THE NEW PLAN

[barnowl]

It is obvious that the Z plan that was implemented this year has many flaws and did not accomplish what it was suppose to do. I have read were polls and computer formulas should be a factor in deciding play off teams and match-ups. The only human factor that should be considered is the one decided on the field. Not a voted poll. The computer is skewd because it looks at W's and L's and statistics. Statistics can be deceiving based on the level of competition. We all know that across the state sports are not equal. A team can be 10 and 0 in Knoxville play in a weak district and region and get to a team from murfreesboro with an 8 and 3 record and loose due to the fact that tha team came from a better district or region. The point is there is probably not a clear way to solve it but the Z plan is the worst. Let's look at states with great high school football and see how they do it, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina etc.

[Hawse40]

Dont know what lewis county is complaining about, they played 3-1A schools but they lost them

 

I am not from Lewis Co. I was just using them as the example. Heck I don't have to use them take CPA this year, they have to play 4 4a schools and that put them out of the playoffs. Same thing with East Lit. The 4A schools in Middle Tn are better than those in the East and West so the 3a teams in those districts got screwed. That would be asking White House to play a district schedule like this Beech, Hendersonville, Station Camp, and Gallatin. White House wouldn't make the playoffs if they had to do that.

The TSSAA is going to keep this plan 1 more year because of 2-year game contracts.As for CPA They are a private school that picks and chooses their enrollment. If they are unhappy they can play Division 2 where everybody gives scholarships.East Lit. is a magnet school that can attract students from all parts of Metro The 4a schools of which you speak are stuck with whatever is left over(Except for Lipscomb) and whats left over mostly does notmake its way onto the playing fields,but rather into the courtrooms.

[ksgovols]

It is obvious that the Z plan that was implemented this year has many flaws and did not accomplish what it was suppose to do. I have read were polls and computer formulas should be a factor in deciding play off teams and match-ups. The only human factor that should be considered is the one decided on the field. Not a voted poll. The computer is skewd because it looks at W's and L's and statistics. Statistics can be deceiving based on the level of competition. We all know that across the state sports are not equal. A team can be 10 and 0 in Knoxville play in a weak district and region and get to a team from murfreesboro with an 8 and 3 record and loose due to the fact that tha team came from a better district or region. The point is there is probably not a clear way to solve it but the Z plan is the worst. Let's look at states with great high school football and see how they do it, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina etc.

 

What the computer can look at is your opponents opponents records. By the end of a 10 week season, the model is not far off. I agree that you have to start the season with last year's results most likely, but the program gets more accurate each week. If you're winning against weaker competition, the data is going to reflect that. If you're barely losing against stronger competition, that will be reflected as well.

 

From a guy with a math background, the Z plan is easily fixed by taking away a few absolutes.

 

1. Take away automatic bids for teams with losing records.

2. Take away either the no district rematch clause or the short travel clause. If your district sends 4, get ready for a rematch in the first round or so or pack your bags to travel. That is no different than the old format

3. Take away overall record as the first tie breaker. A computer model for power rankings will be more accurate even if it isn't 100% accurate. There's no human element other than typing in the data.

 

The goal should be to get the 32 best teams in the playoffs, not the 32 teams that meet flawed criteria.

[66in74]

It is obvious that the Z plan that was implemented this year has many flaws and did not accomplish what it was suppose to do. I have read were polls and computer formulas should be a factor in deciding play off teams and match-ups. The only human factor that should be considered is the one decided on the field. Not a voted poll. The computer is skewd because it looks at W's and L's and statistics. Statistics can be deceiving based on the level of competition. We all know that across the state sports are not equal. A team can be 10 and 0 in Knoxville play in a weak district and region and get to a team from murfreesboro with an 8 and 3 record and loose due to the fact that tha team came from a better district or region. The point is there is probably not a clear way to solve it but the Z plan is the worst. Let's look at states with great high school football and see how they do it, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina etc.

 

What the computer can look at is your opponents opponents records. By the end of a 10 week season, the model is not far off. I agree that you have to start the season with last year's results most likely, but the program gets more accurate each week. If you're winning against weaker competition, the data is going to reflect that. If you're barely losing against stronger competition, that will be reflected as well.

 

From a guy with a math background, the Z plan is easily fixed by taking away a few absolutes.

 

1. Take away automatic bids for teams with losing records.

2. Take away either the no district rematch clause or the short travel clause. If your district sends 4, get ready for a rematch in the first round or so or pack your bags to travel. That is no different than the old format

3. Take away overall record as the first tie breaker. A computer model for power rankings will be more accurate even if it isn't 100% accurate. There's no human element other than typing in the data.

 

The goal should be to get the 32 best teams in the playoffs, not the 32 teams that meet flawed criteria.

 

imo, 32 teams from 4 different classes is just too many teams in the playoffs.

I'd like to see it cut back to 24 from each class; then get 3A Class Champion and 4A Class Champion and let them play for the AA State Championship. Do the same with 5A and 6A.

Could do the same with 1A and 2A.

Division II could also have a single Division II Champion.

Only 4 State Champions.

[ksgovols]

I don't disagree, I just think that how they get in the playoffs is going to always be a point of contention unless some forethought is actually put into it. Even if the top 24 go, you have to figure out who's 24 and who's 25 and if one of the 16 district champions is playoff worthy or not. The problems that exist will exist not matter how many teams get in or how many classifications there are. The cut off between going and not going is going to be contended as long as one team that played a tough schedule and won one less game gets left out and another with one more win and a weaker schedule gets in.

[originalSC3]

I don't disagree, I just think that how they get in the playoffs is going to always be a point of contention unless some forethought is actually put into it. Even if the top 24 go, you have to figure out who's 24 and who's 25 and if one of the 16 district champions is playoff worthy or not. The problems that exist will exist not matter how many teams get in or how many classifications there are. The cut off between going and not going is going to be contended as long as one team that played a tough schedule and won one less game gets left out and another with one more win and a weaker schedule gets in.

 

I like your idea ksgovols. But I do believe in keeping the district champion as an automatic qualifier. Being a district / region champion should still mean something IMO. But I'm all for the final 16 being composed of actual worthy teams, not who has the best record.

 

[66in74]

I don't disagree, I just think that how they get in the playoffs is going to always be a point of contention unless some forethought is actually put into it. Even if the top 24 go, you have to figure out who's 24 and who's 25 and if one of the 16 district champions is playoff worthy or not. The problems that exist will exist not matter how many teams get in or how many classifications there are. The cut off between going and not going is going to be contended as long as one team that played a tough schedule and won one less game gets left out and another with one more win and a weaker schedule gets in.

 

I like your idea ksgovols. But I do believe in keeping the district champion as an automatic qualifier. Being a district / region champion should still mean something IMO. But I'm all for the final 16 being composed of actual worthy teams, not who has the best record.

 

 

What was KS's idea?

 

If you get 24 teams in, do you not think you have the best of the best?

Isn't that what it should be about?

[Rocking Chair]

No question this so called NEW PLAN is a joke from what I have seen. No way a school should make the play-offs with a 1 and 9 record. And I'm not knocking White County which is one that I know of, but when you only have 2 5a schools in a district playing with 4 6a schools these are the things that will happen.

 

I'm happy for LA because they made the play-offs but them and Stone Memorial were the only 4a schools in their district, so that gives them a great chance to make the play-offs and both of them did.

 

The teams that got the screws laid to them come out of East TN. REGIONS 2 AND 3 Knox and Chatt. area are the teams that got the worst of it. Could it be that they are the teams that have won the majority of state titles especially this past decade ???

 

And like most has said, who wants to go watch a 1st rd game like White Co. and whoever they play. Whereas Alcoa plays Tyner I just wonder what fan of football would choose the previous????

 

I vote for the way it was the past 4 yrs, then return to the top 2 with 3 classifications in 2013.

[originalSC3]

I don't disagree, I just think that how they get in the playoffs is going to always be a point of contention unless some forethought is actually put into it. Even if the top 24 go, you have to figure out who's 24 and who's 25 and if one of the 16 district champions is playoff worthy or not. The problems that exist will exist not matter how many teams get in or how many classifications there are. The cut off between going and not going is going to be contended as long as one team that played a tough schedule and won one less game gets left out and another with one more win and a weaker schedule gets in.

 

I like your idea ksgovols. But I do believe in keeping the district champion as an automatic qualifier. Being a district / region champion should still mean something IMO. But I'm all for the final 16 being composed of actual worthy teams, not who has the best record.

 

 

What was KS's idea?

 

If you get 24 teams in, do you not think you have the best of the best?

Isn't that what it should be about?

 

What was his idea? It's a few post up. The part about using power rankings instead of overall record for first tie breaker. I don't like 24 teams, because that causes first round byes. I don't think anyone should get a free pass in a playoff round. I agree we should be taking the best, but as I said before a district/region championship would be meaningless if they didn't get an automatic invite. I think it should still mean something. If it doesn't, why even have districts or regions? JMHO

 

[ksgovols]

I agree with that. If you're taking 24 teams, you don't have enough in your classification (like 1A). You're playing the same number of weeks, 8 teams just get byes the first week. If you're doing that, take the 16 best teams and do away with a week of playoffs. That's going to cut out 95% of the teams with losing records and most of the guys that are winning against a weak schedule and losing district games. 16 districts, 16 teams that finished the highest in their classification in their district. That knocks out a lot of good teams.

 

I don't mind 32 if you're playing 4 weeks of playoffs anyway. You're whittling it down pretty quick and it gives everybody hope for making it to the post season whereas 16 would mean after you lose to Alcoa in that region, you're done.

 

I would keep the Z plan, toss the teams with less than a 500 record just like they do for bowl eligibility, make the first tie breaker be a power ranking like C a l p r e p s. Look at it, 5-5 Pearl Cohn is the 10th highest ranked 3A school in the state. Watch where they wind up in the playoffs. Power rankings at least have a thought process behind them rather than blindly seeding teams with 6 wins ahead of teams with 5 or teams with 9 wins ahead of teams with 8 or less. Overall record is not a very good barometer of a team's strength.

 

I would seed 1-32 according to the power rankings. There will be quads that have more higher ranked teams due to geography and the travel restrictions that the TSSAA member schools want. Sorry. A perfect world would be 1vs32, 2vs31 and so on. That's not going to happen. Divide the quads geographically and seed by the power rankings. It's simple and as fair as you can be.