Power Rankings

251 points scored, 195 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: The JC Penny combo, with 20 QB-WR touchdowns

Key Defensive Players: JC Adams (3 INT), Chris Riotta-Rogers (7 sacks)

Key Rookie: Ed A (1 sack, 2 gameballs)

Key stat going into the playoffs: Navy is converting less than half of their extra points.

*Author note- JC Adams wishes to make clear that 0 of his 5 interceptions thrown are his fault, and should be attributed to either referee mistakes, or awarded to Kevin Smiffy

As with any undefeated team, this team has needed a bit of luck to get to where they are. Defenders continue to be confused on what to do when Kevin Penny runs a stop and go, and Captain Smiffy’s positive, upbeat, and friendly attitude is keeping this team’s mental fortitude strong. The question is, can this team go all the way, or will JC fall just short for the second time this year?

248 points scored, 206 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: AJ Reust (30:5 TD:INT ratio), Twon H (19 receiving TD, T-2 league wide, 9 XP, leads league)

Key Defensive Players: Twon H (5 INT including 2 pick 6s, 4 sacks)

Key Rookie: After drafting the unanimous rookie of the year last year, AJ decided no rookie could ever live up to the same expectations and currently has 0 rookies on the roster.

Key stat going into the playoffs: AJ has been sacked 18 times this year, most in the league. 

I know everyone is absolutely thrilled that AJ/Twon/Brandon secured the 1 seed, but this team certainly has its weaknesses, such as their inability to protect their QB. Despite this, AJ has learned to take responsibility for his own mistakes- we’ll just see if he allows multiple TDs again on defense in his first playoff game, a la this spring.

186 points scored, 133 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Andre Brown (7 receiving TDs), Cedric R (5 receiving TD)

Key Defensive Players: Andre Brown (7 INT), Trey Phillips (8 sacks, 1 INT)

Key Rookie: QB Nick Perovich (20 passing TD, 4 rushing TD), Andre Brown (8 total TD)

Key stat going into the playoffs: Gold has given up the fewest points by a wide margin. 

Aaron S got this team *slightly* wrong when he ranked them last in the preseason power rankings- rookie crop-topper Ezekiel Elliol…I mean Andre Brown has been a force on both sides of the ball, and this team has been rolling since the beginning of the year. This defense is real good, but slow, steady drives have proven to wear them out. Gold has a somewhat manageable path to the final 4, where a potential meeting with Navy looms.

214 points scored, 203 points allowed

Key Offensive Players:  Christopher Daniel (9 TD)

Key Defensive Players: Ben Hunt (3 INT)

Key Rookie: Jared Gee (3 sacks)

Key stat going into the playoffs: Seafoam has the 2nd most successful 2 point conversions in the league. 

Well, on one hand, Ben Hunt is now 0-8 against JC Adams. On the plus side, they are on different sides of the bracket, so at least Ben can win 3 games before that 0-8 turns into an 0-9. Seafoam’s ability to score 2 point conversions can quickly make a game out of reach, but with multiple players hurt/away, will this team have the endurance to make a solid playoff run?

240 points scored, 190 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Jordan A (scored 20 of his team’s 28 TDs)

Key Defensive Players: Jordan A (6 INT), Drew C/Bradley W (3 sacks each)

Key Rookie: Kevin B (drafted by Maroon)

Key stat going into the playoffs: Mark Hofberg (T-2nd for team lead in INT) will be missing Final 4 weekend, should they make it that far. 

I don’t know the last time we’ve seen a single player score 71% of their team’s touchdowns, but this almost seems eerily similar to Purdue basketball last year- one player dominating the competition all year before his team gets brutally embarrassed in the playoffs because teams learn how to cover him. Does Pat have the confidence to spread the ball around if teams decide to start covering Jordan?? Time will tell!

209 points scored, 223 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Oriya C (6 rushing TD, 2nd in league)

Key Defensive Players: Christopher Taste (8 sacks)

Key Rookie: Will R (3 INT, 2 sacks, 1 tackle on AJ Reust)

Key stat going into the playoffs: Oriya is (thankfully) back after a 2 week vacation, but Captain Connor is still out with a slight bruised thumb (and leads the league in outfits that should never be brought back out into the public spotlight; see below). 

There will absolutely not be any quarterback controversy or competition with Oriya finally returning to the USA this week, after Paul and I combined for a 2:4 TD to INT ratio in his place (not to mention my submission for the Ugliest Throw in DCGFFL history). Our defense has been in a bit of shambles post Seattle, and with Connor choosing to protect his body from possible future long term debilitating injuries instead of playing with his team on the field, the Heels have to buckle down if they want a chance of playing in the Final Four weekend.

233 points scored, 225 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Ocho K (9 TDs)

Key Defensive Players: Brandon G (6 sacks), Antwon Chavis (5 sacks)

Key Rookie: Sam Bieg (3 sacks)

Key stat going into the playoffs: Purple has 6 players with multiple interceptions or sacks.

This team is sneakily good- they are well balanced with an experienced QB who knows how to win big games. There hasn’t been much fanfare over this team, but if they can get past Marine in their first round game, I see them giving Silver a run for their money. They’ll just need to tone their violence down a bit, as their rushers are powerful and have a tendency to bull rush right through their opponent’s O-line.

290 points scored, 222 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Joe Owens/Romello Goodman (70 points each, only team with 2 60+ point scorers), Bryan Sanders (31 passing TD, 7 rushing TD)

Key Defensive Players: Joe Owens (4 INT)

Key Rookie: Kaio Ferreira (3 sacks)

Key stat going into the playoffs: White is the only team with multiple 30+ point wins. 

Sanders is having a career year as QB, and with the offensive weapons he has, it’s no surprise- Joe does Joe things (when he arrives on time), Aaron has proven to be a powerful vers tight end, and Romello provides the reliable hands Bryan needs when the defense focuses on Joe. Their defense is highly troubling to watch at times, but if Bryan can score every 5 plays, is their defense really needed?

216 points scored, 218 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Larry Womack (11 TD, 0(!) XP)

Key Defensive Players: Liam Fitzgerald (4 sacks), Cam M, Everett Walker, Larry Womack (2 INT each)

Key Rookie: Mary Mills (1 TD)

Key stat going into the playoffs: Larry is the only player in the league with 10+ touchdowns who yet has yet to record an XP.  

This regular season has to be a bit of a disappointment for Cam after a perfect spring regular season, but he’s done all he can to put his team in position to win games. A plethora of perfectly placed dropped balls is the difference between a 4-4 record and a 7-1 record with the #1 seed. Orange will need to keep pace with a high scoring white offense in their first round game, and if they can get past them, a meeting with undefeated Navy likely looms.

244 points scored, 208 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Luis Cotto (10 TD), Aaron B (7 XP)

Key Defensive Players: Brandon T (10 sacks)

Key Rookie: Aaron B (5 TD, 1 INT (pick 6), 7 XP)

Key stat going into the playoffs: Only team with multiple interceptions on the year where no player has more than 1. 

All 4 of Marine’s losses have been by 4 points or less- after a slew of unsportsmanlike penalties to start the year, these marines have learned to keep their cool in stressful situations, and over half the team contributes in nearly every game. While their first round matchup is against a tough Purple team, Hotch has the offensive targets in Luis, Tommy, and Aaron to return fire each and every drive.

252 points scored, 267 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Andrew Aldrian (36 passing TD), Kevin Hamilton (11 TD), Michael Bromell/Evan Ryan (8 TD each)

Key Defensive Players: Tom Hassett (6 INT), PJ Morgan (4 sacks)

Key Rookie: N/A

Key stat going into the playoffs: While Andrew Aldrian leads the league in passing TDs, he has thrown the 2nd most number of interceptions and has the lowest number of rushing TDs of all qualified QBs. 

This is an underrated 6 seed in my opinion. Had Evan Ryan chosen football over Saturday night festivities, this team is easily 5-3. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, his upcoming Saturday night is wide open, so one of Andrew’s top targets will be well rested for the game. Supplemental pick PJ has caused trouble for a number of offensive lines, but can this team shut down a high powered offense enough times to sneak out a win?

193 points scored, 160 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Cameron Burrell (10 TDs)

Key Defensive Players: Cameron Burrell (6 INTs), Javier Montalvo (3 sacks)

Key Rookie: N/A

Key stat going into the playoffs: Neon Pink is the ONLY team to shut out an opponent this season. 

Yes, the shut out came against a 2nd and 3rd string QB, but it’s still an accomplishment being that they only had 6 players for practically the entire game (no need to mention which team this was against). Brandon/Tyler have seemed to made up and are once again clicking on the field, and Cam has turned around his season after an early mistake against Orange. With one of the better defenses in the league, could this finally be the team to stop Jordan A?

173 points scored, 233 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Brandon Recto, Peter Pham, Evan Binder (6 TD each)

Key Defensive Players: Andy Pratt (3 INT), Tevin McDonald (6 sacks)

Key Rookie: Brandon Recto (6 TD, 1 INT)

Key stat going into the playoffs: +5 point differential with Garrett Schiponi as QB, -63 point differential when he is away. 

As long as Garrett pre-schedules his Uber to arrive early enough for their playoff game, and there’s not a random marathon taking place that morning, this team has a chance, as they play far better when he is present. The Icebergs have the personnel to make a deep run as long as everyone stays healthy, but they have a gnarly first opponent in Gold, especially for an offense that has occasionally struggled to put up points. Sapphire’s offensive line will need to do a better job protecting Garrett, as he was constantly getting chased all over the pocket this past week against Purple, especially as Gold likes to mix up the rushers with all sorts of complex rush paths.

189 points scored, 192 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Sean Karson (8 TD+2 passing TD, 6 XP), Adam Strasberg (5 TD)

Key Defensive Players: Jordan Johnson, Sean Karson, Johnny Moseman (2 INT each)

Key Rookie: N/A

Key stat going into the playoffs: Red is the only team in the league to not score a 2 point conversion; however, they are 3rd in the league on overall XP success rates at 59%.

After a career spring, Jim has taken a bit of a step back, but he has done enough to keep his team close in every game he has been at. A couple of poorly timed drops earlier in the season have this team facing a tough battle in Seafoam, but we’ve seen bigger playoff upsets happen. With only 6 sacks on the year though, Ben Hunt should have plenty of time to find an open receiver, leaving it up to Red’s secondary to make the big plays to keep these guys in the game.

201 points scored, 223 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Josh Estryn (8 TD), Jim Roll (5 TD)

Key Defensive Players: Wyatt Eck (3 INT), Art H (8 sacks)

Key Rookie: Art H (8 sacks, 3 TD, 1 INT)

Key stat going into the playoffs: 9 players have scored TDs this year, tied for 2nd most in the league.

Wyatt certainly knows how to spread the ball around on offense, but this team was on the losing end of a deep tiebreaker with Pink and Red that force them into a play in game against a winnable, but hungry for a win, Forest. Defense will be key in this game, and if Art can get to Clem or force contested throws, I can see Lime moving on. Supplemental pick Nolan has provided another solid target behind the Josh/Jim 1-2 punch, but Wyatt will need to avoid the turnovers if they want a shot at Navy.

184 points scored, 271 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Ivan Torres (5 receiving TD)

Key Defensive Players: The Black Holes don’t believe in playing defense. 

Key Rookie: Taber Midgley (3 sacks)

Key stat going into the playoffs: Black has 8 combined sacks/interceptions this season, by far the league low. They have cycled through 3 QBs this year, and their two wins came during a doubleheader with Matt Pearce.

271 points allowed is a lot. Only 1 TEAM interception on the year is not a lot (and this came on a bobbled ball by yours truly in the endzone that Ivan returned 80 yards for a touchdown; see below). 7 sacks is respectable, but unfortunately for them, they’ll be without their starting QB (again) for what will likely be their only playoff game. Shoutout to fellow Purdue grad Jordan F, who is leading the team in Sportsperson of the Game awards, replicating the Boilermakers’ football season by not winning on the scoreboard, but winning in life.

187 points scored, 241 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: Daniel Honeycutt, Mark Japinga, Marvin W (5 TD each)

Key Defensive Players: Derrick Johnson (8 sacks), Blake Whetzel (5 sacks)

Key Rookie: Matt Magyar (1 gameball)

Key stat going into the playoffs: 4 of their 7 losses have come by 4 points or less; they lost to the top 3 teams in their division by a COMBINED 6 points. 

The Bees have had some bad luck losses. I’m not just talking about losing Noah early in the season- every game seems to be close, but their luck may take a turn for the better against Black on Sunday. Derrick and Blake will definitely cause havoc for whichever QB black throws up, and Austin will bring out his playoff magic again and potentially knock off another 1 seed. This team has the lowest average age of any team in the league; will their young bodies be fully rested for a deep playoff run?

147 points scored, 250 points allowed

Key Offensive Players: TJ Callan (7 TD), Andy Allen (5 TD)

Key Defensive Players: John C (4 INT), Austin Albin (3 sacks)

Key Rookie: TJ Callan (7 TD, 2 INT, 2 sacks)

Key stat going into the playoffs: First team to go winless in the regular season since season 22 (Boats N’ Hoes). 5 successful XPs is tied for 2nd lowest in the league.

At least y’all are having fun out there, right? On the plus side for JC, it seems like half of this team referees, which means we will have no shortage of refs after the first play-in game! So, Hardwood may not be winning games, but they’ll be walking out of Carter Barron $20 richer! (*minus taxes and Paypal fees)