The UFL regular season has now concluded. The playoffs are set to see the Michigan Panthers travel to face the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL while in the XFL the St. Louis Battlehawks will host the San Antonio Brahmas. Reflecting on the regular season in our final UFL Power Rankings of the regular season.
Predictions: UFL News Hub Writers’ Divisional Round Picks
#1 Birmingham Stallions (9-1)
Week 1 result: Defeated Arlington on the road 27-14.
Week 2 result: Defeated Michigan on the road 20-13.
Week 3 result: Defeated Memphis at home 33-14.
Week 4 result: Defeated DC at home 20-18.
Week 5 result: Defeated Houston on the road 32-9.
Week 6 result: Defeated Memphis on the road 39-21.
Week 7 result: Defeated St. Louis at home 30-26.
Week 8 result: Defeated Houston at home 35-28.
Week 9 result: Lost to San Antonio at home 9-18.
Week 10 result: Defeated Michigan at home 20-19
Previous rank: #1
The Birmingham Stallions escaped a close game against the Michigan Panthers that nearly saw them lose on a last-second field goal. Michigan had 324 total yards to Birmingham’s 223 but the Stallions found a way to win. Regardless of the close call last week the Stallions finished with the win. The Stallions also finished the season with the best point differential in the league at +85.
The Stallions will take on the Michigan Panthers again next week in the USFL Division Championship.
#2 St. Louis Battlehawks (7-3)
Week 1 result: Lost to Michigan on the road 16-18.
Week 2 result: Defeated Arlington at home 27-24.
Week 3 result: Defeated San Antonio on the road 31-24.
Week 4 result: Defeated Memphis at home 32-17.
Week 5 result: Defeated DC on the road 45-12.
Week 6 result: Defeated Houston 22-8.
Week 7 result: Lost to Birmingham on the road 26-30.
Week 8 result: Defeated DC at home 26-31.
Week 9 result: Lost to Arlington on the road 22-36.
Week 10 result: Defeated San Antonio 13-12
Previous Rank: #4
The St. Louis Battlehawks won a crucial game in week 10 to the San Antonio Brahmas despite having one of their least productive games offensively of the season. A.J. McCarron completed 10 of his 24 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown with 1 interception last week in his first game back after missing 2 due to injury. The Battlehawks escaped a narrow victory over the Brahmas by a score of 13-12 in front of their home fans to secure home field in the XFL Division Championship.
St. Louis will face San Antonio at home on Sunday to decide the winner of the XFL Division. Should the Battlehawks win they will get to play in the UFL Championship at home as they are the host city for this year’s title match.
#3. San Antonio Brahmas (7-3)
Week 1 result: Defeated DC at home 27-12
Week 2 result: Defeated Memphis on the road 20-19.
Week 3 result: Lost to St. Louis at home 24-31.
Week 4 result: Defeated Michigan at home 19-9.
Week 5 result: Defeated Arlington on the road 25-15.
Week 6 result: Lost to DC on the road 12-18.
Week 7 result: Defeated Houston on the road 15-12.
Week 8 result: Defeated Arlington at home 20-15.
Week 9 result: Defeated Birmingham at home 18-9.
Week 10 result: Lost to St. Louis on the road 12-13.
Previous rank: #2.
The San Antonio Brahmas lost a close game on the road to the St. Louis Battlehawks by only 1 point. Much like the Michigan vs. Birmingham game, we saw the Brahmas have more yards than St. Louis Battlehawks but still result in a loss by 1 point. The Brahmas held St. Louis to 199 total yards to their 272 in week 10.
San Antonio will take on St. Louis again next week on the road in the XFL Championship.
#4 Michigan Panthers (7-2)
Week 1 result: Defeated St. Louis at home 18-16.
Week 2 result: Lost to Birmingham at home 13-20.
Week 3 result: Defeated Houston at home 20-34.
Week 4 result: Lost to San Antonio on the road 9-19.
Week 5 result: Defeated Memphis on the road 35-18.
Week 6 result: Defeated Arlington at home 28-27.
Week 7 result: Defeated DC on the road 22-9.
Week 8 result: Defeated Memphis at home 24-18.
Week 9 result: Defeated Houston on the road 26-22.
Week 10 result: D
Previous rank: #3
The Michigan Panthers seemed to figure out a recipe to beat the Stallions in week 10 despite not walking away with the victory. Michigan would have won the game had a 53-yard field goal from Jake Bates have been good but it was just slightly to the right. The Panthers may be more deserving of a higher rank than where they currently are on the power rankings after losing so closely to the top team of the league, but such is the law of power rankings.
Michigan will face Birmingham in the USFL Division Championship on Saturday to try to punch their ticket to the UFL Championship.
#5. Arlington Renegades (3-7)
Week 1 result: Lost to Birmingham at home 27-14.
Week 2 result: Lost to St. Louis on the road 27-24.
Week 3 result: Lost to DC at home 28-29.
Week 4 result: Lost to Houston on the road 9-17.
Week 5 result: Lost to San Antonio at home 15-25.
Week 6 result: Lost to Michigan on the road 27-28.
Week 7 result: Defeated Memphis at home 47-23.
Week 8 result: Lost to San Antonio 15-20.
Week 9 result: Defeated St. Louis at home 36-22.
Week 10 result: Defeated D.C. on the road 32-31.
Previous Rank: #6
The Arlington Renegades found a way to salvage some positivity in a season that started in the most disappointing way possible. The team had many close losses through most of the season in which they were playing good football and demonstrating themselves to be a strong football team.
At the press conference following the week 6 loss to Michigan which saw their season open with a 6-game losing streak, I asked Memphis’ Head Coach Bob Stoops if there were concerns regarding the team staying positive with the losses piling up despite playing good football.
“We’re a positive group, I’ve got nothing to do with negativity. We’re gonna do our best. These guys are really good guys to work with every day.” Bob Stoops answered. “They’re just a good group of men that are easy to work with. And they see that I mean, what’s this our 4th game that we lose on our last play of the game and we’ve been ahead or tied and ahead in all of them in the 4th quarter. So they know they’re doing a lot of positives too but the record sure doesn’t show it.”
Arlington’s final 4 games of the season was a much different picture from that point on as they would go 3-1 to finish the season.
#6 DC Defenders (4-6)
Week 1 result: Lost to San Antonio on the road 12-27.
Week 2 result: Defeated Houston at home 23-18.
Week 3 result: Defeated Arlington on the road 29-28.
Week 4 result: Lost to Birmingham on the road 18-20.
Week 5 result: Lost to St. Louis at home 12-45
Week 6 result: Defeated San Antonio at home 18-12.
Week 7 result: Lost to Michigan at home 9-22.
Week 8 result: Lost to St. Louis on the road 21-26.
Week 9 result: Defeated Memphis on the road 36-21.
Week 10 result: Lost to Arlington 31-32 at home.
Previous Rank: #5
The DC Defender’s last game this season had a similar fate as last year in the XFL Championship which saw them fall to the Arlington Renegades. The Defenders were a franchise that made good on their namesake by winning consistently at home. Up until week 4 of this season, they had won all 11 home games at Audi Field. However, in their last 4 home games, they have only managed 1 victory which came in week 6 against the San Antonio Brahmas. That win would also be their only win of the season against a team with a winning record.
After a promising 2-1 start the Defenders find themselves with a 4-6 record to finish the season. There were signs as early as week 1 of possible problems with the team as there were high Unfortunately, rival fan bases could jest that the 2024 DC Defenders were more like the D.C. Pretenders.
#7. Memphis Showboats (2-8)
Week 1 result: Defeated Houston on the road 18-12.
Week 2 result: Lost to San Antonio at home 19-20.
Week 3 result: Lost to Birmingham on the road 14-33.
Week 4 result: Lost to St. Louis on the road 17-32.
Week 5 result: Lost to Michigan at home 18-35.
Week 6 result: Lost to Birmingham at home 21-39.
Week 7 result: Lost to Arlington on the road 23-47.
Week 8 result: Lost to Michigan on the road 18-24.
Week 9 result: Lost to DC at home 21-36.
Week 10 result: Defeated Houston 19-12.
Previous rank #8
The Memphis Showboats finally got a win after being tossed around on stormy seas over the course of an 8 game losing streak. Prior to week 10, Memphis’ only victory came against the Houston Roughnecks who they have now swept in the season series against. Despite their success against Houston it is still very difficult to find much to feel positive about the way their season has gone as there have only been about 3 games in which they were playing good football. In the majority of their games, they were simply a bad team in that given game. Memphis finished with the worst point differential in the league at -102.
Josh Love led the team at quarterback completing 20 of his 29 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. Darius Victor rushed 10 times for 54 yards and 2 touchdowns. Much of the season saw struggles running the football at different times so Victor’s performance was resoundingly a positive way to end things. With the victory in the game, the Showboats have won the first overall pick in the UFL Draft.
#8. Houston Roughnecks (1-9)
Week 1 result: Lost to Memphis at home 12-18.
Week 1 result: Lost to DC on the road 18-23.
Week 3 result: Lost to Michigan on the road 20-34.
Week 4 result: Defeated Arlington at home 17-9.
Week 5 result: Lost to Birmingham at home 9-32.
Week 6 result: Lost to St. Louis 8-22.
Week 7 result: Lost to San Antonio at home 12-15.
Week 8 result: Lost to Birmingham on the road 28-35.
Week 9 result: Lost to Michigan at home 22-26.
Week 10 result: Lost to Memphis 12-19.
Previous rank: #7
The Houston Roughnecks were previously the only team to lose to Memphis all season long. Now they have done it twice. Much of he season was plagued by difficulties in pass protection and run blocking. Week 10 saw running back Mark Thompson limited to just 6 yards on 9 carries. Quarterback Nolan Henderson completed 21 of his 34 passes for 232 yards but it was not enough to lift the team without run support. Houston was arguably more competitive than Memphis over the season as they had much closer games than the Showboats more often and finished with a much better point differential than the divisional foes. However, in games against Memphis, they were not better than Memphis.
