Championship Predictions 2011: Galileo

[Looking Forward]

Hype, this division has plenty of it. And Galileo is poised to back up that hype, with a stunning combination of not only top end talent, but depth as well. Just like in 2008, there are going to be some very high quality teams left watching the eliminations on Galileo.

And those eliminations should be a sight to behold. Three of the teams playing in the very last match of 2010 will be on this field, and there are four members of the FRC Hall of Fame, who all have been to Einstein before, ready to challenge them. And just as we've seen in these types of divisions before, when confronted with seemingly unmountable odds, someone is going to get really create to attempt and solve the challenge. Someone might intentionally finish 2nd or 3rd in the minibot race to get a few extra QPs to help them seed 1st or try some "creative" tube placement to hinder minibot deployment in a key match.

I just hope someone gets a head count of how many people gather by this field during a key qualification match, just as they have in the past.

PREDICTIONS:
TIPS:
A pair of quarterfinal exits framed the Enginerds two district championships this year. 2337 won Troy with Las Guerillas after finishing as the #1 seed over the likes of 33 and 217. Since Kettering, they haven't ranked lower than 5th at an event (and that was at the stacked MSC). With a combination of good scoring and minibot that should be able to take 1st in most qualification matches, 2337 stands a shot at keeping that streak alive.

Trinity has broken through at the regional level in the past few years, but couldn't find a way to convert that into a ton of luck in Atlanta. They hope to change their championship fortune in this new venue. 40 was one of the first teams to unveil a multi-tube autonomous, and reached a pair of finals (winning WPI) with that in their toolbox. A fiesty scoring machine that drew heavy inspiration from Pink's 2007 robot, Checkmate stands a chance at winning some matches in the eliminations.

Year after year, 341 was pegged as one of the favorites to win the Chairman's Award, and they finally did that last year. But after being denied a regional victory in 2010 for the first time since 2007, Daisy wants more success at Championship. Banebots issues cost them in the semis in Florida, and a red card and early minibot deployment sent them packing in the same round in Philadelphia. There's still some untapped potential left in their machine, though, especially if they can get their two-tube autonomous firing closer to 100%. They're not on par with the top handful of teams in this division, but they should be a first round selection or alliance captain.

195 has a pretty solid history when they're put in these "super divisions." They won Newton in 2006 and captained an alliance (along with 40) into the 1114 buzzsaw in 2008 on Galileo. This year, the Cyber Knights won both of their events, and have only lost one elimination match all year. They're quick and deadly, but they're still going to need a lot of help to play the role of David and topple the giants.

No team was more discussed than the Gorillas last year. 469's game-changing design came within inches of winning championship #2 for the Las Guerillas. They have a mind-numbingly quick scoring mechanism this year, but tube acquisition has hurt them so far and was part of the reason for their upset loss in the MSC quarters. Fewer teams continue to make effective iterations to their robots better than 469, though, and I'd expect them to have worked towards fixing their issues. Their upside is outstanding, but consistency creates some risk that 469 could be facing an early exit.

DARK HORSE:
Maybe it's the Hall of Fame teams they share a state with eclipsing them, but for some reason people outside of Pennsylvania and New Jersey rarely ever seem to talk about Vulcan Robotics. But they've done something twice that those two HoFers have only done once combined. Reach Einstein. 1218 went through 1114 to get there in 2009 and almost won it all with 469 in 2004. They're an effective slot load with plenty of practice at slicing through mid-field traffic (and they are capable of picking up off the floor in a pinch). Their reasonably fast minibot should be a factor in qualifications, but won't win many races against top tier teams. If they're allowed to fall to a good alliance in the selection process, I expect big things.

SLEEPER:
They pulled off one of the biggest upsets of year at the Michigan State Championship, but their on the field accomplishments were dwarfed by their MSC Chairman's Award. But 548 has played well when it mattered most and the Robostangs are looking to get a taste of the Championship eliminations. They can't afford another slow start, but as a solid scoring machine with a effective roller claw, they could fit very well into an alliance captain's plans.

LOCKS:
No team has been more consistently great since the advent of 3-team alliances than 1114. But they're proof of how much good fortune it takes to win a Championship, as 2008 is the only time they've managed to cash in. The Simbots are aiming to join Team Hammond, Wildstang, the Thunder Chickens, and HOT in the multi-win club, and their machine is more than capable of delivering the goods. Once again, they went 3/3 at regional events this year. With a two-tube autonomous, a drive base capable of knifing through even the most dense traffic, an elevator that practically jumps into position, and an elite minibot, 1114 is the definite favorite. But there's enough competition that they're not the prohibitive favorite, and they might have to extend their unprecedented streak of #1 seeds at Championship to four years to truly control their outcome.

Regional victories are no problem for the NASA Ames team. And in 2010 they reached Einstein for the first time since 2005. But the Cheesy Poofs are missing one key element from their resume, a Championship banner. Once again, 254 is everything they always are; quick, agile, successful, and dominant. Their only losses this year came via red cards, and they excel at each aspect of the game. Nobody is safe in this division, but it's hard to see 254 going down early.

Wildstang emerged from one of the toughest regional schedules outside of Michigan with only two losses the entire season and victories at both of their regionals. 111 is top notch in every aspect of LogoMotion and their history of success is the top in the division. It remains to see if they can raise their game further, but they are easily the most battle-tested of the locks.