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Only five games remain in the season. It is the stretch for a division championship, a playoff berth and/or favorable bye position.
TB sees it this way:
:arrow: AC NORTH ... Cleveland, Iowa City & Wichita
Only one team will probably advance but the race is wide open for the division. Cleveland would be favorite at this time and would have to screw up to lose it. Iowa City would like to repeat as champion but has the hardest schedule with the likes of Houston, Cleveland and Little Rock, ouch. Wichita would need to run the table and they are capable and may just pull off that surprise.
:arrow: AC SOUTH ... St. Louis, Houston, Murfreesboro & Louisiana
All have difficult schedules and have the likes of Lawrence, Norfolk, Vermont, Iowa City visiting the division, with some of these teams more than once. The ball is clearly in the air and it is a jump ball for someone to grab with the exception of Louisiana who is clearly a very long shot. The others will go for the gold and it will be the one who just nuts it up week after week to earn the right to enter the playoffs with a case of swollen blue balls.
:arrow: AC EAST ... Norfolk & Hartford
Norfolk is definately in the playoffs and is the favoite to gain a bye. The reigning Imperial Bowl Champs, Hartford, are still lurking in the shadows and need a lot of help from its friends. They, like Louisiana, are a very long shot and must get by Portland, Lansing and then Norfolk even to make a bid.
:arrow: AC WEST ... Portland & Anchorage
The Lynx and Seals will fight for the division. The loser between these two will most likely earn a wild card since both teams' schedules are less arduous than the other playoff contenders in the conference.
:arrow: NC NORTH ... Lansing & Madison
Lansing and Madison will fight for the division. Lansing definately has the tougher road and will need its one game lead before the season ending climax at Madison. The loser will be on the bubble.
:arrow: NC SOUTH ... Little Rock & Texas
Little Rock is definately in the playoffs and is favored to get one of the byes. Texas is one of the NC bubble teams but they have a favorable schedule to lock in a wild card berth if they keep things on track. They are also the fan favorite to earn a playoff position after Texas-gate.
:arrow: NC EAST ... Lawrence & Vermont
Lawrence is definately in the playoffs and is favored to get one of the byes. Vermont is currently in the drivers seat to take a wild card but it seems to be an impossible task for the "mash unit" to survive its schedule vs. Murfreesboro, Houston and Lawrence. They also have feisty Reno and the revived Newark Bulldogs to put a monkey wrench in the works.
:arrow: NC WEST ... Oakland and Vancouver ... Oakland has to top tier teams to face, Lansing and Anchorage. Vancouver's will do battle with four '4-7 teams' and 2-9 Salt Lake City -- clearly a schedule to run the table. If this materializes, Oakland will be battling for a wild-card.
TB sees it this way:
:arrow: AC NORTH ... Cleveland, Iowa City & Wichita
Only one team will probably advance but the race is wide open for the division. Cleveland would be favorite at this time and would have to screw up to lose it. Iowa City would like to repeat as champion but has the hardest schedule with the likes of Houston, Cleveland and Little Rock, ouch. Wichita would need to run the table and they are capable and may just pull off that surprise.
:arrow: AC SOUTH ... St. Louis, Houston, Murfreesboro & Louisiana
All have difficult schedules and have the likes of Lawrence, Norfolk, Vermont, Iowa City visiting the division, with some of these teams more than once. The ball is clearly in the air and it is a jump ball for someone to grab with the exception of Louisiana who is clearly a very long shot. The others will go for the gold and it will be the one who just nuts it up week after week to earn the right to enter the playoffs with a case of swollen blue balls.
:arrow: AC EAST ... Norfolk & Hartford
Norfolk is definately in the playoffs and is the favoite to gain a bye. The reigning Imperial Bowl Champs, Hartford, are still lurking in the shadows and need a lot of help from its friends. They, like Louisiana, are a very long shot and must get by Portland, Lansing and then Norfolk even to make a bid.
:arrow: AC WEST ... Portland & Anchorage
The Lynx and Seals will fight for the division. The loser between these two will most likely earn a wild card since both teams' schedules are less arduous than the other playoff contenders in the conference.
:arrow: NC NORTH ... Lansing & Madison
Lansing and Madison will fight for the division. Lansing definately has the tougher road and will need its one game lead before the season ending climax at Madison. The loser will be on the bubble.
:arrow: NC SOUTH ... Little Rock & Texas
Little Rock is definately in the playoffs and is favored to get one of the byes. Texas is one of the NC bubble teams but they have a favorable schedule to lock in a wild card berth if they keep things on track. They are also the fan favorite to earn a playoff position after Texas-gate.
:arrow: NC EAST ... Lawrence & Vermont
Lawrence is definately in the playoffs and is favored to get one of the byes. Vermont is currently in the drivers seat to take a wild card but it seems to be an impossible task for the "mash unit" to survive its schedule vs. Murfreesboro, Houston and Lawrence. They also have feisty Reno and the revived Newark Bulldogs to put a monkey wrench in the works.
:arrow: NC WEST ... Oakland and Vancouver ... Oakland has to top tier teams to face, Lansing and Anchorage. Vancouver's will do battle with four '4-7 teams' and 2-9 Salt Lake City -- clearly a schedule to run the table. If this materializes, Oakland will be battling for a wild-card.
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