What's up APL! I'm back for another season of rankings and predictions and after looking through both conferences I can easily say that the Ele playoff race is going to come down to the wire again this season while the Lion playoff teams will probably be decided before we hit week 12.
I've put everyone's season 20 record next to the team name and also italed promoted teams and demoted WL teams to break them apart. If I messed something up blame it on the fact that I'm doing this at work.
Hope you all enjoy even if you disagree. I know WWR missed me tremendously last season.
And BB, I promise I won't make any comments when I make picks for/against Guyana again.
PRESEASON RANKINGS
LION
1 Somalia Pirates (15-1) - If any team has a lot to live up to this season it's the Pirates. They dominated a lot of teams last season and only lost 1 regular season game to the eventual champs, albeit a huge loss. They came back out in the 3rd round of the playoffs though and, while they lost again to Canton, they lost by a mere 3 points which was a huge feat after losing by 74 in the regular season.
2 Philly Franklins (12-4) - Philly looked strong most of last season but fell short in the playoffs when they lost to Somalia by 30. Perfect chem and a stacked roster has them looking great again.
3 Guyana Punch (10-6) - Every now and then a young team gets promoted and has some incredible games. Last season that team was Guyana. They played some tough games against top teams and with a season under their belts it's easy to think that this is a team that could put a scare into most of the league.
4 San Diego (11-5) - The Aquabats started last season strong but lost all their steam the last month of the season before suffering a first round playoff loss. They were, along with GP, the best of the new teams last season and didn't have any issues with youth on the team. I expect them to be in contention for a home playoff spot this season.
5 CWE (11-5) - CWE should once again be in the thick of things. Their chem is almost perfect already and they're always a tough team.
6 Lincoln (11-5) - The Saints played some great games last season and showed they have what it takes to contend for a top 4 spot. The big question is how much improvement have they made over the offseason. The chem is hurting so hopefully it won't hurt their early games.
7 Zambezi Silverbacks (11-5) - Had some close losses last season against some of the top teams. The roster is pretty stacked but my biggest concern is with the older players going into plateau. Will that work against them this season?
8 Mega City Monsters (16-0) - Stacked roster. Check. Solid chem. Check. Claims of being a farm team. Check. So it's hard to know how much work goes into this team when they're a farm team. I'll have to wait for the season to start before passing any real judgement on the Monsters but the team looks solid on paper.
9 Nile River Assassins (5-11) - Their wins came against some of the worst teams in the conference last season but they had some close losses that showed promise. They're still a little young so I think they fall in the same area this season with maybe a slight improvement.
10 Texas Longhorns (5-11) - The Longhorns had it rough last season and will look to improve this season. The depth in a few spots could be a concern not to mention the youth of some of their players. It's hard to see too much improvement this season based on that.
11 Nuremberg Nighthawks (12-4) - A little young in some areas and their last league wasn't full of competition. This could be a chance to shine or a huge wake up call for this squad but I think they'll finish in the 9-12th ranked spots by seasons end.
12 Transylvania (4-12) - Barely squeezed out a 4 win season and even thought they're a little more experienced this time around they have a few depth issues that they should improve if they want to do better than 4 wins this season.
13 Oklahoma Outlaws (3-13) - I thought the Outlaws would show improvement last season but instead they regressed. With most of the same teams still here there's no reason for me to think they'll improve much this season.
14 Cape Verde Aces (12-4) - The Aces had a nice run last season but were eliminated from the playoffs in the second round by a huge margin which makes me wonder if they're ready for Pro. To answer that question I delved into their roster and quickly realized that they are most definitely not ready for this show. Very young team that will find it difficult to compete this season.
15 Manchester Mass Murderers (11-5) - Same story as the Aces. Young team that will fight to avoid demotion this season.
16 Medicine Hat Witch Doctors (12-4) - A bunch of CPU players and nowhere near enough depth. This is either a farm team or a team about to get a rude awakening.
ELEPHANT
1 Carthage Mad Clash (6-10) - 6 WL wins translates to what? 14 wins this season? 15? Perfect season? We're going to find out in the coming weeks. The squad looks stacked and chem appears to be the only negative.
2 Warriors (12-4) - A solid roster and a deep playoff run last season have them set as an early favorite. The competition will again be tough so there's no clear cut #1 team at this point.
3 RMT (12-4) - Looking to improve on their superb season 20. This team won't sneak up on anyone this season after the way they performed last season.
4 Sons (11-5) - The Sons looked a little off last season and that translated to an 11-5 season. If they return to their dominating ways we could see improvement there. Again, chem could be an issue early on.
5 ICB (13-3) - Season in and out this team is in contention. They have to be feeling that first round loss to ABD last season though.
6 Nairobi (11-5) - A first round exit should serve as enough motivation for Nairobi this season. They seemed to be on auto-pilot compared to other seasons but took down some good teams late in the season.
7 A7 (11-5) - This could be the season A7 finally breaks out and makes a run at a home playoff spot but damn if Elephant isn't tough from top to bottom. A few questionable teams here but for the most part it looks like another clusterfuck is coming for the last few playoff spots.
8 ABD (9-7) - Decent season was highlighted with their first playoff win. They had some close calls against bad teams and need to eliminate those mistakes. That should take them further.The lack of LB depth and plethora of CPU players worries me the most.
9 49ers (7-9) - Looks to be largely the same team that failed to separate itself from the bottom tier. Should finish decently but I'm not seeing the playoffs in their future.
10 Gotta Have More Cowbell (16-0) - Gotta is fresh off of a stellar season that saw them fall 1 game short of a perfect season. They got creamed in their LC game though. This is the only promoted team in Ele so it'll be tough but I think they'll have a decent season right off the bat.
11 BSS (9-7) - Youth movement in progress and the chem reflects it.
12 Guyana (8-8) - Last season was a bad one for GG and their chem is hurting right now. They've got a good influx of younger players so they should fall around the same place if not slightly better than last season. They'll be more than ready for next season though.
13 WWR (2-14) - Fresh from their latest WL stint, the Rhinos are back to try and wreak havoc across APL. The plateauing players worry me as well as the chemistry hit. This season could be more about preparing for the future than anything else but they still have some great coordinators that can work magic.
14 ECS (6-10) - I just don't know how much further ECS can go against the rest of these teams. 15 wins after 3 seasons in APL has shown very little in the way of improvement.
15 Norfolk (3-13) - The roster is just not looking competitive at all so another rough season.
16 Ghana (3-13) - cpu team
I've put everyone's season 20 record next to the team name and also italed promoted teams and demoted WL teams to break them apart. If I messed something up blame it on the fact that I'm doing this at work.
Hope you all enjoy even if you disagree. I know WWR missed me tremendously last season.
And BB, I promise I won't make any comments when I make picks for/against Guyana again.
PRESEASON RANKINGS
LION
1 Somalia Pirates (15-1) - If any team has a lot to live up to this season it's the Pirates. They dominated a lot of teams last season and only lost 1 regular season game to the eventual champs, albeit a huge loss. They came back out in the 3rd round of the playoffs though and, while they lost again to Canton, they lost by a mere 3 points which was a huge feat after losing by 74 in the regular season.
2 Philly Franklins (12-4) - Philly looked strong most of last season but fell short in the playoffs when they lost to Somalia by 30. Perfect chem and a stacked roster has them looking great again.
3 Guyana Punch (10-6) - Every now and then a young team gets promoted and has some incredible games. Last season that team was Guyana. They played some tough games against top teams and with a season under their belts it's easy to think that this is a team that could put a scare into most of the league.
4 San Diego (11-5) - The Aquabats started last season strong but lost all their steam the last month of the season before suffering a first round playoff loss. They were, along with GP, the best of the new teams last season and didn't have any issues with youth on the team. I expect them to be in contention for a home playoff spot this season.
5 CWE (11-5) - CWE should once again be in the thick of things. Their chem is almost perfect already and they're always a tough team.
6 Lincoln (11-5) - The Saints played some great games last season and showed they have what it takes to contend for a top 4 spot. The big question is how much improvement have they made over the offseason. The chem is hurting so hopefully it won't hurt their early games.
7 Zambezi Silverbacks (11-5) - Had some close losses last season against some of the top teams. The roster is pretty stacked but my biggest concern is with the older players going into plateau. Will that work against them this season?
8 Mega City Monsters (16-0) - Stacked roster. Check. Solid chem. Check. Claims of being a farm team. Check. So it's hard to know how much work goes into this team when they're a farm team. I'll have to wait for the season to start before passing any real judgement on the Monsters but the team looks solid on paper.
9 Nile River Assassins (5-11) - Their wins came against some of the worst teams in the conference last season but they had some close losses that showed promise. They're still a little young so I think they fall in the same area this season with maybe a slight improvement.
10 Texas Longhorns (5-11) - The Longhorns had it rough last season and will look to improve this season. The depth in a few spots could be a concern not to mention the youth of some of their players. It's hard to see too much improvement this season based on that.
11 Nuremberg Nighthawks (12-4) - A little young in some areas and their last league wasn't full of competition. This could be a chance to shine or a huge wake up call for this squad but I think they'll finish in the 9-12th ranked spots by seasons end.
12 Transylvania (4-12) - Barely squeezed out a 4 win season and even thought they're a little more experienced this time around they have a few depth issues that they should improve if they want to do better than 4 wins this season.
13 Oklahoma Outlaws (3-13) - I thought the Outlaws would show improvement last season but instead they regressed. With most of the same teams still here there's no reason for me to think they'll improve much this season.
14 Cape Verde Aces (12-4) - The Aces had a nice run last season but were eliminated from the playoffs in the second round by a huge margin which makes me wonder if they're ready for Pro. To answer that question I delved into their roster and quickly realized that they are most definitely not ready for this show. Very young team that will find it difficult to compete this season.
15 Manchester Mass Murderers (11-5) - Same story as the Aces. Young team that will fight to avoid demotion this season.
16 Medicine Hat Witch Doctors (12-4) - A bunch of CPU players and nowhere near enough depth. This is either a farm team or a team about to get a rude awakening.
ELEPHANT
1 Carthage Mad Clash (6-10) - 6 WL wins translates to what? 14 wins this season? 15? Perfect season? We're going to find out in the coming weeks. The squad looks stacked and chem appears to be the only negative.
2 Warriors (12-4) - A solid roster and a deep playoff run last season have them set as an early favorite. The competition will again be tough so there's no clear cut #1 team at this point.
3 RMT (12-4) - Looking to improve on their superb season 20. This team won't sneak up on anyone this season after the way they performed last season.
4 Sons (11-5) - The Sons looked a little off last season and that translated to an 11-5 season. If they return to their dominating ways we could see improvement there. Again, chem could be an issue early on.
5 ICB (13-3) - Season in and out this team is in contention. They have to be feeling that first round loss to ABD last season though.
6 Nairobi (11-5) - A first round exit should serve as enough motivation for Nairobi this season. They seemed to be on auto-pilot compared to other seasons but took down some good teams late in the season.
7 A7 (11-5) - This could be the season A7 finally breaks out and makes a run at a home playoff spot but damn if Elephant isn't tough from top to bottom. A few questionable teams here but for the most part it looks like another clusterfuck is coming for the last few playoff spots.
8 ABD (9-7) - Decent season was highlighted with their first playoff win. They had some close calls against bad teams and need to eliminate those mistakes. That should take them further.The lack of LB depth and plethora of CPU players worries me the most.
9 49ers (7-9) - Looks to be largely the same team that failed to separate itself from the bottom tier. Should finish decently but I'm not seeing the playoffs in their future.
10 Gotta Have More Cowbell (16-0) - Gotta is fresh off of a stellar season that saw them fall 1 game short of a perfect season. They got creamed in their LC game though. This is the only promoted team in Ele so it'll be tough but I think they'll have a decent season right off the bat.
11 BSS (9-7) - Youth movement in progress and the chem reflects it.
12 Guyana (8-8) - Last season was a bad one for GG and their chem is hurting right now. They've got a good influx of younger players so they should fall around the same place if not slightly better than last season. They'll be more than ready for next season though.
13 WWR (2-14) - Fresh from their latest WL stint, the Rhinos are back to try and wreak havoc across APL. The plateauing players worry me as well as the chemistry hit. This season could be more about preparing for the future than anything else but they still have some great coordinators that can work magic.
14 ECS (6-10) - I just don't know how much further ECS can go against the rest of these teams. 15 wins after 3 seasons in APL has shown very little in the way of improvement.
15 Norfolk (3-13) - The roster is just not looking competitive at all so another rough season.
16 Ghana (3-13) - cpu team
Nice write up - the new teams in league really don't know what they're up against and any info helps...
