Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Week 11)

It was a nail biter, but Stephen Gostkowski kicked Athol A&M to a .18 point victory. Did the Alchys destroy Bud Heavy's chance at a playoff berth, or can The King run the table and still have a shot at the championship?





Goal Line Stand (Week 11)
Cam Pannalist, Gridiron Gazette



It was the shot heard 'round the world. Week 6, 1-4 Weymouth traveled to Golden to battle the 4-1 Gryphons, and everyone THOUGHT they knew what was going to happen. Imagine my colleagues' amusement when my GLS column came out and they read "(11) Weymouth over (1) Golden" in my matchups. As the final whistle blew on Monday night and the Islanders walked off the field victorious, I stood up off my couch, turned off my TV, and self-proclaimed the season over.

While on my 5 week hiatus, I continued to send in my weekly picks, but was too busy sunbathing and drinking Mai Tais to write anything more than "(Insert Team Name) over Rakeville." But now I'm back, and ready to contribute to the half-dozen fans of this publication. 9 teams are still in the hunt for the playoffs, and with just 3 weeks left things are finally starting to make sense...


Sure Things
1. Busch (8-2) - RAK, GS, BHU
What's better than having two top 10 running backs? Also having two top 10 receivers AND a top 5 quarterback. Busch can (will) clinch a playoff berth this week vs. 1-9 Rakeville, then go after the regular season title after finishing 2nd a year ago. The offense is clicking on all cylinders and they're in perfect position for their 2nd FAC-10 championship appearance in 3 years.
Final Record: 11-2

2. Athol A&M (7-3) - SUCH, WEY, DUBA
If A&M's Dave Grubb doesn't win A.D. Of The Year it'll be a travesty. The Alchy's finished 5-8 in 2008, but scoring wasn't their problem. The team finished 2nd in points scored but 11th in the standings, pushing Grubb to light a fire under the team's proverbial asses. The result was a team-first attitude in Athol, and with 3 weeks left the Alchys are 2nd in the FBCS polls and 4th in scoring. Their next two games will get them into the playoffs, while their season finale in Dublin will demonstrate how they will perform once they get there.
Final Record: 10-3

3. Golden (6-4) - TCT, SUCH, WEY
Golden started the season riding the emotion of their 2008 championship but have recently come back down to earth, going 2-3 over their last 5. Luckily for the Gryphons, their offense has been the best in the FAC-10 this year, so any tiebreakers will most-likely go to the defending champs. Having your final two games against teams who are a combined 4-16 doesn't hurt either.
Final Record: 9-4

4. Gillespie State (7-3) - BHU, BU, AZK
How this team survived the first half of the season with David Garrard at QB is beyond me, and yet they managed to build a 7-2 record with him under center. The Black Diamonds have a truly well-rounded team: A top TE in Antonio Gates, two solid RB in Maurice Jones-Drew and Thomas Jones, and an amazing sleeper WR in Miles Austin. If new QB Carson Palmer continues his good season, they'll be a surprise force in the postseason.
Final Record: 9-4

5. Twin City Tech (6-4) - GU, DUBA, SUCH
The Red Raider's Week 11 matchup vs. Golden will be their only test for the rest of the season, reiterating the fact that this offense is very, very good. Their quarterback is 3rd in the league in scoring, and 6 of their 7 starting offense for Week 11 has over 50 points this season (TE Tony Gonzalez has 49.5). Their record would have been better if they had produced backups for their stars' bye weeks, but A.D. Matt Austin insists on carrying 3 defenses. Lucky for the Red Raiders, there are no more byes for the rest of the season.
Final Record: 8-5


On The Bubble
6. Mexico (5-5) - AZK, BHU, RAK
5 teams have the playoffs locked up, and the only thing left to figure out are the seedings... oh yeah, and that pesky 6th spot. In 2007 it was the 5th seeded Wildcats who took home the FAC-10 championship, and in 2008 Golden won the title as the 6th seed. Just getting in is the key, and then it's placed in the hands of the football Gods. Mexico has a relatively weak schedule for the rest of the season, but they'll need some help. If it comes down to a tiebreaker for the second straight season, they'll be on the outside looking in once again: The Wildcats are 10th in the conference in points scored.
Final Record: 8-5

7. Dublin (5-5) - WEY, TCT, AAM
This was supposed to be Dublin's year! After a frustrating 2008 of micromanaging their running backs, the league added a Flex spot this season and everything was set for a dominant year. Unfortunately, nobody told the rest of the team, and their record has suffered. Brandon Jacobs is a shell of his former self, and the receivers have been above-average at best. Chris Johnson has been the lone star of the offense, but that isn't enough to carry the failed expectations of the rest of the roster.
Final Record: 6-7


Need Some Help
8. Bud Heavy (6-4) - GS, UM, BU
When your offense can only crack 80 points twice in a season, a 6-4 record is phenomenal. Unfortunately for The King, their remaining schedule is harder than a teenage boy at a Miley Cyrus concert. Over the past 5 weeks their scheduled opponents are 15-5 while Bud Heavy is 3-3, beating only lowly Stardust, Weymouth, and Rakeville. A team can only ride the 38-year old arm of QB Kurt Warner for so long, and that arm is about to fall off.
Final Record: 6-7

9. Arizona-Kickery (5-5) - UM, RAK, GS
Kickery has had quite the roller coaster season, scoring as many as 113 points (Week 1 vs. Bud Heavy) and as little as 58 (last week vs. Stardust). They have been unable to capitalize in certain situations, most notably Week 2 vs. Mexico in which they lost a tough one by 2 points. QB Drew Brees is 4th in the conference in total points, and is poised for a solid finish to the season, but the Kickers will need their entire roster to come through to get them into the postseason.
Final Record: 6-7


Preparing For Next Season
10. Weymouth (3-7) - DUBA, AAM, GU
On paper, Weymouth has done a fantastic job at making its 2008 expansion project a success, but it has yet to formulate into wins. They've placed their faith in QB Aaron Rogers, and rightfully so since the rest of the roster has yet to live up to their potential. Ray Rice, Beanie Wells, and Anthony Gonzalez are all going to need to step up their game next season, and WHEN they do, the Islanders will be sniffing the playoffs.
Final Record: 3-10

11. Stardust (1-9) - AAM, GU, TCT
The Crazy Horses have arguably the toughest remaining schedule... which would be terrible if they had any chance at making the playoffs. Even if they weren't mathematically eliminated, this team is just awful, and has already begun the rebuilding process by trading away a couple studs (Larry Fitzgerald, Sidney Rice) for much-needed depth. Their receiving corps is retooled, they still have a top-5 TE, and their A.D. is always looking to deal... they'll be just fine, in 2010.
Final Record: 1-12

12. Rakeville (1-9) - BU, AZK, UM
Their season was over in Week 6, when the team decided to play without a kicker or defense. Their future was boosted in Week 7 when they decided to finally cut ties with long-time quarterback flop JaMarcus Russell. Grays A.D. Mike "The Miz" clearly had next season in his sights all year, much to the chagrin of his fellow league mates. The passing game will be great in a year or two, and the running game (when healthy) is coming around. They have an opportunity to pull off an upset in Week 13 vs. Mexico, but that's their ONLY chance at redemption in 2009.
Final Record: 1-12

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Week 11 Matchups
(1) Busch over (12) Rakeville
(2) Athol A&M over (11) Stardust
(3) Gillespie State over (6) Bud Heavy
(5) Twin City Tech over (4) Golden
(9) Mexico over (7) Arizona-Kickery
(8) Dublin over (10) Weymouth

Week 6: 5-1
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 2-4
Week 9: 2-4
Week 10: 6-0
Season: 34-26

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Week 11 Power Rankings
1. Busch
2. Golden
3. Athol A&M
4. Twin City Tech
5. Mexico
6. Gillespie State
7. Arizona-Kickery
8. Bud Heavy
9. Dublin
10. Weymouth
11. Stardust
12. Rakeville

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League Notes
- TE Visanthe Shiancoe fled the struggling Stardust to Mexico last week. Apparently, that fence isn't very high.

- Jon Beason was taken by surprise last week when Rakeville K Nick Folk lined up for a 38-yard field goal in the first quarter. "I had no idea they even had a kicker," said the Twin City Tech LB. "I try to ignore terrible players."

- RB Larry Johnson signed with Athol A&M this week, proving once again that A.D. Dave Grubb loves gay-bashers.

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Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Week 6)

Ronnie Brown was flying high this weekend as his new team, the Golden Gryphons, destroyed his old team, Arizona-Kickery. Will this deal end up working out for both teams, or did the Kickers give up their do-anything back for nothing?








Goal Line Stand (Week 6)
Cam Pannalist, Gridiron Gazette



Mid-season deals have become a bit of a taboo in the FAC-10. Teams are so bent on sticking to the players they made commitments to, and often demand too much for those that are contributing to their team. In 2007, only 5 deals were made during the regular season, and last year that number dropped down to 3.

With the deadline over a month away, and only 3 trades (2 since the season began), there's still plenty of time for some action to occur. Unfortunately, with all the one-sided trades that have resulted, the market has been more stagnant than a fat teenage girl during a One Tree Hill marathon.

Let's see why these deals haven't worked out yet:


AUGUST 24: Bud Heavy receives QB Kurt Warner from Twin City Tech for RB Reggie Bush
One can argue that this is a simple "Age for Potential" trade, but which side is which? 38 year old Kurt Warner has missed 2 games over the last 2+ years while putting up all-pro numbers. 24 year old Reggie Bush has missed 10 games, barely produced (1133 rushing yards, 7 TDs over the past 3 seasons), and has been stuck in a deep backfield with plenty of other reliable rushers (Deuce McAllister, Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, etc.). The key to this deal may be that Warner was expendable, but how many places did the Red Raiders shop him before landing at Bud Heavy? Even an old QB like him has the potential to put up huge numbers, especially in that offense, but Bush's upside is slowly decreasing with every injury-ridden season.
Advantage: Bud Heavy

SEPTEMBER 3: Arizona-Kickery receives RB Joseph Addai and a 1st Round DP (WR Ted Ginn Jr) from Twin City Tech for RB Frank Gore
Nobody can predict injuries (unless you're a Donovan McNabb owner), but people should have seen Frank Gore's ankle pain from a mile away. The aforementioned ankle has been carrying his team for 2 years now, so it was only a matter of time before it buckled under the pressure. People also cannot predict players losing their jobs... wait, yes they can. The hype surrounding Donald Brown has forced Addai into a 3 quarter afterthought, with Brown playing the role of 4th quarter Mariano Rivera. One bright spot in this deal has been the draft pick, which turned into speedster Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn got his first TD of the year last weekend in a losing effort, but his ceiling is very high. If Gore had more than 39 carries this year, it'd be a swing in the other direction. Unfortunately, you can't score points from the sideline in street clothes.
Advantage: Arizona-Kickery

SEPTEMBER 30: Arizona-Kickery receives WR Santonio Holmes from Golden for RB Ronnie Brown
The theme of the previous two trades has been production versus upside. In this deal, there really is no debate between the two: Both have upside, one has produced, one hasn't. Santonio Holmes has been a yardage hog all season, yet refuses to get himself into the end zone. This argument has been had many times this season, but regardless of how you stand, it's touchdowns that get you victories. Ronnie Brown knows this, rushing for 6 scores this year, 4 since being traded to Golden. Holmes's 67 yards per game looks great in the Kickery scorebook every Tuesday, but not so much in the standings.
Advantage: Golden

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Week 6 Matchups
(11) Weymouth over (1) Golden
(2) Athol A&M over (8) Dublin
(4) Busch over (3) Bud Heavy
(6) Gillespie State over (5) Arizona-Kickery
(7) Twin City Tech over (10) Stardust
(9) Mexico over (12) Rakeville

Last Week: 2-4
Season: 15-15

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Week 6 Power Rankings
1. Golden (+1)
2. Athol A&M (-1)
3. Busch (+1)
4. Gillespie State (+2)
5. Bud Heavy (+2)
6. Dublin (-1)
7. Arizona-Kickery (-4)
8. Twin City Tech (+1)
9. Weymouth (-1)
10. Mexico ( - )
11. Stardust (+1)
12. Rakeville (-1)

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League Notes
- In their Week 5 matchup, Weymouth decided to play without a Tight End, Kicker, and Defensive Player. Unfortunately, they remembered to start a quarterback.

- There is plenty of backlash of the possible sale of Stardust University to a group headed by Conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh. Apparently it's OK for players to go to casinos and strip clubs until 4AM, but not to be owned by a Republican.

- The top performer from Week 5 was Athol A&M Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The week's lowest performer was anyone in Rakeville's lineup.

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Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Week 5)

Mexico is 1-2 since QB Donovan McNabb went down with a knee injury, most recently a 63-point shelling at the hands of Athol A&M. Will the return of McNabb lift the Wildcats' offense to former glory, or should they start thinking about 2010?





Goal Line Stand (Week 5)
Cam Pannalist, Gridiron Gazette



Four weeks into the season and things are still undetermined in the standings. Weymouth is 0-4 but their offense is thriving. Mexico is 2-2 with the least amount of points scored in the conference. And Athol A&M is off to a 4-0 start, similar to their 2007 campaign in which they started 6-0 en route to a 3rd place finish.

This early in the season, with the standings being such a mess, only arrogance and pride would allow someone to decide can still be a contender for a championship or is simply pretending to be.

Luckily, I have both of those things.


CONTENDERS

#9 Twin City - The top offense over the past 2 seasons has failed to score over 60 in each of the past two weeks, and now find themselves 1-3. Where has the once dominant offense gone, you ask? Nowhere. The Red Raiders still has 3 top-10 receivers in Johnson, Moss, and White; A dominant running back in Gore (when healthy); And a proven quarterback in Brady (who's been getting better each week). This team has plenty of time to make up ground, and make defenses cry.

#7 Dublin - Week 4 was the first week DUBA did not get 10 points out of at least one of their running backs, and they still managed to put up 62 points against Bud Heavy. The Oktoberfests probably won't reach the 11-2 mark I said they would in my preseason rankings, but they won't need to. This team will go as far as their backfield takes them, and it looks like that'll be just far enough to get into the postseason.

#5 Busch - Welcome back, passing game. Two quarterbacks in the top 6 sounds like a problem to most, but in Busch they're considering it a blessing. The WRs DeSean Jackson and Brandon Marshall are finally living up to their hype, while Braylon Edwards is in position to put up the numbers he did 2 seasons ago. Oh yeah, and they have that Peterson guy in the backfield. The Latte's will be just fine, and will still challenge for the regular season title.


PRETENDERS

#8 Mexico - Some may say, "Well of course they have no shot, they have the lowest point total in the conference." But if you look at their previous 3 weeks (74, 72.5, 71), they're the same Wildcats they've always been. Consistency has been the way Mexico wins games, but if their opponents keep putting up big numbers on them (Athol scored 91 on them last week) they'll have no shot at the postseason.

#6 Gillespie State - In last week's column I ripped Gillespie State QB David Garrard, and of course he made me look stupid by putting up 24 points on Weymouth. He and RB Maurice Jones-Drew are the only ones putting up numbers in this offense, so how long can they ride on their shoulders? Week 7 will be their real test, when both of them have Byes, but don't expect much from the rest of the Black Diamonds.

#4 Bud Heavy - The King completely revamped their offense this week, grabbing 5 replacement players off waivers to fill out their roster. If your team can make that many changes in a single week, they'd better have some top talent surrounding them. Even with the ageless wonder Kurt Warner leading them, Bud Heavy's chances to stay atop the standings don't look so good.

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Week 5 Matchups
(8) Mexico over (9) Twin City Tech
(6) Gillespie State over (1) Athol A&M
(11) Rakeville over (12) Weymouth
(10) Stardust over (4) Bud Heavy
(7) Dublin over (5) Busch
(2) Golden over (3) Arizona-Kickery

Last Week: 4-2
Season: 13-11

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Week 5 Power Rankings
1. Athol A&M ( - )
2. Golden ( - )
3. Arizona-Kickery (+3)
4. Busch (-1)
5. Dublin (-1)
6. Gillespie State (+3)
7. Bud Heavy (+1)
8. Weymouth (+2)
9. Twin City Tech (-2)
10. Mexico (-5)
11. Rakeville (+1)
12. Stardust (-1)

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League Notes
- The City of Weymouth was a finalist in last week's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately, the only celebrity they could send to the IOC Session was Slappy the Human Paddle.

- WR Michael Crabtree finally agreed to a contract with Rakeville. Although he won't be playing until October 25th, fellow Grays players want to make sure he still feels like part of the team. His first job will be to carry Nick Folk's jock strap.

- Mexico scored just 28 points last weekend, which is actually more than the number of fans that managed to get over the parking lot fence to see the game.

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Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Week 4)

The Alchys are undefeated and it's been nothing but smiles in Athol, especially from it's star quarterback. Can A&M ride the arm of Philip Rivers into the postseason and beyond?









Goal Line Stand (Week 4)
Cam Pannalist, Gridiron Gazette



Yo Athol, I'm really happy for you, I'm gonna let you finish, but Aaron Rogers had one of the best games of all time... one of the best games of all time...

Alexander Alejandro Marquez of the Quebec Freeze Press pointed out to me one brutal flaw with the FAC-10: Quarterbacks. Each of the 12 teams in the conference has a franchise player under center, but which of them still has room for improvement? While 24 year old future hall of famer Matt Ryan sits on Arizona's bench, let's take a look at who could use them in the starting lineup this weekend:


6. Stardust - Ben Roethlisberger / Eli Manning
SUCH went a very curious route at quarterback, grabbing 2 very capable and safe passers. These two game managers are great for teams who don't need to rely too much on the quarterback position to get them points. Unfortunately, the Crazy Horses are not such a team: a weak running game and an underachieving receiving corps.

5. Busch - Jay Cutler / Matt Schaub
Remember when Jay Cutler was a household name and Matt Shaub was a relative unknown? Things have changed dramatically this season, with Cutler having nobody to pass to and Shaub having no running support. The length of Busch's success relies on the feet of Adrian Peterson, but having a viable option at quarterback is something every team needs.

4. Dublin - Tony Romo / Chad Henne
The Oktoberfests are averaging 67 PPG, 95% of which have come from their star-studded backfield. Romo has been good thus far this season, but he is perennially a start-of-season scorer. What happens when playoff time rolls around and Tony Jekyll turns into Hyde Romo? Will DUBA tolerate another fantastic regular season only to choke in the postseason again?

3. Mexico - Donovan McNabb / Mark Sanchez
When your star QB has spent more time off the field than on it, you know there's a problem. Luckily, the Wildcats took out an insurance plan in this year's draft by grabbing Sanchez. Like the duo in Stardust, Sanchez manages a game well, making very few mistakes and throwing the ball for 6 every now and then.

2. Bud Heavy - Kurt Warner / Jason Campbell
The ageless wonder is a guaranteed hall-of-famer, but how much does he have left in the tank? Jason Campbell is hardly a long term solution, so what is The King to do? Finish up the season with Warner at the helm, then worry about it in the offseason.

1. Gillespie State - David Garrard / Shaun Hill
If QB rushing yards were worth more, David Garrard would being a top fantasy quarterback. Unfortunately we don't live in such a world, so finding a future solution would be in their best option. The Black Diamonds had plenty of young options in the draft but passed. There are also plenty on the waiver wire, but State's phone is broken and can't call any of them up.

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Week 4 Matchups
(1) Athol A&M over (6) Mexico
(4) Golden over (2) Busch
(3) Arizona-Kickery over (8) Twin City Tech
(7) Dublin over (5) Bud Heavy
(12) Rakeville over (9) Stardust
(11) Weymouth over (10) Gillespie State

Week 2: 4-2
Last Week: 3-3
Season: 9-9

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Week 4 Power Rankings
1. Athol A&M (+2)
2. Golden (-1)
3. Busch (+3)
4. Dublin (+5)
5. Mexico (-1)
6. Arizona-Kickery (-4)
7. Twin City Tech (-2)
8. Bud Heavy ( - )
9. Gillespie State (-2)
10. Weymouth (+2)
11. Stardust (-1)
12. Rakeville (-1)

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League Notes
- DUBA replaced backup QB Brady Quinn with Chad Henne this week. The team is also not allowing starter Tony Romo out of his room except for games.

- When Ronnie Brown arrived in his new home of Golden after being traded there this week, the running back suggested integrating the Wildcat into the team's offense. A.D. Mike Comtois immediately went out and bought 3 pumas from South Africa.

- This weekend's Stardust/Rakeville game, which was supposed to be at Claffey Coliseum, will instead be played at a neutral site. The Mayor of Rakeville didn't expect the city to still have a team by Week 4 and rented out the stadium for a Neil Diamond concert.

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