Ladies and Gentlemen of the TSL Universe, The Race for Social Co-Ed Football Immortality has reached its midpoint. That’s right, we’re at halftime of the Fall 2023 season already. We’ve played four very exciting weeks of football, with four to go. By this time, teams are beginning to show their true colors, and we have a pretty good sample size of who are legit contenders for the division titles and who aren’t. (At least for most of the league. There are a few teams that have only played 3 games so far, and then Travis Henry’s Kids, who have somehow only played two games this season.)
So before we really get into the updated Championship Odds and how things are going in each division, let's touch on a few teams that have really come on in the last few weeks.
WHO’S HOT
WHO’S NOT
Everyone else is somewhere in the middle, but they either need to show a little something more OR they may have just had a bad week or two and I’m not ready to believe they’re in actual trouble.
Anyway, onto what we’re all here for.
D1:
Odds To Win The Championship:
Legends (3-1) - At this point, the Legends are positioned to take home another D1 championship. They’re 3-0, and they haven’t even had Joey Batts play QB yet. Good luck everyone else.
Eyes Downtown (5-1) - Eyes Downtown is still going to give the Legends a tough go, especially when they’re at full power.
Sticky Bandits (7-1) - Sticky Nation is becoming the forgotten team in D1. They’re 2-1, losing recently to ED. I don’t believe they’ve played their best football just yet, and they’re enjoying being ignored. Makes it easier to surprise others.
Losing Streak (8-1) - Losing Streak has had a rough schedule to start, so don’t let the 2-3 record fool you. They’ve played well in their three losses, and if they clean up their mistakes, they’ll be a true contender.
Frodo Swaggins (50-1) - It’s been tough sledding for Frodo this season, and a lack of other “lower end” D1 teams isn’t doing their confidence any favors. I’d like to see them add a player or two and stick around D1 a little longer, but I’m starting to feel like we’ll see them head to D2 in the Spring.
Last Week’s Games:
Eyes Downtown 40, Sticky Bandits 26
Legends 39, Eyes Downtown 38
Eyes Downtown went 1-1 this week, beating Sticky, but they ended up falling just one point short of beating the Legends. The problem is that Travis was playing QB for some reason this week.
This Week’s Games:
Legends vs Sticky Bandits (+7) - I’m not sure who the Legends QB is going to be. Is it Shbend's turn? Hopefully it’ll be Joey, and we can see just how good the Legends really are. If Sticky is going to put in their chat “I can’t believe we have 7-1 odds!” and are offended, this is the game to prove everyone wrong. LEGENDS BY 12
Legends vs Eyes Downtown (+3) - Maybe THIS is the time ED sneaks by Legends. But probably not. LEGENDS BY 6
D2:
Odds To Win The Championship:
Can’t Touch This (2-1) - 2-1 odds seems a bit cocky, but CTT has had zero issues with anyone they’ve played in D2 so far and they look like they can’t be stopped.
The Untouchaballs (4-1) - But if anyone can stop CTT, it's Untouchaballs. They’re still INCREDIBLY talented, and they played CTT very well.
Freeballers (5-1) - Do not refresh your page, this is accurate. The Freeballers had two huge wins last week, and for the first time in a long time, it seems like things are going right for this team. But how long will it last?
Mavericks (6-1) - The Mavs have had an up and down season, but despite a not so great game against Freeballers, they still pulled out a gutty victory over THREAD. This team will go as far as its defense lets them.
THREAD (8-1) - It hasn’t been the prettiest return to football, but it’s not bad either. THREAD has beaten Freeballers and Untouchaballs but also lost twice to the Mavs. Mixed results so far, but if they clean it up (and you know they will) they’re a fun bet at 8-1.
Cle-Avengers Assemble (10-1) - Cle-Ass finally played a game since Week 1, and they beat Scared Hitless, putting them on the right track. Need to see more from them.
Scared Hitless (14-1) - SH continues to be the team that has everyone asking “I wonder how good they’d be with a different QB?”. Dylan continues to be a steady mix of inconsistency, sometimes looking like the guy who won D2 not too long ago, and sometimes, well, not.
Practice Squad (30-1) - The Squad still continues to get stomped on in D2, despite having the talent to put up wins. Still hoping they’ll figure things out in D2.
Last Week’s Games:
Mavericks 38, THREAD 27
Cle-Avengers Assemble 41, Scared Hitless 30
Can’t Touch This 36, Scared Hitless 23
Freeballers 36, Practice Squad 7
Freeballers 50, Mavericks 20
The Untouchaballs 43, Practice Squad 22
Lots of D2 action last week saw the Mavericks get a nice win over THREAD before getting absolutely throttled by the Freeballers. The Freeballers would be 2-0 on the day after they beat Practice Squad as well, giving them an 86 - 27 score in both games combined. PS would go on to also lose to the Untouchaballs, as another season from hell continues to unfold. Can’t Touch This stays perfect on the season with an easy win over Scared Hitless, would be 0-2 on the day after a loss to Cle-Avengers Assemble as well.
This Week’s Games:
THREAD vs Practice Squad (+14) - At this point, it's hard not to make PS anything by a double digit underdog against anyone in D2. THREAD continues to prepare for the playoffs. THREAD BY 12
The Untouchaballs vs Scared Hitless (+8) - It’s going to be interesting which Scared Hitless we’ll get, but we’re going to have the usual Untouchaballs who, despite being 3-2, are more locked in than most teams. The fun Mel vs Jaimie matchup/family battle will be enjoyable to watch. THE UNTOUCHABALLS BY 10
Freeballers vs Cle-Avengers Assemble (+7) - The Freeballers had their big week, but whispers think it had more to do with their substitute QB more than anything. A big win this week would prove they’re for real. FREEBALLERS BY 3
Can’t Touch This vs Scared Hitless (+8) - There could be nothing better for SH than to prove the doubters (me) wrong and be the first team to knock off CTT. Unfortunately, what they brought to the fields last week won’t cut it. CTT is on too much of a heater right now to lose this one. CAN’T TOUCH THIS BY 6
Can’t Touch This vs Freeballers (+5) - Well, I said that a big win for Freeballers this week would prove they’re for real. And this is the game I meant. If what we saw from FB last week is who they really are, knocking off the hottest team in the TSL would be it. And they do it. FREEBALLERS BY 2
D3:
Odds To Win The Championship:
Bullet Club (4-1) - Bullet Club sits on top of the D3 standings at 3-1, and according to the podcast should probably be 4-0. Not sure who the QB is (I think it’s Langley, not Tommy Hughes), but George has seemed to be a pretty good Pistol Pete replacement.
The Family (4-1) - The Family had a rough Week 1, but since then they’ve been scoring almost at will. They’re too loaded with talent to be anything but a title contender. Terrell Bolden is getting D3 QB of the Year chatter.
Let’s Get Reccked (4-1) - Another team with championship aspirations, LGR has been in every game they play, and now that Alex is back, the sky's the limit for this team.
Wanderers (4-1) - The Wanderers had their worst week in the TSL last weekend, going 0-2 and getting run off the field. That’s an anomaly instead of the norm, and they’ll be right in the thick of things in a few weeks.
Keller Whales (5-1) - The Keller Whales are a very good team and Damien throwing has been a revelation for them. They’re a small step behind the other teams in the division right now, but that can be easily changed.
Vaspian (6-1) - Vaspian only has 3 games under their belt this season, but they’re doing okay. If the offense keeps improving, look out.
The Malones (10-1) - The Malones got their first win last week, as their combination of deep passing, and solid female play finally paid off. The defense still leaves a lot to be desired, but they’re on the right track for sure.
716 (15-1) - 716 got a huge win over the Wanderers this weekend to move to 1-3 on the season. However, they looked overmatched a bit in their games against The Family, Bullet Club, and Let’s Get Reccked. They COULD put together a run in the playoffs, but will they?
Last Week’s Games:
The Malones 50, Bullet Club 37
The Family 44, Keller Whales 37
716 52, Wanderers 46
Let’s Get Reccked 57, Wanderers 14
The Malones finally get their first win of the season with a nice win over Bullet Club. The Family continues to roll, doing battle with the Keller Whales and barely surviving. 716 pulled a shocking upset over the Wanderers, who would then lay a giant egg on the field against LGR.
This Week’s Games:
Bullet Club vs Keller Whales (+3) - These two teams always play close ones. This one could really go either way, but we’ll assume Langley will ruin it in the second half. KELLER WHALES BY 3
Bullet Club vs Vaspian (+7) - A rematch from earlier in the season where Bullet Club kind of dominated Vaspian on both sides of the ball. Vaspian should play better this time around, but how much better? BULLET CLUB BY 10
Let’s Get Reccked vs The Malones (+7) - The Malones rely on the deep ball more often than not, and now they play a team that can take that away with the talent they have on the back end. LGR is playing some great football, and with The Malones still figuring out defense, they might be in for a long one here. LET’S GET RECCKED BY 17
Wanderers vs Vaspian (+3) - The Wanderers look to get back on track this week against Vaspian. Vaspian wasn’t done any favors by the scheduler this week. WANDERERS BY 2
The Family vs Let’s Get Reccked (EVEN) - Bet the over. If LGR is locked in on offense, we could be in for some fireworks. THE FAMILY BY 6
The Malones vs 716 (+7) - 716 really wants to put themselves on the map. Especially after reading they’ve got the lowest odds to win the D3 title earlier in this article. They still have some work to do. THE MALONES BY 8
D4:
Odds To Win The Championship:
Cunning Stunts (3-1) - The Stunts are 6-0, scoring 47 points a game, and look every bit as good as they’ve ever been.
Interdimensional Lightning Falcons (5-1) - ILF is a single point away from being 3-0 and not only that, giving the Stunts a loss. They now know they can hang with anyone in D4.
Buffalo Vice (6-1) - Buffalo Vice can just score at will. They throw the ball around the field to males and females alike, and when they’re really on, look out. The defense leaves a bit to be desired, and unless they shore that up a bit, a D4 title seems out of reach.
Puckett All-Stars (6-1) - This isn’t exactly the Puckett that won D4, but they’re still dangerous. We’re used to them being 4-0 and dunking on the league, but we aren’t there this season, yet. Sleeping Giant status engage.
Travis Henry’s Kids (8-1) - They’re good. They improved where they had to. But they’ve only played two games and it’s going to be hard to really decipher where they should be ranked. So the middle it is.
Passing While Intoxicated (10-1) - PWI got itself back on track last week with a win. This team consistently improves every season, and I can’t imagine they won’t be better than ever over the next 6 games.
Father Baker (15-1) - Great roster. Great players. Great QB if Bobby plays. There’s still a defensive learning curve, and you’re seeing just that. Give them a few more games, but if they come back in the Spring, look out.
TMA (25-1) - There’s a lot to work on for this version of TMA, and while progress is being made, it might not be enough for this season.
Last Week’s Games:
Passing While Intoxicated 39, TMA 32
Buffalo Vice 57, Puckett All-Stars 36
Cunning Stunts 45, TMA 22
ILF 36, Father Baker 18
Cunning Stunts 53, Father Baker 44
PWI gets into the win column as they outlast TMA, who would go on to also lose to the Stunts later on. The Stunts would get a fun victory over Father Baker, as we got a nice gender team battle that went down to the wire. Father Baker was 0-2 on the day with an earlier loss to ILF as well. Buffalo Vice put up 57 to get by Puckett.
This Week’s Games:
Buffalo Vice vs Travis Henry’s Kids (+7) - We’ll see how well THK matches up with the division very quickly, as they get Vice right away. The Vice offense is dialed in, and it's going to be hard for THK to get right to their level after not really playing much this season. BUFFALO VICE BY 17
Father Baker vs TMA (EVEN) - Our two winless D4 teams face off, which means they’re going to tie. Realistically, TMA is pretty good on offense, and with FB still working on defense this is a perfect time for TMA to bring one home. TMA BY 9
Puckett All-Stars vs Passing While Intoxicated (EVEN) - These teams have had some doozies in the past, but let's look at the future. We’re primed for a pretty good game here between two teams that matchup nicely here. However, PWI was matching up nicely against the “juggernaut-ish” PAS, and this is a slightly weaker version. PASSING WHILE INTOXICATED BY 1
Buffalo Vice vs Interdimensional Lightning Falcons (+3) - Vice will be a little tired after the game against THK, but there’s just something special that I feel about ILF this season. Perhaps a team of destiny? ILF BY 7
ILF vs THK (+6) - Well, I can’t say Vice beats THK and ILF beats Vice without saying INTERDIMENSIONAL LIGHTNING FALCONS BY 13
Passing While Intoxicated vs Father Baker (+8) - Even with PWI playing better, I’m not sure how they stack up to the talent on FB. I can’t explain it, but I think PWI doesn’t have the girl power to run with FB and we’re going to get a little bit of shock here. FATHER BAKER BY 2
D5:
Odds To Win The Championship:
Creekers (4-1) - One of the biggest storylines of the Fall season has been the emergence of the Creekers, who now sit at 4-1, 3rd in the super secret Topper TSL Rankings, and they own wins over Come From Behind and Goatsack so far. A classic case of taking one step back to take two steps forward. They’re now D5 favorites.
Come From Behind (5-1) - One of TSL’s cornerstone franchises, CFB finds themselves right in the thick of the D5 title race. Their only loss has been to the Creekers so far, and there’s a very real chance they’ll be standing with the champagne in October.
Spinelli’s Plumbing (6-1) - Call this one a hunch, as we’ve only seen Spinelli’s for ONE of our first four weeks, they played a triple header, and the results were weird. They squeaked by Not So Sticky, only scoring 26 points. Then they put up 52 points in a loss to the BAADies. Then they beat GUCCI 45 - 14. I don’t know which team they are, but they tend to be the ones that win 45-14. They’ve been one of the better offenses the last few years, but we’ll get a better feeling for where they stand this week as they play a double header against Creekers and CFB.
GUCCI (8-1) - GUCCI finds themselves in a little bit of a different spot than last season, as they’re now 3-3, and lurking in the middle of the standings instead of winning the “regular season championship” like they did last season. Currently on a 3 game losing streak, things get easier for their final three games as their opponents are currently a combined 3-11-1, and the only team that has any wins are the BAADies, that GUCCI has already beaten. They’ll get back on track heading into the playoffs.
GOATSACK! (10-1) - Goatsack! has had a nice season on paper. They’re 3-2-1, and they’re currently 6th in the TSL Topper Rankings. When you dive into it, however, the three wins are against NSS (2) and Cobblestone (1). They tied the BAADies in a dramatic comeback fashion, lost by 14 to GUCCI in Week 1, and just lost a one possession game to the Creekers last week. It’s tough not to wonder if they’re just paper tigers (er, paper goats?). We’ll find out a lot more about them in the next 3 games as they have a gauntlet of CFB-Spinelli’s-Creekers to end the season.
BAADies (12-1) - The BAADies sprinted out to a 3-2-1 record themselves, and after a slow start really started to find a groove. However, they have two weeks off in a row, and you have to wonder if the good mojo they were collecting is going to go away just as they were figuring things out. The Creekers are up next for them before rematches with GUCCI and Spinelli’s. Let’s hope they kept it together.
Cobblestone (20-1) - As usual, Darryl’s collection of athletes and his family continue to let him
But don’t let the record fool you. Other than a two score loss to the Creekers, Cobblestone has lost by a score each time, meaning a play made here or there and we could be looking at a 3-1 team.
Not So Sticky (25-1) - Not So Sticky is dumb to pay attention to this season. I’m not entirely sure why they feel “off” this season, but this team is too talented and has been playing too well the last few seasons to wake up this morning and be 0-5. Yet this offense is anemic, averaging just over 17 points, which is slightly less than what the Cunning Stunts average on their first two drives of the game.
Last Week’s Games:
Goatsack! 29, Cobblestone 28
Creekers 43, Goatsack! 33
Come From Behind 38, GUCCI 23
Goatsack! split their doubleheader last week, slipping by Cobblestone before falling by a score to the Creekers, who continue to be the class of the league. CFB gets a second straight win over GUCCI, who’s having a lull in the middle of the Fall season here.
This Week’s Games:
Creekers vs Spinelli’s Plumbing (+6) - Spinelli’s makes their return (again) to the fields this week, and they’ve got a doozy. The Creekers are on fire, and currently rule the roost. They haven’t faced an offense like Spinelli’s yet though, as they can literally score at any time, from anywhere. D5’s championship picture gets more murky. SPINELLI’S PLUMBING BY 12
Cobblestone vs Not So Sticky (+3) - Another battle of the winless this week in the TSL as we get a classic matchup of Coronas vs Huggie Bombs. One team is going to get out of its own way enough to pull out their first win of the season. And it's the team with better hair. COBBLESTONE BY 14
GUCCI vs Cobblestone (+7) - GUCCI looks to get off the schneid against Cobblestone, who like I said earlier will not be as easy of an out as it looks on paper. GUCCI has too much talent to get this losing streak to 4 games. GUCCI BY 10
Come From Behind vs Spinelli’s Plumbing (+3) - Spinelli’s gets one heck of a double header this week against the top two teams in the league. While they’d be happy to go 1-1 on the day, they have their sights set on the D5 title and this is the week they officially announce they’re back. SPINELLI’S PLUMBING BY 10
D6:
Odds To Win The Championship:
Sausage McMuffins (3-1) - Being the favorites at this point last year did nothing for the Muffs, as last season’s late slide led to playoff heartbreak. Even with a loss to Fall Blitzkrieg, they have convincing wins over JGO, Balls Deep, and the Mighty Drunks. They’re going to be tough to beat.
Two Tuddies (5-1) - The Tuddies seem to be back on track after a weird start to the season. They’ve now had two straight wins over quality opponents and look like the team that should’ve gone up to D5 that we thought they were.
Fall Blitzkrieg (6-1) - The temperature is dropping, which can only mean one thing: It’s Hoodie Season. FBK is 2-1 so far this season, with close wins over the McMuffs and Pit Harade, and a blowout loss to Balls Deep. We’ll see what they’re made of in the coming weeks for sure.
Balls Deep (8-1) - What a weird team. Balls Deep is 3-2, holding wins over Two Tuddies and Blitzkrieg. (And Back That Pass Up, but whatever). They’ve also been blown out by the McMuffins, and they lost to the previously winless Pit Harade. I’m not sure who they are as a team just yet, but they get another crack at the McMuffins this week, so we’re going to find out quickly.
Just Get Open (8-1) - Inconsistency, thy name is JGO. Lose two games, put up 110 points in the next two, lose to the Tuddies. JGO is really figuring things out, and just when you think they’ve done it, they take a step back. They get an immediate rematch with the Tuddies, so we’ll see who they are this week for sure.
Mighty Drunks (8-1) - After one week, the Drunks were 2-0, and outscored teams 92 -38. Since then, they’re 0-3 in losses to JGO, the Tud Buds, and the McMuffins, being outscored a combined 134 - 63. Not great. That’s why the Drunks find themselves in the “inconsistent middle teams that are all 8-1 odds” section.
Pit Harade (10-1) - After a brutal first game of the season for PH, things have gotten better for them. They nearly beat FBK, beat Balls Deep, and dominated Back That Pass Up. Not sure if Dave Walter or Gordon is the QB, but they have two excellent players in Tall Guy and Fast Guy, and arguably the best female in the division in ‘Ray’. This team is trending up.
Back That Pass Up (50-1) - BTPU got their first win this season over the Tuddies, but there hasn’t been too much else to get excited about. QB Buddy Lee has a reliable target in long time TSLer James “Hitman” Hearn, and a couple of other guys that are solid but that’s about it.This team needs a little more work to really contend for a title.
Last Week’s Games:
Two Tuddies 44, Just Get Open 32
Pit Harade 34, Back That Pass Up 14
Sausage McMuffins 49, Mighty Drunks 14
The Tud Buds get back to form with a solid team win over a good JGO team. Pit Harade makes it two in a row with a win over BTPU. And the McMuffins stay on top of D6 with an absolute drubbing of the Mighty Drunks.
This Week’s Games:
Sausage McMuffins vs Balls Deep (+7) - Balls Deep can quiet any talk about “are they good enough to win D6” with a statement win here over the McMuffins. It won’t be easy. I have a feeling Alex and Co are well aware of how poorly things went for them in the second half of last season, and they’ll be focused on preventing history from repeating itself. SAUSAGE MCMUFFINS BY 8
Two Tuddies vs Just Get Open (+4) - A rematch of last weekend, where the Tuddies took by 8 points. I think JGO will look better in this game, but right now I think the Tuddies are heating up, and they’re going to continue that trend. TWO TUDDIES BY 2
Blitzkrieg vs Mighty Drunks (+6) - The Drunks have been playing some bad football the last few weeks, but Blitzkrieg has only played once since Week 1, which was about a month ago. You have to wonder if there’s some rust on the squad they’ll be looking to shake off because of it. Getting an opponent that’s all over the place can only help. FALL BLITZKRIEG BY 7
Blitzkrieg vs Pit Harade (+6) - These teams had a close game that BK pulled out near the end of it back in Week 1. Since then, PH has been on a two game winning streak and looking better than they have in the past. This will be a big game to see if PH really can stand with the better teams in the division or not. Until they prove it, I have to go with the hoodie. FALL BLITZKRIEG BY 3.
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR SATURDAY:
TEN FINAL THOUGHTS FOR SATURDAY:
-GF OUT