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American Conference

Clinched Playoff Spot

Memphis Clinched #1 seed
Michigan Clinched Midwest, will be #2 or #3 seed
Los Angeles Clinched #4 seed

In The Hunt

Houston Inside track at #5 seed with home games vs San Antonio and Philadelphia. If the Gamblers win both, they're in. Lose one and they may still get in without tiebreakers. Lose both and it depends on what happens out West.

Portland Currently alone atop the West at 11-3, the Storm finish with games at Los Angeles and home vs Oakland. Win both and they're #2 seed with a BYE. Lose one or both and it's a tiebreaker crapshoot.

Denver If the season ended today, we'd have a 3 way tie for the #6 seed between Denver, Arizona and Oakland. It doesn't though, and the Gold finish with home games vs Oakland and Cleveland. Win both and they should be the #6 seed, but I haven't worked out the tiebreakers, still way too many variables.

Arizona The Wranglers are part of the 10-4 logjam and they wrap up 1987 with a home game vs Washington and a road game in Detroit. If they win both, it's not a given they'll make the playoffs but Captain Obvious says that's their best chance.

Oakland The standings currently show Oakland as last at 10-4, but I'm not sure how accurate that may be. What I am sure of is Oakland has their destiny in their hands, as well as the destiny of the rest of the West. The Invaders finish with 2 road division games, at Denver and at Portland. Worst case scenario IF they win both is being part of a tiebreaker for the division and/or wildcard. Winning both would make Oakland 12-4, and at best, Denver would be 11-5 and Portland 12-4. Arizona could finish anywhere between 10-6 and 12-4 so they could also be part of the mayhem.

National Conference

Clinched Playoff Spot

Birmingham The Stallions will be in the playoffs, but what seed? They truly could be anywhere from home field advantage to the #6 seed. The Stallions Week 15 game with New Jersey should clear things a little.

In The Hunt

Tampa Bay Currently 10-4, alone atop the Southeast, the Bandits just need to win home games vs Orlando and Michigan to win the division. Lose one and they open the door for the Jacksonville to win the division as the Bulls swept the Bandits this season. Tampa Bay would still be in the thick of the wildcard race with a loss or two, hopefully Week 15 will provide some clarity.

Jacksonville Currently 9-5, they would be tied for #6 seed with Baltimore if the season ended now. The Bulls have 2 winnable road games remaining, at Chicago and Charlotte, plus their 9-2 conference record will help them in possible tiebreakers.

New Orleans Currently 10-4, the playoffs sort of start now for the VooDoo. They would be the #5 seed if the season ended today but first, they have to play two other playoff hopefuls. New Orleans will be seeing Stars the last two weeks as they travel to face the Baltimore Stars tonight before finishing at home vs the New York Stars. I think the VooDoo clinch a spot with a win over Baltimore, and a division title isn't out of the question if they get some help from Birmingham's last 2 opponents.

Shreveport The Steamer are 8-6 and need to beat the New York Stars at home Week 15 and the Generals in New Jersey Week 16, plus get help.

Washington Currently the #1 seed at 11-3 (they defeated Birmingham Week 4), they could conceivably miss the playoffs if they lose their last 2 games. The Federals are about as close as you can get to clinching without actually doing so, one win or one Baltimore loss will do it. Washington wraps up at Arizona and home vs Baltimore.

Baltimore If our season was 14 weeks, the Stars would be tied for the #6 seed, but we play 16. That may technically be "the regular season", but the playoffs truly are now for the Stars. Week 15 sees Baltimore host New Orleans and a loss to the VooDoo would be crippling to their playoff hopes if it doesn't actually eliminate them. If they get past New Orleans and get help from Arizona, the Week 16 game at Washington will be for the division crown. Even if the Federals get past the Wranglers and clinch the Atlantic, a win over the VooDoo would keep the wildcard dream alive.

New Jersey The Generals are 9-5 and need 1 win or 1 New York loss to win the East again. New Jersey swept the division so they win any tiebreaker over New York. The Generals finish up at Birmingham and home vs Shreveport, so it's not a given the Generals get their playoff ticket punched. New Jersey could be as high as #2 seed, though they're likely the #4 seed if they make it.

New York Stars The Stars are 8-6 and lose tiebreakers to New Jersey, but road wins over Shreveport and New Orleans could make for some interesting tiebreaker scenarios. If they win both and New Jersey loses both, the Stars win the East. Even if the Generals win one, a 10-6 record could put them in a tiebreaker for a wildcard spot.

Man, I can't believe things are still this muddied concerning playoff spots. Usually I have no trouble figuring out everyone's exact scenarios after 14 weeks, but this season our league is so crazy, this is as far as I'm taking it today. We have a few teams who could end up anywhere from a BYE to bye bye, watching the playoffs from the couch.

Week 15 should provide some clarity to the playoff picture as we have 6 games featuring 2 playoff teams/hopefuls.

Portland @ Los Angeles
(NY) Stars @ Shreveport
New Jersey @ Birmingham
New Orleans @ Baltimore
Oakland @ Denver
Washington @ Arizona

Best of luck to all as we enter the home stretch on The Road To World Bowl XIV.

Standings Glitch Is In Effect

If our standings page were accurate that Denver and Arizona are eliminated, then Oakland would have an "X" next to them. I'm writing this post as I figure out the tiebreakers, so as of this second, I don't know the scenarios.

American Conference

Clinched Playoff Spot

Memphis Clinched #1 seed
Portland Clinched a playoff spot, must beat Oakland to win the West
Michigan Clinched Midwest, will be #2 or #3 seed
Los Angeles Clinched #4 seed
Houston Clinched #5 seed

In The Hunt

Oakland The Invaders beat Portland back in Week 3 and if they complete the sweep of the Storm, Oakland wins the West and Portland will be a wildcard. If Oakland loses, we'll have to see what happens with Denver and Arizona.

Denver The standings show the Gold eliminated but are they really? Looking at the previous 15 games, if we have a tie at 11-5 we need to go deep into the tiebreakers, so I'll lump everything together.

Arizona The standings show the Wranglers eliminated but are they really? See below to find out with me.

If Oakland beats Portland, it's simple but an Oakland loss, coupled with wins by Denver and/or Arizona complicate things. If just one of Denver or Arizona wins, the tiebreakers are easy as the 3 non Portland West teams swept each other round robin style (Denver swept Arizona who swept Oakland who swept Denver). A 3 way tie and I don't have the answers because I don't know JDB's next step.

Possible 2 way ties

Oakland and Denver If both teams are 11-5 Oakland wins the tiebreaker by virtue of sweeping Denver.

Oakland and Arizona If both teams are 11-5 Arizona wins the tiebreaker by virtue of sweeping Oakland

3 way tie

If we have a 3 way tie, it gets complicated. JDB doesn't go strictly by real NFL tiebreakers, somewhere he diverges and I never got a straight answer. The only possible 3 way tie is between Oakland, Arizona and Denver. They all swept one team and were swept by the others and their division records will all be 3-3. NFL tiebreakers say common games is next, then conference record (because the tied teams are in the same division, the division tiebreakers are used).

I'm actually rooting for a 3 way tie so I'll have an answer because a different team emerges. If common opponents is actually next Arizona wins with a 7-1 record, to 6-2 for Oakland and Denver against the Midwest and Atlantic divisions. If conference record is next before common games then it's Denver emerging as they would be 9-3 with a win while Oakland would be 8-4 if they lose to Portland and Arizona would also be 8-4.

Possible Portland/Houston Tie

Houston will be the #5 seed regardless. If Portland wins, the second wildcard will be no better than 11-5, so with Houston being no worse than 12-4, they are #5. If Oakland wins to send Portland to 12-4 and a wildcard, the Storm would be the #6 seed based on conference record.

One conference down, one to go and this one isn't any easier.

National Conference

Clinched Playoff Spot

Birmingham Clinched South, could be #1, #2, or #3 seed. Standings say they've clinched a BYE, but I can't confirm that. If Tampa Bay wins and Birmingham loses, they would both be 12-4, 8-4 in conference and 4-1 in common games.

Washington Clinched the Atlantic, have inside track on #1 seed as their Week 4 victory over Birmingham gives them the edge

In The Hunt

Tampa Bay The Bandits will win the division with a victory over Michigan but a loss could see them miss the playoffs completely. Jacksonville swept Tampa Bay, so the Bulls win a tiebreaker. A loss coupled with a loss by either New Orleans or Baltimore would still get the Bandits in. I'll check the 3 way tie later.

Jacksonville The Bulls travel to Charlotte where they'll have one eye on the scoreboard as win or lose, the situation is hazy.

New Orleans The VooDoo host the (NY) Stars where they'll have one eye on the scoreboard, as win or lose, the situation is hazy.

Baltimore The Stars travel to Washington but the Federals have the division wrapped up. Just like Jacksonville and New Orleans, the Stars will have one eye on the scoreboard.

New Jersey The Generals need to beat Shreveport or have New Orleans beat New York to win the East and the #4 seed.

(NY) Stars New York wins the East and #4 seed if they beat New Orleans and Shreveport beats New Jersey. A win plus a New Jersey win could still have the Stars in a tie for the #6 seed depending on other games. A loss to the VooDoo eliminates New York.

Direct Tiebreakers

Tampa Bay There are so many tie possibilities, I'll need another post. The Bandits could end up in ties with Jacksonville, New Orleans, Baltimore, Birmingham, and Washington. There could be a 3 way tie with New Orleans and Baltimore at 11-5 and a 3 way tie at 12-4 for the BYES with Birmingham and/or Washington. There could even be a 4 way tie at 11-5 with New Orleans/Baltimore/Jacksonville, which would revert to a 3 way tie, since Jacksonville would break the division tie first.

Jacksonville If the Bulls tie the Bandits atop the Southeast, they win the division based on their sweep of Tampa Bay. The Bulls could end up in ties with New Orleans and/or Baltimore. The New York Stars could also be involved in a 3 or 4 way tiebreaker, but if it's just a tie between the Bulls and New York, both are eliminated as that means both were 10-6, while everyone else has 11+ wins.

New Orleans and Baltimore You all get it by now, the tiebreaker possibilities are many. I'll sort them all out and post something soon.

Whew, this took awhile but I think I'm ready. I'll just list the possible tied teams and who wins, with as brief an explanation as I can.

Tampa Bay

Wins tiebreaker against New Orleans...common games
Loses tiebreaker to Baltimore...Stars won H2H Week 12
Loses Tiebreaker to Jacksonville...Bulls swept
Loses Tiebreaker to Birmingham...common games tied, i think net points is next
Loses Tiebreaker to Washington...Federals won H2H Week 3
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Tampa Bay 3 way ties

3 way tie with New Orleans and Baltimore...Stars win based on conference record, if needed revert to 2 way tie between TB/NO

3 way tie with Birmingham and Washington...Federals win based on conference record, if needed revert to 2 way tie between TB/Birm
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Jacksonville

Wins tiebreaker over New Orleans...conference record
Loses Tiebreaker with Baltimore...Stars won H2H Week 14
Loses Tiebreaker to (NY) Stars...common games
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Jacksonville 4 way tie

4 way tie with New Orleans, (NY) Stars, and Baltimore at 10-6...Baltimore wins based on conference record...then revert to a 3 way tie with remaining teams
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Jacksonville 3 way ties

3 way tie with New Orleans and (NY) Stars at 10-6...New Orleans eliminated based on conference record, then revert to 2 way tie with New York

3 way tie with New Orleans and Baltimore at 11-5...Baltimore wins based on conference record, then revert to 2 way tie with New Orleans
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New Orleans

Loses tiebreaker to Baltimore...Stars won H2H Week 15
Loses tiebreaker to Jacksonville...conference record
Loses tiebreaker to Tampa Bay...common games
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New Orleans 3 way ties

Previous 3 way ties are listed under Tampa bay and Jacksonville

Loses 3 way tie at 10-6 with both Stars teams as Baltimore wins on conference record
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Baltimore

Wins tiebreakers against Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and New Orleans based on H2H wins against all 3

Multiple team tiebreakers were covered previously
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(NY) Stars

Wins tiebreaker against Jacksonville...common games

Multiple team tiebreakers covered previously

Just win baby!!!

Thanks for putting that all together. I’d be **** drunk if tried to do all those scenarios.

Just an FYI, and future reference by me, it seems net points is ahead of common games in the MFN pecking order. NFL tiebreakers say it should be common opponents after conference record, and if that were true in MFN, the VooDoo would be the #6 seed, Tampa Bay the #5.

I apologize for misleading anyone with the faulty logic.