Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Championship Week)

RB Aaron Stecker was signed specifically for their semi-final matchup with Fitchburg Tech, and the 32 year old came through in Mexico's 92-65 win over the Red Raiders. Can the Wildcats' running game continue their dominance and get them their 2nd championship in 3 years?




Goal Line Stand (Championship Week)
Cam Pannalist, Gridiron Gazette



Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year: The trees are lit, the snow is falling, and the two best teams in the FAC-10 are playing for the conference championship... or not.

Mexico versus Anheuser-Busch is the greatest example of the beauty of what the FBCS has become: a perfectly flawed method in determining the best team in the conference. What other league would give the 5th and 6th best teams a chance at the championship? As I said last week, the FBCS is not an exact science, but its a lot more fun.

Unfortunately, I also said last week that we'd be seeing Fitchburg Tech and Gillespie State playing. Instead, Red Raider QB Tom Brady decided not to show up against Mexico, as did the entire Gillespie State offense against Anheuser-Busch. That led to one of the most unpredictable conference championships in FAC-10 history:


Quarterback
36 years old against 24? You may think it's one sided, but if there's one 36 year old you want under center, its Kurt Warner (UM). Warner is averaging 16 PPG in the post-season, and has no intention of slowing down. Derek Anderson (AB) started the season on fire, but has slowed down in the playoffs averaging just 7.5 PPG. Anderson really needs to step up and prove he, and his team, are not a fluke, but Warner is just too hot right now.
Advantage: Mexico

Running Back
It takes two to make up the backfield, but both teams are cursed with one star and one scrub. LaDanian Tomlinson (UM) is a perrenial pro bowler, and can be expected to throw down 100 yards and a touchdown every week. Like Anderson, Adrian Peterson (AB) was one of the top backs in the league most of the season, but an injury has made him drop greatly in points the past few weeks. Backups Willie Parker (UM) and Ron Dayne (AB) are hit or miss each week. If it were a one-back league, Mexico would win, but Dayne's touchdown potential boosts AB's chances quite a bit.
Advantage: Push

Wide Receiver
Anheuser-Busch has the 3rd best receiver in the conference in Braylon Edwards. Again, like most of his team, he's tailed off in the past few weeks but is due for a breakout game. Unfortunately for them, Mexico has three of the top ten receivers, and all are putting up pro bowl numbers each and every week. Joey Galloway (AB) and Brandon Marshall (AB) have 6 touchdowns each, not enough to keep up with The Greatest Show On Mexican Dirt.
Advantage: Mexico

Tight End
AB Tight End Jeremy Shockey went down for the season in their semi-final game against Gillespie State. Whether it was out of spite, or they really thought he was the best guy available, the team signed Tony Scheffler (AB). Scheffler spent 2 weeks in the Mexico starting lineup, scoring a combined 2.5 points. The weak output led to the Wildcats' trading for superstar Jason Witten (UM), who has been unstoppable in the playoffs. 17 points in 2 playoff games has been a nice boost at a traditionally low-scoring position.
Advantage: Mexico

Kicker
Mexico has had a kicker-by-committee for the past 4 weeks, dropping long-time foot Adam Vinatieri. This week, it's veteran Ryan Longwell (UM), who should nail plenty of extra points for the high-scoring Wildcats. Jason Hanson (AB) is anything but automatic, but loves the long ones more than anybody else in the league. He's 9-11 from beyond 40 yards, and 3-4 past 50.
Advantage: Anheuser-Busch

Defense
London-Fletcher (UM) has been the most consistent defensive player in the league; 2nd in points, 2nd in solo tackles, yet failing to make the pro bowl. Mike Vrabel (AB) IS a pro bowler, mainly because of his explosiveness and versatility, not to mention his ability to score offensive touchdowns when they get down on the goal line. The chance to get 6, no matter how slim it may be, really helps AB.
Advantage: Anheuser-Busch


Therefore, Mexico has already won the championship, and we can put their name on the plaque today, right? Wrong. The lower seed is 4-4 in these playoffs, outscoring their "better" opponents by an average of 26 points. So whatever predictions you plan on making, throw them out the window, and enjoy the championship game of one of the craziest FAC-10 post-seasons ever.

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Heineken Keg Bowl (Finals)
(5) Mexico 98, (6) Anheuser-Busch 73

Labatt Blue Hula Bowl (Consolation)
(1) Fitchburg Tech 110, (2) Gillespie State 64

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League Notes
- Former Wildcat TE Tony Scheffler was signed by Anheuser-Busch for the championship game this weekend. Scheffler, thinking he'd been signed by his old team, showed up to the wrong practice on Wednesday, wearing his old Mexico uniform.

- For the first time in 3 years, Golden won their post-season bowl game, beating Athol 90-60 in the Miller High Life Beer Bowl. Fans from Coors-loyal Golden stormed the field, but immediately returned to the stands when they were given free Miller High Lifes.

- Gillespie State has quite the quarterback controversy for their Labatt Blue Hula Bowl matchup with Fitchburg Tech. Battling for the starting spot are 37 year old Jeff Garcia, 35 year old Jon Kitna, and 35 year old Rakeville Head Coach Drew Bledsoe.

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Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Semi-Finals)

Reggie Wayne watches from sideline as Mexico's offense runs out the clock late in the 4th quarter. Wayne and the rest of Golden's offense put up a solid 88 points, but their defense could not contain the Wildcats. The Gryphons still earned a spot in the Miller High Life Beer Bowl, but will players have any motivation against Athol A&M?




Goal Line Stand (Semi-Finals)
Cam Pannalist, Gridiron Gazette



The FBCS is not an exact science, but it gives every worthy team a chance at the championship. Sometimes, the best team doesn't always win, but if that were the case, games would be played on paper, rather than on the field.

In the first round, Golden and Athol ran into two underdogs that refused to lose. Golden had to deal with Mexico, who hadn't scored under 70 points since Week 3. The Gryphons ability to score points ended up being their downfall, however, as Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne destroyed the defense early. By the 3rd quarter, both players hit the bench, and Mexico took advantage. Mexico's LaDanian Tomlinson and Chester Taylor ran up and down the field, and by the time Manning returned, it was too late. The Wildcats had bought their ticket to the next round.

The Athol A&M and Anheuser-Busch game was the exact opposite. As have been all of the Alckys' games this season, a low-scoring, defensive struggle was the theme. AB's Derek Anderson had tunnel vision for Brandon Marshall, while Athol's Jamal Lewis plugged away on the ground. In the end, the Alckys' offense just couldn't keep up, and now find themselves in a consolation bowl game that nobody wants to be part of.

So we're left with four teams: Two have had plenty of time to think about these matchups, and two just came off hard-fought wins and are ready for more. Gillespie State has had the most interesting lineups all year, the most surprising this week as they chose a backfield of Selvin Young and Travis Henry. "It's bullshit," said former starter Maurice Jones-Drew. "One guy has been caught using steroids, the other is 12 years old." Clearly, there's Tension in the Black Diamonds' locker room.

Meanwhile, everything is cheerful in Anheuser-Busch. Their defense held A&M to 45 points, and look to do the same this weekend. RB Adrian Peterson is healthy, and the wide receiver core is finally putting up playoff-worthy numbers. Don't expect much defense from either team, however, as both squads can score at will.

On the other side of the bracket, Mexico has been itching for another shot at #1 Fitchburg Tech. Back in Week 6, the Wildcats' passing game was outstanding, with QB Ben Roethlisberger all 3 receivers scoring at least 10 points, including a 20 point explosion from Marques Colston. Unfortunately, their running game was ineffective, and the Red Raiders won 97-87.

This time around, things could be different. The forecast in Fitchburg is 25 degrees, snow, 30mph winds, and 5-10 inches of snow. The Red Raiders' unstoppable passing game just might be put on the sidelines, but with Joseph Addai and Clinton Portis in the backfield, they'll be just fine. Mexico counters with RBs LaDanian Tomlinson and Aaron Stecker, so don't expect the weather to stop these two teams from putting up huge point totals.

Golden is in Athol for the Miller High Life Beer Bowl, but don't expect either team to show up mentally. Both teams were hot and both teams were upset by lower seeds, but nobody said fantasy football was fair.

And yes its true, the FBCS is not an exact science... but it's a lot more fun.

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Semi-Finals
(1) Fitchburg Tech 105, (5) Mexico 96
(2) Gillespie State 92, (6) Anheuser-Busch 84

Miller High Life Beer Bowl
(4) Golden 82, (3) Athol A&M 78

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League Notes
- Jon Kitna's refusal to participate in practice during Gillespie State's off week may have cost him his job. Instead, 37 year old Jeff Garcia will start under center, proving that one old quarterback is just as good as the next.

- Fitchburg Tech scrimmaged local Mount Wachusett Community College during their bye week. Fans stormed the field and celebrated after the unprecedented 144 point output, until they were told the game did not count.

- Golden University and Athol A&M players were given 10 tickets each for the Miller High Life Beer Bowl. The seats have only been fetching $2 a piece on eBay.

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Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Playoffs)

Facing a possible 6th seed, RB Willis McGahee helped the Alckys overcome an 11-point deficit on Monday night and keep them in 3rd place. Can McGahee help continue his team's recent success throughout the playoffs, and bring a national championship to Athol?








Goal Line Stand (Playoffs)
Cam Pannalist, Gridiron Gazette



How can a team average 63 points per game and still finish 3rd in an offense-heavy conference like the FAC-10? The answer may surprise you.

Athol A&M entered the 2007 season with minimal expectations, having gone 6-6 the previous year. QB Carson Palmer was underachieving, WR Randy Moss wouldn't shut up, and RB Willis McGahee couldn't stay healthy. The future did not look too bright for the Alckys, and Athletic Director Dave Grubb had had enough.

Moss was traded for a 2nd round pick to Fitchburg, in hopes of cleaning up the locker room. The coaching staff sat down with Palmer the day before training camp, telling him what they expected of their leader and their captain. McGahee showed up in preseason in the best shape of his life. All the pieces were coming together.

An opening day matchup at home against expansion Rakeville proved easier than expected, but was still a struggle. In fact, every week turned out to be a dogfight, with 4 of their first 5 wins coming by 7 points or fewer. 6-0 was a great start, but that was followed by 3 straight losses. Analysts were calling the Alckys' record a product of the schedule.

But champions aren't the best team throughout the year, they're the best team at the end of the season. Athol is the team to beat, getting wins against two fellow playoff teams in the final two weeks of the season. Can the Alckys take home the title, or will one of the other bowl contenders step up their game when it matters most...



...Anheuser-Busch was the hottest team from week 4-8, but all that came crashing to a halt when RB Adrian Peterson went down with a knee injury. 3 losses to finish the season ruined AB's dream season, but their high powered offense earned them the 6th seed. Even with a healthy Peterson, don't expect much from the struggling AB.

...Mexico has the most consistent offense in the league, scoring at least 70 points in 9 out of 11 games. However, their lack of explosion has hurt them in certain situations, such as their 120-92 loss to AB in Week 4. The Wildcats have only broken 90 twice (the other a 96-48 beatdown of Athol A&M in Week 7). Mexico lets the other team beat itself, rather than doing it on their own, and that's not how you win a championship.

...Golden has relied on their defense to carry them through most of the season. Having only broken 70 points in 4 games this year, they'll need to step up their scoring if they hope to make any sort of noise. Injuries have hurt them the most, with running backs Larry Johnson and Steven Jackson missing most of the season, and now WR Roy Williams inactive for the rest of the year. Newly-acquired Peyton Manning might be able to carry this team, but without a balanced offense, it'll be tough for the Gryphons to keep up with the rest of the post-season teams.

...Gillespie State is struggling at the wrong time. They started the season 8-1, spending a brief moment in the #1 spot, but have lost their last two by a combined 9 points. State has too many wide receivers for only a few starting spots, and no real quarterback to throw to them. Neither Jeff Garcia nor Jon Kitna are conference champion quarterbacks, even if they have the best tight end in the league to pass to. If their final game of the season against Athol A&M (Lost 64-62) is any indication, don't expect much from the Black Diamonds.

...Fitchburg Tech has been the most inconsistent team in the league, despite going 9-2 and finishing with the highest-scoring offense by 150 points. The Red Raiders put up 124 points on Dublin in Week 2, then followed it up with 63 in a loss to Golden. Their other loss came after scoring 104 against Kickery, only to lose to Anheuser-Busch due to a meager 47 points. They averaged 63 points in the final two weeks of the season, both wins, but that is not going to win them a championship. Someone is going to sneak up on this juggernaut, and they won't see it coming until they're on their way home for the off-season.



So don't be surprised when that 63 PPG squad finds a way to win every game during the playoffs, and Athol A&M's name is engraved on the conference championship plaque. The answer to why that low-scoring team will bounce everybody else out of the playoffs is quite simple...

Destiny.

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Round 1
(3) Athol A&M 70, (6) Anheuser-Busch 68
(5) Mexico 88, (4) Golden 62

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Final Regular Season Power Rankings
1. Fitchburg Tech (+1)
2. Athol A&M (+1)
3. Golden (+2)
4. Dublin (+2)
5. Mexico (-3)
6. Gillespie State (-2)
7. Arizona-Kickery ( - )
8. Stardust (+2)
9. Anheuser-Busch (-1)
10. Bud Heavy (+1)
11. Rakeville (-1)

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League Notes
- QB JaMarcus Russell's FAC-10 debut for Rakeville started off well, but ended quite abruptly. The rookie was 4-7 for 56 yards against Fitchburg Tech, but was pulled in the 2nd quarter after asking for opposing QB Tom Brady's autograph.

- Dublin did all it could to make the playoffs, but a Golden University win ended the Octoberfests' Cinderella season. Head Coach Brad Bodell was unavailable for comment, drowning his sorrows in a glass of Guinness.

- Gillespie State players, after a tough loss to Athol A&M, will still practice during their first round bye. QB Jon Kitna has refused to attend the mandatory practices saying, "This is NOT a 10-win team."

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