeding, but it still can be used to properly gauge how good the team is.
-What has changed?: Amazing win against Barcelona almost puts them in the #2 spot, and has me having second thoughts about their current ranking even as I write this. They can take the #2 spot outright with a win against Dusseldorf, and I think right now they are the team that could give Stockholm the best game. Thankfully they will meet later in the season when the playing field is a little more even, should be an excellent game.
-Prediction: Top four.
4. Dusseldorf Noobs (Previous: 4)
-What was said about them: Their first game was a real head scratcher. Palermo shouldn't have been able to hang with a team like this. I'm gonna chalk it up to a happens-once fluke, but Dusseldorf should really make sure that they don't let lesser teams sneak up on them, there are plenty of good teams in Alpha who could take the coveted fourth seed from them.
-What has changed?: Since the last rankings have shut out two awful teams and handily beat a third decent team. Their easy schedule ends now though, as they have Athens and Barcelona back to back in the stretch of games that literally makes or breaks their season. Wins in both and they can count on some extra cash coming in from a home playoff game. Lose them both and they'll probably end up playing Athens or Helsinki on the road in a round one playoff game. Not very desirable.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
5. Barcelona Dare Devils (Previous: 5)
-What was said about them: Two solid wins against solid teams are starting to turn me around on them. We won't know until they play a top Alpha team at home in week five if Barcelona is for real or not. Until then they have two free wins coming up.
-What has changed?: Took the two free wins, and got SPANKED by Athens. Almost moved them down but a Cologne loss kept them in the 5 spot, with an actual chance to move up after this week's games shake out. They have a couple games coming up in a couple weeks that will show me if Barcelona truly has what it takes to improve over last season.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
6. Cologne Ghosts (Previous: 6)
-What was said about them: A good strong win against the Stockholm Lions from Zeta, followed up by a thorough depantsing at the hands of the Stockholm Dynamites from Alpha. They have a couple of cake games ahead, and then a showdown against Helsinki in week five. The teams ranked three through six in Alpha are pretty similar to each other, I wouldn't be surprised to see one emerge from the pack. Can it be Cologne who is able to beat Helsinki and then hold off the other teams?
-What has changed?: Played well against Helsinki, but still fell short. Unless they make some improvements to their defense, they probably will not be able to scrape their way into the top four. However they do have four easily winnable games coming up, so they should enjoy them while they last and work out any kinks they have.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
7. South Beach Sea Hawks (Previous: 7)
-What was said about them: Great win against Reading. Bad loss against Helsinki. A bunch of winnable games coming up, and then an Athens, Barcelona, and Dusseldorf pu pu platter coming up in the middle of the season. Do they emerge from that as 8-1 or 7-2 and hop right into a top four lock? Do they come back 6-3 having knocked one off to solidify their playoff standing? Or do they lose them all and settle in for another season of being an average team?
-What has changed?: Has one more easy game left before their gauntlet through the 3 4 5 teams in Alpha. Nothing has changed for them really, they can prove themselves as a good team in the conference or as an average one depending on how their games against Athens, Barcelona, and Dusseldorf go.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
8. Liverpool SEA Fusion (Previous: 9)
-What was said about them: Bad loss to Birmingham and a good win against an awful team make me lukewarm about them now. At the same time, the teams below them haven't done anything to make me believe that this team isn't going to be a vast improvement over last season. I still think as the season wears on they will be able to hang with the big boys they will meet in the last two games.
-What has changed?: More good wins against awful teams and a bad loss to a good team. Glasgow this week should be a good barometer of their playoff chances.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
9. Glasgow Vultures (Previous: 8)
-What was said about them: Won a great game at Denver, lost a well-played game at home against Barcelona. That tells me that they're ready to at least hang with the big boys, and as the season goes on perhaps knock one or two of them off to help them in the seeding game. I think they'll be there come playoff time. A good game to affirm my thoughts? Dusseldorf tomorrow night.
-What has changed?: Got shit on by Dusseldorf and South Beach, which does not bode well for their playoff chances if they can be ranked 8 and the #7 team demolishes them. Needs to win against Liverpool and at least hang with Cologne to get back into the thick of the playoff race.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
10. Burlington Blue Devils (Previous: 10)
-What was said about them: Laid an egg at Chambersburg. They will have to win back my favor, but it is not going to happen in the next two games with Stockholm and Athens on the plate. Putting a solid amount of points on either of them would impress me with this team.
-What has changed?: 14 points on Athens was nice, but giving up 75 to them was not. The 72-0 loss at Stockholm was expected. Unfortunately for this team, their 2-3 start will probably be around 4-7 after they finish their brutal stretch of games. I don't see them being favored against anyone save for Norwich coming up. Bad times ahead.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
11. Norwich Nighthawks (Previous: 11)
-What was said about them: Not impressed so far, and there are so many holes that I think it will be hard for them to scrape together enough wins to make the playoffs. It is still early however.
-What has changed?: More losses to better teams. The loss to Liverpool pretty much ends their playoff dreams.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
12. The Fantasy Helmet Project (Previous: 12)
-What was said about them: They have a BRUTAL schedule coming up, but will have a chance at the end of the season to show their worth.
-What has changed?: Brutal schedule continues. Maybe they can find the end zone again after their game tonight is done.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
13. Gonadian Knights (Previous: 14)
-What was said about them: Shellacked by two higher level BBB7 teams so nothing really to report. Still facing the prospects of a very tough season.
-What has changed?: Beat Flat Packed Monkey in a close game to reassure the rest of the league that no, they aren't the worst team in Alpha. But they are still close.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
14. Flat Packed Monkey (Previous: 15)
-What was said about them: Formerly the Messina Blazers, the name change seems to be the only thing the owner has done. Their CPU players should actually keep them in a few games against similar level teams though.
-What has changed?: Their CPU guys are actually putting points on the board.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
15. Hamburg Vipers (Previous: 16)
-What was said about them: The Liverpool game shows how far that they have come and how far Hamburg didn't go. I don't think they are going to go 0-16 and be the worst team in Alpha guaranteed, but you can't score zero points in two games and not be down in the cellar.
-What has changed?: Scored a couple times since their last ranking, and will be rewarded with a trip out of the cellar. For now.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
16. Mannheim Spartans (Previous: 13)
-What was said about them: Their win just shows how horrible Capeside is, tells me nothing about Mannheim other than it may be the only points this team scores all year save for the games against teams like them.
-What has changed?: A disaster, haven't scored a point since their win against Capeside.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
Thoughts on Alpha: Stockholm is the class of BBB7 by far, and I don't think anyone but Athens and Helsinki could even hang more than a touchdown on them. All of this could even out as the season goes on but I have my doubts. Alpha is 6 teams deep at best, and after that it is a steep dropoff. The 4-6 teams are very close together, and the 7th team is decent too. It could easily be said that if either of the top 7 teams in Alpha were in Zeta that they would be guaranteed a playoff spot and a decent seed, but it can also be said that the 8th seed in Alpha would probably miss the playoffs by a mile in Zeta, that is how top heavy Alpha is.
ZETA
1. Lyon Winemakers (Previous: 1)
-What was said about them: Offensive struggles have me questioning their grip on the top spot, but at the same time the defensive play has been excellent. Should be favored in every game for several weeks, but will have to prove their mettle in their Germany road trip against Berlin and Baden.
-What has changed?: Offensive struggles have seemingly been worked out. In a conference with lots of parity, Lyon still stands out. Big stretch of games ahead, however, that should determine if they will be the top seed or not.
-Prediction: Conference champion.
2. Berlin Blitz (Previous: 3)
-What was said about them: Couldn't quite keep up with Athens, but dismantled Denver badly. Have several cakewalk games coming up, but need to make sure they watch out for Chambersburg, lest we forget about last season. I'm starting to warm up to the idea of them competing for the conference championship.
-What has changed?: Their loss to Athens looks better and better as Athens keeps rolling. Have been destroying patsies but that ends tonight with their grudge match against Chambersburg to avenge last season. Their passing and running game is really clicking, the jury is still out on their defense though.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
3. Chambersburg Trojans (Previous: 5)
-What was said about them: I do think that the team is setting itself up to crash and burn next season when it tries to improve its roster but can't afford to. That being said, two great wins for them. They can show the rest of the league that they belong in the top four talk if they beat Birmingham and Denver the next two weeks. I think they can.
-What has changed?: Did what they had to do against Birmingham and Denver. Big game against Berlin this week in the best game out there in Zeta. Chambersburg hopes that they simply have Berlin's number and can keep rolling on their undefeated season.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
4. Atlanta 404 (Previous: 4)
-What was said about them: Getting smoked at the hands of Stockholm is a forgivable offense. Barely beating Milan, however, won't win you points when you are picked to compete for the championship. This team will have a few chances to re-prove itself to me in upcoming weeks.
-What has changed?: Did a solid job of getting back in my good graces the past few games. Good win against Reading is enough for me to be sure that they will be in the mix when home playoff games are being decided. That being said, they can not get complacent because an enigmatic Stockholm team awaits.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
5. Stockholm Lions (Previous: 7)
-What was said about them: Not much really has changed. Lost the game they were supposed to lose, crushed the team they were supposed to crush. Absolutely LETHAL stretch coming up, with Lyon, Baden, and Atlanta set to butt heads with the Lions. A win in any of them puts them in the conference elite talk. Hanging around in either of them shows that they deserve their seeding. Getting destroyed would show that maybe they need another year to compete in BBB7.
-What has changed?: Annihilated by Lyon, but then took care of business against Baden, crushing them. That makes me sure that this team will be there come playoff time. Losses to Luxembourg make me think that maybe that is all they will be. A win against Atlanta is absolutely necessary to keep them in the hunt for a home playoff game.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
6. Baden Bandits (Previous: 2)
-What was said about them: Started off guns blazing, destroying the two teams that stood in their path. Their Palermo win looks great, but I will need another week or two to judge if my perception of Palermo was based on how good I thought they were or how average Dusseldorf might be. This team, however, is firing on all cylinders and should be able to take Reading and Stockholm when they play in the next two weeks.
-What has changed?: Their win against Reading exposed some defensive deficiencies (alliteration bitch!). Those were used by Stockholm to bring Baden back down to earth. This team can still score a healthy amount of points on decent teams, but how will they fare against the conference's elite? luckily for them those games do not come until later on. Unluckily for them, they come almost consecutively. Until then they have some winnable games.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
7. Denver Hounds (Previous: 8)
-What was said about them: I knew the team had holes, but I also thought they would run the table until their matchup with Atlanta. How wrong I was. Two disasterous losses has me questioning if this team even wants to make the playoffs, when the roster moves and their early game play are taken into account. I am fairly certain that the results of the first two games will not be a trend, but to prove that they will need to show up against Chambersburg next week.
-What has changed?: Continues to underperform their preseason projections, which disappoints me. I still can't get the notion out of my head though that they are still a dangerous team. They did give Chambersburg a game two weeks ago, and have good chances to make statements with wins against either Lyon or Baden the next two weeks.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
8. Reading Armed Centaurs (Previous: 6)
-What was said about them: Got throttled by South Beach whom I thought Reading should have beaten, then came back and really shut down the Lyon offense. I think their defense is very strong, but their offense can not keep up with them. They will be in several low scoring games this year against quality opponents. Can they win any of them, like Baden this week?
-What has changed?: Crushed by Baden and Atlanta. Starting to trust their defense less and less as each week goes by. They can climb out of their 1-4 hole, but to do that they need to re-learn how to take care of business starting this week against Milan.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
9. Milan Eagles (Previous: 10)
-What was said about them: Two very respectable losses against much better teams. I like their defense, hopefully their offense blossoms into something that can make some noise. Another tough tough game against Berlin this week, then a couple of winnable games are on the table for Milan.
-What has changed?: Smoked by Berlin so we won't be guaranteeing anything about Milan this week, but a great win against Palermo keeps them in the discussion. Wins in the next two weeks will have me dropping the "contender" from their ranking.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
10. Luxembourg Lightning Bolts (Previous: 11)
-What was said about them: Two wins against teams they should have beaten, although the Norwich win was very nice. Still have some proving to do before I can trust them. Big game against Palermo tomorrow will settle some things.
-What has changed?: Wrote them off after the loss to Palermo. Of course, they immediately turn around and stun Stockholm, who stunned Baden just a week before. This team stays in the playoff hunt, and can really settle in to it if it takes care of business in their winnable games the next few weeks.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
11. Birmingham Polipocs (Previous: 9)
-What was said about them: Two great wins are starting to show me that this team is legit. Beating Chambersburg this week would let me drop the "contender" out of their prediction.
-What has changed?: Gave Chambersburg a mediocre game. Did not give Lyon anything resembling a game with 18 total yards of offense. Will the trend continue or be reversed in their next 3 games?
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
12. Palermo Panthers (Previous: 12)
-What was said about them: Filled most of the holes, but still has emergency level depth problems in the secondary, which Baden game planned for and used against them to light them up in week two. This ranking will start to tumble if they don't get some cornerbacks very very fast.
-What has changed?: Got their cornerbacks, and won a game against Luxembourg. Kept two losses to Atlanta and Milan very close, but close only counts in horseshoes. Will win tonight, then another tough stretch comes up. If they cant steal one, playoffs will remain an illusion.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
13. Middlesbrough Mayhem (Previous: 13)
-What was said about them: Beat a slow build team, then got crushed by Chambersburg. Should easily get a win at Capeside tomorrow, then are probably going to be pin cushions for Lyon and Baden.
-What has changed?: Got throttled the last two games, but the schedule lightens up a bit. If they can keep themselves at .500 or above they can get into the playoff hunt, but its doubtful they can make it.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
14. Southampton Shadows (Previous: 14)
-What was said about them: Keeps getting smoked, no real prospects for the season to improve.
-What has changed?: Good news? will win today. Bad news? Lyon and Baden after. Tough season continues to get tough.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
15. Sexintown Rubbers (Previous: 15)
-What was said about them: Awful.
-What has changed?: Still awful, but at least they can get on the scoreboard.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
16. Capeside Minutemen (Previous: 16)
-What was said about them: By far the worst team in BBB7.
-What has changed?: I think it would take an act of god for them to score a point this season.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
Thoughts on Zeta: Lyon is the class of the conference. After that, there are five good teams who could all make a claim that they can be the second best team in the conference. To make things even more interesting, on any given day the four teams below them could knock either of them off! Parity is the king in Zeta, and will make the playoff push VERY interesting.
picks:
Stockholm Dynamites at Helsinki Hitmen
-Preview: Stockholm is the best, Helsinki could be the second best, but I think I am the only person who doesn't think that this will be close at all.
-Prediction: Stockholm 45-14
Dusseldorf Noobs at Athens Devils **GAME OF THE WEEK**
-Preview: I think it will be an exciting game to watch, but Athens is stronger offensively and defensively in my book. Still, in this game, it could really go either way.
-Prediction: Athens 33-21
South Beach Sea Hawks at The Fantasy Helmet Project
-Prediction: South Beach 93-0
Barcelona Dare devils at Burlington Blue Devils
-Prediction: Barcelona 55-17
Cologne Ghosts at Gonadian Knights
-Prediction: Cologne 107-7
Liverpool SEA Fusion at Glasgow Vultures
-Prediction: Liverpool 62-41
Hamburg Vipers at Norwich Nighthawks
-Prediction: Norwich 56-10
Flat Packed Monkey at Mannheim Spartans
-Prediction: Flat Packed 42-27
Lyon Winemakers at Denver Hounds
-Prediction: Lyon 51-10
Chambersburg Trojans at Berlin Blitz
-Preview: Berlin has the offense and Chambersburg has the defense. I think the defense will give way first but I have been wrong before.
-Prediction: Berlin 44-35
Baden Bandits at Birmingham Polipocs
-Prediction: Baden 56-24
Atlanta 404 at Stockholm Lions
-Prediction: Atlanta 35-21
Luxembourg Lightning Bolts at Middlesbrough Mayhem
-Prediction: Luxembourg 37-27
Milan Eagles at Reading Armed Centaurs
-Prediction: Reading 33-30
Sexintown Rubbers at Palermo Panthers
-Prediction: Palermo 77-3
Capeside Minutemen at Southampton Shadows
-Prediction: Southampton 85-0
enjoy
Last edited Jan 12, 2009 15:14:46
.. Im fairly confident we will make the post season the game vs lyon will be tough 
. We've made some strides, but I look forward to playing one of the leagues elite. Should be a helluva test for our young team. Great job as usual goldielax. 
