(S8) - Ultimus Week

[dropbear]

Robbed
Season 8 was the season of Colorado Yeti’s Cinderella story gone begging. The team had just suffered through back-to-back winless seasons, and had won a measly six games from their past five seasons. That’s right, their record from Season 3 through Season 7 was an incredibky underwhelming 6 – 70 – 0, good for a win percentage of .0857. But the struggling franchise was able to put all of that behind them in Season 8 and go on to win five games through the first ten weeks of the season. They were even in play for a playoff spot. The Yellownknife Wraiths had all but secured the division, but the second seed was open to all of the remaining three teams in the NSFC. The Baltimore Hawks were faultering, though, and the Philadelphia Liberty were trady away pieces of their championship-winnng team and starting their rebuild mid season. So, suddenly, and unexpectedly, the Yeti had a real shot making the playoffs after six seasons without doing so.

But, as fate would have it, they wouldn’t. Instead, the Hawks, who were on the bottom of the division with two games remaining in the season, would leapfrog both the Yeti and the Liberty, whose positions relative to one another would not change, meaning the Wraiths and Hawks would represent the NSFC in the playoffs, leaving Yeti players and fans saying, “it should have been us”.

Playoff Predictions
Wraiths vs Hawks
I imagine the unconvincing manner in which the Baltimore Hawks secured the second seed in the NSFC is leading many to assume this game is over before the players have taken the field. While part of me is inclined to agree, I get the sense these teams are more evenly matched than they might appear at first. Both have high-powered offenses, but both seem equally up to the challenge to defend such an attack. To me, the difference is in the running backs, which tips the scales in the Hawks favour. Baltimore wins in a grind, 9 – 7.

Otters vs Second Line
The long-reigning ASFC champion and back-to-back-to-back Ultimus-winning Orange County Otters seem poised to defend their conference title, as the league title is no longer theirs. They have the home field advantage over the up-and-coming New Orleans Second Line. However, the influence of the Otters home turf faltered this season, and saw them lose games in Orange County to the Yeti and the Hawks. While I believe the once-daunting prospect of playing the Otters at home is becoming less so, the Second Line were not able to overcome the challenge in Week 13, and nor do I think they’ll do it in the playoffs. A tight one blows out near the end, and Otters progress with a 31 - 16 victory.

Ultimus: Otters vs Hawks
While some might argue that the Wraiths were the harder team for the Hakws to overcome, they were not the only team. The gruelling battle that was the conference championship took what strength the Hawks had and they crumble once again on the biggest stage. Otters in a blowout, 35 – 6.

New Talent
Near the midway point of Season 8, a trade occurred that may yet have important implications in the playoffs. The San Jose Sabercats had begun trading away assets last season, but continued to do so into Season 8. When word got out that the Sabercats were looking to move long-servicing cornerback Benson Bayley, opposition teams were quickly circling the boat. There was a private bidding war going on, one which the New Orleans Second Line would eventually win.

So it was that they acquired a key piece for their defense as their team began its upswing. Former starting cornerback Terrell Brister had become unengaged at practice, and didn't seem willing to take the next step along with his team. It seemed he was simply looking to collect a paycheck, something that wouldn't stand now that New Orleans were looking to compete. He was a casualty of the trade, and now finds himself in San Jose.

Bayley, on the other, is now a focal point of the Second Line defense, and will be relied upon heavily to help stop the Orange County Otters' high-powered passing attack if his side is any chance at progressing beyond the conference championship and onto the Ultimus.

Matchup Nightmares
While you would usually focus on a 1-vs-1 matchup in this sort of review, I’m going to up the ante: the nightmare matchup in the ASFC Conference Championship is the receiving corps of the Orange County Otters vs the secondary of the New Orleans Second Line.

Despite the addition of veteran cornerback and elite defensive playmaker Benson Bayley, which was detailed in an earlier article, the Second Line still appear to have the odds stacked against them in regard to stopping the Otters high-powered passing offense. The Otters boast a receiving group comprised of all-time great Bradley Westfieldl; breakout superstars Carlito Crush, acquired from the Colorado Yeti and a recent convert from tight end, and Tegan Atwell, former cornerback turned wide receiver and now breakout player of the year candidate; and Robert Phelps, a player who despite spending his career in Westfield’s shadow, has nonetheless put up some impressive receiving numbers during his time in the NSFL.

They will face a New Orleans secondary headlined by cornerback Benson Bayley and safety Blackford Oakes, rounded out by young cornerback and former Otter Vladimir Fyodorovich, and rookie safety William H. Harrison. The Otters have their nose in front in terms of raw talent, but their group also have the edge in experience. And when it comes to playoff football, that can be more important than any other factor.