ALPHA
1. Burnt Orange Rising (Previous: 1)
-What was said about them?: Was hard to gauge how good they were off of 2 cupcake early season games, but their thrashing of Ayrshire legitimizes their hold on the top spot for at least the forseeable future.
-What has changed?: Has impressed well over their last few games, not letting anyone catch them unprepared. Can, for all intents and purposes, lock up Alpha's top seed with a win over Turin in a few weeks.
-Prediction: Conference championship contender.
2. Turin Colonels (Previous: 3)
-What was said about them?: Respectable loss to an excellent Sicilian team, and a dominating win over the Rusty Trombones. Wins in the next two weeks and they could easily move up from here.
-What has changed?: Held back Paris and then Black Forest to take command of the 2nd slot in the playoffs. Control their own destiny for the top spot, setting up a showdown with Burnt Orange for all the marbles in Alpha.
-Prediction: Conference championship contender.
3. Paris Gloutons (Previous: 4)
-What was said about them?: Their defense got ripped to shreds by Black Forest, and their Titletown win doesn't look very good. They should be lucky to have this spot, as its based solely on how unimpressive other teams have been.
-What has changed?: A loss to Turin ends their top seed hopes (top two as well), but they had a statement destruction of Lisbon that should secure them a home game in the first round.
-Prediction: Top four.
4. Lisbon Goons (Previous: 8)
-What was said about them?: The 3-0 record doesn't fool me, they were games in which they didn't dominate teams that aren't very good. Their game against Vienna will tell the story of this team.
-What has changed?: After absolutely taking care of Vienna, they got smoked by Paris, which will mean that their 7-1 record might not be as strong as it looks. After that showing I expect losses to Turin and the Rising, but if they can hold serve the rest of the way they'll get a home game.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
5. The Drunken Potato Farmers of Ayrshire (Previous: 5)
-What was said about them?: Defense is even stronger than I had thought, and they have done very well in their two wins. The Burnt Orange game was out of their hands, but they should pick up wins in their upcoming games.
-What has changed?: Puzzling loss to Barcelona could hurt them. Need a win against one of the 3 teams directly ahead of them if they want to think about a home game, and maybe two.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
6. Vienna Danube River Raiders (Previous: 6)
-What was said about them?: This slight tumble is based more on teams that were ranked below them doing well, combined with their seemingly complacent efforts against teams that shouldnt be close to them. Tough test in weeks five and six, I think if they win the Kazan game they can reestablish themselves as legitimate title hunters.
-What has changed?: Hammered Kazan, which gave me hope about them, but then couldn't close out Lisbon or Ayrshire and are now securely in the playoffs but no home game for them.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
7. Black Forest Brawlers (Previous: 7)
-What was said about them?: I don't know whats more telling about them, their horrible loss to Ayrshire, or their dominating win over Paris (game wasn't as close as the score). I'm leaning toward a little of both, and while I expect them to lose to the Rising this week, they could prove themselves against Turin the week after.
-What has changed?: Played better teams like the Rising and Turin respectably, but still it is the wins that matter. Of all the current 4-4 teams, I feel best about this team as a playoff team.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
8. Rusty Trombones (Previous: 10)
-What was said about them?: Still haven't patched up their serious holes, so I don't see them beating any top teams anytime soon. That being said I think there are enough bad teams in the conference that they can feed off of to stay afloat, but they'll really need to start caring soon or they'll fall back down to the bottom third.
-What has changed?: Still an unknown quantity to me. A little stunned at the Tulsa loss, this team could easily miss the playoffs, but as of right now I'd say they're not in too precarious of a position, but they need to get their act together.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
9. Kazan Golden Horde (Previous: 2)
-What was said about them?: I feel this spot is too lofty for them and that they'll lose an upcoming game to knock them out of it, but they've taken care of business while other teams havent, and their Sandersville win looks good enough to justify it for now. They'll have ample opportunity to defend this spot with four tough games in their next five.
-What has changed?: Four tough losses has me rethinking this team. Only the Trombones game was close, and that isn't good enough for a playoff spot. Sandersville game now looks like a liability instead of a strong point.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
10. Barcelona Assassins (Previous: 11)
-What was said about them?: The two losses aren't that bad, and this is a team that is an upset away from playoff consideration again, but Lisbon is currently in the last playoff spot in my eyes, and the 22 point loss means they'll have a rough tiebreaker to overcome.
-What has changed?: The Ayrshire win could put them in position to make a playoff push for that eighth spot. Vienna game this week could be a great gauge of how far off they are.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
11. Tulsa Doom (Previous: 12)
-What was said about them?: Beat the War Machine, which in my opinion says more about how bad that team is than anything about Tulsa.
-What has changed?: Good win over Rusty Trombones, but big losses to other teams since them have them ranked lowest of the 4-4 teams.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
12. Belgrade Bomb Squad (Previous: 9)
-What was said about them?: Thrashed by Kazan, leaves me wondering if this team is going to be able to make it to the playoffs this year.
-What has changed?: Never got their act together, have gotten thrashed in 6 games, the 2 wins were to CPU teams.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
13. Steel City War Machine (Previous: 14)
-What was said about them?: So I can see why they were so bad last season. Bad loss to Tulsa confirms that this will be a bad year for the Steel City team.
-What has changed?: Worst lvl 60 average team ever.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
14. Amsterdam Panthers (Previous: 13)
-What was said about them?: Having a tough go of it against their solid early season competition, not able to move the ball or stop others from moving it. Free win in week 4, but after that I expect to see them racking up more losses.
-What has changed?: Still getting killed.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
15. Swedish Glaciers (Previous: 15)
-What was said about them?: More bad play, the upside for them is that if they beat Steel City in week 5 I think they'll stave off demotion, but demotion would be a very good thing for this team.
-What has changed?: Bad, bad team.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
16. Dublin/Dresden Connections (Previous: 16)
-What was said about them?: Slow building/CPU players.
-What has changed?: Slow building/CPU players.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
ZETA
1. Manchester Divided (Previous: 1)
-What was said about them?: Were less than convincing in their win over Seattle, but had two major statements in their other two games. Cake coming up on their schedule.
-What has changed?: Should continue to dominate the field, crucial game against Lyon is four weeks away.
-Prediction: Conference championship contender.
2. Lyon Winemakers (Previous: 2)
-What was said about them?: Took care of business against their lesser opponents, will have to wait to have a competitive game.
-What has changed?: Has continued to roll, and will continue to cruise for another couple of games.
-Prediction: Conference championship contender.
3. Sicilian Centurions (Previous: 3)
-What was said about them?: Have looked extremely strong, and should continue their winning ways for weeks to come. Have definitely played their way into title consideration.
-What has changed?: Stunning loss to the Munich Mastodons can't really be explained. I'm going to chalk it up to aberration but they can't play that way against Manchester and Lyon if they want to have a hope to knock one of them off.
-Prediction: Top four.
4. Leavenworth Inmates (Previous: 6)
-What was said about them?: Still very inactive, with some holes still. That being said they took care of business against their lesser competition, and that is rewarded here.
-What has changed?: Like Sicilian, a ridiculous loss recently has me questioning their ability to be anything more than the 3 or 4 seed. Need to step up their game as soon as possible.
-Prediction: Top four.
5. Jacksonville Jackalopes (Previous: 5)
-What was said about them?: Have definitely looked shaky at best this season, have a brutal stretch coming up that will define their season.
-What has changed?: There are 4 teams better than them in this league, and they got all of their losses out of the way to them early. Should roll the rest of the way and get another shot at one of the teams in the top four.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
6. Stockholm Polar Bears (Previous: 11)
-What was said about them?: 3 losses to good teams sends them tumbling, because two more are coming up. Hopefully after this stretch they can spin things around and fight for a playoff spot, but their out of conference loss will be a killer come playoff positioning time.
-What has changed?: Like Jacksonville, with their top four losses out of the way they can refocus on making their playoff run. Should sneak in after the Permian win.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
7. Wicklow Warriors (Previous: 10)
-What was said about them?: Smoked by the Rising, but that was to be expected. Wins over two lesser teams and a 3rd coming up have them poised to maybe jump a spot or two in the next poll.
-What has changed?: Like the teams ranked after them, their position is of an unknown quantity. These middle of the pack teams keep beating each other up, will make for interesting seeding battles.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
8. Permian Panthers (Previous: 7)
-What was said about them?: All I can say is what the fuck. Sicilian loss didn't surprise me, I know what this team is made of and its not about to beat good teams, but I did not see a 62 point shellacking in the cards for them. 5 losses might be an underestimation when this is all said and done. Still they will beat up on lesser teams, and will probably still make the playoffs.
-What has changed?: Close losses to Stockholm and Jacksonville can be forgiven, but they need to make sure to win the rest of the games that are winnable left in the season.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
9. Munich Mastodons (Previous: 9)
-What was said about them?: Played well in their games so far, and could be poised to move up with good games in their next matchups.
-What has changed?: Bucked the trend and stole one from Sicilian in the middle of their 4 game killer stretch. That win makes up for their out of conference loss, but they need wins in the next few weeks to keep hope for the playoffs alive.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
10. Sandersville WarChickens (Previous: 4)
-What was said about them?: Lost a tough out of conference game to Kazan which will come back to haunt them come seeding time, and the loss to Munish is inexplicable. Still I just have a feeling that this team will play better ball as the season goes by, and it is by virtue of that I have them at the 4 spot.
-What has changed?: Falling seriously back to earth, and need a win against Permian, Stockholm, or Jacksonville to even think about playoffs.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
11. Munich Owls (Previous: 14)
-What was said about them?: Beat Hamburg which will probably be enough to keep them in AA2 for another season.
-What has changed?: Have done very well for themselves since the beginning of the season, and could be sneaking into the playoff mix with great wins over Wicklow and Leavenworth.
-Prediction: Playoff Contender.
12. Seattle Bluehawks (Previous: 13)
-What was said about them?: Interesting case, as I'll say they had a good loss to Manchester, but a bad win against Barcelona. The Wicklow loss is a rough pill to swallow, and to keep playoff dreams alive they'll probably have to win at least 3 of their next 4 games.
-What has changed?: Can't win anything against teams just above them, which leaves them with no opportunity to move up. Has several games in a row that they will need to win all of to keep them in any sort of playoff hunt.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
13. Titletown Testy Tadpoles (Previous: 8)
-What was said about them?: Two very close losses to good teams have me thinking that while they might not be anything special, if the teams below them keep losing, they'll have time to right their ship and maybe upset someone on the way.
-What has changed?: Five losses before the Lyon-Leavenworth-Sicilian-Manchester stretch equals bottom third.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
14. Hamburg Gangsters (Previous: 15)
-What was said about them?: Caught lightning in a bottle in getting their Alpha equivalent in week one, and then winning it by 3 points. It'll be their last win until week 15.
-What has changed?: Their future hangs onbeating the Eruptions in week 12, or they'll get demoted (which would be extremely good for them).
-Prediction: Bottom third.
15. Snæfellsjökull Eruptions (Previous: 12)
-What was said about them?: Much like Stockholm, got smacked around during a tough 3 game stretch. Their Seattle, Permian, and Wicklow games will speak volumes about what they can accomplish this year.
-What has changed?: Still winless, if they got demoted it would be hilarious and a tragedy at the same time.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
16. Philadelphia Global Titans (Previous: 16)
-What was said about them?: CPU players.
-What has changed?: CPU players.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
1. Burnt Orange Rising (Previous: 1)
-What was said about them?: Was hard to gauge how good they were off of 2 cupcake early season games, but their thrashing of Ayrshire legitimizes their hold on the top spot for at least the forseeable future.
-What has changed?: Has impressed well over their last few games, not letting anyone catch them unprepared. Can, for all intents and purposes, lock up Alpha's top seed with a win over Turin in a few weeks.
-Prediction: Conference championship contender.
2. Turin Colonels (Previous: 3)
-What was said about them?: Respectable loss to an excellent Sicilian team, and a dominating win over the Rusty Trombones. Wins in the next two weeks and they could easily move up from here.
-What has changed?: Held back Paris and then Black Forest to take command of the 2nd slot in the playoffs. Control their own destiny for the top spot, setting up a showdown with Burnt Orange for all the marbles in Alpha.
-Prediction: Conference championship contender.
3. Paris Gloutons (Previous: 4)
-What was said about them?: Their defense got ripped to shreds by Black Forest, and their Titletown win doesn't look very good. They should be lucky to have this spot, as its based solely on how unimpressive other teams have been.
-What has changed?: A loss to Turin ends their top seed hopes (top two as well), but they had a statement destruction of Lisbon that should secure them a home game in the first round.
-Prediction: Top four.
4. Lisbon Goons (Previous: 8)
-What was said about them?: The 3-0 record doesn't fool me, they were games in which they didn't dominate teams that aren't very good. Their game against Vienna will tell the story of this team.
-What has changed?: After absolutely taking care of Vienna, they got smoked by Paris, which will mean that their 7-1 record might not be as strong as it looks. After that showing I expect losses to Turin and the Rising, but if they can hold serve the rest of the way they'll get a home game.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
5. The Drunken Potato Farmers of Ayrshire (Previous: 5)
-What was said about them?: Defense is even stronger than I had thought, and they have done very well in their two wins. The Burnt Orange game was out of their hands, but they should pick up wins in their upcoming games.
-What has changed?: Puzzling loss to Barcelona could hurt them. Need a win against one of the 3 teams directly ahead of them if they want to think about a home game, and maybe two.
-Prediction: Top four contender.
6. Vienna Danube River Raiders (Previous: 6)
-What was said about them?: This slight tumble is based more on teams that were ranked below them doing well, combined with their seemingly complacent efforts against teams that shouldnt be close to them. Tough test in weeks five and six, I think if they win the Kazan game they can reestablish themselves as legitimate title hunters.
-What has changed?: Hammered Kazan, which gave me hope about them, but then couldn't close out Lisbon or Ayrshire and are now securely in the playoffs but no home game for them.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
7. Black Forest Brawlers (Previous: 7)
-What was said about them?: I don't know whats more telling about them, their horrible loss to Ayrshire, or their dominating win over Paris (game wasn't as close as the score). I'm leaning toward a little of both, and while I expect them to lose to the Rising this week, they could prove themselves against Turin the week after.
-What has changed?: Played better teams like the Rising and Turin respectably, but still it is the wins that matter. Of all the current 4-4 teams, I feel best about this team as a playoff team.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
8. Rusty Trombones (Previous: 10)
-What was said about them?: Still haven't patched up their serious holes, so I don't see them beating any top teams anytime soon. That being said I think there are enough bad teams in the conference that they can feed off of to stay afloat, but they'll really need to start caring soon or they'll fall back down to the bottom third.
-What has changed?: Still an unknown quantity to me. A little stunned at the Tulsa loss, this team could easily miss the playoffs, but as of right now I'd say they're not in too precarious of a position, but they need to get their act together.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
9. Kazan Golden Horde (Previous: 2)
-What was said about them?: I feel this spot is too lofty for them and that they'll lose an upcoming game to knock them out of it, but they've taken care of business while other teams havent, and their Sandersville win looks good enough to justify it for now. They'll have ample opportunity to defend this spot with four tough games in their next five.
-What has changed?: Four tough losses has me rethinking this team. Only the Trombones game was close, and that isn't good enough for a playoff spot. Sandersville game now looks like a liability instead of a strong point.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
10. Barcelona Assassins (Previous: 11)
-What was said about them?: The two losses aren't that bad, and this is a team that is an upset away from playoff consideration again, but Lisbon is currently in the last playoff spot in my eyes, and the 22 point loss means they'll have a rough tiebreaker to overcome.
-What has changed?: The Ayrshire win could put them in position to make a playoff push for that eighth spot. Vienna game this week could be a great gauge of how far off they are.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
11. Tulsa Doom (Previous: 12)
-What was said about them?: Beat the War Machine, which in my opinion says more about how bad that team is than anything about Tulsa.
-What has changed?: Good win over Rusty Trombones, but big losses to other teams since them have them ranked lowest of the 4-4 teams.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
12. Belgrade Bomb Squad (Previous: 9)
-What was said about them?: Thrashed by Kazan, leaves me wondering if this team is going to be able to make it to the playoffs this year.
-What has changed?: Never got their act together, have gotten thrashed in 6 games, the 2 wins were to CPU teams.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
13. Steel City War Machine (Previous: 14)
-What was said about them?: So I can see why they were so bad last season. Bad loss to Tulsa confirms that this will be a bad year for the Steel City team.
-What has changed?: Worst lvl 60 average team ever.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
14. Amsterdam Panthers (Previous: 13)
-What was said about them?: Having a tough go of it against their solid early season competition, not able to move the ball or stop others from moving it. Free win in week 4, but after that I expect to see them racking up more losses.
-What has changed?: Still getting killed.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
15. Swedish Glaciers (Previous: 15)
-What was said about them?: More bad play, the upside for them is that if they beat Steel City in week 5 I think they'll stave off demotion, but demotion would be a very good thing for this team.
-What has changed?: Bad, bad team.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
16. Dublin/Dresden Connections (Previous: 16)
-What was said about them?: Slow building/CPU players.
-What has changed?: Slow building/CPU players.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
ZETA
1. Manchester Divided (Previous: 1)
-What was said about them?: Were less than convincing in their win over Seattle, but had two major statements in their other two games. Cake coming up on their schedule.
-What has changed?: Should continue to dominate the field, crucial game against Lyon is four weeks away.
-Prediction: Conference championship contender.
2. Lyon Winemakers (Previous: 2)
-What was said about them?: Took care of business against their lesser opponents, will have to wait to have a competitive game.
-What has changed?: Has continued to roll, and will continue to cruise for another couple of games.
-Prediction: Conference championship contender.
3. Sicilian Centurions (Previous: 3)
-What was said about them?: Have looked extremely strong, and should continue their winning ways for weeks to come. Have definitely played their way into title consideration.
-What has changed?: Stunning loss to the Munich Mastodons can't really be explained. I'm going to chalk it up to aberration but they can't play that way against Manchester and Lyon if they want to have a hope to knock one of them off.
-Prediction: Top four.
4. Leavenworth Inmates (Previous: 6)
-What was said about them?: Still very inactive, with some holes still. That being said they took care of business against their lesser competition, and that is rewarded here.
-What has changed?: Like Sicilian, a ridiculous loss recently has me questioning their ability to be anything more than the 3 or 4 seed. Need to step up their game as soon as possible.
-Prediction: Top four.
5. Jacksonville Jackalopes (Previous: 5)
-What was said about them?: Have definitely looked shaky at best this season, have a brutal stretch coming up that will define their season.
-What has changed?: There are 4 teams better than them in this league, and they got all of their losses out of the way to them early. Should roll the rest of the way and get another shot at one of the teams in the top four.
-Prediction: Playoffs.
6. Stockholm Polar Bears (Previous: 11)
-What was said about them?: 3 losses to good teams sends them tumbling, because two more are coming up. Hopefully after this stretch they can spin things around and fight for a playoff spot, but their out of conference loss will be a killer come playoff positioning time.
-What has changed?: Like Jacksonville, with their top four losses out of the way they can refocus on making their playoff run. Should sneak in after the Permian win.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
7. Wicklow Warriors (Previous: 10)
-What was said about them?: Smoked by the Rising, but that was to be expected. Wins over two lesser teams and a 3rd coming up have them poised to maybe jump a spot or two in the next poll.
-What has changed?: Like the teams ranked after them, their position is of an unknown quantity. These middle of the pack teams keep beating each other up, will make for interesting seeding battles.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
8. Permian Panthers (Previous: 7)
-What was said about them?: All I can say is what the fuck. Sicilian loss didn't surprise me, I know what this team is made of and its not about to beat good teams, but I did not see a 62 point shellacking in the cards for them. 5 losses might be an underestimation when this is all said and done. Still they will beat up on lesser teams, and will probably still make the playoffs.
-What has changed?: Close losses to Stockholm and Jacksonville can be forgiven, but they need to make sure to win the rest of the games that are winnable left in the season.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
9. Munich Mastodons (Previous: 9)
-What was said about them?: Played well in their games so far, and could be poised to move up with good games in their next matchups.
-What has changed?: Bucked the trend and stole one from Sicilian in the middle of their 4 game killer stretch. That win makes up for their out of conference loss, but they need wins in the next few weeks to keep hope for the playoffs alive.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
10. Sandersville WarChickens (Previous: 4)
-What was said about them?: Lost a tough out of conference game to Kazan which will come back to haunt them come seeding time, and the loss to Munish is inexplicable. Still I just have a feeling that this team will play better ball as the season goes by, and it is by virtue of that I have them at the 4 spot.
-What has changed?: Falling seriously back to earth, and need a win against Permian, Stockholm, or Jacksonville to even think about playoffs.
-Prediction: Playoff contender.
11. Munich Owls (Previous: 14)
-What was said about them?: Beat Hamburg which will probably be enough to keep them in AA2 for another season.
-What has changed?: Have done very well for themselves since the beginning of the season, and could be sneaking into the playoff mix with great wins over Wicklow and Leavenworth.
-Prediction: Playoff Contender.
12. Seattle Bluehawks (Previous: 13)
-What was said about them?: Interesting case, as I'll say they had a good loss to Manchester, but a bad win against Barcelona. The Wicklow loss is a rough pill to swallow, and to keep playoff dreams alive they'll probably have to win at least 3 of their next 4 games.
-What has changed?: Can't win anything against teams just above them, which leaves them with no opportunity to move up. Has several games in a row that they will need to win all of to keep them in any sort of playoff hunt.
-Prediction: Outside looking in.
13. Titletown Testy Tadpoles (Previous: 8)
-What was said about them?: Two very close losses to good teams have me thinking that while they might not be anything special, if the teams below them keep losing, they'll have time to right their ship and maybe upset someone on the way.
-What has changed?: Five losses before the Lyon-Leavenworth-Sicilian-Manchester stretch equals bottom third.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
14. Hamburg Gangsters (Previous: 15)
-What was said about them?: Caught lightning in a bottle in getting their Alpha equivalent in week one, and then winning it by 3 points. It'll be their last win until week 15.
-What has changed?: Their future hangs onbeating the Eruptions in week 12, or they'll get demoted (which would be extremely good for them).
-Prediction: Bottom third.
15. Snæfellsjökull Eruptions (Previous: 12)
-What was said about them?: Much like Stockholm, got smacked around during a tough 3 game stretch. Their Seattle, Permian, and Wicklow games will speak volumes about what they can accomplish this year.
-What has changed?: Still winless, if they got demoted it would be hilarious and a tragedy at the same time.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
16. Philadelphia Global Titans (Previous: 16)
-What was said about them?: CPU players.
-What has changed?: CPU players.
-Prediction: Bottom third.
