01-06-2021, 12:40 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-11-2021, 07:15 PM by KamiCommie.)
1) This week will see the S26 Ultimus and Ultimini races begin in earnest. How did each team arrive at the playoffs? Were there any dark horse teams that went unexpectedly far, or any presumptive favorites that fell flat? Who do you think will win the final? If you’re writing this after the finals were decided, were you surprised by the outcome? (10 TPE)
Here we are, just moments before the Ultimus for Season 26 of the International Simulation Football League! This season we have the NOLA Second Line up against the Yellowknife Wraiths in what should be an exciting game! But first things first, how did each team get here?
Yellowknife had a less than thrilling finish last season, ending the year with 7 wins and 9 losses and some glaring holes on both sides of the ball. Thanks to some great Free Agent acquisitions and additions through the draft, the Wraiths up in Yellowknife returned to their spooky selves again. The Yellowknife Wraiths were dominant right out of the gate, winning 7 of their first 8 games thanks to their crushing defense that did not allow more than 17 points a game during that stretch. And just when you thought they weren't spooky enough, their offense woke up. Throughout the whole second half of the season, their offense picked their opponents apart, averaging 31 points.
Yellowknife finished the season with a 13-3 record, 12-0 in their conference, all while sporting the league's number 1 defense and number 2 offense. Yellowknife also were top in the league in rushing yards, and total offensive yards per game. Oh, and the Wraiths also le the league in every defensive category. With the league's top offense and defense, you could see why everyone had them pegged as the favorites to win the Ultimus.
The NOLA Second Line had a more difficult path to the Championship game, finishing second amongst the five way tie in the ASFC with 9 wins and 7 losses. Neither their offense or their defense really stood out over the course of the season, ranking anywhere from the middle to the lower half of the league. Based on these rankings alone, you would think that this was a huge mismatch. However, the Second Line did have one feather in their cap. The had already beaten the Wraiths once before in the regular season 27-26.
While the first half of NOLA's season looked promising, the back half of NOLA's season was everything but consistent. The Second Line entered the second half of the season at 5-3, and looked like a decent contender for a playoff spot. But alternating wins and losses over their last 9 games of the year put their playoff hopes in doubt as they finished 9-7. NOLA found themselves mixed up in the middle of an unheard of five way tie, and thanks to some luck tie-breakers, snuck their way into the playoffs as the second seed. Also, thanks to some screwy tie-breaker magic, managed to have home field advantage in the Championship Round over the New York Silverbacks. Would NOLA have still made it to the Ultimus if the game was played in New York? Who knows?
Leading up to the big game, both teams had some close calls in the Championship Round. The NOLA Second Line managed to take the New York Silverbacks into OT after being down 14 points going into the 4th quarter. Once in OT, the Second Line managed to escape New York with the walk off touchdown three minutes into the extra quarter. The Yellowknife Wraiths managed to stay out of OT on their end, just barely squeaking by the Sarasota Sailfish with a field goal in the closing seconds of the game. Not quite the cake walk everyone else was expecting. For whatever reason, the Sarasota Sailfish like to play the Wraiths close, only losing to them by 3 in the regular season finale.
When comparing the two teams, Yellowknife leads New Orleans in every single statistical category. Yellowknife went undefeated in Conference play, while New Orleans finished with a respectable 7-5. The Wraiths held onto homefield advantage through out the playoffs, and were 7-1 at home through the regular season. The Second Line were not phased by this, as they have been road warriors through out the whole season. The Second Line managed to finish with a better record on the road, 5-3, as opposed to their home record, 4-4. That should give NOLA some confidence going into this David vs. Goliath matchup for the Ultimus title.
In the end, I think the difference between these teams are just too great. I don't believe that this game will even be close, as the offensive and defensive juggernaut that is Yellowknife will literally run all over New Orleans. Lead by their suffocating and opportunistic defense, look for multiple turnovers that are either returned for points or sets the offense up with a short field. NOLA will score some points, it is nearly impossible to shut out a team at this level, especially when it is in the Championship game. The Yellowknife defense will be the key in this game. Their defense is just too solid and efficient for NOLA to really stand any sort of chance in this game. Look for the Wraiths to win big, and re-establish themselves as the team to beat in the NSFC!
Here we are, just moments before the Ultimus for Season 26 of the International Simulation Football League! This season we have the NOLA Second Line up against the Yellowknife Wraiths in what should be an exciting game! But first things first, how did each team get here?
Yellowknife had a less than thrilling finish last season, ending the year with 7 wins and 9 losses and some glaring holes on both sides of the ball. Thanks to some great Free Agent acquisitions and additions through the draft, the Wraiths up in Yellowknife returned to their spooky selves again. The Yellowknife Wraiths were dominant right out of the gate, winning 7 of their first 8 games thanks to their crushing defense that did not allow more than 17 points a game during that stretch. And just when you thought they weren't spooky enough, their offense woke up. Throughout the whole second half of the season, their offense picked their opponents apart, averaging 31 points.
Yellowknife finished the season with a 13-3 record, 12-0 in their conference, all while sporting the league's number 1 defense and number 2 offense. Yellowknife also were top in the league in rushing yards, and total offensive yards per game. Oh, and the Wraiths also le the league in every defensive category. With the league's top offense and defense, you could see why everyone had them pegged as the favorites to win the Ultimus.
The NOLA Second Line had a more difficult path to the Championship game, finishing second amongst the five way tie in the ASFC with 9 wins and 7 losses. Neither their offense or their defense really stood out over the course of the season, ranking anywhere from the middle to the lower half of the league. Based on these rankings alone, you would think that this was a huge mismatch. However, the Second Line did have one feather in their cap. The had already beaten the Wraiths once before in the regular season 27-26.
While the first half of NOLA's season looked promising, the back half of NOLA's season was everything but consistent. The Second Line entered the second half of the season at 5-3, and looked like a decent contender for a playoff spot. But alternating wins and losses over their last 9 games of the year put their playoff hopes in doubt as they finished 9-7. NOLA found themselves mixed up in the middle of an unheard of five way tie, and thanks to some luck tie-breakers, snuck their way into the playoffs as the second seed. Also, thanks to some screwy tie-breaker magic, managed to have home field advantage in the Championship Round over the New York Silverbacks. Would NOLA have still made it to the Ultimus if the game was played in New York? Who knows?
Leading up to the big game, both teams had some close calls in the Championship Round. The NOLA Second Line managed to take the New York Silverbacks into OT after being down 14 points going into the 4th quarter. Once in OT, the Second Line managed to escape New York with the walk off touchdown three minutes into the extra quarter. The Yellowknife Wraiths managed to stay out of OT on their end, just barely squeaking by the Sarasota Sailfish with a field goal in the closing seconds of the game. Not quite the cake walk everyone else was expecting. For whatever reason, the Sarasota Sailfish like to play the Wraiths close, only losing to them by 3 in the regular season finale.
When comparing the two teams, Yellowknife leads New Orleans in every single statistical category. Yellowknife went undefeated in Conference play, while New Orleans finished with a respectable 7-5. The Wraiths held onto homefield advantage through out the playoffs, and were 7-1 at home through the regular season. The Second Line were not phased by this, as they have been road warriors through out the whole season. The Second Line managed to finish with a better record on the road, 5-3, as opposed to their home record, 4-4. That should give NOLA some confidence going into this David vs. Goliath matchup for the Ultimus title.
In the end, I think the difference between these teams are just too great. I don't believe that this game will even be close, as the offensive and defensive juggernaut that is Yellowknife will literally run all over New Orleans. Lead by their suffocating and opportunistic defense, look for multiple turnovers that are either returned for points or sets the offense up with a short field. NOLA will score some points, it is nearly impossible to shut out a team at this level, especially when it is in the Championship game. The Yellowknife defense will be the key in this game. Their defense is just too solid and efficient for NOLA to really stand any sort of chance in this game. Look for the Wraiths to win big, and re-establish themselves as the team to beat in the NSFC!
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