CUDL2025 Power Rankings - Week 7

 

First impressions

 

Henry

Two things in particular happened in week 6 and again in week 7 that turned my CUDL paradigm upside-down. First, 6-seed Purple won against 4-seed ‘Flauge— then went on to defeat 2-seed Tugboats in week 7. My last power rankings put those two teams at second and third, respectively. Secondly, the Golden Scoobers faced Wind and the Disc-iples. While they lost both games, both were extraordinarily close— only one point difference in each game. The Disc-iples game was even closer, with the tying point blocked in the end zone as time expired. What’s more, Yellow put up 17 points in both games, an extremely impressive feat against two of the top three teams. 

 

The performance of these two teams specifically show me that the standings are no longer a reliable indicator of how good a team is. No team can survive underestimating their opponent, and the title of CUDL2025 Champion is anyone’s game.
 

Ira

This was one of the craziest three weeks of regular-season games that CUDL might have ever seen. Just three weeks ago, there were, incredibly, six combined teams that were either undefeated or winless; now, only one of each remains. But even that stat doesn’t paint the full picture. During that time, we witnessed my 7th seed go 3-0 while beating the incredibly decorated Tugboats. Speaking of the formerly #1 ranked Tugboats, they and the #2 ranked Disc-iples combined to go an uncharacteristic 2-4 over the last three weeks. We also saw the #8 ranked Golden Scoobers grab their first win and look very competitive against strong opponents. Truly, anything can happen in any game played. No team is overpowering others, and every team has the talent to match up with everyone else. It looks like we are finally getting the highly anticipated league-wide parity that many were expecting this year. This is a deeper field than any other and is setting the stage for a spectacular round of playoffs. I can’t wait until we get there, but we still have a few weeks until then. For now, let’s take a look at this week’s power rankings and keep an eye on how they will inevitably change.

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Without further ado, here are the power rankings following week 7 of CUDL2025.

 

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What Happened?

 

8. Green Eggs & Hammers (-1)

Record: (0-7-0)

Last result: 6-17 vs. ‘Flauge (L)

Henry: I was really hoping that Green would pop off in the final few weeks of the season. I truly thought that they would win at least two of their final four games, carrying game-changing momentum into the playoffs. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case. The Hammers still seem directionless, unable to find a way to harness their team’s talent and use it on field. The statistics reveal The Hammer’s plight further: Green is dead last in every single measure except defensive power, where they place next-to-last. They have an adjMOV of 28— a full 72 points below average. Unless this team comes up with something big in the next two weeks, I don’t realistically see them winning a game the rest of the season, including the playoffs.

 

7. Red Hammertime (-2)

Record: (3-4)

Latest result: 10-18 vs. The Wind (L)

Ira: I truly believe that this team is good enough to have been the 4th seed in both 2023 and 2024. Their current 7th-place power ranking is more indicative of just how much parity we have been blessed with this year. But anyway, this team as a whole has such an odd case. On one hand, they sit at 3-4 and have the highly improbable possibility of climbing all the way up to the #2 seed with a couple of wins to end the year (along with some other games falling their way). On the other hand, coming into the year, they looked like a lock for one of the top two seeds without needing a miracle. Either way, seeding is the least of concerns for Red at the moment. While all the other teams in the league seem to be advancing and adapting, Red seems to be stuck in the same place they were three weeks ago. Their 5th-ranked offense and 6th-ranked defense suggest that they have found a way to tread water but have yet to figure out whatever their “missing piece” may be. Regardless, they have managed to win and are currently within two or fewer games of the Tugboats, Disc-iples, Le ‘Flauge, and the Landsharks. They have found themselves in good company while still having the slightest amount of time to figure everything out. But unfortunately, every non-Green team has simply performed better.

 

6. Golden Scoobers (+2)

Record: (1-5-1)

Latest result: 17-18 vs. Disc-iples (L)

Ira: This next paragraph is my best attempt at an apology to the Scoobers. Ever since they got blown out in Week 1, I was probably their #1 hater (not actually; I just didn’t think they would be competitive this year). Additionally, in Week 4, I ranked them dead last and did not give them too much of a shot at doing more than maybe a single upset throughout the rest of the year. 

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After that last ranking, they immediately proved me wrong with a very impressive win over Hammertime. They then followed it up with even more impressive battles against the Wind and Disc-iples, where they were leading in both games but lost out at the very end by one point. The Scoobers might still be sitting firmly in 7th place, but they have now put the league on watch. This team can truly beat anyone, and there are few teams that I want to play less in the first round of the playoffs. I highly anticipate the Golden Scoobers to pick up at least one more win and head into the playoffs with some momentum. They only get better week by week and serve as more evidence of just how deep the CUDL field is this season. With yet another star-studded team, I don’t think it’s crazy to say that even the 7th seed is a likely competitor for the 2025 championship.

 

5. Le 'Flauge (-3)

Record: (4-3-0)

Latest result: 17-6 vs. Green Eggs and Hammers (W)

Ira: With all the fireworks surrounding Le ‘Flauge in the standings, their sneaky good performance is flying under the radar. In the last four weeks, they have gone 3-1 with their only loss coming against the smoking-hot Landsharks (more on that later). During that time, they picked up their biggest win in team history as well as a shocking upset over the Disc-iples. This team has played much better than a typical 5th-ranked team and has shown that they are capable of not only hanging with every team but also dictating matches. If not for giving up a 4-point lead against the Landsharks, they would be the hottest team in the league and in 2nd place in the standings. As for their on-field performance, they have the best offense in the league paired with a slightly above-average defense. They thrive on team chemistry and utilize each and every one of their players to an unprecedented extent. With the opportunity to pick up even more team chemistry in these next two weeks, expect them to be running at full throttle come playoffs.

 

4. Disc-iples (+/-0)

Record: (4-2-1)

Latest result: 18-17 vs. Scoobers (W) 

Henry: Fourth place seems too low for the Disc-iples, but I’m not sure where else to put them. The Disc-iples had the opportunity to assert their dominance over the pack against the Golden Scoobers on Friday, yet their narrow victory came only by the absolute slimmest of margins— literally inches. With two weeks left in the regular season, Orange sits at second in offensive power (114), fourth in defensive power (101), fourth in elo (1548), and fourth in adjMOV (116). A week eight matchup against Red offers the Disc-iples a chance to prove to the league they’re truly championship contenders.

 

3. Mighty Mighty Tugboats (+/-0)

Record: (5-2)

Latest result: 13-14 vs. Landsharks (L)

Henry: Despite a tough loss to sixth-seed Landsharks, the Tugboats have, as a whole, lived up to their Mighty Mighty name. The Tugboats are currently top-three in standings, point differential, defensive power, elo, and adjMOV. The victories haven’t always been pretty, but Blue has consistently found ways to play well when it matters most. Their fast, relentless style forces opponents to play at their best at all times— or suffer the consequences. They’ve only fallen short twice this year, by a combined total of two points. Championship contenders yet again, the Tugboats are looking to win it all for the third straight year and establish themselves as the first true CUDL dynasty.

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2. Purple Landsharks (+4)

Record: (3-3-1)

Latest result: 14-13 vs. Tugboats (W)

Ira: Take this ranking with a grain of salt, as it is currently more of a projection rather than a true reflection of performance. Regardless, I wholeheartedly believe everything I am about to say. 

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For now, the Landsharks sit in 5th place in the standings with a perfectly average 3-3-1 record, but don’t let that fool you. This team is not what it seems. Their current 2nd-best Elo suggests further investigation. It appears something clicked with the Landsharks in Week 5. It was the perfect “get right” week against the mightily struggling Green Eggs & Hammers. They coasted to a hard-fought but ultimately comfortable 3-point win. After that, they went up against Le ‘Flauge, where they fell behind early but made quick adjustments to outsmart and suppress a very technically sound offense. But this still isn’t yet the moment when they put the league on notice. That would come this week with the always impressive feat of beating the Tugboats. On a small field, they managed to hold the Tugboats to just 13 points while scoring just enough for the win. With the return of their captain and a couple more weeks to further strengthen that impenetrable defense, this is honestly the last team that I want to face come playoffs. Three weeks ago, I said that if they could find the offense to support their league-leading defense, they could be a force. They have now done that while further improving their already great defense. In that article, I also said that it looked like it might be a little while before they had the chance at another championship. Turns out I was wrong, because the Landsharks are just as much in the running now as they have ever been.

 

1. The Wind (+/-0)

Record: (6-0-1)

Latest result: 18-10 vs. HammerTime (W)

Henry: The Wind put together a dominant performance on Friday. Early on it seemed it was going to be a tight game, but Gray’s commanding defense and subsequent turn offense quickly put HammerTime to rest. The 8-point spread was Gray’s biggest win of the season, their only game separated by more than 3 points— that’s a big deal for a team already boasting the league’s top spot. The league as a whole feels too close to call, yet Gray is the clear favorite. They remain lossless going into a surprisingly important week 8 matchup against the red-hot Landsharks where a win would guarantee them the top seed in the playoffs.

 

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The Call

 

With a couple of weeks left in the regular season, teams are undoubtedly growing in anticipation of the playoffs. But before then, we have a pivotal race for seeding between the 2nd-6th seeds. Those seeds could be the difference between first-round exits and championship runs. No game should be taken for granted, and no team should be overlooked. Anyway, all we can do is look at the next week ahead, and as is our habit, we make an educated guess as to what the ending scores of next week’s games will be. These are merely our opinions, and we are often woefully mistaken. Comment your own predictions below!

 

Henry

12D @ RHT: 16-11, Disc-iples

GEAH @ GS: 13-22, Scoobers (big game!)

MMT @ LEF: 17-15, Tugboats

GTW @ PLS: 13-11, Wind (Game of the Week)

 

Ira

12D @ RHT: 15–14, Disc-iples 

GEAH @ GS: 12–18, Scoobers 

MMT @ LEF: 15–16, Le ‘Flauge (upset watch) 

GTW @ PLS: 10–13, Landsharks (Game of the Week AND upset watch)