2022 Schedule Release

## Introduction

The 2022 LOC schedule has been released. Let's take a quick look at what is to come.

## Double-Headers

Just like last year, the 14-game schedule has added a fifth double-header to everyone's agenda. Thanks to the double-header selection process that has been in effect since 2018, the league has reached almost complete equilibrium with head-to-head matchups. Four years ago, 16% of double-headers had only occurred one time, while 27% had occurred between 4-6 times. After this season, 97% of non-Stupid Idiots double-headers will have occurred between 4-6 times. Even when you factor in Stupid Idiots, who has not been in the league as long as everyone else, that number only drops to 77%.

By the end of 2022, there will be just one double-header which has only happened twice: Sweet Dee vs. The Stupid Idiots. That's down from six just a year ago and will be eliminated completely if both Dee and Idiots return in 2023, where they are already scheduled for their third double-header and first since 2020.

In case anyone was wondering, double-headers are scheduled years in advance to avoid any bias related to how good or bad teams are. At this time, double-headers for 2023, 2024, and 2025 are already locked in. At the conclusion of that season, 84% of DH matchups will have occurred between 5 and 7 times. That's just science, baby.

### Double-Headers by Team

* Duck Punchers (Strength of Schedule: 0.414) **29-41**
	+ Pain Train
	+ Paddock 9
	+ RIPDab
	+ Sweet Dee
	+ The Shotti Bunch
	+ ANALYSIS: The easiest schedule of 2022 goes to Duck Punchers, but not all that glitters is gold. Duck is 11-11 against Paddock 9, he's 7-9 against RIPDab, and he's 8-10 against The Shotti Bunch. Easy matchups will be hard to come by.
* Ma ma momma said (Strength of Schedule: 0.443) **31-39**
	+ Multiverse of Mattness
	+ Paddock 9
	+ Pain Train
	+ RIPDab
	+ Sweet Dee
	+ ANALYSIS: Tied with Mattness for the third-weakest schedule on paper, momma will have to contend with whatever super-team comes out of Paddock 9's draft. He'll also have to hope recent struggles against Mattness (0-5), Pain Train (2-6), and Sweet Dee (1-4) don't come back to haunt.
* The Multiverse of Mattness (Strength of Schedule: 0.443) **31-39**
	+ Ma ma momma said
	+ Paddock 9
	+ Papa's Posse
	+ Sweet Dee
	+ RIPDab
	+ ANALYSIS: It's the kind of draw that would make one wonder if this league wasn't rigged in the Commish's favor. That being said, the five teams who pulled Paddock 9 all get a little bump in the loss column compared to the other five teams, and Mattness has notoriously struggled against Sweet Dee (6-8) and more recently against Papa's Posse (2-2).
* Paddock 9 (Strength of Schedule: 0.614) **43-27**
	+ Duck Punchers
	+ Ma ma momma said
	+ Multiverse of Mattness
	+ RIPDab
	+ The Stupid Idiots
	+ ANALYSIS: Paddock 9 might be the odds-on pre-draft favorite to win Glory Bowl XII, but he'll have to go through the five best teams from 2021 in order to do it. He is projected to have the hardest schedule based off last year's results, and faces none of his fellow 2021 consolation teams more than once.
* Pain Train (Strength of Schedule: 0.557) **39-31**
	+ Duck Punchers
	+ Ma ma momma said
	+ Papa's Posse
	+ Stupid Idiots
	+ The Shotti Bunch
	+ ANALYSIS: Pain Train is facing several teams against whom he is nearly .500, but Duck Punchers is a clear outlier. He has not beaten Duck since November of 2019 and he is 6-11 against him. Overcoming that hump will be key to returning to the Festival of Champions.
* Papa's Posse (Strength of Schedule: 0.514) **36-34**
	+ Multiverse of Mattness
	+ Pain Train
	+ RIPDab
	+ Stupid Idiots
	+ Sweet Dee
	+ ANALYSIS: This is a mixed bag for Papa, who gets both Glory Bowl teams but also two consolation teams (avoiding the consolation team with a billion early picks in this year's draft). Another 6-8 or 7-7 season is teed up for Papa.
* Stupid Idiots (Strength of Schedule: 0.429) **30-40**
	+ Pain Train
	+ Paddock 9
	+ Papa's Posse
	+ RIPDab
	+ The Shotti Bunch
	+ ANALYSIS: What a way to follow up his 2021 championship campaign! He has the league's second-easiest schedule, including two consolation teams and the two Cinco De Lose-O contestants.
* Sweet Dee (Strength of Schedule: 0.571) **40-30**
	+ Duck Punchers
	+ Ma ma momma said
	+ Multiverse of Mattness
	+ Papa's Posse
	+ The Shotti Bunch
	+ ANALYSIS:
* The Shotti Bunch (Strength of Schedule: 0.529) **37-33**
	+ Duck Punchers
	+ Multiverse of Mattness
	+ Pain Train
	+ Stupid Idiots
	+ Sweet Dee
	+ ANALYSIS: No rest for the weary, as Shotti will try to regain his mojo against a pretty tough run of teams from last year, including two teams that finished with a league-best 9 wins.