12/3/24 - Ben Ulrich, Senior Fantasy Sports - To paraphrase the great Dr. Ian Malcolm, “Football… uh… Finds a way!” That’s right, chaos theory is alive and well in the BSL this season. With just 1 game remaining in the regular season, only 4 of the 9 divisions across the 3 BSL leagues are decided (with 1 of those 4 possibly only due to tie-breakers). The FSDL’s Allen-Walsh division is the pinnicle this season of Chaos with ALL 4 teams currently tied at (6-6), and in the TLSL one team has shown they are the best so far this season with the Defending Champion Bewildered Bruins keeping things rolling this season at (11-1) but the other playoffs spots are a frenzy with 8 other teams either at (7-5) or (6-6) all fighting for the remaining 4 spots. Week 14 in the BSL this season is going to be WILD!
Lets review each league briefly, starting with the CDL. Only 1 of the 3 divisions is decided already. The 2024 Lombardi-Brown Division winners will be the Tanzmanian Devils (9-3) even after their loss to the 2nd place, and only 1 game back, Brahma Bulls (8-4) this week due to a head-to-head split and the Devils ending with a better division record. So even if the Bulls win and the Devils lose in Week 14, the Devils will win the division. But the Bulls may need a win to make the playoffs because… The other 2 divisions are both tied with the top 2 teams having the same record (8-4) as the Bulls. Also, none of those teams play each other this final week so with all these (8-4) teams, the Brahma Bulls, Guidler Dread Pirates, Lucky Gold Cat, Uncanny X-Men and Blue Coats all likely to be favored, we could see lots of tied records to end the regular season. That means, and this will be a theme in this review, there are too many tie-breaker scenarios to go over here so we won’t even try. Just know that the commissioner’s office may have a lot of work to do after the Week 14 games are complete, across all of the leagues. But now, onto the FSDL.
The FSDL had the closest division in all of the BSL with all 4 teams in the Allen-Walsh division currently tied at (6-6) [and YES, in case you are wondering, we are relatively sure this has NEVER happened before in the 26 year history of the BSL]. Due to a better division record, the FL Seminal Vesicles have a leg up on the other 3 but ONLY if they end up tied with someone. Since all of the division matchups are over, it is POSSIBLE the Vesicles lose and the other 3 end up tied, who knows. So, throw current tie-breakers out the window until all is said and done after Week 14. The other 2 divisions are already decided with the leaders having a 2 game lead with 1 game left. The Halas-Noll winner will be the Defending FSDL Champs, the Sinister 36ers (8-4), and the Bryant-Stram Division winner will be the China Open Faces (11-1) who will end the season with the best regular season record in the FSDL. The Midway Monsters (9-3) have also already clinched a playoff spot so there are just 2 spots still open for all those tied Allen-Walsh teams as well as last year’s runner-up Scarlet Widows still in the hunts as they are also (6-6). There is a small mathematical chance (we think?!) for the (5-7) Toad Lickers but that seems a long shot. The fun in the FSDL is mainly in the Allen-Walsh where all 4 teams could win the division but if all 4 teams lose in Week 14, only 1 will likely make the playoffs. Like we said… CHAOS!
Now for the closest overall league, the TLSL. As noted, 1 division is wrapped up with the Bewildered Bruins (11-1) continuing their rampage that started last season and their 1st TLSL title and winning the Reeves-Levy-Grant Division. The Ditka Division has 2 teams tied at (7-5) for the division lead, The Avengers and Mayhem, with the Omaha Players just 1 game back at (6-6). The Reeves-Levy-Grant Division behind the Bruins has 3 teams within 1 game with the FL Nittany Lions at (7-5) and 2 teams, the St. Pete Minutemen and PC Powerhouse, both (6-6) and the Gibbs-Parcells, like the Ditka, has it top 2 teams tied at (7-5). That means 8 teams – 5 being (7-5) and 3 being (6-6) – are all in the race for 4 of the 5 playoff spots. This is the epitome of having a myriad of tie-breaking scenarios that if you tried to figure out would melt your mind. But we will point out the big matchups in the ultimate week of the TLSL, The Avengers meet the Nittany Lions with both teams (7-5), and there are 2 matchups of (7-5) and (6-6) teams with the Sea Dragons facing the Omaha Players and the Evil Empire clashing with the St. Pete Minutemen. The easiest path on paper is the Mayhem drawing the (2-10) Bills Mafia in the final week but as we all know, don’t count your pigeons before they roost… or something like that. Anyway, all we know is Week 14 of the 2024 BSL season looks like it may be the craziest in recent memory. Stay tuned to see who survives the final bye weeks and all the plethora of big injuries in recent weeks. It will be a Wild Week 14 for sure!