LARKSPUR BOWL VII: Recap

Larkspur Bowl VII was no contest from the outset, as the Cows stampeded to a huge lead and the Pride never had an opportunity to close the gap. After much ballyhoo about who had the best set of WRs in the league the Cows put the question to rest in the championship, outscoring the Pride 93.48 to 51.8. The loss of Odell Beckham to suspension was definitely a factor, but the matchup was so thoroughly dominated (a 91.52 margin of victory) by South Park, that no one player could have made a difference. It all led to this for the Cows, who had an incredible 2014 season go one and done in the playoffs, but follow it up by gutting out a challenging sophomore season capped off by a phenomenal playoff run. Manager Mike Hart's all time combined record of 20-10 (.667% winning percentage) is superlative, and through two years he is the only team to never miss the playoffs.

Week 16 Matchups

• Phoenix Uprising179.36New York's Finest160.04
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• Pawnee Pride133.46South Park Cows224.98
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• Hill Valley McFlys206.38Saskatoon Sasquatch191.74
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• Deputy Van Halens165.88Manitoba Moosecrew196.36
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OPotW: Julio Jones, South Park Cows, 24.1pts
In the Championship Game, the Cows top pick was everything the Prides' was not: Present and dominant, taking home MVP honors. Nine catches, 178 yards, six first downs and one touchdown set the tone for a game where Pawnee had no chance. DO THE JULIO!

DPotW: Denzel Perryman, South Park Cows, 15pts
A rookie that joined the team's starters for the playoff run, Perryman was solid in the quarterfinals and semifinals, before elevating his game in the championship, making eleven combined tackles (ten solo) including one sack for a loss. Most of Larkspur Bowl VII's fireworks were on the offensive side of the ball, but Perryman was a menace anytime the Pride tried to advance the ball.

Third Place Game: Phoenix over New York
Larkspur Bowl VI's combatants came through the 2015 season as the top two contenders for a sequel, but each team was upended in the semifinals, and left to do battle for the bronze. In the end, the Uprising continued their streak of six straight seasons in the top three, while New York lacked motivation following their blown title defense.
OPotW: WR Jordan Matthews, Phoenix 23.6pts
DPotW: FS Harrison Smith, Phoenix 22.25pts

Consolation Bowl: Hill Valley over Saskatoon
The McFly's will have the top pick for the second year in a row, after edging out the Sasquatch in the consolation bracket's final matchup. Saskatoon played down a couple players, after LeSean McCoy and Ronald Darby both pulled up lame, ceding the difference to a McFly team that has seen the rebirth of Tim Hightower, a late season spark plug. The McFlys rallied following Jamaal Charles' torn ACL- it will be interesting to see the direction they go with the lottery pick in 2016. Saskatoon will pick second overall.
OPotW: RB Tim Hightower, Hill Valley 34.1pts
DPotW: LB Malcolm Smith, Saskatoon 20.50pts


Ninth Place Game: Manitoba over Deputy
For the third and fourth picks in next year's draft, we saw the Moosecrew take down the Van Halens in decisive fashion. Manitoba has had two solid but unspectacular years in the Larkspur Bowl, and will look to shape their identity with the third overall pick in 2016. Deputy crumbled just when they looked poised to breakout in 2015- they'll have to use pick number four to try to return to their final four form from 2013.
OPotW: WR Brandon Marshall, Manitoba 30.6pts
DPotW: LB Sean Lee, Manitoba 19pts

Larkspur Bowl VII Champions: South Park

The South Park Cows defeated the Pawnee Pride to win Larkspur Bowl VII.

We'll analyze Larkspur Bowl VII in more depth later;
But for now, here is next year's draft order:

Larkspur Bowl Preview

Larkspur Bowl VII Breakdown:

This years Larkspur Bowl pits two very similar teams against each other: Both took Quarterbacks off the scrap heap, lack marquee running backs, and amassed a load of top end WRs. Neither invested any high picks in IDPs, and both have moved on from the tight end they started the season with. It's an interesting approach to team building that will likely see emulation in 2016. While everyone else secures their draft spot, we'll see long suffering Pawnee (36-42 all time) take on the sophomore juggernaut South Park (17-9 all time) for the Silver Chalice.

ADVANTAGES:

• QUARTERBACK: Carson Palmer's injured finger and questionable context mean Russell Wilson has the edge, even in a tough matchup. Both are capable of top level play, but Wilson's dual threat aptitude and hot streak (26+ points in five straight games) is the difference.
• RECEIVERS: While the Pride's fearsome foursome was the envy of the league all year, Beckham's suspension and Green's questionable back dial down expectations a few notches. Sanders and Evans are both coming off of huge games, but neither can match Julio Jones talent on the other side of the ball. Jarvis Landry and Brandin Cooks have both disappeared for a game here or two this season, but expect them to both be volume machines today: South Park holds the edge this week!
• RUNNING BACKS: Neither team boasts a high level run game- Pawnee is left with the only true premier back: Muscle Hamster Doug Martin. As the only elite option, the advantage is clear. South Park probably has the next best three or four options- If Spencer Ware is healthy, he's got huge upside, while the both Jeremys (Hill and Langford) are decent floor options that should get 10+ touches, and explosive rookie Duke Johnson could get close to that, if he is healthy. It's ugly after the Hamster for the Pride: Understudy Charles Sims might be the floor option? Veteran Donald Brown could be that as well. RB CJ Spiller has one big play in a season of disappointment. The rest: Pawnee's Bryce Brown started last week to minimal gain, while South Parks has shot in the dark Mike Gillislee, who did break off a 60 yard TD last week. 
• TIGHT END: Gary Barnidge is the number two tight end in football, and Antonio Gates is still motoring on his hall of fame career. The Pride might be counting on their Jumbo set in this one, with Beckham sitting and thinking about what he did. That's okay- they've both got the edge on Zach Miller, a journeyman who offers reasonable floor and upside, but none of surety. Will Tye has scored TDs in two straight, and has maintained a steady role in the offense- he could be an X-Factor if he plays.
• FLEX: Even with their aforementioned quality Jumbo set, Pawnee is going to feel it at the flex position in LB VII: John Brown is an electric playmaker who has gone for double digits in five straight, and ten of thirteen on the year. South Parks' WR Corps didn't produce the oohs and ahhs of the Prides, but when it gets down to the numbers their top four outscored Pawnee 939.64 to 926.03 this year, and all four of theirs are active in week 16.
• KICKER: Mason Crosby is a savvy veteran that has proven his meddle in the clutch. However, Catanzaro has been the one getting the easy PATS to pad his numbers- 52 attemps versus Crosby's 35.
• DEFENSIVE LINE: 23rd round pick Aaron Donald made first round pick JJ Watt look like a wasted pick this year. Watt has been better by 34 points, but the opportunity cost is astounding- 2.3 more points per game to pick him 23 rounds earlier has made South Park's selection one of the shrewdest moves in the draft. Ziggy Ansah is a nice pass rusher, and on any given Sunday has every chance to match Donald... but the sophomore is the choice here.
• LINEBACKERS: Neither team boasts the kind of marquee captain you'd expect in the Larkspur Bowl; South Park traded captain Bobby Wagner, and replaced him with ho hum Kevin Minter and up and down rookie Denzel Perryman. Their comrade on the win is more exciting: Ryan Shazier and is young and lacks consistency, but has the potential to make the big splash. The Pride have a pair of workman veteran linebackers in Preston Brown and Kelvin Sheppard, and a more dynamic weapon in rookie Stephone Anthony.
• CORNERBACKS: A very interesting matchup of players who have put up good numbers in recent weeks. Parker is a model of consistency at a very inconsistent position, while Amerson is a big play artist who has hit more than he's whiffed recently. On the other side, Talib is a crafty veteran, while Verrett has the makings of an up and coming lockdown corner. The matchups favor the Cows, so we'll go with them- but this might be where Larkspur Bowll VII is decided.
• SAFETIES: Deone Bucannon is a monster. After propelling his team to the Larkspur Bowl, he'll be hard pressed to repeat his DPotW performance, but I wouldn't tell him that. Three double digit games in the past five, and no real vanishing acts make him the most potent secondary weapon in this matchup. But his Pawnee partner, Rashad Johnson missed last week due to injury, and remains questionable. Without an alternative, the advantage has to go to the Cows, who have bebopping Reggie Nelson, (who has gone double digits in eight of his last eleven matchups) and rocksteady Michael Griffin (who has only scored lower than 7.5 in three of his last twelve matchups. 

TIMELINE: The Game's timeline appears to be fairly even- South Park should hope to go into the fourth quarter with a slight lead, although with both teams still looking to fill holes (Pawnee's flex and safety positions are in a flux, while South Park's RB committee is likely to be a game time decision) and vital playmakers in play in each quarter, this should be a showdown from start to finish. Current starters are listed in CAPS LOCK, while bench options are in lower case. At the time of writing, the Cows still have an open roster spot.

FIRST QUARTER:

TNF: PAW 2/2, SPC 2/0

TE ANTONIO GATES, CB JASON VERRETT, WR Javontee Herndon, RB Donald Brown

LB DENZEL PERRYMAN, CB DAVID AMERSON

SECOND QUARTER:

1:00: SPC 7/4, PAW 6/1

WR JARVIS LANDRY, WR JULIO JONES, RB JEREMY LANGFORD, TE ZACH MILLER, LB RYAN SHAZIER, CB RON PARKER, S MICHAEL GRIFFIN, RB Duke Johnson, RB Spencer Ware, RB Mike Gillislee, WR Jeremy Butler

WR MIKE EVANS, RB DOUG MARTIN, TE GARY BARNIDGE, DL ZIGGY ANSAH, LB PRESTON BROWN, LB KELVIN SHEPPARD, RB Charles Sims

THIRD QUARTER:

4:00: PAW 6/1, SPC 6/0

QB RUSSELL WILSON, RB BRYCE BROWN, K MASON CROSBY, LB STEPHONE ANTHONY, S DEONE BUCANNON, S RASHAD JOHNSON, RB CJ Spiller

QB CARSON PALMER, WR BRANDIN COOKS, WR JOHN BROWN, K CHANDLER CATANZARO, DL AARON DONALD, LB KEVIN MINTER

FOURTH QUARTER:

8:00: PAW 0/2, SPC 0/1

WR Odell Beckham, WR Hakeem Nicks

TE Will Tye

MNF: PAW 3/0, SPC 2/0

WR AJ GREEN, WR EMMANUEL SANDERS, CB AQIB TALIB

RB JEREMY HILL, S REGGIE NELSON

The Madden Curse Impact on the Larkspur Bowl

With Odell Beckham facing a (possibly overturned!) suspension as one of the primary story lines leading up to LARKSPUR BOWL VII, the Madden Curse came up, and its impact on Larkspur Football. Intrigued, I investigated the history back to our league's beginnings in the NRL, where I found some very interesting results:

2007: VINCE YOUNG
The NRL team that drafted Vince finished in 5th. The NRL team he ended up with finished in 9th. However, this does not constitute a curse- Vince Young is just not very good. Drafting him was a bad idea, playing him was a bad idea, and finishing with him under center was a bad idea. No curse, just stupidity.

2008: BRETT FAVRE
Here is where the curse begins: The Phoenix Uprising (Then called the Red Storm) coaxed QB Brett Favre out of a brief off season retirement, and made him their opening day starter under center. And the team went on to win the 2008 Championship! But Brett Favre was not under center for that: On September 15th, immediately following Week Two, Phoenix sent the ole gunslinger to the Alabama Green Gang for WR Steve Smith. Phoenix went 5-6 the rest of the way but managed to back into the playoffs and win the league over the Carolina Carnage. Alabama actually went 6-5 after acquiring Favre, but missed the playoffs and finished in eighth. Favre's record as a starter in the NRL that year? 8-4. But no trophy.

2009: TROY POLAMALU & LARRY FITZGERALD
The Larkspur Bowls' first season featured only six of the current teams: Phoenix, New York, Hill Valley, Saskatoon (then Atlanta), HCM City (then Levee NOLA) and Savannah. The Petes would draft SS Troy Polamalu in 2009, while the Carolina Carnage drafted WR Larry Fitzgerald. Polamalu struggled with knee injuries, while Fitzgerald had a stellar season (196 points) but neither team would enjoy much success: Savannah made the playoffs at 8-5 but bowed out in the first round, and has not won a Larkspur Bowl since. Team Carnage went 6-7 and folded along with the original accursed, Alabama, who had gone 9-4 before bowing out in the semifinals and taking the bronze.

2010: DREW BREES
Brees was drafted thirteenth overall by the Finest, coming off their loss in Larkspur Bowl I. This season would be marred to the tune of 5-8, despite the team trading cover boy Brees to Savannah. The Petes (who have carried a Madden Curse three times in seven years) ended up 5-8 as well. Neither team made the playoffs.

2011: PEYTON HILLIS
In 2010 Hillis had a huge year scoring 224 points for the McFlys, and cashed in with a feature on the cover of Madden. His 2011 was as Madden Cursed as a player could be- the first player drafted in the second round by the Pawnee Pride, his year was an unmitigated bust- totaling 84 points, and playing only ten games, including missing time with 'a cold.' He was discarded by the Pride (who would go 6-7 and miss the playoffs) before finishing the year with Vermont, who snuck into the playoffs at 7-6. They lost immediately and then went 3-10 the following season before bowing out of Larkspur competition.

2012: CALVIN JOHNSON
Megatron was drafted by Nebraska eleventh overall, and had a huge season- scoring 294 points on the year. But the team went just 5-8, and beset by injuries, moved their top pick, (along with TE Dustin Keller) to Hill Valley for Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates. The McFlys went 9-4 that season, securing the #2 seed and a bye, and defeated the (then) two-time defending champion Uprising before running into a 7-6 upstart Islander team. The McFlys went down, and the curse remained intact. Nebraska did not return in 2013.

2013: ADRIAN PETERSON
The Orgrimmar Horde took Adrian Peterson in the first round, and although they bandied about moving their workhorse, they did not. They did go 8-5, returning to the playoffs after missing them for the only time in franchise history in 2012; But they lost to Toronto in the first round, and the team went on Hiatus. There are rumors the Horde are honing their skills in an underground city league, and officially Nick Stano remains in the Larkspur Bowl as the Special Traveling Assistant to the League Commissioner. As for Peterson, he may have kept the curse with him: In 2014 he was the Oakwood Drivers' first round selection, but missed all but the first game, following a well publicized bit of child abuse. In 2015 as a member of the Manitoba Moosecrew, he has led the league in rushing, but was unable to carry the Crew to the playoffs.

2014: RICHARD SHERMAN
The Legionnaire of Boom was drafted by Savannah but traded in mid September (along with CB mate Patrick Peterson) to Pawnee for RB Darren McFadden and WR Allen Hurns. The Pride's second bout of the plague ended the same as their first, with the team missing the playoffs despite going 7-6 on the year. The Petes finished fourth overall, their best ever finish, but still less than curse breaking.

2015: ODELL BECKHAM
After tempting fate twice, the Pride have gone down the path of ill return a third time, drafting Odell Beckham in the first round. The sophomore WR has been incredible to date, scoring 307 points through fifteen games, helping Pawnee to an 8-5 record, the #3 seed, and two playoff victories. However, his antics in the semifinals have caused him to be suspended for Larkspur Bowl VII, leaving the team shorthanded. If the Pride can overcome his loss to win the Bowl, is the curse broken? Or will the curse be circumvented by Beckham's suspension, allowing the Pride to win a game they'd have lost if he was present? WE'LL SEE, STARTING IN JUST ABOUT TWENTY FOUR HOURS.

SEMIFINALS: Recap

Assuming no stat corrections benefiting the Finest, we're on the verge of

Larkspur Bowl VII:

South Park Cows (7-6) vs Pawnee Pride (8-5) 

Both teams are riding winning streaks, as the Cows have taken four in a row, while the Pride are riding five straight. Both knocked off past champions- The Pride defeated the three-time champion Uprising, and the Cows took out the 2012 Champion Islanders and the 2014 Champion Finest.

The Pride headed off a formidable Phoenix team, and left no doubt about their victory, featuring OPotW Emmanuel Sanders and DPotW Deon Bucannon. The Finest were favored until the very end, when Brandin Cooks was able to score decisively and triumphantly for the Cows.

In defeat, both Phoenix and New York were done in by underwhelming performances from their top picks: JJ Watt (3pts) and Aaron Rodgers (8pts) respectively.

Both victors have taken the long road to get to the sixteenth and final game: Including the playoffs, Pawnee is 10-5 while South Park is 9-6.

We'll examine the matchups tomorrow- but the specter of Pawnee's top pick Odell Beckham's one game suspension looms large.

Week 15 Matchups

• Phoenix Uprising215.78Pawnee Pride247.84
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• HoChiMinhLeadFarmers198.64Savannah Petes143.69
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• New York's Finest215.11South Park Cows217.61
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• Hill Valley McFlys244.30Deputy Van Halens179.79
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• Revis Islanders217.64Les Tres Petites249.18
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• Saskatoon Sasquatch161.82Manitoba Moosecrew135.37
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Lots of big point totals in the penultimate week of action, as seven teams (including all six playoff teams) broke the 200 point barrier (an eighth, HCM City, came close) and three teams (Hill Valley, Pawnee, and Toronto) approached, but came up shy of the all time record of 253.24 held by Phoenix. The 2015 record is also held by Phoenix, who scored 249.9 back in week seven.

Toronto finishes the season in fifth, and will draft ninth overall. The Islanders finish in sixth, and will draft tenth overall. HCM City's victory over Savannah gives them eleventh place and the fifth overall pick, while Savannah finishes in twelfth and will pick sixth overall in 2016.

We'll have three more consolation matchups, to determine draft order:

1st/2nd Pick: Hill Valley McFlys vs Saskatoon Sasquatch
3rd/4th Pick: Deputy Van Halens vs Manitoba Moosecrew
11th/12th Pick: New York's Finest vs Phoenix Uprising

SEMIFINAL AWARDS:

LB OPotW: WR Emmanuel Sanders, Pawnee (39pts)
Perhaps the least heralded of the Pawnee quartet, Sanders was huge in the semis, scoring 39 points and taking any drama out of a 32 point victory. Emmanuel caught ten balls for 181 yards and a touchdown, ran the ball once for a 24 yard gain, and moved the chains seven times. In a game where Mike Evans opened big, before Odell Beckham lost his head and AJ Green was quiet, Sanders was the closer, staving off the Uprising with certitude.

LB DPotW: S/LB Deone Bucannon, Pawnee (27.95)
Phoenix LB Vontaze Burfict did all he could to keep his team in the game, scoring 26.3 points- but his efforts were usurped by Bucannon, who had 11 combined tackles, a batted ball, and a 39 yard pick six that sealed the Pride's berth in their first ever Larkspur Bowl. A hybrid linebacker//safety, he's the shining star on a Pawnee defense that came through when they had to: Kelvin Sheppard and Aqib Talib were also major factors in the victory.

CB OPotW: RB David Johnson, Toronto (51.7pts)
After bouncing around all year, Johnson came into his own with LTP, where he and battery mate Danny Woodhead combined to drop 86 points on the Islanders in their consolation matchup. The rookie went for 229 yards on 33 touches, for 13 first downs and three touchdowns. If he had any sleeper status going into 2016, it is no more.

CB DPotW: LB Paul Posluszny, Islanders (23.65pts)
The Islanders' only answer to Johnson was their captain, "The Poz." Ten total tackles, two for a loss, a batted ball and a pick, Posluszny was still giving it his all, all over the field in this one. Both teams had disappointing ends to their playoff runs, but finished with a gusto they will hope to carry over to 2016.

Semifinal Timeline

The Larkspur Bowl Semifinals begin tonight!

I've constructed a timeline to illustrate some of the projected starters game times, to show how the scoring might work. The timeline reads from top to bottom, and the projected starters by quarter are as such:

• 1st Quarter. (TNF/SaturdayPM) : NYF 3; PAW 2; SPC 1; PHX 1
• 2nd Quarter. (1:00pm Sunday) : PHX 9; NYF 8; SPC 4; PAW 2
• 3rd Quarter. (4:05/4:25 Sunday) : PAW 9; SPC 7; PHX 5; NYF 5
• 4th Quarter. (SundayPM/MNF) : SPC 5; PAW 4; PHX 2; NYF 1

Both of the favorites should look to build leads in the first half, with the underdogs primed to come back in the second half- bth matchups could come down to Monday Night Football.

New York versus South Park is on the left; Phoenix versus Pawnee is on the right.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

Semifinals Preview

I failed to preview the Quarterfinals, but half of those teams don't matter anymore!
Sorry Revis Islanders and Toronto LTP, you've both been found wanting! Here are the four that are still in the race:

Here's a rundown of each year's final four, in their respective order:

• 2014: New York, Phoenix, South Park, Savannah
• 2013: Phoenix, Hill Valley, Deputy, Toronto
• 2012: Islanders, Hill Valley, Phoenix, New York
• 2011: Phoenix, Orgrimmar, Liberal, Hill Valley
• 2010: Phoenix, Oklahoma, Orgrimmar, HCM City
• 2009: Orgrimmar, New York, Alabama, Hill Valley

Three of these teams were here last year; The Pride are the newcomer. Phoenix has now appeared in the semifinals six years in a row. With their return this year, New York has tied Hill Valley at four- the McFlys were semifinalists in four of their first five years, but have not made the playoffs in back to back seasons. The defunct Orgrimmar Horde visited three times in four seasons- South Park has now made it in both of their initial forays. No other team has made it to the semifinals more than once in seven years.

#1 New York's Finest (12-1) versus #5 South Park Cows (7-6)

The Finest put up their finest performance of the season in week six, dropping a megaton 242 score on the Cows' middling 174. South Park has won three in a row, four out of five, and five out of seven... but they remain the clear underdogs in this fight.

ADVANTAGES:

• QUARTERBACK: Carson Palmer is rated third on the year, Aaron Rodgers fifth. Both have favorable matchups, and the numbers favor Palmer. But on the big stage, I expect the more mobile QB to have the advantage against swarming pass rushers. This is close to a push, but if I have to discount double-check, I'm going with the big Cheese.
• RECEIVERS: New York's group has been exceedingly reliable, the key to their 12-1 regular season record. Michael Crabtree and Eric Decker have exceeded expectations, Martavis Bryant returned from suspension with a chip on his shoulder and an appetite for touchdowns, and Doug Baldwin is suddenly the most explosive player in the league. He keeps question mark Davante Adams on the bench next to quality depth Robert Woods. Tyler Eifert going down is unfavorable, but Julius Thomas has scored in four straight games, nullifying the impact. Still, the edge is going to the Cows: Julio Jones has been shutout of paydirt for awhile, but is the most talented WR taking the field. Fellow dynamos Jarvis Landry, Brandin Cooks, and John Brown are all playmakers with gusto and the volume to make a difference. Picking between Vernon Davis and Richard Rodgers might be a make or break decision for the Cows.
• RUNNING BACKS: Well, Todd Gurley seems fine. Matt Forte too. Frank Gore is as good of a third running back as there is in this league. And Rashad Jennings just had his best game of the season. Any of these four running backs could start for South Park, who have three running backs that are typically on the short end of the plow share: RB Jeremy Hill backslid last week, RB Jeremy Langford is Forte's understudy once again, and Duke Johnson's quality performance was still just complimentary. Any of the three could put up numbers, but there's no sure bet.
• KICKER: Nick Novak has not exceeded 9.5 points in a game all year. While Catanzaro has 9.5 or more in four of his last five.
• DEFENSE: Jamie Collins has finally returned, to join all-universe LBs Luke Kuechly and CJ Mosley to form the best defensive core in the league. The rest of New York's D is somewhat suspect, but while Aaron Donald is on a tour de force, the Cows don't have one difference maker of the same caliber as NY's big three.

#3 Pawnee Pride (8-5) versus #2 Phoenix Uprising

The Pride took a tight one in week twelve, defeating Phoenix 217-206. They have not lost in a month, scoring 197, 217, 238, and 206 in that span. Meanwhile, after starting the year 7-1, the Uprising are just 2-3 since. They have been able to maximize their health during the bye week, and should be able to shake off the rust to be the point spread favorites, at least.

ADVANTAGES:

• QUARTERBACK: This was supposed to be the Pride's Achilles heel, but don't tell them that: Since installing Russell Wilson behind center, he's been unstoppable. Eli Manning is coming off a virtuoso performance of his own, but with the favorable matchup and the red hot numbers on his side, it's the little guy with the big advantage.
• RECEIVERS: The Uprising are not a bad group of WRs, but they lost their number one guy Keenan Allen, and they never really replaced him. Dez Bryant could be that guy any given week, but he's not been the same since his injury. Jeremy Maclin seems to have recovered from his midseason slump, but he's typically a complimentary weapon rather than a force unto himself. Jordan Matthews and Stevie Brown are a couple of reasonably competent WRs dealing with injuries, making them questionable at best. The only place Phoenix can claim a victory is at Tight End, where a healthy Gronk is the best in the game. Pawnee's vaunted quadrant of Odell Beckham, AJ Green, Mike Evans, and Emmanuel Sanders is unparalleled, though the latter two are coming off quiet games- Sanders, a couple of them. Gary Barnidge and Antonio Gates are both better than Uprising backup TE Heath Miller. 
• RUNNING BACKS: Just when Pawnee had things figured out, everything got jumbled up again. Doug Martin and Mark Ingram were a dynamic duo all year, but Ingram came up with a bum shoulder in the final week of the season, and is out the rest of the way. The Pride seemed to have an answer for that in Thomas Rawls, but he fractured his ankle; They'll be counting on his replacement's replacement, Bryce Brown this week in a plum matchup behind a respected offensive line. Meanwhile, Phoenix has an embarrassment of riches that create something of a conundrum: Dev Freeman is the #1 Running Back on the year, but has struggled in the past month. Fat Eddie has dominated in three of his past four matchups, but was benched early in the other game. Lamar Miller has dazzled with playmaking ability, but finds his touches mysteriously limited. The team claimed Denard Robinson, mostly to keep him from ending up on Pawnee.
• KICKER: Determining a kicker matchup is usually a tough call, but this week we've got some polarity at play: Phoenix kicker Justin Tucker has the worst matchup in the league, while Pawnee kicker Mason Crosby has the best. 
• DEFENSE: Phoenix has the #1 defensive lineman, the #1 linebacker, and the #1 safety in the game. Stephone Anthony and Preston Brown are solid linebackers, but tend to be more floor than ceiling. Phoenix can expect to dominate this side of the ball- if Pawnee's D can make some big plays, they'll tilt the odds in their favor. (I have it on good authority that the Uprising will have two cornerbacks in place before 1pm on Sunday.)

If the favorites both win, we could see a rematch of the 2014 Larkspur Bowl. If the underdogs each persevere, we will see a brand new champion hoist the Silver Chalice. All four teams have a reasonable shot at doing this- and it all starts Thursday night, with New York's Todd Gurley, and Pawnee's Mike Evans and Doug Martin some of the marquee names set to strike first.

QUARTERFINALS: Recap

We are down to four teams competing for the Silver Chalice.
Pawnee stomped LTP to face the three time Larkspur Bowl Champion Uprising in the Semis.
South Park upset the 2012 Champion Islanders, and is now set to face the defending champs in NY.
Lets take a look at the bracket:

And the week's matchups, none of which were particularly close:

Week 14 Matchups

• HoChiMinhLeadFarmers148.66Deputy Van Halens181.12
  FinalRecap
• Pawnee Pride206.21Les Tres Petites123.32
  FinalRecap
• Revis Islanders160.51South Park Cows183.20
  FinalRecap
• Savannah Petes125.61Manitoba Moosecrew179.05
  FinalRecap

THE LARKSPUR BOWL:

Huge performances from Pride members Odell Beckham, Russell Wilson, AJ Green, Gary Barnidge, and Doug Martin helped to mask missteps from Mike Evans and Emmanuel Sanders on offense. The defense for Pawnee continues to be mediocre (S/LB hybrid Deone Bucannon appears to be their only true playmaker) but even firing on half of their cylinders was enough to demolish a Toronto squad that was clearly on its last legs: Besides stalwarts Tom Brady and Tyrann Mathieu, only rookie David Johnson had any firepower left for this one.

The Cows played solid fundamental football, with Carson Palmer spreading the ball around between Jarvis Landry, John Brown, and Julio Jones. On defense, Aaron Donald was in Islander QB Ben Roethlisberger's face all day, limiting his effectiveness- but really the matchup came down to vanbishing acts for the #4 seed: Amari Cooper has had a stellar rookie year, but contributed nothing in the quarterfinals. Defensive captain Karlos Danbsy was nearly as invisible, and late season contributor DaVante Parker was bottled up. Sebastian Janikowski laid an egg for the second week in a row, helping to waste stellar performances from Golden Tate, Mo Wilkerson and back nine revelation Kurt Coleman.


THE CONSOLATION BOWL:

The fight to establish 2016's draft pecking order is in full swing, as we see the McFlys and Van Halens square off on one side of the bracket, and Canadians Manitoba and Saskatoon face off on the other. All four are vying for position at the top of the draft next year. Four other teams will have their draft slot sealed this week: The victor of HCM City vs Savannah will draft fifth, the loser sixth. Among playoff teams, the victor of the Islanders vs Toronto will draft ninth, the loser tenth.

THE AWARDS: 

For the playoffs, we're going to be looking at the pertinent players, in competition, in each of the brackets- so we're ignoring teams that earned byes. All of this week's players happened to be on the winning teams, but that is not a requirement! With rosters mostly settled, there will be no PUotW in the playoffs.

LB OPotW: WR Odell Beckham, Pawnee (39.9pts)
The Pride already had the matchup in hand when Odell Beckham went to work, but he certainly didn't rest up for the next round, putting up his most monstrous of monster performances in the franchise's first ever playoff victory: Seven catches, 166 yards, two touchdowns (and six first downs) in a showcase of ODB's incredible playmaking ability.

LB DPotW: DT Aaron Donald, South Park (18pts)
While JJ Watt went in the first round, and has been the top defensive lineman in the league (bar none) Aaron Donald went in the last round and has been the second best pure defensive lineman in the league- we're discounting LB/DL hybrid Khalil Mack, who we will deal with later. Donald has been a huge value for the cows, and came up with his best stat line since the opener, walloping Big Ben for three sacks, part of his five tackle and non stop disruption performance.

CB OPotW: WR Ted Ginn, Deputy (31.2pts)
Ted Ginn is not a possession receiver. Ted Ginn is a firework, and in the Consolation Bowls quarterfinals, he went off for a grand finale explosion... twice. Two touchdowns, on a 74 yard blast, and a 46 yard screamer, he is a deep threat that can change the game when he connects.

CB DPotW: DE Khalil Mack, Manitoba (32pts)
Seven tackles. Five sacks. A forced fumble. Khalil Mack had himself a day- but he's been having them more often than not. As he has asjusted to playing defensive end, he's flourished, now the number two defensive lineman in the league. At a boom/bust position, Mack is bringing a consistent BOOM.