So here's my input on the whole thing so far! (Spoilers!)
There are a few things I want to say about some characters:
Ishimaru: I totally think he's under-rated! And I feel so sorry for him for being such a good guy. I really hope he gets something good out of all of this.
Shin: At first, I thought he would ACTUALLY be Sakuraba's friend, like genuinely try to help and support him. But later on in the series, he ends up being the cold & brooding guy (I don't want to say antagonist, because he's not exactly a BAD person). Although I do find it funny later on, about how he constantly trains shirtless, and uses very unorthodox methods of training himself. But overall, I really would have liked him to actually BE Sakuraba's friend, and not as a "rival" more or less. But he does prove to be a good rival for Sena.
Sakuraba: OMG! I totally love how Sakuraba's character is really developing! I really like how he didn't exactly like how he was advertising himself, and through that he really became a strong person himself. The whole new look for him is pretty good, and I like how him and Takami are working together now.
Okay moving on with the story! OMG! Now that they are in the Christmas Bowl, it's getting pretty exciting (at least I think so)! And I can't believe Onihei's team actually lost, that was a REAL shocker for me. Because I though that Kyoshin's Posiden team were just punks acting badass, but indeed they are proving to be a big problem for the Devil Bats.
And of course, the REAL Eyeshield 21 is somewhere in the Tournament!? And is actually playing!? I have no clue, or even a guess on who it might be...