While breaking down and predicting every team’s 2020 record it is incredibly hard to predict the entire outcome of a season before the opening kickoff of any sport. The IFL has to be an increased level of difficulty. There’s no guarnaty every player finishes a season because of injury, but now with the birth of the XFL, teams have an increased chance of losing their stars than ever before. Again, these are simply predictions and it is not a perfect science. Let’s do it.
1-SEED: ARIZONA RATTLERS (12-2)
The Rattlers will fall twice in 2020, after a 7-0 start they’ll lose a hard-fought matchup on the road against the Tucson Sugar Skulls before the Spokane Shock pull a bit of an upset on their own in the Rattlers’ penultimate regular season game.
2-SEED: SIOUX FALLS STORM (12-2)
The only reason Sioux Falls doesnt have the 1-seed is because of a tie-breaker with Arizona, as the Rattlers avenge their 2019 United Bowl loss and continue to play well against the Storm in the regular season like they always have. Sioux Falls will also slip up in Moline against a Steamwheeler club which always plays well at home.
3-SEED: FRISCO FIGHTERS (11-3)
The schedule sets up so nicely for the first year franchise which may have the most talent of any team in the league both on the field and on the sidelines. Experience is the only question mark for this squad. After an up-and down start to the year we predicit the Fighters rack up 7 wins in a row, winning 8 of their last 10.
4-SEED: TUCSON SUGAR SKULLS (10-3)
Daquan Neal and Dixie Wooten are already lethal together, now the question becomes can they become one of the all-time great duos in IFL history? The only thing missing last year was a ring and they have an opportunity to get it this season with an increased playoff bracket and only 13 regular season games. They’ll be on upset-alert early against San Diego but finish the regular season on a 4-game winning streak.
5-SEED: SPOKANE SHOCK (9-5)
Charles McCullum is back in the IFL and the Shock are the most intriguing team in 2020. There’s plenty of big names both from the outdoor, and indoor game. The only question is if they can all mesh. The Shock have a brutal three-game stretch midway through their schedule, facing Sioux Falls, Tucson, and Arizona. A three-game win streak will give them some momentum heading into the tournament.
6-SEED: GREEN BAY BLIZZARD (8-5)
Corey Roberson showed last year that he can really coach and he has his signal caller back in Lenorris Footman, his dangerous secondary has returned, and all of Footman’s weapons are back in GB as well. There won’t be much different of a look on the field for Green Bay, the question is can they win the close game and can they win the big game? The Blizzard are handed a relatively favorable schedule in 2020. They’ll have to face the big dogs in the playoffs.
7-SEED: QUAD CITY STEAMWHEELERS (7-7)
Quad City was electric in 2019, they just didnt make enough stops. That is projected to change in 2020, and with an entire offense back they will make some serious noise. The league is just so talented at the top it’s tough to get wins. Quad City will get enough of them though to make the IFL playoffs for the first time. The highlight of their regular season will be a win over Sioux Falls.
8-SEED: IOWA BARNSTORMERS (6-8)
The final playoff spot will belong to Iowa. There’s nothing flashy about the Barnstormers but Ameer Ismail is too good a coach and the organization has too much talent to not win enough games to get in. Even with 8-teams they project to be the only team with a losing record who will make it in.
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
9: Oakland Panthers (4-10)
10. San Diego Strike Force (4-10)
11. Duke City Gladiators (3-10)
12. Cedar Rapids River Kings (3-11)
13. Bismarck Bucks (1-13)
Before I began I thought there would be no way Oakland misses the playofs with the amount of talent they’ve put together and I thought San Diego would be extremely close to making it. Duke City won a championship last year and has a great coaching staff. This process proved how deep the league is this year and I believe coaching will have more of an edge than ever before. This is why Oakland is on the outside looking in. A lack of experience on the sidelines. For San Diego they play a tough schedule and will start 2-0 but I don’t think they know how to win just yet. Duke City has a tough draw playing mostly the West Coast powers and I don’t think the roster is talented enough to compete for a playoff spot. Cedar Rapids and Bismarck will surprise some people. The River Kings will be extremely competitive, picking up two wins over playoff teams, Bismarck will get their lone win over Iowa.
PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
- ROUND 1
- 1. Arizona def. 8. Iowa
- 2. Sioux Falls def. 7. Quad City
- 6. Green Bay def. 3. Frisco
- 4. Tucson def. 5. Spokane
- CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- 4. Tucson def. 1. Arizona
- 2. Sioux Falls def. 6. Green Bay
- UNITED BOWL
- 2. Sioux Falls def. 4. Tucson
PLAYOFF RECAP
Sioux Falls is just too good and they may be even better than last year. The amount of talent may be higher than ever before. Green Bay is a sneaky good team and I think they have potential to make it to the semi-finals as a team others overlook. Arizona and Tucson play so much and I think Tucson will figure out Arizona by the time that championship comes around. In the end, this may be the best Sioux Falls team ever. It won’t look like that because of the level of competition but they are ultra-talented and our pick for 2020 IFL champions.
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