As a refresher, here was my midseason report: http://goallineblitz.com/game/forum_thread.pl?thread_id=3619778
At the half way point, the West looked like a 3 horse race between FT, Crib, and the Bears...what a difference 8 games makes as the West has seen a lot of movement in the standings. Over in the East, it looked like a battle between D-Tit and Eugene, with the Alligators close behind and we've seen another team enter the conversation as a top Eastern team. The regular games are done, the playoff teams have been determined, and the real meaningful games are about to start.
Wild, Wild West
1) '85 Chicago Bears are the only team that hasn't lost and are sitting nicely at 14-0-2. FT has a better record, but Chicago has beaten them in the regular season, in a scrim, and with their extra cirricular games against Gold teams they are tuned and ready for playoffs. Make no mistake, this is the odds on favorite to win the league.
2) Final Thought is always in the conversation when discussing S7's top teams, and at 15-1 they are at the top yet again. One of the most consistent high performers out there, they only lost to the Bears and definitely are capable of pulling off an upset in the conference finals.
East is Over
3) D-Tit is a perfect 16-0 and have established themselves as the strongest team on their side of the league. Their perfect season seemed effortless, with none of their games really in question and they enter the playoffs with few battle scars. It remains to be seen if they can hold their own against the rough and tumble West, but I expect we will find out in the finals.
Upsets in the making?
You may have noticed that the top of the league has shrunk to 3 teams and those teams represent the most likely Gold representatives. However that doesn't mean there are a few teams that are fully capable of spoiling the party, and in order of strength here are some teams that may have a thing or two to prove in the playoffs.
- Montpellier Wildcats are 13-2-1 but no one will take them lightly. Their record speaks for itself, their tie with Chicago was a statement, and this team would like nothing better than to return to Gold and be the first demoted team to make it back to the big show. They get the nod over Vancouver because of the strength of their D.
- Vancouver Demons are sitting nicely at 14-2, only losing to the best of the best, and losing by a small margin. They have run the table in the second half and can also be considered as possible contenders for the title if they can clean up their defense just a bit.
- SBI Inmates have upset potential written all over them. They played FT and the Bears tight so they can definitely get it done, but they were blown out by Montpellier and Vancouver, and narrowly beat the 8-8 Wolfpack to end the season. If they regain their early season swagger, they could do something.
Contenders or Pretenders?
- Crib Midgets (11-4-1) easily top the list as a team with high expecations, but no results to back it up. You can never count out such a veteran team but something needs fixing if these guys want their ice cream.
- Hartford Shocks (14-2) have a Golden look to them; the nice record, the yellow helmets, and they have played well but they play in a weaker conference and they lost to D-Tit by almost 100 points which makes me think they aren't ready to contend.
- Eugene Cobras (13-3) are the second best team in the East and have a shot at becoming contenders but not this year. They played D-Tit close so they have the chops, but losing to Hartford and then the Alligators raises some doubts.
- Twin City Alligtors (13-3) have the same record as the Cobras, but something just isn't right. They hang tough against good teams, then lay an egg against a team they should beat (Lumberjacks). It's all uphill in the playoffs and that kind of inconsistency usually gets you an early offseason.
Kudos!
I wanted to give a shout out to several other teams who really made a positive impression this year, either a returning S7 team or a new Copper team. These teams made huge strides this season and are all on the right track:
- Wolfpack. Their record wasn't as good as last year, but the competition was more fierce and they handled a difficult schedule very well.
- Boars. They exceeded expectations from last year's showing and narrowly missed out on the playoffs. Great job.
- Cracktown. Written off after the first half of the season, this Copper team goes on a tear and finishes strong to make the playoffs.
- Lumberjacks. Toughest schedule of the top eastern teams, these guys had to open the season against a former Gold PW team but their solid all around play gets them to the post season. Nice.
So there you have it. While things have gotten murky in the West with more good teams than anticipated, this has proven we have excellent depth in S7 but it has also defined our top teams. The spot in Gold is the Bears to lose, and if they make any mistakes FT will be there and ready to pounce. If D-Tit isn't too soft from their cupcake Eastern schedule, it should be a good championship game.
I should say that with the crazy parity in the builds this season, it is more wide open than ever before. In past seasons when we get to this point, the top teams are so far ahead of everyone else and my predictions are pretty solid. This time around I think there are way more opportunities for upsets so get gameplanning and take a shot because if you are in the playoffs, you are only 3 good SIM's from the title game.
Good luck to everyone, and GO CRIB MIDGETS!
At the half way point, the West looked like a 3 horse race between FT, Crib, and the Bears...what a difference 8 games makes as the West has seen a lot of movement in the standings. Over in the East, it looked like a battle between D-Tit and Eugene, with the Alligators close behind and we've seen another team enter the conversation as a top Eastern team. The regular games are done, the playoff teams have been determined, and the real meaningful games are about to start.
Wild, Wild West
1) '85 Chicago Bears are the only team that hasn't lost and are sitting nicely at 14-0-2. FT has a better record, but Chicago has beaten them in the regular season, in a scrim, and with their extra cirricular games against Gold teams they are tuned and ready for playoffs. Make no mistake, this is the odds on favorite to win the league.
2) Final Thought is always in the conversation when discussing S7's top teams, and at 15-1 they are at the top yet again. One of the most consistent high performers out there, they only lost to the Bears and definitely are capable of pulling off an upset in the conference finals.
East is Over
3) D-Tit is a perfect 16-0 and have established themselves as the strongest team on their side of the league. Their perfect season seemed effortless, with none of their games really in question and they enter the playoffs with few battle scars. It remains to be seen if they can hold their own against the rough and tumble West, but I expect we will find out in the finals.
Upsets in the making?
You may have noticed that the top of the league has shrunk to 3 teams and those teams represent the most likely Gold representatives. However that doesn't mean there are a few teams that are fully capable of spoiling the party, and in order of strength here are some teams that may have a thing or two to prove in the playoffs.
- Montpellier Wildcats are 13-2-1 but no one will take them lightly. Their record speaks for itself, their tie with Chicago was a statement, and this team would like nothing better than to return to Gold and be the first demoted team to make it back to the big show. They get the nod over Vancouver because of the strength of their D.
- Vancouver Demons are sitting nicely at 14-2, only losing to the best of the best, and losing by a small margin. They have run the table in the second half and can also be considered as possible contenders for the title if they can clean up their defense just a bit.
- SBI Inmates have upset potential written all over them. They played FT and the Bears tight so they can definitely get it done, but they were blown out by Montpellier and Vancouver, and narrowly beat the 8-8 Wolfpack to end the season. If they regain their early season swagger, they could do something.
Contenders or Pretenders?
- Crib Midgets (11-4-1) easily top the list as a team with high expecations, but no results to back it up. You can never count out such a veteran team but something needs fixing if these guys want their ice cream.
- Hartford Shocks (14-2) have a Golden look to them; the nice record, the yellow helmets, and they have played well but they play in a weaker conference and they lost to D-Tit by almost 100 points which makes me think they aren't ready to contend.
- Eugene Cobras (13-3) are the second best team in the East and have a shot at becoming contenders but not this year. They played D-Tit close so they have the chops, but losing to Hartford and then the Alligators raises some doubts.
- Twin City Alligtors (13-3) have the same record as the Cobras, but something just isn't right. They hang tough against good teams, then lay an egg against a team they should beat (Lumberjacks). It's all uphill in the playoffs and that kind of inconsistency usually gets you an early offseason.
Kudos!
I wanted to give a shout out to several other teams who really made a positive impression this year, either a returning S7 team or a new Copper team. These teams made huge strides this season and are all on the right track:
- Wolfpack. Their record wasn't as good as last year, but the competition was more fierce and they handled a difficult schedule very well.
- Boars. They exceeded expectations from last year's showing and narrowly missed out on the playoffs. Great job.
- Cracktown. Written off after the first half of the season, this Copper team goes on a tear and finishes strong to make the playoffs.
- Lumberjacks. Toughest schedule of the top eastern teams, these guys had to open the season against a former Gold PW team but their solid all around play gets them to the post season. Nice.
So there you have it. While things have gotten murky in the West with more good teams than anticipated, this has proven we have excellent depth in S7 but it has also defined our top teams. The spot in Gold is the Bears to lose, and if they make any mistakes FT will be there and ready to pounce. If D-Tit isn't too soft from their cupcake Eastern schedule, it should be a good championship game.
I should say that with the crazy parity in the builds this season, it is more wide open than ever before. In past seasons when we get to this point, the top teams are so far ahead of everyone else and my predictions are pretty solid. This time around I think there are way more opportunities for upsets so get gameplanning and take a shot because if you are in the playoffs, you are only 3 good SIM's from the title game.
Good luck to everyone, and GO CRIB MIDGETS!
Edited by vrecksler on Jan 10, 2010 20:05:30
