We have venom posting his rankings every 3rd week and sonicdude's power rankings just starting up, so I thought I would throw mine into the mix as well to get some more opinion and conversation that doesn't involve boltz out there. The conference has been turned on its head and the contenders from a season ago are gone with some new one's stepping up. On to the Rankings
1. Niagara Current 7-0
It looks like the long building process is coming to fruition for the Current and their mantra that was something of a joke when started in season 5 has some real bite to it this season. 7 out of 7 teams have been taught to "FEAR THE CURRENT!" so far and I am sure more are on the way. In terms of pure talent these guys aren't the most dominant in the league but a clear team concept and solid game planning make them a tough opponent for anyone. They really only have one quality win on their schedule up to this point and they'll be looking to make it two this week against the Hurricanes before they embark on a second half that looks to be tougher than the first. Either way they currently boast the top rated offense and defense in the conference, so look for them to have continued success.
2. Niagara 916ers 7-0
The fans in Niagara must not know what to do with themselves. It is kind of like if the Mets were the only team that New York had and then just when the Mets get good and look like they are going to make a run for the pennant, the Yankees move to town, are amazing and in the same conference. Suddenly a town that isn't used to any major success (besides an entertaining and active team) has two teams with a legit chance to make it to the conference finals. The 916ers are also doing their best impersonation of the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf" and are racking up the yards through the air. They are a tough team that no Eastern team has shown the ability to hang with so far. This week won't be much different in their game against SeaCastle but Cape Verde should provide a better test.
3. North Vancouver Hurricanes 6-1
The Canes are a team that has steadily improved since its inception and benefited greatly from strong ownership in Cuhog31. They are seeing the fruit of that improvement in season 7 as they are undefeated in conference so far. They had a tough out of conference game in the Rush, but that was a long time ago and they have since picked up quality wins against the Turtles and the Jacks. They also dismantled a greatly improved Toronto team a week ago. Week 8 represents a pivotal game for this club in their attempt to capture a top 2 seed in the playoffs. Dealing the Current their first loss would give them great momentum heading into a 4 game stretch that they are favored in before they face off with the aforementioned 916ers. It is these kinds of games that make or break seasons (at least regular seasons).
4. Cape Verde Jacks 5-2
The Jacks get the nod over the other two 5-2 teams because their two losses have come by a combined 13 points. They have the talent to compete with anyone in the league but these new comers to BBB #8 have yet to notch a real signature win. They rank in the top five in Offense, Defense and Special Teams, so they know how to get it done on every side of the ball. They'll have another chance to put themselves in the conversation of the Eastern Conference elite in their week 9 match-up with the 916ers. Honestly just keeping it close in that game even though they are fairly evenly matched would be an accomplishment that no other conference team has been able to do. It will be a game that will be pretty telling on where their season is going to go from there.
5. Oshawa Turtles 5-2
The Turtles still carry around that stigma of being unable to win the big game. They just finished what is probably the toughest stretch of three games that anyone could be asked to play in the Eastern Conference and finished 1-2. I know ownership had higher goals than that but it is still a nice accomplishment to pick up one of those games. Loosing all three would have sent them into a tail spin that would have been difficult to break. Luckily for them, the competition eases a little bit in their next two weeks before they get a shot at the Current. This team needs to prove that they can elevate their game to the level necessary to beat teams of equal or slightly better talent. If they let the Current game slip by them, then I am afraid that this team is probably destined for another early playoff exit.
6. Quebec Bandits 5-2
The Bandits made the move from Queen City to Quebec in the off-season and were luckily enough to win the legal battle with the residents of Queen City so that they could bring their name, uniforms and record books with them. The Bandits started off hot in their new city before cooling over the past two weeks. They look like they might be just a step behind the elite of this league after failing to stay competitive in their games against their two games against top 5 teams. They are still a good club though and have made vast improvements from season 6's futility. Overall it looks like the change in scenery and ownership agreed with them and there is still a lot of football left to play. They could easily close the gap over the course of the season and we'll exactly how much progress they have made in two weeks when they take on their next top 5 opponent in the Jacks.
7. Saskatchewan Gigantes 4-3
The Gigantes are one of the original Eastern Conference team and have been a borderline playoff team from their inception. Season 7 is no different. The gap between them and the premier teams in this league are wide but they have a strong running attack with consistent production from their RB Big Pat Angeles. They'll beat the bad teams of the league but probably won't be able to keep it close against the good ones. Despite that they'll probably sneak into the playoffs as one of the bottom seeds before being shown the door in the first round. It will be interesting to see if they make any attempts at upgrading their talent level to avoid that fate, but they haven't made any significant moves so far.
8. Toronto Permanent Waves 4-3
The Waves seem to operate in cycles. They were decent in season 5, abysmal in season 6 and have returned to being decent again in season 7. Much like the Gigantes, they are going to have a tough time upsetting any of the top teams of the conference but they should still grace the post season if they can win games against the Esquimaux, Darkstars, Washemplae and Hackers. Those teams make up their and the Gigantes' competition for the bottom two seeds in the conference. Of course a win against a quality opponent like the Turtles in week 8 would go a LONG way in helping them reach the postseason, that looks pretty far fetched.
9. Arctic Blubberin' Esquimaux 2-5
Like the Current, the Esquimaux have had a vision of where they were headed since season 5 and have stuck with their players as they have come into their own. Of course, the two teams are experiencing much different results as demonstrated by the Esquimaux's 17 point loss to the Gigantes in Week 4. The Esquimaux are either going to have to make immediate changes to their game plan or be happy with another losing season and look forward to season 8. They still have 3 of the top 5 teams left to play, so it would take a pretty strong push for them to do any better than 8-8. We'll see in Week 9 when they take on the Hurricanes if they are serious about contending in Season 7.
I don't think the rest of the teams have much of a shot of challenging for the playoffs, so I will list them in the order that I feel they fall into but skip the write up until they give me reason to think they have some designs on making the post season.
10. Bad Harbour Hackers 2-5
11. Bosphorus Oftas 2-5
12. Orangetown Darkstars 2-5
13. Grise Forde Icicles 2-5
14. Winnepeg Washemplae 1-6
15. Thunder Bay Strikers 1-6
16. SeaCastle DeepOnes 0-7
1. Niagara Current 7-0
It looks like the long building process is coming to fruition for the Current and their mantra that was something of a joke when started in season 5 has some real bite to it this season. 7 out of 7 teams have been taught to "FEAR THE CURRENT!" so far and I am sure more are on the way. In terms of pure talent these guys aren't the most dominant in the league but a clear team concept and solid game planning make them a tough opponent for anyone. They really only have one quality win on their schedule up to this point and they'll be looking to make it two this week against the Hurricanes before they embark on a second half that looks to be tougher than the first. Either way they currently boast the top rated offense and defense in the conference, so look for them to have continued success.
2. Niagara 916ers 7-0
The fans in Niagara must not know what to do with themselves. It is kind of like if the Mets were the only team that New York had and then just when the Mets get good and look like they are going to make a run for the pennant, the Yankees move to town, are amazing and in the same conference. Suddenly a town that isn't used to any major success (besides an entertaining and active team) has two teams with a legit chance to make it to the conference finals. The 916ers are also doing their best impersonation of the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf" and are racking up the yards through the air. They are a tough team that no Eastern team has shown the ability to hang with so far. This week won't be much different in their game against SeaCastle but Cape Verde should provide a better test.
3. North Vancouver Hurricanes 6-1
The Canes are a team that has steadily improved since its inception and benefited greatly from strong ownership in Cuhog31. They are seeing the fruit of that improvement in season 7 as they are undefeated in conference so far. They had a tough out of conference game in the Rush, but that was a long time ago and they have since picked up quality wins against the Turtles and the Jacks. They also dismantled a greatly improved Toronto team a week ago. Week 8 represents a pivotal game for this club in their attempt to capture a top 2 seed in the playoffs. Dealing the Current their first loss would give them great momentum heading into a 4 game stretch that they are favored in before they face off with the aforementioned 916ers. It is these kinds of games that make or break seasons (at least regular seasons).
4. Cape Verde Jacks 5-2
The Jacks get the nod over the other two 5-2 teams because their two losses have come by a combined 13 points. They have the talent to compete with anyone in the league but these new comers to BBB #8 have yet to notch a real signature win. They rank in the top five in Offense, Defense and Special Teams, so they know how to get it done on every side of the ball. They'll have another chance to put themselves in the conversation of the Eastern Conference elite in their week 9 match-up with the 916ers. Honestly just keeping it close in that game even though they are fairly evenly matched would be an accomplishment that no other conference team has been able to do. It will be a game that will be pretty telling on where their season is going to go from there.
5. Oshawa Turtles 5-2
The Turtles still carry around that stigma of being unable to win the big game. They just finished what is probably the toughest stretch of three games that anyone could be asked to play in the Eastern Conference and finished 1-2. I know ownership had higher goals than that but it is still a nice accomplishment to pick up one of those games. Loosing all three would have sent them into a tail spin that would have been difficult to break. Luckily for them, the competition eases a little bit in their next two weeks before they get a shot at the Current. This team needs to prove that they can elevate their game to the level necessary to beat teams of equal or slightly better talent. If they let the Current game slip by them, then I am afraid that this team is probably destined for another early playoff exit.
6. Quebec Bandits 5-2
The Bandits made the move from Queen City to Quebec in the off-season and were luckily enough to win the legal battle with the residents of Queen City so that they could bring their name, uniforms and record books with them. The Bandits started off hot in their new city before cooling over the past two weeks. They look like they might be just a step behind the elite of this league after failing to stay competitive in their games against their two games against top 5 teams. They are still a good club though and have made vast improvements from season 6's futility. Overall it looks like the change in scenery and ownership agreed with them and there is still a lot of football left to play. They could easily close the gap over the course of the season and we'll exactly how much progress they have made in two weeks when they take on their next top 5 opponent in the Jacks.
7. Saskatchewan Gigantes 4-3
The Gigantes are one of the original Eastern Conference team and have been a borderline playoff team from their inception. Season 7 is no different. The gap between them and the premier teams in this league are wide but they have a strong running attack with consistent production from their RB Big Pat Angeles. They'll beat the bad teams of the league but probably won't be able to keep it close against the good ones. Despite that they'll probably sneak into the playoffs as one of the bottom seeds before being shown the door in the first round. It will be interesting to see if they make any attempts at upgrading their talent level to avoid that fate, but they haven't made any significant moves so far.
8. Toronto Permanent Waves 4-3
The Waves seem to operate in cycles. They were decent in season 5, abysmal in season 6 and have returned to being decent again in season 7. Much like the Gigantes, they are going to have a tough time upsetting any of the top teams of the conference but they should still grace the post season if they can win games against the Esquimaux, Darkstars, Washemplae and Hackers. Those teams make up their and the Gigantes' competition for the bottom two seeds in the conference. Of course a win against a quality opponent like the Turtles in week 8 would go a LONG way in helping them reach the postseason, that looks pretty far fetched.
9. Arctic Blubberin' Esquimaux 2-5
Like the Current, the Esquimaux have had a vision of where they were headed since season 5 and have stuck with their players as they have come into their own. Of course, the two teams are experiencing much different results as demonstrated by the Esquimaux's 17 point loss to the Gigantes in Week 4. The Esquimaux are either going to have to make immediate changes to their game plan or be happy with another losing season and look forward to season 8. They still have 3 of the top 5 teams left to play, so it would take a pretty strong push for them to do any better than 8-8. We'll see in Week 9 when they take on the Hurricanes if they are serious about contending in Season 7.
I don't think the rest of the teams have much of a shot of challenging for the playoffs, so I will list them in the order that I feel they fall into but skip the write up until they give me reason to think they have some designs on making the post season.
10. Bad Harbour Hackers 2-5
11. Bosphorus Oftas 2-5
12. Orangetown Darkstars 2-5
13. Grise Forde Icicles 2-5
14. Winnepeg Washemplae 1-6
15. Thunder Bay Strikers 1-6
16. SeaCastle DeepOnes 0-7
