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Ten games down ... who will make the run for the playoffs? CRUNCH TIME is here. Here is how it appears to be shaking out!
AFC-NORTH
IOWA CITY - Unless disaster strikes, IC has by far the easiest crunch schedule. The Snipe Hunters are the only team that does not play a team that is above a .500 win record. They also lead their division by 2 games. Count on IC in the playoffs ... and if they have a run because of the lighter schedule ... the SNIPE HUNTERS are a favorite to be resting their players on the first week of the playoffs.
AFC-SOUTH
ST. LOUIS & LOUISIANA
Both teams have reasonably light crunch schedules. St. Louis only faces one team above .500 ... but that is an important one ... the last game of the season vs. Louisiana. Louisiana has a little tougher road in that they also must face Salt Lake City who is 6-4.
The formula for success for either team seems to be "the best conference record" at the end of the season because it is very possbile that these two teams will have the same record. The winner of the division will be the one that wins 2 out of 3 of their non-conference opponents and 2 out of 3 of their conference opponents. Must wins for St. Louis are 2-8 Houston and 3-7 Ancorage (conference games) while Louisiana must beat 2-8 Murfreesburo and 5-5 Hartford (conference games). Even though St. Louis has a slightly easier crunch schedule, they cannot afford to stumble since they lost the first matchup with Louisana by one point. Both teams will probably make the playoffs with the winner of the division decided by conference record.
AFC-EAST
NORFOLK , with an unblemished record, seems assured a playoff berth and division title. If they win vs. 2-8 Houston, 3-7 Tulsa, and 3-7 Boston, they should also be assured of a bye in the first round of the playoffs. However, the remainder of the Vipers crunch schedule will show the world if the Vipers are truly a team in its own class as they must face 8-2 Little Rock, 8-2 Columbia and the 6-4 West Virgina. The Vipers can afford to lose all three of these matchups but they will lose a lot of face if the National Conference power teams reveal that the Viper's game plans are just a lot of smoke and mirrors.
AFC-WEST
PORTLAND, like Norfolk, enjoys a commanding lead in the division race. This lead should not change since their crunch schedule include 2-8 Murfreesburo, 2-8 Fresno, and 3- 7 Alburqurque. Portland also faces 7-4 Vermont and 7-4 Lawrence. The outcomes of those two games will demonstrate the strength of a Portland team in the playoffs. However, the outcomes will more directly effect the battle for the NFC South Division championship battle between Vermont, Lawrence, and Orlando.
NFC-NORTH
DAKOTA, PITTSBURGH, LANSING, MADISON
Who is going to step it up? Madison clearly has by winning 4 out of its last 5 outings ... but Madison also has the most difficult crunch schedule in that it must face 7-3 Orlando and 7-3 IowaCity. Lansing's and Dakota's only major opponent is Iowa City. Pittsburg does not face a team that is above .500, but then again they are only at .500 themselves. Injuries will probably determine the final outcome in this division either by eliminating a team are by introducing a new talent that helps a team make a significant run.
NFC-SOUTH
COLUMBIA & LITTLE ROCK
Two of the elite teams in the league and in the same division. Both teams have significant crunch schedules. Columbia faces 10-0 Norfolk, 6-4 Salt Lake City. Little Rock also faces 10-0 Norfolk and adds 7-3 Burlington and 6-4 West Virginia. Little Rock definately has the tougher road since they also lost the first game vs. Orlando. Little Rock's rematch with Columbia may not make any difference if they do not fare as well with their tougher crunch schedule and Little Rock cannot lose another conference game as that may also be the deciding difference. Even though Columbia seems to have the nod for the division crown, both teams will be factors in the playofffs.
NFC-EAST
LAWRENCE, VERMONT, ORLANDO
Three great teams, all potentially playoff bound. Orlando seems to be in the driver's seat in that the only team in their crunch schedule is 7-3 division foe, Vermont. Lawrence, on the other hand, faces Vermont and also AFC West division leader 6-4 Portland. BUT, Vermont has the toughest crunch schedule with 8-2 Little Rock, 7-3 Lawrence, 7-3 Orlando and 6-4 Portland. Vermont could be in control of its own destiny if they knock off both division rivals, Lawrence and Orlando. NEWARK at 5-5 could emerge as a key team to watch in this division. They potentially could be the kingmaker if they upset either Lawrence or Orlando in their division matchups.
NFC-WEST
RENO & SALT LAKE CITY
The Reno team holds a decisive W-L ratio in the division but falls behind Salt Lake in conference and total wins. Both have comparable crunch schedules. Salt Lake faces 8-2 Coumbia and 8-2 St. Louis. Reno faces 8-2 St. Louis and 7-3 Louisiana. The division and only playoff berth for this division will most likely be decided in the final game when they match up with each other.
THE BUBBLE TEAMS
AFC- WEST VIRGINIA at 6-4 is still a power to be reckoned with. There are two teams on their crunch schedule that they can signifiantly improve their playoff chances with a head to head win -- vs 5-5 Hartford and 5-5-Wichita. These are must wins for a team that must also face 10-0 Norfolk and 8-2 Little Rock.
AFC- MONTREAL at 5-5 has the easiest crunch schedule. Iowa City 7-3 is the only team with a winning record that it will face. It would seem that a playoff berth is theirs to lose.
AFC- WICHITA at 5-5 must go through 7-3 Iowa City and 6-4 West Virginia in their search for a playoff berth. West Virginia and Montreal also need to stumble.
AFC -HARTFORD is definately a long shot to reach the promise land at this point in the season. Their crunch schedule includes, 6-4 West Viriginia, 7-3 Louisiana, and 8-2 Columbia. They probably will find themselves in the spoiler role vs. West Virginia in the last game of the season.
NFC- Bubble Teams- One will be gone The NFC has five teams that can win their division crown and also qualify for a wild card if that proves to be unsuccessful. Those teams are Columbia, Little Rock, Lawrence, Vermont and Orlando. Two of these teams will not win their division but will win a wild card. It is a shame that one of these teams will be sitting on the outside looking in but one of them will.
AFC-NORTH
IOWA CITY - Unless disaster strikes, IC has by far the easiest crunch schedule. The Snipe Hunters are the only team that does not play a team that is above a .500 win record. They also lead their division by 2 games. Count on IC in the playoffs ... and if they have a run because of the lighter schedule ... the SNIPE HUNTERS are a favorite to be resting their players on the first week of the playoffs.
AFC-SOUTH
ST. LOUIS & LOUISIANA
Both teams have reasonably light crunch schedules. St. Louis only faces one team above .500 ... but that is an important one ... the last game of the season vs. Louisiana. Louisiana has a little tougher road in that they also must face Salt Lake City who is 6-4.
The formula for success for either team seems to be "the best conference record" at the end of the season because it is very possbile that these two teams will have the same record. The winner of the division will be the one that wins 2 out of 3 of their non-conference opponents and 2 out of 3 of their conference opponents. Must wins for St. Louis are 2-8 Houston and 3-7 Ancorage (conference games) while Louisiana must beat 2-8 Murfreesburo and 5-5 Hartford (conference games). Even though St. Louis has a slightly easier crunch schedule, they cannot afford to stumble since they lost the first matchup with Louisana by one point. Both teams will probably make the playoffs with the winner of the division decided by conference record.
AFC-EAST
NORFOLK , with an unblemished record, seems assured a playoff berth and division title. If they win vs. 2-8 Houston, 3-7 Tulsa, and 3-7 Boston, they should also be assured of a bye in the first round of the playoffs. However, the remainder of the Vipers crunch schedule will show the world if the Vipers are truly a team in its own class as they must face 8-2 Little Rock, 8-2 Columbia and the 6-4 West Virgina. The Vipers can afford to lose all three of these matchups but they will lose a lot of face if the National Conference power teams reveal that the Viper's game plans are just a lot of smoke and mirrors.
AFC-WEST
PORTLAND, like Norfolk, enjoys a commanding lead in the division race. This lead should not change since their crunch schedule include 2-8 Murfreesburo, 2-8 Fresno, and 3- 7 Alburqurque. Portland also faces 7-4 Vermont and 7-4 Lawrence. The outcomes of those two games will demonstrate the strength of a Portland team in the playoffs. However, the outcomes will more directly effect the battle for the NFC South Division championship battle between Vermont, Lawrence, and Orlando.
NFC-NORTH
DAKOTA, PITTSBURGH, LANSING, MADISON
Who is going to step it up? Madison clearly has by winning 4 out of its last 5 outings ... but Madison also has the most difficult crunch schedule in that it must face 7-3 Orlando and 7-3 IowaCity. Lansing's and Dakota's only major opponent is Iowa City. Pittsburg does not face a team that is above .500, but then again they are only at .500 themselves. Injuries will probably determine the final outcome in this division either by eliminating a team are by introducing a new talent that helps a team make a significant run.
NFC-SOUTH
COLUMBIA & LITTLE ROCK
Two of the elite teams in the league and in the same division. Both teams have significant crunch schedules. Columbia faces 10-0 Norfolk, 6-4 Salt Lake City. Little Rock also faces 10-0 Norfolk and adds 7-3 Burlington and 6-4 West Virginia. Little Rock definately has the tougher road since they also lost the first game vs. Orlando. Little Rock's rematch with Columbia may not make any difference if they do not fare as well with their tougher crunch schedule and Little Rock cannot lose another conference game as that may also be the deciding difference. Even though Columbia seems to have the nod for the division crown, both teams will be factors in the playofffs.
NFC-EAST
LAWRENCE, VERMONT, ORLANDO
Three great teams, all potentially playoff bound. Orlando seems to be in the driver's seat in that the only team in their crunch schedule is 7-3 division foe, Vermont. Lawrence, on the other hand, faces Vermont and also AFC West division leader 6-4 Portland. BUT, Vermont has the toughest crunch schedule with 8-2 Little Rock, 7-3 Lawrence, 7-3 Orlando and 6-4 Portland. Vermont could be in control of its own destiny if they knock off both division rivals, Lawrence and Orlando. NEWARK at 5-5 could emerge as a key team to watch in this division. They potentially could be the kingmaker if they upset either Lawrence or Orlando in their division matchups.
NFC-WEST
RENO & SALT LAKE CITY
The Reno team holds a decisive W-L ratio in the division but falls behind Salt Lake in conference and total wins. Both have comparable crunch schedules. Salt Lake faces 8-2 Coumbia and 8-2 St. Louis. Reno faces 8-2 St. Louis and 7-3 Louisiana. The division and only playoff berth for this division will most likely be decided in the final game when they match up with each other.
THE BUBBLE TEAMS
AFC- WEST VIRGINIA at 6-4 is still a power to be reckoned with. There are two teams on their crunch schedule that they can signifiantly improve their playoff chances with a head to head win -- vs 5-5 Hartford and 5-5-Wichita. These are must wins for a team that must also face 10-0 Norfolk and 8-2 Little Rock.
AFC- MONTREAL at 5-5 has the easiest crunch schedule. Iowa City 7-3 is the only team with a winning record that it will face. It would seem that a playoff berth is theirs to lose.
AFC- WICHITA at 5-5 must go through 7-3 Iowa City and 6-4 West Virginia in their search for a playoff berth. West Virginia and Montreal also need to stumble.
AFC -HARTFORD is definately a long shot to reach the promise land at this point in the season. Their crunch schedule includes, 6-4 West Viriginia, 7-3 Louisiana, and 8-2 Columbia. They probably will find themselves in the spoiler role vs. West Virginia in the last game of the season.
NFC- Bubble Teams- One will be gone The NFC has five teams that can win their division crown and also qualify for a wild card if that proves to be unsuccessful. Those teams are Columbia, Little Rock, Lawrence, Vermont and Orlando. Two of these teams will not win their division but will win a wild card. It is a shame that one of these teams will be sitting on the outside looking in but one of them will.
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