Top Super 7 Teams

[big red big blue]

With state football tradition so firmly grounded in playing for state titles, folks would never be able to stomach ending their year in a bowl game. It would be a festive, unique way to conclude the season, but it will never happen. Would I attend a Thanksgiving bowl game between my alma mater and a rival private school? I sure would. But I'd rather see my team in the state title game.

 

Here's an interesting concept that will never work because the TSSAA has given every indication it isn't interested: after each division's season is over, play bowl games between the top two finishers in each division. The matchups could go something like this:

 

5A champ vs. D2-3A champ

5A runner-up vs. 4A runner-up

4A champ vs. 3A champ

3A runner-up vs. D2-3A runner-up

2A champ vs. D2-2A champ

2A runner-up vs. 1A runner-up

1A champ vs. D2-1A champ

1A runner-up vs. D2-1A runner-up

 

A very preliminary sketch, mind you. While still not settling the issues of finding a conclusive state champion, these bowl games would pit comparable teams against each other and would reward teams for their stellar seasons, regardless of their classification. I would definitely drive as far as I needed to in order to see any one of these games.

 

I definitely prefer a play-off system; just not the one we have now. I would really love a return to the old 3A play-offs, when every game was a battle all the way to the Clinic Bowl. Maybe when JPII and Ensworth get up to speed, and we have 10 teams in our league, things will change for the better. But for now, consider that:

 

--BA and MBA play every year in a game that somehow "doesn't count." This has always baffled me.

--MBA played Baylor two weeks in a row last year. Once to end the season, and then again in the play-offs. Just strange.

 

Admittedly I'm speaking as a fan and not a player, but I would be satisfied with the regular season results determining the champion and concluding the year with the thanksgiving day bowl games. I'm sure players and coaches prefer a play-off system, even the flawed one we have now. Now, can you imagine MBA and BA playing one another on Thanksgiving Day, on campus, with a championship at stake? Sort of like the Ivy League.

[WesVLT]

In my bowl game format, here are the matchups we would have seen last season:

 

MUS vs. Ravenwood

Oak Ridge vs. Melrose

Maryville vs. Livingston Academy

David Lipscomb vs. Christian Brothers

Alcoa vs. ECS

Goodpasture vs. Union City

Trousdale County vs. Davidson Academy

Webb vs. Bishop Byrne

 

The matchups could rotate each year, so the 4A champ might get a shot at the D2-3A champ, and so on.

[big red big blue]

In my bowl game format, here are the matchups we would have seen last season:

 

MUS vs. Ravenwood

Oak Ridge vs. Melrose

Maryville vs. Livingston Academy

David Lipscomb vs. Christian Brothers

Alcoa vs. ECS

Goodpasture vs. Union City

Trousdale County vs. Davidson Academy

Webb vs. Bishop Byrne

 

The matchups could rotate each year, so the 4A champ might get a shot at the D2-3A champ, and so on.

 

I think something like this would really only need to happen among d2-aaa, 4a, and 5a. I think the big public-private disparities exist in the lower classes.

 

As you might recall, the Nashville City Paper attempted to put together a "Nashville City Paper Bowl" at the end of the 2002 season between the d2-aaa champ (MBA) and 5a champ (Brentwood HS). They tried to throw it together on short notice and it was doomed from the start, but I think their ultimate goal was to create some interest in such a game for the future. As you can tell it went nowhere...here's the link:

 

city paper

 

anyways, I think it would be an event that was more anticipated than anything the TSSAA has ever put together, and would be a financial windfall for the TSSAA and its members. But there just has never been any interest in something like this.

[TMA123]

I definitely prefer a play-off system; just not the one we have now. I would really love a return to the old 3A play-offs, when every game was a battle all the way to the Clinic Bowl. Maybe when JPII and Ensworth get up to speed, and we have 10 teams in our league, things will change for the better. But for now, consider that:

 

--BA and MBA play every year in a game that somehow "doesn't count." This has always baffled me.

--MBA played Baylor two weeks in a row last year. Once to end the season, and then again in the play-offs. Just strange.

 

Admittedly I'm speaking as a fan and not a player, but I would be satisfied with the regular season results determining the champion and concluding the year with the thanksgiving day bowl games. I'm sure players and coaches prefer a play-off system, even the flawed one we have now. Now, can you imagine MBA and BA playing one another on Thanksgiving Day, on campus, with a championship at stake? Sort of like the Ivy League.

 

 

For DII, why not have the championship game on Thanksgiving. Let the teams have an extra week to prepare for the big game and then play it only 6 days later then what they do now. If I'm not mistaken, a couple of years ago, they played on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

[WesVLT]

For DII, why not have the championship game on Thanksgiving. Let the teams have an extra week to prepare for the big game and then play it only 6 days later then what they do now. If I'm not mistaken, a couple of years ago, they played on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

That would probably be pretty well-received by some and not so much by others since it would cut into the holiday. It would be much better for travel, for sure. I still don't understand the logic of playing the championship game on a regular weeknight...I know there may have been conflicts with the Vandy football game, but it's not worth playing the game on a Tuesday night.

[Solomon]

In response to WesVols bowl post, here's an idea of mine.

 

No classifications based on enrollment. In fact, enrollment plays only a small part in my scnerio. To begin, Everyone is lumped together in a large pool. There would be 4 levels based on school's self-perceived ability - A, B, C, D. A is highest level, D is lowest. At some point before each season, each school designates what level title it will be playing for. All requests would go through a TSSAA review committee of member schools, equally selected. If the committee feels a school is "playing down" (i.e. - a perennial powerhouse asking to play B or a legitimate B asking to play C), then the commitee can place them in what they feel is the correct level. Another catch is that there would be enrollment floors. For example, a school 1,000 students (current 4A) could play no lower than C level, or something as such. If a team has a great success in one level (3 state championship appearances in a 5 year span maybe or other determinants?), then the team would automatically be moved to the next highest level for at least one season.

 

The TSSAA would not designate teams to play in districts or regions, instead the schools may form conferences as in the days of old to choose to be an independent. This would allow a school to decide to travel as little or as much as the school may like. Conferences are entirely up to member schools and could range from teams of all levels, or teams playing a certian level or similar level (i.e. maybe a group of close proximity schools all will be in level C and D) may choose to play together. But playing and winning against schools in your own level or a higher level would be rewarded greater than against schools at a lower level through some type of formula.

 

The formula's makeup itself is a different post for a different day, but one that all feels is fair and rewards playing similar competition. It would be made to where a team playing in the B level that goes 10-0 against 10 D level opponents would in theory be punished and possibly not make the playoffs behind a team that goes 7-3 against A and B level opponents. It would be designed to where each team in a level starts out the season with 0 points and is entirely based on that season's performance and performance of your opponents. In short, playing equal or better teams is encouraged through the system.

 

Each level would have 16 teams that make the playoffs. The 16 teams that make the playoffs would be the top 16 teams in the level's rankings. Once the 16 teams are decided, playoff brackets would incorporate a bit of regional location into seeding so we wouldn't have a situation where Cloudland is playing at Lake County (I can't think of a greater travel scnerio, that's 8 hours or more, got to be!). In the end, the two teams playing for the Class A title are your two best teams in the state, you don't have private schools dominating smaller public schools in the enrollment based system, public and private doesn't matter, open enrollemt doesn't matter, and teams are playing against genuinely equal talent teams.

 

Thoughts?

[TheBigRedDog]

^

 

Interesting ideas. Some of your ideas make me think of how many of the European soccer leagues operate, where the division in which you play is determined by your teams' play the year before. I actually like your idea, but I think scheduling would be difficult, mostly due to having to make a new schedule each year.

[Solomon]

^

 

Interesting ideas. Some of your ideas make me think of how many of the European soccer leagues operate, where the division in which you play is determined by your teams' play the year before. I actually like your idea, but I think scheduling would be difficult, mostly due to having to make a new schedule each year.

 

I actually got the idea from how slow-pitch softball in ran in most places.

 

Maybe set the standard for two years. In all honesty, in very few cases cases could I see a team jumping all over the place. I think in the end, most schools in an area would end up playing on the same level and form a long-lasting conference.

[jp2fan]

I hate to be harsh, but St. Benedict and Pope John Paul are gonna find themselves in a really tough situation if they play in D2-AAA. And if Ensworth comes there too, that will really throw Middle TN D2-AAA off with 5 teams in the Super '11' all in the same area.

 

But it should be fun, nonetheless. Kinda leaves Knoxville Webb and ECS going for the D2-AA championship every year, though.

 

Again, FRW, you have not shown alot of consistency in D2AAA in the past 5 years so I suggest you do not bash other teams that are moving into this level of play. We are moving because our enrollment dictates that we must move into that level in order to compete. So why is it you are determined to dissed JP2? Is it that we are the new kid on the block? JP2 has done well in D2AA the last couple of years and looks to do well in D2AAA. It's just one more battle that we will face.

 

[Bauber]

Again, FRW, you have not shown alot of consistency in D2AAA in the past 5 years so I suggest you do not bash other teams that are moving into this level of play. We are moving because our enrollment dictates that we must move into that level in order to compete. So why is it you are determined to dissed JP2? Is it that we are the new kid on the block? JP2 has done well in D2AA the last couple of years and looks to do well in D2AAA. It's just one more battle that we will face.

 

JP2 will become a second Father Ryan. Another team to schedule for a sure Division win! And St. Benedict.... just wow I hope they have stretchers at those games when they enter DII-AAA. I really laugh if you think you will do well in AAA because you do "well" in AA. You might get to beat BCS and St. Benedict but thats about it.

[cbg]

JP2 will become a second Father Ryan. Another team to schedule for a sure Division win! And St. Benedict.... just wow I hope they have stretchers at those games when they enter DII-AAA. I really laugh if you think you will do well in AAA because you do "well" in AA. You might get to beat BCS and St. Benedict but thats about it.

 

As I see things the problem with both JP2 & Father Ryan is that both schools play in D2 but play by a self imposed different set of rules than the other schools in D2AAA. When it opened JP2 offered financial aid to non catholic students but I don't see that happening in the future. For the last several years Father Ryan has not offered financial aid to non catholic students. With the talent pool of catholic students being split between the two schools I feel that it is going to be difficult for the two schools to finish near the top of D2AAA unless they change their philosophy and seek out non catholic students and offer them all of the financial aid that they have been approved to accept.

Edited August 14, 2006 by cbg

[TMA123]

As I see things the problem with both JP2 & Father Ryan is that both schools play in D2 but play by a self imposed different set of rules than the other schools in D2AAA. When it opened JP2 offered financial aid to non catholic students but I don't see that happening in the future. For the last several years Father Ryan has not offered financial aid to non catholic students. With the talent pool of catholic students being split between the two schools I feel that it is going to be difficult for the two schools to finish near the top of D2AAA unless they change their philosophy and seek out non catholic students and offer them all of the financial aid that they have been approved to accept.

 

 

I thought I read last year that Father Ryan's coach wanted to do away with all financial aid and play in DI. I don't know if they can do that because of the cut rate that the catholic students receive. I'm sure that they have checked it out with the TSSAA.