Early Predictions for Johnny Manziel, Deondre Francois in 2022 FCF Championship

The matchup for the 2022 Fan Controlled Football championship game has been set. The playoffs for Season v2.0 unfolded on Saturday, with the Bored Ape FC emerging from the Ballerz division and the Zappers coming out of the OGs division.

The action on Saturday was intense, with the Bored Apes narrowly outlasting 8oki in a drama-soaked early matchup. The nightcap was a little more one-sided, as the upstart Zappers rolled the defending-champion Shoulda Been Stars.

The Zappers narrowly slipped into the postseason, while the Bored Apes have been arguably the most dominant FCF squad all season. This makes for an intriguing matchup for next week's People's Championship.

Here, you'll find an early preview of next weekend's championship game, including the schedule, live-stream information and predictions.

Bored Ape FC 38, 8oki 32

Saturday's early game featured two teams from the Ballerz division—a four-team division that was added in Season v2.0 to bring the league's total to eight teams.

The Bored Ape FC came into the postseason with two consecutive losses but had been in control for most of the season. Before losing to 8oki in Week 6, the Bored Apes were undefeated and they still managed to clinch a playoff spot ahead of Week 7. A loss in the finale was meaningless, as the Bored Apes still finished with a league-best 5-2 record.

However, 8oki's win in Week 6 added some drama to this one, and the drama continued throughout the rematch.

8oki struck first to take a 6-0 lead, but the Bored Apes quickly answered to go up 8-6. 8oki quickly made it 12-8, though a flurry from the Bored Apes gave them a huge 30-12 halftime lead.

However, 8oki and star quarterback Mitch Kidd battled back in the second half to make things extremely interesting. The Bored Apes scored with less than 10 minutes remaining to take a 38-18 lead, but 8oki pulled within six and successfully retained possession via the "comeback rule" attempt with 11 seconds left. The comeback, however, was too little and too late.

The best team in the FCF regular season won the Ballerz Championship and advances to the title game.

Zappers 50, Shoulda Been Stars 24

In the OGs division—which consists of FCF's original four teams—the Zappers battled the defending-champion Shoulda Been Stars (formerly the Wild Aces).

The Zappers struck first with a touchdown by superback Shun'Cee Thomas. A scoring run from quarterback Kelly Bryant gave the underdogs a 14-0 lead.

However, the Shoulda Been Stars answered quickly, putting six points on the board in only two plays. The teams traded scores, with the Zappers scoring a fourth time just before the half, taking a 28-14 lead into the break.

The Zappers opened the second half with a scoring drive, but Bryant appeared to be severely hampered by an ankle injury on the drive. This led to former Heisman-winner Johnny Manziel entering the game for the point-after try.

Manziel went right back on the field following a Slade Jarman interception. He led a scoring drive, as did quarterback Laquan Horton, and the Zappers continued to dominate the SB Stars in the second half.

Bryant didn't return to the field Saturday evening.

While the Zappers seemed like an incredibly unlikely championship contender at midseason, they'll now represent the OGs in the title game.

Who: Bored Ape FC vs.

When: Saturday, June 11

Time: TBD

Where: Pullman Yards in Atlanta

Ticket Info: https://www.tixr.com/groups/fcf/

Live Stream: Twitch, NBCLX, DAZN, fuboTV and the FCF App

If you're new to FCF, the championship game represents a prime opportunity to dive in. The game streams are polished, professional and entertaining. The live experience looks to be a lot of fun too.

"FCF is—and I'm not being hyperbolic here—one of the most fun times I've had at a sporting event," The Athletic's Gene Clemons wrote. "They have two sessions of games—the afternoon session feels like a great family outing; the night sessions feels more like the pre-party before you turn up in the city."

The title game is going to be just as exciting, as we're getting a tale of two very different teams.

The Bored Ape FC has been the dominant team in the FCF this season. Led by dual-threat quarterback Deondre Francois and running back Jakobie Baker, the Bored Apes have a balanced offensive attack and an established sense of complementary football.

Again, the Bored Apes have only lost one meaningful game this season.

The Zappers aren't supposed to be here. They started the season 0-4 and had to win a man-up challenge to even get into the postseason. However, they've felt like a completely different team since the mid-season trade of Terrell Owens, and carried a ton of momentum into the postseason.

The Zappers have also found a budding star in Bryant. The team used eight different quarterbacks during the regular season, but Bryant came into the playoffs healthy and had the game in control before the ankle injury—he also had three touchdowns in the first half on Saturday.

Bryant's injury could lead to more playing time for Manziel in the championship game. Expect him to play the game-manager role, much as he did in the second half on Saturday.

The Bored Apes, meanwhile, should get a fair share of standout play from Francois. He averaged over 7 yards per rush in the regular season and finished with six passing and six rushing touchdowns.

The Zappers are riding a wave of redemption, but Bryant's injury could be a significant obstacle. Manziel has only played three games this season and isn't the established leader that Francois has become.

Momentum means a lot, and this is a game that could go either way. However, the Bryant injury looms large, and the Bored Apes gained plenty of their own momentum by surviving 8oki.

Expect a hard-fought battle but also expect the Bored Ape FC to finish the season the same way it started—as the best team in FCF.

Prediction

Bored Ape FC 38, Zappers 36