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| The Cambridge Animals brain trust (L-R: WTA, ZTA, DTA) hopes to make it back-to-back Jorge division titles with a win at home this weekend over the London Bakers. |
Associated Web Press
NASHVEGAS—As the NFFA enters the final weekend of the regular season, half the playoff picture is clear, but the other half is a mad scramble.
What we know for certain is the 11-2 Atlanta Smack Daddies are the champions of the Linardo division and have secured the number one seed. If the Daddies defeat the Sylvan Goats this weekend, they will tie the 2007 East Nashville Black Dogs for the second-best regular season record in league history at 12-2. (The 2008 Black Dogs own the best regular season record with a perfect 14-0 campaign.)
The Goats (8-5) also are headed to the playoffs as one of the wild card teams. Regardless of the outcome of their game with the Daddies, they will be the number three seed and face the winner of the Jorge division.
Now this is where things get murky. Currently, the 7-6 Cambridge Animals are leading the Jorge division by a game over the 6-7 London Bakers and the 6-7 Black Dogs. The Buena Vista Ballers are also 6-7 and in contention for the final wild card spot. The 3-10 Village Green and the 5-8 West Nashville Beelzebubbas have both been eliminated from playoff contention, and the Green have clinched the first pick in the 2021 draft, winning what some have dubbed the “Patrick Mahomes Lottery.”
Here are the various scenarios for the final two spots:
The Animals control their own destiny: if they are victorious against the Bakers this weekend, they will finish 8-6, win the Jorge division title, and nail down the number two seed. If the Animals lose to the Bakers, they will be tied with the Bakers at 7-7. If the Black Dogs defeat the Beelzebubbas this weekend, they will also be 7-7 resulting in a three-way tie at the top of the Jorge division. With their head-to-head records being identical, the Black Dogs would be awarded the division crown by virtue of winning the second tiebreaker, which is record within the division, and theirs would be better than either the Animals’ or the Bakers’ division record. If the Animals lose to the Bakers and the Dogs lose to the ’Bubbas, the Animals will win the division by virtue of having a better record within the division than the Bakers.
With their loss to the ’Bubbas last weekend, the Bakers were eliminated from the race for the Jorge division crown, but like the Animals, they control their own destiny: if they win this weekend, they will clinch a wild card playoff berth and be the number four seed based on tiebreakers. If they lose to the Animals, the Bakers will be eliminated from playoff contention.
Unlike the Animals and Bakers, the Black Dogs do not control their own destiny. To have any chance at all, they have to beat the Beelzebubbas this weekend. If they do that, and the Bakers also beat the Animals, the Dogs as previously mentioned would win the Jorge title by virtue of having a better record than either the Animals or Bakers within the division. If the Bakers lose, the Black Dogs can earn the final wild card berth and number four seed with a win and a loss by the Ballers.
The Ballers hope to land the final wild card berth and number four seed, but they need to not only win their game against the Green, but they need the Animals to defeat the Bakers. If the Animals lose, the Ballers are eliminated. If the both the Ballers and Animals win, the Ballers will get the final playoff berth regardless of the outcome of the Black Dogs and ’Bubbas game. The Ballers can still make the playoffs even with a loss, if the Bakers and Black Dogs also both lose.
When the dust finally settles, whichever team earns the final wild card spot will have the unpleasant task of facing the high-flying Smack Daddies in the opening round of the playoffs.
