No team made a bigger statement than the Michigan Arsenal.
The Arsenal entered the season facing one of the league’s toughest schedules and spent much of the year battling the AF1’s top teams. After repeatedly showing they could compete with the league’s elite, Michigan finally earned the signature victory that had been missing from its résumé.
A 57-39 win in Albany isn’t just another result. It’s the kind of performance that changes how the entire league is viewed.
The victory moves Michigan up to No. 5 and further tightens the battle immediately behind the established top four.
The Top Tier Remains Intact
Even with Albany dropping from No. 1 to No. 2, the same four teams continue to occupy the league’s upper tier:
- Nashville
- Albany
- Kentucky
- Minnesota
Since Week 3, those four franchises have controlled the top of the rankings. Week 10 didn’t change the membership of that group, but it did prove the hierarchy within it is far from settled.
Washington Handles Business
The Washington Wolfpack defeated the Oceanside Bombers 43-30, but slipped one position to No. 6 as Michigan’s win over Albany carried greater weight with voters.
That’s less an indictment of Washington and more a reflection of how significant Michigan’s victory was.
Beaumont and Oceanside finished in a statistical tie at the bottom of the rankings, with point differential ultimately serving as the tiebreaker. Even with Oregon’s removal from the league, the race to avoid last place remains tightly contested between the remaining lower-tier teams.
A League Down to Eight Teams
Week 10 also marked the end of the Oregon Lightning franchise.
Following the team’s termination, Kentucky was awarded a forfeit victory, and the AF1 moves forward with eight remaining teams.
As a result, Oregon is no longer included in the weekly rankings.
Bottom Line
The top of the AF1 finally moved.
For weeks, Albany sat comfortably atop the rankings while the same four teams maintained their hold on the league’s upper tier. Michigan changed that with one of the most significant victories of the season.
The result elevated Nashville to No. 1, knocked Albany from the top spot for the first time, and reminded everyone that even the league’s most established hierarchy can change.
After seven weeks of stability, the biggest shakeup of the season has arrived.