Zeta Power Rankings mid-season
This week we reach the middle of the path and surprisingly there weren’t a single interesting game to watch for the first time this season. We are still with the hangover of the last good one on the Bocs vs VCA and the helmet crashes still sounding all over my head. So I said we are already on midseason 8 and things are starting to look pretty clear on Zeta and the playoff picture is being revealed piece a piece.
And now, let’s see the rankings going into midseason.
-On a class of their own-
1.The Hague Pirates (8-0) W8
The Hague continues their triumphant march on the league and this week the victim was Bologna who went back home with 87 points against. This team is really dominating all categories of the game and they have no real opponents on the horizon that can stop them for now, at least until they face the Dragons.
Next three: Warlords, Stallions, Dragons
Prediction: 11-0
2.Vatican City Apocalypse (7-1) W5
Vatican played this week with their newly acquired tag of #2 in Zeta and they wanted to demonstrate how proud they feel about it putting 83 on the guys from Bastogne. They have this week an interesting meeting with the Bulls who are claiming for some respect and they have a good opportunity to put up the first real upset of the season.
Next three: Bulls, London Storm, Manglers
Prediction: 10-1
3.Iberian Bocs (7-1) W1
The Bocs are trying to recover from the thrashing of last week and they took advantage of their visit to the only CPU team on the conference to put 203 points on the board that will be really important on a possible 3 teams tie at the end of the season.
Next three: Manglers, Scourge, Knights
Prediction: 10-1
- Leading the chase -
4.Milano Mamertini (6-2) W4
Milano has finished their first part of the schedule with some bitter taste as they couldn’t steal a win from any of their big opponents. The second round will see them facing 4 teams with pretty much the same aspirations and they must step up and resist if they want to keep at least the 4th place all the way. They have to start the defense of the 4th this week on their game against the Nips who are going down after their strong start.
Next three: Nips, Warlords, Stallions
Prediction: 9-2
5.Dublin Dragons (6-2) W6
The Dragons is another team who ended their first part of the season in good shape. They hold the second biggest streak right now just after the unbeaten Pirates and they have some room to improve as they still have to face a lot of teams that are ranked above them. Actually, I think it’s the only team that can really make an impact on the second half depending on how good they can perform on those games.
Next three: Stallions, Bulls, The Hague
Prediction: 8-3
6.Pamplona Bulls (6-2) W2
It’s time for the truth in Pamplona as they have completed a really good first part of the season with only 2 losses against Destroyers (one of the big guns from Alpha) and the Bocs. They still have a chance to get homefield advantage for the playoffs as someone said today on the forums; however is a very small possibility as they would have to beat Dragons and Milano, failing on just one of those games will immediately relegate them to the hopeless group. The good thing is that they won’t have to wait too much to get into business as they face Dublin in just 2 weeks after visiting the Holy city and Vatican guys on week 9. Will the Bulls be the first team to put an upset on a big team this season?
Next three: Vatican City, Dragons, London Storm
Prediction: 7-4
- Save the season with a post-season game -
7.Bologna Nips (5-3) L2
Bologna is finally going down after their impressive early rush. There is no doubt that this team is still dangerous as hell with a top passing game, however, their lack of depth on the roster is starting to cost them more games than they would have liked. For now, they have very few chances to climb any position on the rankings as they have lost against Dublin and Pamplona and Milano seems a bit out of their range. However, the good news for them is that they have 99% chances to go on post-season thanks to their week2 win against the Scourge as that win really puts them on clear advantage on a possible tie at the end of the season.
Next three: Milano, Legends, Snakes
Prediction: 7-4
- There can be only one -
8.Blackpool Scourge (4-4) W1
This appears to be a rematch of BBB series for the last playoff position. Blackpool has some advantage as their schedule seems pretty much done with no big risks on the horizon and no great hopes either, they have time to concentrate all their efforts for week 11 on a matchup against the Nuts that will determine who will get the last playoff position on their first year in Zeta.
This fight is going to be fun as both teams have unpaid dues to claim on the other, I just hope that Bastogne is able to step up until week11 so we can have a memorable game.
Next three: Snakes, Bocs, Nuts
Prediction: 5-5*
9.Bastogne Nuts (2-6) L3
Finally the nightmare is over for them. That’s the best conclusion you can take from this team after 8 weeks. Despite they have to really improve their playcalling if they want to be competitive against big teams I still bet for them on the playoffs as they should have their All or nothing game on week11 against the Scourge. If they win they’re in, if they lose they’re out.
Next three: London Storm, Manglers, Scourge
Prediction: 4-6*
NOTE ON THE PREDICTIONS: I do not use any of the league projectors, so this is my prediction based purely on observation.
GAME OF THE WEEK : VATICAN CITY APOCALYPSE – PAMPLONA BULLS
The Bulls has claimed for respect as they think they still have their options to be among the best 4. I honestly wouldn’t mind if they keep their word and put a big upset on Vatican this week, but taking in count all the numbers I think there are little hopes for the Bulls on this one.
Vatican takes it after another solid performance from their running trio.
Vatican 35-9 Pamplona
MUST SEE TV:: MILANO MAMERTINI – BOLOGNA NIPS
Another interesting matchup on the regional duel between Milano and Bologna. Mamertini are uncontrollable on the ground and Bologna passing attack is among the best of the league. The team that have most success on what they do best will be the one to take this one, and up to this point of the season, remember that each W counts…
Milano has a small advantage as they are more used to this kind of games.
Milano 27-17 Bologna
This week we reach the middle of the path and surprisingly there weren’t a single interesting game to watch for the first time this season. We are still with the hangover of the last good one on the Bocs vs VCA and the helmet crashes still sounding all over my head. So I said we are already on midseason 8 and things are starting to look pretty clear on Zeta and the playoff picture is being revealed piece a piece.
And now, let’s see the rankings going into midseason.
-On a class of their own-
1.The Hague Pirates (8-0) W8
The Hague continues their triumphant march on the league and this week the victim was Bologna who went back home with 87 points against. This team is really dominating all categories of the game and they have no real opponents on the horizon that can stop them for now, at least until they face the Dragons.
Next three: Warlords, Stallions, Dragons
Prediction: 11-0
2.Vatican City Apocalypse (7-1) W5
Vatican played this week with their newly acquired tag of #2 in Zeta and they wanted to demonstrate how proud they feel about it putting 83 on the guys from Bastogne. They have this week an interesting meeting with the Bulls who are claiming for some respect and they have a good opportunity to put up the first real upset of the season.
Next three: Bulls, London Storm, Manglers
Prediction: 10-1
3.Iberian Bocs (7-1) W1
The Bocs are trying to recover from the thrashing of last week and they took advantage of their visit to the only CPU team on the conference to put 203 points on the board that will be really important on a possible 3 teams tie at the end of the season.
Next three: Manglers, Scourge, Knights
Prediction: 10-1
- Leading the chase -
4.Milano Mamertini (6-2) W4
Milano has finished their first part of the schedule with some bitter taste as they couldn’t steal a win from any of their big opponents. The second round will see them facing 4 teams with pretty much the same aspirations and they must step up and resist if they want to keep at least the 4th place all the way. They have to start the defense of the 4th this week on their game against the Nips who are going down after their strong start.
Next three: Nips, Warlords, Stallions
Prediction: 9-2
5.Dublin Dragons (6-2) W6
The Dragons is another team who ended their first part of the season in good shape. They hold the second biggest streak right now just after the unbeaten Pirates and they have some room to improve as they still have to face a lot of teams that are ranked above them. Actually, I think it’s the only team that can really make an impact on the second half depending on how good they can perform on those games.
Next three: Stallions, Bulls, The Hague
Prediction: 8-3
6.Pamplona Bulls (6-2) W2
It’s time for the truth in Pamplona as they have completed a really good first part of the season with only 2 losses against Destroyers (one of the big guns from Alpha) and the Bocs. They still have a chance to get homefield advantage for the playoffs as someone said today on the forums; however is a very small possibility as they would have to beat Dragons and Milano, failing on just one of those games will immediately relegate them to the hopeless group. The good thing is that they won’t have to wait too much to get into business as they face Dublin in just 2 weeks after visiting the Holy city and Vatican guys on week 9. Will the Bulls be the first team to put an upset on a big team this season?
Next three: Vatican City, Dragons, London Storm
Prediction: 7-4
- Save the season with a post-season game -
7.Bologna Nips (5-3) L2
Bologna is finally going down after their impressive early rush. There is no doubt that this team is still dangerous as hell with a top passing game, however, their lack of depth on the roster is starting to cost them more games than they would have liked. For now, they have very few chances to climb any position on the rankings as they have lost against Dublin and Pamplona and Milano seems a bit out of their range. However, the good news for them is that they have 99% chances to go on post-season thanks to their week2 win against the Scourge as that win really puts them on clear advantage on a possible tie at the end of the season.
Next three: Milano, Legends, Snakes
Prediction: 7-4
- There can be only one -
8.Blackpool Scourge (4-4) W1
This appears to be a rematch of BBB series for the last playoff position. Blackpool has some advantage as their schedule seems pretty much done with no big risks on the horizon and no great hopes either, they have time to concentrate all their efforts for week 11 on a matchup against the Nuts that will determine who will get the last playoff position on their first year in Zeta.
This fight is going to be fun as both teams have unpaid dues to claim on the other, I just hope that Bastogne is able to step up until week11 so we can have a memorable game.
Next three: Snakes, Bocs, Nuts
Prediction: 5-5*
9.Bastogne Nuts (2-6) L3
Finally the nightmare is over for them. That’s the best conclusion you can take from this team after 8 weeks. Despite they have to really improve their playcalling if they want to be competitive against big teams I still bet for them on the playoffs as they should have their All or nothing game on week11 against the Scourge. If they win they’re in, if they lose they’re out.
Next three: London Storm, Manglers, Scourge
Prediction: 4-6*
NOTE ON THE PREDICTIONS: I do not use any of the league projectors, so this is my prediction based purely on observation.
GAME OF THE WEEK : VATICAN CITY APOCALYPSE – PAMPLONA BULLS
The Bulls has claimed for respect as they think they still have their options to be among the best 4. I honestly wouldn’t mind if they keep their word and put a big upset on Vatican this week, but taking in count all the numbers I think there are little hopes for the Bulls on this one.
Vatican takes it after another solid performance from their running trio.
Vatican 35-9 Pamplona
MUST SEE TV:: MILANO MAMERTINI – BOLOGNA NIPS
Another interesting matchup on the regional duel between Milano and Bologna. Mamertini are uncontrollable on the ground and Bologna passing attack is among the best of the league. The team that have most success on what they do best will be the one to take this one, and up to this point of the season, remember that each W counts…
Milano has a small advantage as they are more used to this kind of games.
Milano 27-17 Bologna
