USAFL TOP 20 TEAMS OF THE MODERN ERA
2009-2022
A countdown of the greatest teams in USAFL modern history needs little introduction. You are about to meet an amazing collection of USAFL Bowl champions, near undefeated teams, teams that led the league in scoring, teams that captured imaginations and defined generations. Not all of them are USAFL Champions. As we see more often than not, the most dominant regular season teams, seem to run out of gas come playoff time. In fact, only 6 of the 20 teams on this list have won USAFL Championships.
There is one ground rule to keep in mind. To prevent this from becoming just a countdown of the Yahoo Golden Era of USAFL teams, this list excludes teams who played from 2003 through 2008. During these early years of the USAFL, scoring, roster size, and league size were not as standardized as today. Although we will compile an all-time list, for now, we will just focus on the ESPN Modern Era of the USAFL from 2009-2022.
To rank teams, we are using the USAFL Power Ranking Index Formula, regular season record, and post-season play. The USAFL All-Time Power Ranking is a slight adjustment to the Oberon formula. This combines the Average Score (60%), Highest Score plus Lowest Score (20%), and Winning Percentage. (20%) to come up with a team's Power Rating for use in comparing teams in the same league in ways other than just by Win-Loss Record. After using the Oberon formula, the power rank is divided by the number of games played that season and then multiplied by 14, the league standard of regular-season games played. This provides a baseline across years where some seasons had 10 regular-season games, while others had up to 14 games.
Despite the use of mathematical formulas, comparing great teams across decades and eras is an inexact science.
You can quibble with some of the selections and the order, but you can't argue with this countdown's sheer volume of fantasy football excellence.
20. 2020 D.C. Whitefish: 10-3, U.S. Division Champion
| Lost in Final Four | UPR: 1.1392
The 2020 Whitefish are arguably the third-best team in franchise history. At 10-3, they finished second overall in the regular season, just one game behind the Holy Penguins, and earned themselves a first-round bye. The future looked uncertain as they entered the final four against the Commonwealth Division Wild Card Deer Antler Addicts who despite going 8-5 in the regular season, decimated the Commonwealth Division Champions, Nash Kato in the Wild Card Round 140-116.
Led by the #1 ranked QB Patrick Mahomes, #2 ranked RB Dalvin Cook and strongly supported by TE Logan Thomas, and the #1 ranked kicker Jason Sanders, the 2020 Whitefish finished second in scoring with 1,397 total points, averaging 107 points per game, with a scoring potential of 138 points-per-game. With the added depth of the Rams' defense, it's no wonder the Whitefish were favorites going into the start of the playoffs. Although the devil is in the details which might explain the poor playoff performance. Despite having a team with the potential of 138 points per game according to the Oberon Formula, they never scored over 130 during the regular season.
This ugly fact was on display when the Whitefish went in as 8-point underdogs against the Deer Antler Addicts in the Final Four. Little blame can be put on Sam B's roster decisions as he played his optimal lineup, but an uncharacteristic low-scoring game for kicker Jason Sanders who only scored 1-point that day, likely cost the Whitefish their trip to the USAFL Bowl as they lost to Deer Antler Addicts 113.5-to-112.5.
The 2020 Whitefish had an outstanding regular season, but were ultimately foiled by the dark horse and snakebit in the playoffs.
Record: 10-3 (76.9%)
OPR: 137.56 | UPR: 1.1392
Longest Winning Streak: 4 Games
PF: 1397 (2nd) | PA: 1207 (6th)
Game High: 129.5 | Game Low: 82
