The Larkspur Bowl heads into its final week with only two playoff tickets punched: New Jersey (11-1) will be the #1 seed and Hill Valley (9-3) will be the #2 seed. Both squads will not play a game of consequence until December 15th, when they will both host semi-final matchups.
So then, who is left? Six teams are jostling for four spots, and will jostle this week and the next, to book dates in Jersey and Valley.
Controlling their own fates at 7-5 are Manitoba and Carmel; Win and they're in, lose and they still have a shot of making it on points. At 6-6 Deputy, Phoenix, Ohio, and South Philly will need to win and outscore the other 7-6 teams to move on to the fourteenth Larkspur Bowl Playoffs. Lets take a look at the matchups of substance:
MANITOBA (7-5) vs PHOENIX (6-6)
In the week's marquee matchup, the defending champions will look to knock off the four time champions. The Moosecrew's Jalen Hurts, Stefon Diggs, and Travis Kelce are as fearsome a threesome as any team in the league can boast, and a triumvirate nobody wants to see in a loser goes home matchup; The Uprising lost single digit squeakers in weeks 9 and 11, which happen to be the only two weeks Saquon didn't contribute double digit points to their score. If the Upring win, there's a very real possibility these two teams face off again in the first round of the playoffs.
DEPUTY (6-6) vs MAR-A-LAGO (5-7)
This matchup could take on additional significance if the Treason benefit from some late vote tallying on Thursday morning as they lost to Jersey by less than four points. A stat correction could vault them up to 6-6 and VERY MUCH in the playoff picture by virtue of the league's third highest point total to date. Should that score stand, Mar-A-Lago will have to be content to try and play spoiler to the Van Halens, who are fourth in total points and in a good spot to win a tiebreak at 7-6.
HILL VALLEY (9-3) vs OHIO (6-6)
While they McFly easy this week, Hill Valley has a major part to play in determining the playoff field. Knocking off Ohio will eliminate them, but should Burrow, Chubb, and the rest of the Tommy Boys notch a victory, they'll be in the tiebreak and need just a bit of help. Interestingly enough, they have points over seven win squads Manitoba and Carmel, so, either team losing could mean Ohio gets in; If they win and Deputy and Phoenix lose, they're also in. If any two of the aforementioned squads lose and Ohio wins, they have a great shot at moving on.
CARMEL (7-5) vs BINGHAMTON (3-9)
The Rudy-Tuesdays really need to win this matchup to make their first ever Larkspur Bowl Playoffs. Losing to a lackluster Sniper squad wouldn't eliminate them outright, but with only the eighth most points to date, they would really be tempting fate with a collapse. Late season revelation Christian Watson will try to paper over the fact that the team lacks a credible second running back.
SOUTH PHILLY (6-6) vs PAWNEE (3-9)
The Rum Ham are not eliminated, and a win over Pawnee would secure their second winning season in a row, after eight years underwater. That said, even with a win they need at least two of Phoenix, Deputy, and Ohio to lose this week to sneak into the dance again. Not the longest odds in the world, but the point is, they cannot do it alone. Should they make it to the playoffs, they could conceivably have Odell Beckham join Davante Adams, DeAndre Hopkins, and CeeDee Lamb to make one of the best end game receiving corps.
NOTE: Weekly TOTW and results posts will be added retroactively at some point prior to the playoffs beginning.
