by Alana Klein
While we collect votes for Power Rankings on a weekly basis, I use this space and time to explain in a bit of detail exactly where I stand and why. I also think that it can be interesting to see why I placed a team in one spot while others (&/or the consensus vote) may have placed that same team in another spot.
I find this level of transparency absolutely vital to my vote because I am a Firebirds fan and have them ranked at the top of the list. (While I can’t imagine there would even be a question right now, I can envision this discussion being a thing earlier this season before while Nashville and Kentucky were still undefeated.)
| Rank | Team | Record | Movement | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany Firebirds | 8-0 | ↔ | Albany continues doing Albany things |
| 2 | Nashville Kats | 6-1 | ↔ | Survived a shootout in Michigan. |
| 3 | Minnesota Monsters | 5-2 | ↔ | It would have been VERY interesting to see how these rankings sorted if they had lost to Oceanside a week after running Kentucky out of the building. But alas, ’twas not to be. |
| 4 | Kentucky Barrels | 6-2 | ↔ | Had their “get right” game in Oregon. |
| 5 | Washington Wolfpack | 3-4 | ↔ | I don’t believe in the old adage that a team can’t move up (or down) in the standings by virtue of having a bye week. That being said, none of the other 8 teams moved in the rankings … so this feels right. |
| 6 | Beaumont Renegades | 2-5 | ↔ | Had a good “slow pace” strategy working early, but couldn’t end the drives with points. |
| 7 | Michigan Arsenal | 2-6 | ↔ | Had a shootout goin’ but ultimately couldn’t keep up with the Kats. |
| 8 | Oceanside Bombers | 1-7 | ↔ | Possibly the best 1-7 team in the history of arena football. Having difficulty sealing the dub. |
| 9 | Oregon Lightning | 1-7 | ↔ | Just can’t catch a break this season. |
Playoff projection: this will not necessarily be in the same order as my power rankings.
- Albany
- Nashville
- Kentucky
- Minnesota
- Washington
- Oceanside
- Yes, I’m putting a 1-win team that’s lost 7-in-a-row into my playoff projection. That score in Albany doesn’t tell the whole story of the game. Trust me. I was there. They just came off of 4 straight against the top half of the standings and each of their remaining 4 games are both winnable and decide the head-to-head tiebreaker.