new playoff system??? feedback please

[ksgovols]

So long as record AND strength of schedule are considered. It shouldn't be that the first one that can line up the sacrificial lambs to play them should have a premium placed on their scheduling prowess. Nor should a team that's winning the games it should win and getting beat by teams in higher classifications be unduly penalized.

 

This is where TSSAA drops the ball. They don't have a clue as to where teams should fall in the pecking order. Massey does and so does C a l p r e p s. Many folks use those to play the Big Ones and come out ahead of the game. Particularly as the season progresses, the power rankings sort of work themselves out.

 

It's simple. Use the rankings to help seed the teams. Any other way is subjective or pulling the rabbit out of the hat.

[Tab]

I thought tickets were $8 for the playoffs? After this Saturday they should drop the price to $6 for the first 3 rounds and then $7 for the last 2 rounds.

[BCsportsfan]

OLD SYSTEM...............

[BowdenBoy111]

What really hurts is at the first of the season the kids were told to win there district and win the games against the team in your division. The more of these games you win the better seeding you will get. We thought we did that and when it came down, the people making the decision just looked at the records of these teams and seeded them. They didn't care who played who and how hard one district was compared to another district. They wanted to make a big deal about this, "this is going to be great" and it could have been, but the TSSAA showed how lazy they are. They had no idea what it takes to pull something like this off. If I could meet with the Tssaa I would like to ask them how in the world do you come up with Gibbs being a 7th seed and a team they beat a 3rd seed , with that 3rd seed (Claiborne)getting run over by Greenville the night before the seedings were released. The Tssaa not doing there homework on teams and being lazy is why this system is a joke. Someone needs to be accountable for what has happen. If tenn. high school football is going to take the next step forward and improve the quality of football in TN. Then there needs to be changes in the TSSAA administration. I know this is extreme, but I and I hpoe you can not tolerate someone being lazy.

 

This is very true. I think the TSSAA was trying to do something good but it ended up being bad. I realize that they want to cut down on travel but that is just penalizing most of the eastern teams. I mean look at Bledsoe county they win thier district and get to host Louden, while Sequatchie get second and host York. CAK gets 2nd in thier district and gets to host Mcminn Central why didn't they lose to Louden so they could play Bledsoe in the first round and possibley Polk or Kingston in the 2nd. Then you have tyner who plays in a 4A district gets 2nd, plays a tougher schedule than previous years, and for that they get Alcoa. I just don't understand quad 2 this is by far the toughest quad and its due to location of the schools but thats the hand that everyone was dealt. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens but I strongly believe that the winner of this quad will win the state.

[binns37388]

Keep it simple. Its way too complicated. I liked it years ago when there was only 3 classes. Its still that way in the other sports. Send only the top 2 teams in the district to the playoffs. Put all the metro schools together and keep the rural schools together and keep all the private schools in 2 classes. Make the bowl games popular again and keep the 11th optional game. Regular season games between close rivals are still the best games and best gates. The more they tinker with the playoffs, the worse it gets. There are some 1st round games this season that are just ridiculous. They are a waste of time and expense for these schools. I guess this sounds too easy and simple.

[ROLLTIDEDevil]

Would matters be simplified if the private schools were eliminated from the system. I am originally from Virginia and the private schools there do not compete as part of the VHSL system.

[volfan5]

TSSAA should go to 4 classifications. Its funny they said it was due to the travel for schools. Look at some of the match-ups in the 3a playoffs. Johnson Co at AE ( JC has about 95 miles trip)- Tyner at Alcoa (Tyner has about 84 mile trip)-Loudon at Bledsoe Co (Loudon has about 90 mile trip) These are just a few of the games but you get my drift. With 4 classifications you would have first round games much closer and you would have overall better competition top to bottom of the playoffs in this system. We have a water downed system for the amount of school we have in this state. When you see 1-9 teams 3-7 teams getting into the playoffs you know somethings wrong. Scrap it and start all over!

[imablustar]

I'm not familiar with the old way, from the multiple post all I can gather is that the Z-plan is new and we all know when something is new, you have to work out some bugs to get it just right. I agree with the person that posted (tired of playing the same old teams year after year) and hope that as the Z- plan is tweaked it will bring variety to the post season, give the kids a chance to see the different regions in tennessee, like me, I keep asking where in the world is this school or that forgetting we're all one big happy family of tennessee schools.

I do not work or have anything vested in TSSAA, but they know they screwed up, they have acknowledge it, they have apologized, and if you are a coach or players, you need to get over it and get your team ready, if you are a spectator, you need to get behind the players and coaches, and support your teams, and if you are someone that can make a positive difference to help what TSSAA has done hopefully you will help them adjust this animal not for money, but for the kids. If this is done for money then share some of it with the players/coaches that win the championship in their regions.

[silverpie]

TSSAA should go to 4 classifications. Its funny they said it was due to the travel for schools. Look at some of the match-ups in the 3a playoffs. Johnson Co at AE ( JC has about 95 miles trip)- Tyner at Alcoa (Tyner has about 84 mile trip)-Loudon at Bledsoe Co (Loudon has about 90 mile trip) These are just a few of the games but you get my drift. With 4 classifications you would have first round games much closer and you would have overall better competition top to bottom of the playoffs in this system. We have a water downed system for the amount of school we have in this state. When you see 1-9 teams 3-7 teams getting into the playoffs you know somethings wrong. Scrap it and start all over!

 

The intent was to cut down on regular season travel. You had Farragut, for example, traveling to Chattanooga every year, and the Chattanooga teams in that region had a Maryville trip every year on top of going to Farragut every other. (There were probably more examples, but those are the ones I'm most familiar with.) Once it comes time for the playoffs, of course you're going to have some long trips.

[jangel]

Some of you guys are suggesting going back to a 3 class system. Here is an example I came up with of how such a playoff might look if Class AA was not split.

 

I took the top 2 teams from each district and seeded them based on district winners then overall record. Adjacent districts were used to make the Region 1-4s. Obviously things would be different in a three class system (no districts most likely), but this will give you a vague idea of what brackets might look like.

 

Quad 1

1. Elizabethton (8-2)

4. Gatlinburg-Pittman (9-1)

 

2. Greeneville (7-3)

3. CAK (9-1)

 

3. Claiborne County (8-2)

2. Austin-East (7-3)

 

4. Sullivan North (8-2)

1. Alcoa (10-0)

 

Quad 2

1. Red bank (10-0)

4. Sequatchie County (6-4)

 

2. Polk County (10-0)

3. Livingston Academy (7-3)

 

3. McMinn Central (7-3)

2. Cannon County (6-4)

 

4. Tyner (6-4)

1. Bledsoe County (8-2)

 

Quad 3

1. Goodpasture (8-2)

4. Spring Hill (8-2)

 

2. David Lipscomb (7-3)

3. Camden (9-1)

 

3. Maplewood (6-4)

2. Creek Wood (9-1)

 

4. White House (6-4)

1. Giles County (9-1)

 

Quad 4

1. Milan (10-0)

4. Kingsbury (4-6)

 

2. Liberty Magnet (9-1)

3. Fairley (6-4)

 

3. Crockett County (9-1)

2. Sheffield (7-3)

 

4. Jackson South Side (7-3)

1. Manassas (9-1)

 

Notables left out (7+ wins): Knoxville Fulton(7-3), Loudon(8-2), East Ridge(7-3), Brainerd(7-3), Smith County (7-3), Lexington (7-3)

 

As you can see, the level of play would take a great step up. I'd imagine almost every game in this type of playoff would be tough, especially after the first round. As well, some excellent teams would be left out due to deep districts/regions.

[volfan5]

Some of you guys are suggesting going back to a 3 class system. Here is an example I came up with of how such a playoff might look if Class AA was not split.

 

I took the top 2 teams from each district and seeded them based on district winners then overall record. Adjacent districts were used to make the Region 1-4s. Obviously things would be different in a three class system (no districts most likely), but this will give you a vague idea of what brackets might look like.

 

Quad 1

1. Elizabethton (8-2)

4. Gatlinburg-Pittman (9-1)

 

2. Greeneville (7-3)

3. CAK (9-1)

 

3. Claiborne County (8-2)

2. Austin-East (7-3)

 

4. Sullivan North (8-2)

1. Alcoa (10-0)

 

Quad 2

1. Red bank (10-0)

4. Sequatchie County (6-4)

 

2. Polk County (10-0)

3. Livingston Academy (7-3)

 

3. McMinn Central (7-3)

2. Cannon County (6-4)

 

4. Tyner (6-4)

1. Bledsoe County (8-2)

 

Quad 3

1. Goodpasture (8-2)

4. Spring Hill (8-2)

 

2. David Lipscomb (7-3)

3. Camden (9-1)

 

3. Maplewood (6-4)

2. Creek Wood (9-1)

 

4. White House (6-4)

1. Giles County (9-1)

 

Quad 4

1. Milan (10-0)

4. Kingsbury (4-6)

 

2. Liberty Magnet (9-1)

3. Fairley (6-4)

 

3. Crockett County (9-1)

2. Sheffield (7-3)

 

4. Jackson South Side (7-3)

1. Manassas (9-1)

 

Notables left out (7+ wins): Knoxville Fulton(7-3), Loudon(8-2), East Ridge(7-3), Brainerd(7-3), Smith County (7-3), Lexington (7-3)

 

As you can see, the level of play would take a great step up. I'd imagine almost every game in this type of playoff would be tough, especially after the first round. As well, some excellent teams would be left out due to deep districts/regions.

 

jangel I think 4 classifications would work better. That way teams that are 6-4 or 7-3 get into the playoffs. It also would cut down on travel in the regular season games and the playoff travel as well.

[Loki]

Go back to 3 classes and remove the privates, place the privates in DII. Take the top 2 teams from each

district and allow the teams with 5-5 or above records go to bowl games. It was much better when this was the system. Regular system meant something then. Please get away from the basketball like format. Everyone should not make the playoffs.