Giving my 1-2 overall record against the Bluebombs and that they have better-rated players than me, not only will going to the Bowl be in question but the division as well.

Your division, as also the World Champs and Hunters division is shaping up to bring us some dramatic finishes.

The Early But Not Too Soon To Watch Playoff Picture- Week 12 Preview

The mid-season bye weeks are done away with, and now all teams have played an even amount of games, so it's time to make those final adjustments to the roster and finalize any concerns with the playbook.

Players bought on the TM this late in the season may need the rest of the season to get fully up to speed - and one loss could change playoff seedings or hopes altogether.

Point Differentials are close in a few division races which mean tiebreakers could wind up breaking a few managers and their team's hearts. Better to win by 60 than by 6 in these closing weeks.

Buckle up Thunder 2. The playoff race has just begun and the finish line is a few laps away... and fast approaching!

AFC
Montreal Dragons (9-1) Bye
Palmas Hunters (9-1) Bye

#6 Nashville Renegades (7-3) @ #3 Fredericksburg Comanches (9-1)
#5 World Champs (9-1) @ #4 Cleveland Dawgs (6-4)

In The Hunt
paok fc (5-5)
Stocazzo (4-6)

On Life Support
Doug-Weds Reiholds (3-7)
New York Victorians (2-8)

NFC
Vicious Attack Dogs (10-0) Bye
St Neots Saints (9-1) Bye

#6 Goats (8-2) @ #3 Tampa Bay Thunder (7-3)
#5 Bluebombs (9-1) @ #4 Amersfoort Alligators (7-3)

In The Hunt
Thang Long Warriors (7-3)
Spitting Llamas (6-4)
Duluth Eskimos (5-5)

Time For A Winning Streak
Dublin Dragons (4-6)

On Life Support
Yokohama DeNa Baystars (3-7)

Matchups that could completely shake up the playoff race!

Bluebombs (9-1) @ Cleveland Dawgs (6-4)
Duluth Eskimos (5-5) @ Amersfoort Alligators (7-3)
Goats (8-2) @ Thang Long Warriors (7-3)
Nashville Renegades (7-3) @ Spitting Llamas (6-4)
Vicious Attack Dogs (10-0) @ Tampa Bay Thunder (7-3)

Must Win Situation? (Human vs Human Matchups)
Cleveland Dawgs (6-4)
Duluth Eskimos (5-5)
Spitting Llamas (6-4)

Excellent analysis mate. It is indeed gearing up to an epic finish indeed!

Also: I beat my first real human opponent

Vicious Attack Dogs is gonna go unbeaten this season, it's sure now

Thanks for the consideration. I will say that the Bluebombs however are more than capable enough of beating me in our final matchup and possibly in the playoffs.

Pressing Questions With Only 5 Games To Go

Who will win the AC North?
Both the Palmas Hunters and World Champions sit at 10-1 and both are a lock for the playoffs. But one of these teams is looking at a #5 seed while the other a top 3 seed and possible first round bye. Not to mention a trophy in their possession to brag about this 34th season forever.

The Palmas Hunters have won their only head to head matchup thus far with one more coming before seasons end. The current points differential is 9 and that makes things even more intriguing.

Is the AC lacking a Wild Finish?
Besides the 4 teams (Palmas Hunters, World Champions, Fredericksburg Comanches, and the, Montreal Dragons) that are 10-1 and will battle to see who gets the 2 first round byes, the rest of the race lacks a wild finish. One wildcard team will surely come from the AC North (Palmas Hunters or World Champions), which leaves Stocazzo (5-6) and the Nashville Renegades (7-4) as the lone battle for seed #6.

This week will more than likely put more separation between these two as Stocazzo will perhaps hand the AC South crown to the Comanches in their head to head matchup this week and the Renegades winning their matchup between newcomer Garland Gladiators.

Nothing is a given, but I will go on a limb and say that the final wildcard spot is already occupied by the Renegades.

Any objections?

Will the Vicious Attack Dogs guard their NC East first place position?
The Attack Dogs sit at 11-0 and the only remaining unbeaten team. That will likely be the case into the final week of the season as they will then take on the Bluebombs who currently sit at 10-1. One of these teams will win out to end the season and that could be the difference between a first-round bye, and a #5 seed in the playoffs. Both teams could overcome a 5th place finish, but a home field advantage in the playoffs should the two teams collide then would be huge!

The Bluebombs has a 2-1 head to head record advantage and seems to have higher rated players. The Vicious Attack Dogs has allowed a league-low 73 points against them and their passing defense has climbed the past few weeks to #17.

Can their Attacking style on defense be enough to guard first-place, or will the BlueBombs explode enough on offense to take the division away?

Can the Amersfoort Alligators (7-4) hold on to the AC North?
They better. It is their only way into the playoffs as the wildcards will be taken by other teams. Hunting them down with no fear of being bitten is the Duluth Eskimos(6-5) who just put a beatdown on those Alligators to the tune of 43-7...on the road! There is one final matchup between these two teams and tensions are flaring up indeed.

The Eskimos will need all the heat they can supply vs the goats(9-2) this week. A loss here combined with an Alligator win would be tough but not impossible to overcome.

Will the NC South provide a comeback story?
The Tampa Bay Thunder are 1-3 in their last four games and failed to strike in a 53-0 defeat vs the Attack Dogs. On the other hand, the Spitting Llamas have won 4 in a row and now both teams sit at 7-4 with a points differential of 9 between these two. These teams have split the seasons series with both defending their home turf.

This week looks even more worrisome for the Tampa Bay Thunder as they take on the 10-1 Montreal Dragons on the road. Like with the NC North the only path to the playoffs for these two teams will be winning the division.

How will the NC West affect the playoff picture?
Both the St Neots Saints (10-1) and the goats(9-2) will make the playoffs. It's not official, but it will happen. The winner of the division will get a first-round bye. The other a #5 or #6 seed. That #6 seed could wind up facing the Bluebombs or Vicious Attack Dogs in the second round after they would have had a weeks worth of rest and scouting. Not the ideal situation if you are looking for an automatic promotion to Thunder 1.

But let me ask this? Regardless of who wins this division, are we not impressed with the resiliency of the goats? A lot of teams go bot when faced with financial issues but the goats not only stuck it through, they are going to be in play for the division title!

A great season thus far for both these teams!

Is it okay to be wrong?
At the beginning of the season, I felt the NC East could get 3 teams into the playoffs. The manager of the Thang Long Warriors(7-4) stuck around long enough to screw up a few teams records before going bot. So that prediction was wrong.

I did also say that the Dublin Dragons (5-6) could win 8 games this season after their manager predicted a 5-11 finish. They now could still help the NC East show their dominance by winning 4 out of their last 5 (which is do-able) to finish 9-7. That would make the NC East as the only division with at least 3 teams with winning records.

And who knows.. the Warriors may still get to 9 wins which could mean the whole division would finish with a winning record.

Well, if anyone could answer these questions that have me stumped and has me losing sleep, feel free to leave your replies.

As always, prepare well for your upcoming matchups Thunder 2. We are the FUTURE of the league.

nice article,thunder lucky to have you and cheesehead

Thanks

Eskimos will be new number 1 of NC North after next league game. They deserve it after they thoroughly dismantled me two games ago

Tough loss to take. You could have created a nice cushion in your division.