Two weeks down, three more full weekends to go. After two weeks, very few teams have been able to truly distinguish themselves from the competition as “elite” teams capable of taking over matches by themselves. While a handful have dominated the shallower regionals (namely 39 and 103), even the creme of the crop have had issues at deeper events (see Midwest and San Diego). Shooters have had a lot of hype, but arms and lifts won’t go away, with teams like 20, 1717, and 368 winning events and hurdling like crazy. Most of the top-tier teams have been able to combine aspects of both shooting and arm/lift designs to build on the advantages and create bots with incredibly fast cycle times (see 1114, 968, and 217). With all this clutter going on, teams will be struggling for the “pole position” going into later weeks. Many teams from weeks 1 and 2 compete for the 2nd time in week 3, as well as the debut from many we haven’t seen yet. Stay buckled up, Overdrive is just starting to heat up…
But you guys aren’t here for just storytelling and broad speculation about the game, you want your PREDICTIONS:
We got 9 events this week, so each regional is going to have to take a bit of diet compared to the past weeks, but hopefully we’ve still got enough of a meal to satisfy everyone.
BOILERMAKER:
40 teams are venturing out to Purdue, one of which (1024) is already sporting a blue banner from 2008. We’ve already seen several of the top contenders here, so we hopefully know what to expect from 45, 111, 292, 829, and 1024, who should all be gone before the first round of alliance selection ends. After the first round of selections, this crowd will thin out alarmingly fast, making scouting key and many of the alliances with weaker third partners. Look out for some defensive players in the eliminations when strategy calls for it.
The Techokats fell short of clawing their 2nd consecutive regional championship in St. Louis, but did display a competitive, but not overwhelming machine. 45 has a strong chance of winning in their home state though, but will need a well-rounded alliance to do so. Expect them to at least take a shot at picking up their 2nd medal of the year.
The Kil-A-Bytes were a massive factor in Chicago two weeks ago, and I see no reason why they wouldn’t be again here. The IRI-hosts have what is probably the most well-rounded robot in the field, and one of the most balanced machines in FIRST. They have an awesome hybrid, killer hurdling, blistering speed, solid driving, strong acquisition, and adept ball removal. 1024’s strengths far outweigh their weaknesses, and they are the current favorite for Boilermaker.
1501-THRUST is an amazing team. Building some of the nicest looking robots, they are always taking home design awards. This year however, it lookes like they are going to take home a competition award. They have a very strong and cool shooter, and they should be a team to beat.
This informant hit another one out of the park. Provided 1501 doesn’t struggle with ball collection, like many similar designs have, they will be playing for quite a while Saturday afternoon. If they can’t get the ball, it will be an early exit.
234 re-established themselves as one of the best in Indiana (which is no laughing matter) in 2007, winning both Purdue and Long Island. Cyber Blue’s machine appears to be another solid entry for Overdrive, but I don’t see it getting past the Semis unless it the alliance selections plays out favorably to 234.
Wildstang had issues in Chicago, but still found their way to the finals. 111 should resolve many of those this week, and will look to step up their finish in Purdue. Expect them to be a top 8 seed and to use that position to once again dictate what alliance they will be on. If they can pair up with 1024, or give themselves a significant advantage over the 1024 alliance, Wildstang will likely be adding to their banner collection.
Baring major disaster to either bot, I don’t see this regional finishing without 111 or 1024 winning.
PEACHTREE:
Georgia gets warmed up this weekend, with the Peachtree regional coming to town. 46 teams are venturing to Duluth, with more rookies (8) than teams under 1000 (7). Expect many teams to abandon hurdling in favor of lapping and ball removal, and machines that can hurdle twice consistently to be among the top competitors. Penalties will be common, and balls remaining on the end will be crucial factors in many qualification matches.
1261 has established themselves as one of Peachtree’s finest. The Robolions won in 2005 and 2006, and were a top seed in 2007. Look for them to hurdle their way into contention again in '08.
1771 has one of the most innovative and unique designs for Overdrive, combining a suction collection system with a pneumatic launcher. While it’s a bit slow on the pick-up, in the shallow field in Georgia I expect them to be a solid first-round selection, although they’ll need some strong partners if they want gold.
Metal-in-Motion is one of the South East’s powerhouses, and one of the most revered teams in FIRST. 343 has displayed a roller claw for Overdrive, and with a bit of driver practice, should easily be the best hurdling machine in Duluth. Baring mechanical failure, this is MiM’s regional to lose.
PITTSBURGH:
With only 36 teams (still up significantly from a few years ago at this event), and more than one third of those over 2000, Pittsburgh is one of the shallowest fields we’ve seen yet. Everything I said about Peachtree, it’ll be here too, and possibly even worse. Lots of teams will be struggling to pick up the ball here, but those who can consistently will emerge as the top teams. A smart man would bet his money on a “cat themed” team, with four teams with “cat” in the name (not counting the Tigertrons) attending.
I’ll start you off with one from an informant:
Oone team that has emerged as best-of-breed locally is 1708. Though they won Pittsburgh as rookies in 2005, they have struggled over the years to come up with a functional manipulator. This year, though, they have come up with a hurdling beast on a mecanum base that will undoubtedly carry them to the top eight and deep into Saturday afternoon.
357 puts their '08 creation to the test in Western PA this weekend. Their Jester Drive will likely aid them in racing around the field, but I’m not yet sold on their manipulator. Watch for them to be an inconsistent hurdler, but still a first round selection.
Miss Ella’s roller claw will likely be one of the best scoring mechanisms in Pitt, and as a result 522 will be hanging around late Saturday afternoon. The Robowizard’s defensive mindset, and added complexities with their deployment of the gripper may end up hurting them elsewhere, but it won’t be enough to keep them from doing well here. Expect them to at least grace the Semi-finals.
Starbot 337 somehow always does well, even when their designs don’t seem too impressive. I don’t know how well they’ll do once they make the eliminations, but I can guarantee they’ll be in the elims.
BRAZIL:
With only 13 teams, and the lowest one being 1156 (why is 383 going to Connecticut?) this really is anyone’s game. Laps and trackball removal will decide this regional, and I doubt more than 3 or 4 teams will hurdle at all, let alone consistently. This will be the lowest scoring regional of the year.
1382 and 1860 are my favorites, and both won in '07. With so few teams, it’s going to come down to who can unifying two reliable robots and maintain control of the overpass. Anyone really can win.
CHESAPEAKE:
Over the past few year’s, Chesapeake has become one of the largest regionals in FIRST, and one of the consistently most unbalanced. Every year it seems an “upper crust” of teams form at the event and dominate. Whichever alliance is successful at unifying these teams typically walks away with the gold fairly easily. I don’t expect any of that to change in the 61 team field in Annapolis this year.
The Baltimore Area Alliance will once again be rocking the Halsey Field House in 2008. In '07 they managed to earn three medals (Chairman’s, EI, and a finalist), each coming from a different team. I expect more of the same from this collection of teams, with at least one member sneaking into the finals and another collecting either RCA or EI. Whether they make the finals or not, look out for 768 and 1727 to both do well, and one of them likely to emerge as an alliance captain.
1629 is poised to be a member of the top-tier teams in Annapolis again in ‘08. Their inability to remove balls from the overpass and potential collection troubles may hurt them, but their quick and maneuverable drive should allow for them to score points even without a ball. I don’t think they’ll be able to carry an alliance on their own, but if they can pair up with another hurdler who can remove the ball from the overpass quickly, I expect nothing short of the finals from the Garrett Coalition.
614 is quietly one of the most consistent teams at the Chesapeake regional, but not only have they never won the event, they’ve never taken home an award. While I don’t expect them to dominate the field, this could be the year they take the trophy monkey off their back and finally bring home some hardware.
Normally flowers wouldn’t be considered intimidating, but when you line up against Miss Daisy you can find out just how scary they can be. 341 should be a reliable machine and likely a first-round selection.
836 was one of the best teams in Trenton two weeks ago, but their drivers seemed to struggle at times controlling their machine. If the Robobees’ drivers improve with the added practice, they’ll become my favorites to take home a banner from the Naval Academy on Saturday.
359, 11, 449, and 293 each also look to build off of decent earlier competitions that fell short of gold. I would watch out for 1626’s debut here as well.
WISCONSIN:
While it may be huge, it’s also young, with 28 of the 61 teams sporting numbers greater than the year this game is being played in (2008). There should be enough talent in the pool though to allow for some exciting matches, especially in the eliminations. I expect the over-all result similar to what we saw in Trenton two weeks ago in terms of play-style and scores.
537 must be doing something right, as they’ve joined a very elite crowd having secured a regional victory in each of the past four years. Their machine doesn’t seem overpowering in '08, but neither did any of their other regional champs. If they can align themselves with another top-notch team, it’ll be quite likely that the streak will extend to five.
This one from one of the most reliable tipsters:
93-Apple is one of the most rock solid teams in FIRST. They will never blow you away, but you can always count on them to put out a top robot, no matter what the game is
And once again he’s right. New Apple Corp. is a safe bet each year, producing some of the most consistent bots around. Watch for them to at least win one round after lunch on Saturday.
2062-CORE was the Rookie All-Star at WI last year, not 2194. These guys have an excellent hurdler, nearly beating 217/148 at STL in the semifinals. They lost by just a few points, and I am sure they will be competing for gold here.
1625 played some extraordinary matches in Chicago, and netted the #2 seed because of it. Winnovation needs to control their technical problems though, because they haunted them through-out Midwest. If 1625 can overcome the issues and build consistency they’ll easily take this regional. If they can’t they’ll need aid from one of the other big guns (93, 537, 1730, 1732, or 2062 specifically) if they want to get their first gold in Overdrive. Regardless, they still have the best odds to win.
One of the teams from the loaded 1730s in Wisconsin will take home a medal. 1730, 1732, 1736, and 1739 should all be factors, and at least one of them will reach the finals.
DETROIT:
We had to wait until week 3 to finally see a regional in the great state of Michigan this year. Sadly this is the smallest and shallowest of the Michigan events. Last year this turned into a defensive bashfest, and it’s entirely possible that the lower-caliber teams will attempt similar tactics again this year. Expect lots of penalties, not only for <G22>, but <G42> as well.
2337 was a force to be reckoned with a the Kettering Rookie event last weekend, and with their shooter they should make an impact again in Detroit. They’ll have to improve their ball acquisition if they want to go deep into the eliminations, but ultimately should be a top seeded team and likely an alliance captain.
When they show up on Thursday, the team from Bloomfield Hills will likely still be assembling, adjusting, and finishing up their machine. But that never seems to stop 469 from flat out winning. Las Guerillas is one of the best teams in Michigan, and FIRST. With their roller powered adjustable intake, 4-bar arm, and maneuverable swerve, I expect nothing less than the finals from 469. If they can pair up with the other huge threat, 217 (like they did in 2006), they could form an unstoppable barrage of trackballs and would all but certainly sweep up the gold.
Rush and Chief Delphi will both be looking to reclaim their spots as some of the most feared teams in FIRST. 27, shockingly enough, doesn’t have a turret this year, but still seem to have a complex gripping mechanism allowing for full manipulation of their balls onto the shooter. 47 put out a solid preview, and they should be able to hurdle consistently as well. Unless they can align themselves with 217 or 469, I don’t see either of these teams adding another blue banner to their collection.
217-The best American team I have seen this year, the ThunderChickens are going to make people forget all about their problems last year. They have a very smooth and talented drive team. A team with a history of success will be looking to double up this year in the Chairmans/Champions area.
217 may or may not be the best team south of the Canadian border so far, but everyone is sure that they’re good. The guys and gals from Sterling Heights are the best team in Detroit, and will be taking home at least one gold medal after the awards on Saturday.
DA CUTT:
Even if this is no longer the UTC regional, UTC teams still use it as their playground. At least one of the United Technologies teams will play their way into the finals, if not more. With a whopping 67 teams, including several storied veterans, this is the deepest field in week 3. While that will mean we get some high scores, I don’t think New England defense has entirely kicked the bucket. This will be an interesting and dynamic event, with some action packed elimination rounds… and lots of roller claws.
The difference maker in eliminations may be the non-hurdling bot, there seems to be a lot of parity in the ability of the top tier hurdlers. In Hartford there will be enough quality hurdlers to form multiple competitive alliances and the difference makers will be the robots that can run fast laps and pick up big points in Hybrid.
126 was dangerously close to notching a regional victory in Manchester, and they’ll get close again here in Hartford. Gael Force’s machine is a hurdling beast, and will rack up the points and rank in the top 8. It’s going to take one heck of an alliance for this “pre-historic” team to be hanging a blue banner though, but these guys have as solid a bot as any in Connecticut this weekend.
While the Robowranglers could clean up as a lapbot, it doesn’t mean that 173 will follow in their footsteps. RAGE is fielding a fearsome herding machine that will rocket around the track and rack up laps and push the ball over the line like few others. The larger frame and tank steering likely won’t hinder them too much, but the amount of solid hurdling machines will. I expect 173 to end up on the 6th, 7th, or 8th alliance, and will likely see an early exit unless they find themselves paired with one of the top few hurdlers and can use some inventive strategy. If 173 can find itself in a role and alliance similar to 2041 in Chicago, look out.
The Cyber Knights don’t want to give up their Connecticut crown, and have produced a quick hurdling machine to defend it. Their elevator style launch is effective, but like all similar designs, their acquisition will ultimately determine their success. If they can grab a hold of the trackballs quickly, they’ll be heading home with medals. If they can’t they’ll be packing their crate before the semi-finals.
A couple from an informant:
175 - Buzz is finally back to the CT regional and could not have picked a better year to show their stuff. With one of the quickest roller claws I have seen, watch for Buzz to to try to take back what they missed in Manchester.
1124 - The Uberbots have won the previous 2 CT regionals, and the Suffield scrimmage to boot. Their autonomous videos are downright scary. If all goes to plan, watch for Avon to win most of their qualification matches in the first 15 seconds.
Aside of all the big dogs already mentioned who will duke it out for the championship, 176, 177, 230, and 237 should all have a decent shot. If any of these teams can pair up with one of the earlier mentioned and a solid lap-bot/utility machine they could form a very potent alliance that’s contending for gold.
SILICON VALLEY:
After last year, this is no longer just the Poof’s playground. 48 teams, including many seasoned vets come out swinging in San Jose this weekend. There’s also many a young-gun, and so we should see some huge blow-outs from time to time.
The Cheesy Poofs won the first EIGHT Silicon Valley Regionals, but that streak ended in the quarter-finals last year. 254 won’t back down this year though. Their collaborative partner, 968, went out and won San Diego last week, and it’s time to see if the Poofs can use the same design just as well. These guys will reclaim their SVR crown without a doubt.
192: The GRT usually put out solid, but unspectacular robots. This year seems to be no exception. I’ve seen their robot, and it’s a good looking elevator (although, certainly a class below the cream of the crop, such as 33/254/968/368/100). Expect a solid showing from them, to follow up on their 6-4 record in qualifications in San Diego (with two losses coming to one each of 330 and 968).
1280 was statistically one of the top hurdling machines in Portland, but somehow fell all the way to the very last pick. That won’t happen again to the Raging C-Biscuits in San Jose. These guys should be a first round selection, but I don’t know if they can add another banner to their collection.
190 was awful in Manchester, and unless they can re-invent themselves before the qualification matches, I don’t see them doing much better at SVR. Gompei will have a hard time even making the eliminations to defend their SVR crown.
Ballfrog was one of the best hurdling machines in PNW, and 100 doesn’t want to relent going into week 3. If they can add a hybrid to their arsenal, they will be one of the top teams in SVR as well. If 100 doesn’t end up on the same alliance as 254, they’ll be able to give them a challenge.
FLORIDA:
The Floridians have a brand new arena to play in, and 61 teams are showing up to give it a trial run. While most of the teams are native, a considerable invasion threatens to attempt to pull the regional crown away from the South-east, with teams from Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Ohio attending.
Hyper is one of the most consistent teams in FIRST, and will look to add to their trophy collection again. This seven time regional champion has yet to win Florida, although they came close last year. Like seemingly every other team, their success is hinged on ball acquisition. If they can grab 'em quick, they can go very deep. 69 should threaten to pick up gold.
103 mopped up in Jersey, only losing once the entire weekend and winning their fourth consecutive gold from that event. They are one of the most well rounded shooters, and if their drivers can replicate that success while elimination some of their mistake, they shouldn’t have much trouble winning their 2nd banner of the year.
Does anyone remember a tiny, under-funded rookie team that didn’t feel they were capable of building a shooter in 2006? Instead these guys built a solid herding machine that rules the corner goals like few could. It wasn’t the prettiest, but it worked. Well, 1902 has blown away that shell in their short history, emerging as one of the most technically proficient, advanced teams in FIRST, with eye-popping successful robots. Exploding Bacon will keep the pedal to the metal in Overdrive, and should be one of the top teams in Florida. It will be shocking if they can’t at least make the semi-finals, if not winning their first regional.
56 and 342 are both fielding strong shooters that should be early selections. Both of these teams will need strong ball control to beat the other elite teams though.
233 is a perennial favorite in all of FIRST, not just Florida. Cocoa Beach is rumored to be using their trademark telescoping arm and a roller claw, which should make them a reliable and efficient hurdling machine. Combined with their amazing driving skills, pink will be the biggest challenge to 103 winning the event… unless they join forces…
) and the practice day will be HUGE. Participating in the practice rounds should be top priority for those who have not had a chance to compete yet, if you want to get into the elimination matches.
We found out (after our last match on Saturday) that we broke a pot. Now everything is replaced and ready to go, which means we’re ready for the next thing to break…