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Not very in-depth, just hoping to spark conversation...
AC North:
Major Contenders: Cleveland (8-3), Iowa City (8-3)
Outside Shot: Wichita (5-6)
Probably done: Montreal (4-7)
Should be a great race between Cleveland and Iowa City. Cleveland has the inside track based on their week 11 victory at Iowa. Iowa City also has to play at ANC and TUL.
Wichita probably is gunning for a WC spot and needs to win 4 out of their last 5 and have 1 of CLE/IWC/ANC really stumble and finish 9-7 or under.
AC South:
Contenders: Murfreesboro, St. Louis and Houston (all 5-6)
Spoiler role: Louisiana (3-eight)
Another great race to the finish. Murf has a bit of momentum over the others, going 3-2 in the past 5 games, while STL and HOU both went 1-4. They also seem to have a slightly easier schedule although 4 out of their last 5 are on the road.
STL seems to have the toughest path having to contend with LAW and ORL besides MUR and HOU.
AC East:
Major Contender: West Virginia (8-3)
Outside Shot: Norfolk and Hartford (both 5-6)
Spoiler role: Chicago (2-9)
WVA still has an epic game with POR next week, plus at PEN and home against MAD, which has shown some signs of life. If NFK can pull the upset the final week, it is possible (if remote) that WVA could lose out in the end.
HAR has the easiest scedule, but they are currently 0-3 against WVA and NFK, so tiebreakers will likely be against them.
AC West:
Major Contender: Portland (11-0)
Contender: Anchorage (7-4)
Outside shot: Fresno (5-6)
Portland's odds of going undefeated in the regular season have risen to 3-2. At WVA and at ANC are the major challenges to this. Assuming ANC is limited to a WC spot at this point,
their game against IWC this week is probably more important than their week 15 game with POR. Fresno is in the same situation as Wichita.
projections:
Division winners: Cleveland, Murfreesboro, West Virginia and Portland
Wildcards: Iowa City and Anchorage
AC Champ: Portland
NC North:
Major Contenders: Lansing and Penn (8-3)
Spoilers: Madison (4-7) and Dakota (0-11)
The third of the "great races", it will be fun to watch these teams duke it out for the next 5 weeks. Lansing has a slightly easier schedule on paper, including a home date with PEN. Dakota nearly has the #1 pick sown up.
NC South:
Major Contenders: Tulsa (8-3) and Georgia (6-4-1)
Outside Shot: Little Rock (4-6-1)
Spoiler role: Texas (3-eight)
Both Tulsa and Georgia have difficult schedules with a more favorable home schedule for Georgia. But due to the tie, GEO is going to have to make up 2 games which is a tall order. However, GEO is also in the running for a WC.
Little Rock's hopes have faded with a tough 3 games stretch, but they can still be a spoiler with games with TUL and GEO.
NC East:
Major Contender: Lawrence (10-1)
Contender: Orlando (6-5)
Outside shot: Newark (5-6)
Spoiler role: Vermont (3-eight)
Lawrence should be able to coast into the playoffs with the only question being what seed. Games against VAN and ORL will help determine that. Orlando's tough schedule makes it almost inconceivable that they
could challenge for the division title even if LAW stumbles, and losses to LAN and PEN won't help in the WC race either, but they aren't to be counted out either.
Assuming LAN/PEN take one WC spot, NWK would have to pass ORL and GEO for the other. As luck would have it, they play both and have already beat ORL, so I wouldn't bet on NWK missing the playoffs at this point.
NC West:
Major Contender: Vancouver (9-2)
Spoilers: Oakland, Salt Lake City (4-7), and Reno (3-eight)
While it looks inevitable that VAN will claim the NC West crown, SLC and REN could certainly hurt VAN's playoff position with victories in the final weeks.
projections:
Division winners: Lansing, Tulsa, Lawrence and Vancouver
Wildcards: Penn and Georgia
NC Champ: Lawrence
AC North:
Major Contenders: Cleveland (8-3), Iowa City (8-3)
Outside Shot: Wichita (5-6)
Probably done: Montreal (4-7)
Should be a great race between Cleveland and Iowa City. Cleveland has the inside track based on their week 11 victory at Iowa. Iowa City also has to play at ANC and TUL.
Wichita probably is gunning for a WC spot and needs to win 4 out of their last 5 and have 1 of CLE/IWC/ANC really stumble and finish 9-7 or under.
AC South:
Contenders: Murfreesboro, St. Louis and Houston (all 5-6)
Spoiler role: Louisiana (3-eight)
Another great race to the finish. Murf has a bit of momentum over the others, going 3-2 in the past 5 games, while STL and HOU both went 1-4. They also seem to have a slightly easier schedule although 4 out of their last 5 are on the road.
STL seems to have the toughest path having to contend with LAW and ORL besides MUR and HOU.
AC East:
Major Contender: West Virginia (8-3)
Outside Shot: Norfolk and Hartford (both 5-6)
Spoiler role: Chicago (2-9)
WVA still has an epic game with POR next week, plus at PEN and home against MAD, which has shown some signs of life. If NFK can pull the upset the final week, it is possible (if remote) that WVA could lose out in the end.
HAR has the easiest scedule, but they are currently 0-3 against WVA and NFK, so tiebreakers will likely be against them.
AC West:
Major Contender: Portland (11-0)
Contender: Anchorage (7-4)
Outside shot: Fresno (5-6)
Portland's odds of going undefeated in the regular season have risen to 3-2. At WVA and at ANC are the major challenges to this. Assuming ANC is limited to a WC spot at this point,
their game against IWC this week is probably more important than their week 15 game with POR. Fresno is in the same situation as Wichita.
projections:
Division winners: Cleveland, Murfreesboro, West Virginia and Portland
Wildcards: Iowa City and Anchorage
AC Champ: Portland
NC North:
Major Contenders: Lansing and Penn (8-3)
Spoilers: Madison (4-7) and Dakota (0-11)
The third of the "great races", it will be fun to watch these teams duke it out for the next 5 weeks. Lansing has a slightly easier schedule on paper, including a home date with PEN. Dakota nearly has the #1 pick sown up.
NC South:
Major Contenders: Tulsa (8-3) and Georgia (6-4-1)
Outside Shot: Little Rock (4-6-1)
Spoiler role: Texas (3-eight)
Both Tulsa and Georgia have difficult schedules with a more favorable home schedule for Georgia. But due to the tie, GEO is going to have to make up 2 games which is a tall order. However, GEO is also in the running for a WC.
Little Rock's hopes have faded with a tough 3 games stretch, but they can still be a spoiler with games with TUL and GEO.
NC East:
Major Contender: Lawrence (10-1)
Contender: Orlando (6-5)
Outside shot: Newark (5-6)
Spoiler role: Vermont (3-eight)
Lawrence should be able to coast into the playoffs with the only question being what seed. Games against VAN and ORL will help determine that. Orlando's tough schedule makes it almost inconceivable that they
could challenge for the division title even if LAW stumbles, and losses to LAN and PEN won't help in the WC race either, but they aren't to be counted out either.
Assuming LAN/PEN take one WC spot, NWK would have to pass ORL and GEO for the other. As luck would have it, they play both and have already beat ORL, so I wouldn't bet on NWK missing the playoffs at this point.
NC West:
Major Contender: Vancouver (9-2)
Spoilers: Oakland, Salt Lake City (4-7), and Reno (3-eight)
While it looks inevitable that VAN will claim the NC West crown, SLC and REN could certainly hurt VAN's playoff position with victories in the final weeks.
projections:
Division winners: Lansing, Tulsa, Lawrence and Vancouver
Wildcards: Penn and Georgia
NC Champ: Lawrence
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