CDL Coaches Poll: Major 2

Welcome back to the CDL Coaches Poll brought to you by Breaking Point. We have again reached out to all 12 CDL coaching staffs around the league to get their thoughts on the current team Power Rankings. We will continue to conduct these polls before and after each major tournament this season. Each coach ranks the opposing teams 1st through 11th, without putting their own team into the rankings. After collecting the rankings from all 12 franchises, each team would be given points for each vote, as seen below:

1. 11 points
2. 10 points
3. 9 points
4. 8 points
5. 7 points
6. 6 points
7. 5 points
8. 4 points
9. 3 points
10. 2 points
11. 1 points

Disclaimer: I did not vote in the Poll for Atlanta, as I was the one to conduct the poll. RJ completed the poll for Atlanta to avoid any conflict. The data was checked to ensure it was not compromised.

Minny Minny MINNESOTA

We’re in Minnesota for the 2nd Major of the CDL season. This season has been surpassing all expectations, as viewership and content has been wonderful. We have seen a solid top 4 teams form but the midfield is packed with teams that have great potential. This weekend will be a good test to see where each teams stack up. 

The CDL Coaches Power Ranking

1st: OpTic Texas

Total Points Received – 121

Previous Ranking – 1st ()

OpTic are coming into this Major as the favorites and looking to make it back-to-back. They have continued to fire on all cylinders, finishing the qualifying stage with a perfect 5-0 record. Texas have no weak game modes and have made expanding their map pool a priority during their final matches. With Seth “Scump” Abner finding MVP form going into Minnesota, the question is can any team stop the back-to-back?

2nd: Atlanta FaZe

Total Points Received – 111

Previous Ranking – 2nd ()

Atlanta has been a difficult team to read, as they finished the stage 2 qualifying matches with a 3-2 record and only secured the 5^th seed for the Major. They finished with a League best 7-2 record in Hardpoint while leading in break percentage. The biggest question is will SnD or Control improve on LAN? That will be key for a deep tournament run for FaZe.

3rd: London Royal Ravens

Total Points Received – 101

Previous Ranking – 3rd ()

The Royal Ravens have firmly secured the 3rd seed in the CDL. While they have been unable to take down Texas or Atlanta in the first two stages, they look ahead on the remaining 9 other teams. The squad will have to continue developing their map pool to continue competing with the best, but many expect this team to continue getting better. Rookies Joey “Gismo” Owen and Byron “Nastie” Plumridge have performed at a very high level so far, but with more time and experience we could see this London team reach new heights.

4th: Boston Breach

Total Points Received – 89

Previous Ranking – 6th (2)

Boston was the very last team to make their roster during the 2021 offseason. Fans thought they were forced to pick up the scraps to form their roster but little did they know the Breach we’re going to find diamonds in the rough. Veterans Anthony “Methodz” Zinni and Thomas “TJHaly” Haly have performed way above expectations, as Methodz has now entered his name into the MVP race. Their rookies continue to grow and get better as the weeks go bye, just like London, this team will continue to develop chemistry and level up.

5th: New York Subliners 

Total Points Received – 71

Previous Ranking – 12th (7)

The Subliners go from last in the previous Coaches Poll to 5^th. Their rise in the rankings is due to the pickup of flex AR Paul “PaulEhx” Avila who came in for James “Clayster” Eubanks. Travis “Neptune” McCloud also re-entered the roster with reinvigorated energy to be the SMG that New York thought they were getting in the offseason. Their Hardpoint game has been the biggest benefactor with this change, as the team is currently on a 6-map win streak in the mode. If the Subliners can continue this honeymoon form into the Major, they are a dark horse team to make a run into Sunday.

6th: Seattle Surge

Total Points Received – 63

Previous Ranking – 7th (1)

The Seattle Surge stumbled again in the Stage 2 qualifying matches, but managed to finish 2-3 and secured an Upper bracket start. They will have to face OpTic Texas in the first round, but have gained confidence with a 3-1 victory vs LA Thieves. Daunte “Sib” Gray has regained form, finishing the qualifying matches with a 1.10 and 1.17 KD in Control. Their matchup against OpTic will be a good benchmark for where this team truly is. 

7th: Toronto Ultra

Total Points Received – 61

Previous Ranking – 5th (2)

It is extremely difficult to place the Toronto Ultra. The team is utterly woeful in Hardpoint but have shown signs of life in SnD and Control. They finished the qualifying matches with a 4-1 record in Control, giving them a secure mode to rely on. The biggest issue is getting their star players going in series as well. The AR duo Cameron “Cammy” McKilligan and Jamie “Insight” Craven have struggled to find the same level of impact that they had during Cold War. Combine that with lackluster Hardpoint play and Toronto finds themselves in the Lower Bracket for Major 2.

8th: Los Angeles Guerrillas

Total Points Received – 60

Previous Ranking – 10th (2)

The LA Guerrillas have been one of the sneaky teams to show improvement during the qualifying matches. That has been derailed by the news that Peirce “Gunless” Hillman will be missing time due to sickness and will not be joining the team in Minnesota. If Kris “Spart” Cervantez can showcase some of his potential, this team can still make waves at the Major. They have a top tier SMG duo led by a great IGL Main AR. Don’t count out the Guerrillas so fast.

9th: Florida Mutineers

Total Points Received – 45

Previous Ranking – 9th ()

The Florida Mutineers are finding form! After a disappointing Stage 1, which saw the squad place last in the League, Florida needed to start Stage 2 much better. They came into the qualifiers on fire, beating both the LA Guerrillas and New York Subliners 3-0 to start Stage 2 2-0. The duo of Cesar “Skyz” Bueno and Joseph “Owakening” Conley have found superstar form, having a 1.35 and 1.39 overall KD in Stage 2 so far. Every single player currently has a 1.08 overall KD or better on Florida, as they are excelling in all three modes.

10th: Minnesota RØKKR 

Total Points Received – 28

Previous Ranking – 8th (2)

The Minnesota Rokkr will enter their own Major struggling to find form. They will have to start in the Lower Bracket after finishing the qualifying stage with a 2-3 record and 8-13 map count. Role clashes have been an issue, as well as starting very slow in series. If they can fix these issues, the squad will be a dark horse to make a Lower Bracket run. 

11th: Los Angeles Thieves

Total Points Received – 17

Previous Ranking – 4th (7)

This has been an extremely rough stage out of the LA Thieves. They finished 0-5 while not looking very competitive in most series. Once the best Hardpoint team in the game, LA has seemed to lost their confidence and identity in the server. With this much talent on the roster, a single win could give the team the confidence to regain their lost form. 

12th: Paris Legion

Total Points Received – 16

Previous Ranking – 11th (1)

Paris Legion finds themselves back in P12 after finishing the qualifying matches 1-4 with a 8-14 map count. On the positive side, they look more competitive at times and Donovan “Temp” Laroda has continued with his star form. The team will start in the Lower Bracket, but could be an upset squad to keep your eyes on this weekend.