USFL playoff scenarios: How Michigan Panthers, Memphis Showboats, New Jersey Generals & more can clinch in Week 10

The USFL is entering the final week of its regular season, and none of its eight teams are limping to the finish.

Only one team has clinched a playoff berth for the 2023 USFL playoffs ahead of Week 10: the Birmingham Stallions. None of the league's other seven teams have done so, but all are alive for the final three postseason berths.

That will make the season's final week an exciting one for USFL fans.

The South Division features an exciting race, but one that features a bit less mystery than its counterpart. Three teams are fighting for one playoff spot, and the New Orleans Breakers are the most likely team to clinch it. Both the Houston Gamblers and Memphis Showboats will need to win and get help to unseat the Breakers and they look to set up a South Division championship rematch with the Stallions.

Meanwhile, chaos reigns in the North Division. All four teams have a losing record thanks to their shoddy interdivisional play this season, with the Philadelphia Stars sporting a 4-5 record and the three other teams sitting at 3-6.

Because the North is so tightly packed, the winners of the two division matchups in Week 10 will clinch the two playoff berths up for grabs. So, in a way, the playoffs are starting a bit early for the North, as all of its teams are in do-or-die mode.

MORE: Watch USFL games live on Fubo (free trial)

Below is a more detailed breakdown of the USFL's playoff clinching scenarios, including the tiebreakers that could be used to determine the final postseason participants.

USFL playoff clinching scenarios for Week 10

North Division

Philadelphia Stars (4-5)

Last game: at Panthers

Philadelphia can clinch playoff berth AND North's No. 1 seed with:

1. Stars win

New Jersey Generals (3-6)

Last game: vs. Maulers

New Jersey can clinch playoff berth with:

1. Generals win

New Jersey can clinch North's No. 1 seed with:

1. Generals win AND
2. Stars loss

Pittsburgh Maulers (3-6)

Last game: at Generals

Pittsburgh can clinch playoff berth with:

1. Maulers win

Pittsburgh can clinch North's No. 1 seed with:

1. Maulers win AND
2. Stars loss

Michigan Panthers (3-6)

Last game: vs. Stars

Michigan can clinch playoff berth with:

1. Panthers win

MORE: USFL odds, picks, predictions for Week 10

South Division

Birmingham Stallions (7-2)

Last game: at Showboats

Birmingham can clinch South's No. 1 seed with:

1. Stallions win OR
2. Breakers loss

New Orleans Breakers (6-3)

Last game: at Gamblers

New Orleans can clinch playoff berth with:

1. Breakers win

New Orleans can clinch South's No. 1 seed with:

1. Breakers win AND
2. Stallions loss

Houston Gamblers (5-4)

Last game: vs. Breakers

Houston can clinch playoff berth with:

1. Gamblers win
2. Win tiebreaker over Breakers

Memphis Showboats (5-4)

Last game: vs. Stallions

Memphis can clinch playoff berth with:

1. Showboats win
2. Gamblers win
3. Win tiebreaker over Breakers, Gamblers

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USFL playoff tiebreakers

As mentioned, the South Division's second playoff team could come down to a tiebreaker if the Gamblers beat the Breakers.

What exactly would that entail? Here's a look at the playoff tiebreaker procedures for the USFL, in order.

1. Head-to-head record
2. Best divisional record
3. Strength of victory
4. Best net points
5. Best net touchdowns
6. Coin toss

If there is a tiebreaker scenario, the first two scenarios will not come into effect. The Breakers, Gamblers and Showboats would all have split their season series and posted a 3-3 record in any tiebreak scenario that would arise from a Gamblers win.

As such, the USFL would turn to strength of victory — the combined record and winning percentage of the opponents each team has beaten — to determine the second playoff team. At the moment, the Gamblers currently hold the edge in that category, but it is very close and could easily change pending the results of Week 10.

Of course, the Breakers could render all of this meaningless if they are able to beat the Gamblers on Sunday.

USFL playoff picture 2023

Below is a look at the USFL standings for 2023. As it stands, only one of four playoff berths has been clinched while all seven teams yet to clinch are in the playoff race. 

North Division

South Division

How do the USFL playoffs work?

The USFL playoffs operate in a fairly straightforward way. The league's eight teams are divvied into two divisions — North and South — and the top two teams in each division make the playoffs.

In the postseason, the two best teams from the North will play to determine that division's champion while the South will do the same. The two winners will then square off the following week in the USFL Championship Game.

USFL playoff schedule 2023

Below is a look at the USFL playoff schedule for 2023. The semifinals will be hosted by Birmingham and the winner of the North Division while the championship game will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

Semifinals

Championship