So here we are again, entering the final week of the regular season with a lot still undecided. Despite 13 games already in the books, only one team – SECOND DECK – has actually clinched a playoff birth. I’m not 100%, but that might be the first time it’s ever been this wide open headed into the regular season finale.
With Matt locked in, and Ryan, Kyle, Dave and Tim all now eliminated, it leaves five spots for seven teams. Let’s take a look at how things might play out….
ALMOST A LOCK
2. THE MEXICO CITY QUASARS – Sanchez has shot up the standings in the second half of the season, going 5-1 in his last six games. He is the closest we have a virtual lock to get in. Facing off against the Sentinels this week, who will be without Lamar Jackson, the Quasars simply need to win and they likely lock up the #2 seed. They could drop a spot if the Dutchmen also win AND outscore the Quasars by 621 points this week.
If Sanchez should lose to Josh, then the whole thing gets a lot more complicated. Even with a loss in Week 14 the Quasars should still make it in, but they could fall as far as 6th, assuming Kaiser, Tan and Trigger all win.
Rooting Interest if he Wins: N/A
Rooting Interest if he Loses: Dave and Matt
3. FLYING DUTCHMEN – After sitting near the top of the standings all season, Trigger’s recent three-game skid has dropped him out of a BYE-week position and into third place. A win this week over lead dog Second Deck (who just lost to Tim), coupled with a loss by the Quasars would put Trigger back into 2nd place and afford him an invaluable BYE week.
On the flip side, a loss to Matt, in a game that means almost nothing for the #1 seed Second Deck, could see Trigger’s seeding fall a few spots. A Week 14 loss, coupled with wins by Kaiser and Tan could see Trigger drop all the way down to #6.
Rooting Interest if he Wins: Josh and Dave
Rooting Interest if he Loses: Josh and Dave
5. C TAN VS THE WORLD – Chris squares off against Dave this week, and while he’s likely to be favored in the game once the projections update, he is contending with a lot of Bye week players. If he manages to hold off Sir, This is a Wendy’s, then C Tan will secure a playoff birth for the 15th time in 22 tries, good for an impressive 68%.
Should Tan lose, however, things shake up. Wins by Josh and Kaiser would be enough to push Chris out of the running. Also, a win by Jones, assuming Chris doesn’t score 330 points more in his loss than Jon gets in a win, would also lead Jones to jump him. The commish could fall as far as 8th place if everything goes wrong for him.
Rooting Interest if he Wins: Josh, Kaiser and Matt
Rooting Interest if he Loses: Kronner, Sanchez and Ryan
COIN TOSS TEAMS
4. RED BANK MALLRATS – Kronner is somehow 8-5, but with one of the lower point totals for the season (9th), the Mallrats aren’t likely to survive a tie-breaker situation. Headed into a Week 14 matchup against a red-hot QAnon team that has won 4 in a row, the Mallrats find themselves a 145-point underdog based on early, pre-waiver projections. A win over Kaiser would lock in a playoff birth, but a loss could be disastrous.
While a win would lock the Mallrats in the Top-4, a defeat would muddle things up greatly, and necessitate some help. Should Kaiser win, he will immediately leapfrog Kronner and secure himself a spot in the postseason. That would leave two spots for Kronner, Chris, Josh, and Jones to fight for. If Tan and Josh both win, then it would come down to final point totals between Josh and Kronner for the 6th spot, a contest the Sentinels currently have a 125-point handicap.
Rooting Interest if he Wins: Josh and Matt
Rooting Interest if he Loses: Dave and Sanchez
6. QAnon – Kaiser has won 4 in a row, and is favored again this week against Kronner. Should he win, he’s in. That would make both he and the Mallrats 8-6, with Kaiser holding a significant scoring advantage for tie-breaker purposes.
Should the Q-Crazies lose to the Mallrats, then they will need some help to get in. Both Josh and Jones would need to also lose, which would secure the 6-spot for Team Texas. This one isn’t too complicated, win and you’re in.
Rooting Interest if he Wins: Josh, Matt and Dave
Rooting Interest if he Loses: Ryan and Sanchez
THE LONG SHOTS
7. WASHINGTON SENTINELS – Josh faced the toughest schedule down the stretch, and it doesn’t get any easier in Week 14 as he faces off against Sanchez and the MC Quasars. A win this week would push the Sentinels to 8-6 and would likely put them in…but not for sure. They still need some help. A win here, coupled with a win by Kronner would do it. OR a loss by Kronner, where the Mallrats score fewer points than the Sentinels would also likely get it done. A loss by C Tan paired with a win over Sanchez gets it done too.
If Josh loses, then it’s all over.
Rooting Interest if he Wins: Kronner and Dave.
Rooting Interest if he Loses: N/A
8. SC4_SKIPPERS – Just this week Jones took over as the #1 offense in the league, yet he’s likely going to miss the playoffs unless he gets some help. A loss ends the conversation right away, as a 6-8 finish won’t do anything for him. But should he win, and he’s likely to be a heavy favorite against the Burrito Warriors (who have lost 7 in a row after a 5-1 start), then this is what he needs; Chris, Mark and Josh all have to lose. Josh is a long shot to beat Sanchez this week, but Chris and Mark are both expected to win. Jones has the point-total tiebreaker if they all end up 7-7, but if even one of those teams wins, the Skippers won’t have an opportunity to defend their title.
Rooting Interest if he Wins: Kronner, Dave and Sanchez
Rooting Interest if he Loses: N/A
No time for photoshop, so please excuse the scarcity of memes in this post. My deepest apologies.
SC League Forever 