The official season kickoff is less than 2 weeks away and it’s time to focus in for week 1. By now or at latest next week, teams are game planning and workings on schemes according to their first opponent.  Good Luck!

1. Des Moines Blaze – The Blaze look to get right back to the grindstone and execute from start to finish.  The Blaze can’t afford to start sluggish by any means. The St. Paul Pioneers, are coming to Des Moines with a game under their belt and a chance to work out any kinks in the first match up of the season.  A high level win for the Blaze could definitely carry momentum throughout the season.

2. Midwest Titans – No other team around the league knows more about the importance of execution and its effects on an entire season than the Midwest Titans. They’re a proven team that will be right back in the mix for title contention.

3. Quad City Wolfpack –  The Wolfpack deserve to be highly ranked  but they face the biggest pressure to perform at this projected level.  Avoiding hiccups of any sort will be key to a successful season.

4. Nebraska Renegades – The renegades are loud, rowdy and tough  with an attitude. They look to enter the season and shock everyone coming off a thrilling playoff loss that 8 times out of 10 would have been a winning game with the numbers they put upduring that match. In the off season they added several veterans from the former Capital City Crush. These players should become immediate contributors to the Renegade cause.  

5.  Sioux City Stampede – The Stampede shouldn’t be interested in doing the “new team shuffle/growing pains”. They’ve had the opportunity to recruit in an unsaturated market.  First year goals don’t just include being competitive. Get to the playoffs because they’re within reach.

6. Heartland Falcons –  The Falcons got serious in the offseason and started rebuilding. A New coaching staff, revamped roster and a favorable schedule have led to a jump in the preseason rankings. They’ve got to seize the opportunity because that window to succeed won’t stay open forever.

7. Sioux Falls Stallions – The Stallions have been to back to back championship game and deserve an immense amount of respect. As an organization the Stallions know what it takes to get there. However things may not be what they seem up north and this is a season to leave no doubt that  they belong in the elite conversationagain.

8. Iowa Sharks – In 2014 everyone will find out who are the Iowa Sharks? Historically the Sharks are a successful and winning organization. The Hype around a new rivalry game might distract from the ultimate goal at the end of the season. They have a very unique schedule that may benefit them with the “1 game at a time” approach. This year could be "Feast or Famine". 

9. North Iowa Knights – The Knights have heart and passion for the game of football.  The task at hand is simple. Compete and create a position to reside in the win column and the rest will sort itself out.

Being #1-3 won’t guarantee you any more wins than being #8-9. Anything can happen an these rankings could change dramatically throughout the season.  Again good luck to all teams competing in 2014!