A Simple Playoff Solution That Could Make Most Everyone Happy

[eers]

Regardless of what you do there will be problems. How many people will complain if a team with alosing record wins their district and are a "1" seed? Where would the justice be in that?

[ErikG]

Go back to 3 classes, you got to be stupid man.

A schools would go from 100 -700+

AA schools go from 700+ - 1058

AAA 1060 - 2000+

Yea, that makes a lot of sence.

 

I don't know what the enrollment parameters would be, but if 3 classes are good enough for the first 10 weeks, why not the last 5? Again, I don't necessarily have a problem with there being more than 3 classifications, but it seems absurd to me to construct a conflicting regular season/post season format. The smaller schools (1A, 3A & 5A) in the current 3 classification regular season certainly held their own when it came to securing the automatic playoff berths that go to the district/region champions and runners-up.

 

In Class A (1A, 2A) -- eliminating Dist 15 since all members are 2A -- 13 of the classification's 24 automatic berths went to 1A teams.

 

In Class AA (3A, 4A) 14 of 26 automatic berths for finishing as district champion or runner-up went to 3A teams. To arrive at that number, I eliminated from the mix districts 1 & 7, where all but 1 team is 3A (the 4A team finished last, by the way, in both of those districts), and District 14 which has only 1 (out of 8) 3A member.

 

In Class AAA (5A, 6A), District 7 (made up entirely of 6A schools) is set aside as is District 13 (which is 5A heavy) to arrive at 11 of 28 auto qualifiers being 5A teams.

 

If you combine those numbers, the smaller classes (1A, 3A & 5A) within the 3 regular season classifications claimed 38 of the 78 automatic berths. That's just 1 shy of a 50/50 split. I suspect those numbers would fluctuate a bit year to year, but I seriously doubt that this season was exceptional in any way.

[devilsden]

soloman,

If its really about the kids why not have 6 classes in all sports? Is Tennessee the only state around that has classes just for football and different classes for all other sports. Dont Georgia have 5 or 6 classes in everything?

[Solomon]

soloman,

If its really about the kids why not have 6 classes in all sports? Is Tennessee the only state around that has classes just for football and different classes for all other sports. Dont Georgia have 5 or 6 classes in everything?

 

You are right. 300 classes so every kid out there can be declared a state champ.

[lowkee]

You are right. 300 classes so every kid out there can be declared a state champ.

SO TRUE IS YOUR STATEMENT///NO LOSERS EVERYBODY WINS////WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD----WINNING NEEDS TO MEAN SOMETHING

[hornsby6]

Cookeville made a bid based upon a set number of championship games in Cookeville. Guaranteed money was offered to get T$$AA to go there. T$$AA will not give up the guaranteed money, so 6 classes won't be reduced even though that is the number for other sports. But the real problem is the selection process. How can 3-7 Coffee County go while other teams with better records stay home? Lincoln County with a 5-5 record is going to the playoffs and if you look at some of their scores it would not take long to realize they do not deserve to be in the playoffs. Scheduling cupcakes is the way to go under the current system (either that or be in a district with numerous classes represented). Teams are rewarded for playing lower division teams and "weak sisters". I looked at Franklin High School's schedule and noticed they played only one team with a winning record, Brentwood, and they lost that game (their other loss was to a 5-5 team). The top teams are having to travel further to schedule games because closer teams will not schedule a top team. Riverdale went to Knoxville to play a playoff-bound team bypassing Cookeville, Warren County, White County, Wilson Central, and Lebanon High Schools. There is no incentive for any of these schools to play a good team so these weaker teams pad their schedules with similar teams and lower division teams. Oakland High School had to travel to play an undefeated and top ten team from Kentucky (luckily for them Kentucky football is pretty weak). Ensworth played both Smyra and Oakland to get the games in while there are a lot of 6A teams between these schools. With the districts being re-drawn, the "old" rivals from the prior districts are reluctant to play good teams even if they are close and a lot of fans are likely to attend. So, here are my suggestions: 1) Teams without winning records do not go to the playoffs; 2) Districts are limited to one class (if we are going to have 6A, why put them in a district with a 5A team); 3) Pair up two districts and each team will play a set number of games from the other district (this will truly limit travel if adjoining districts are paired). If a "weak" division is soundly defeated by a stronger division, then there may not be any "automatic" qualifiers from that district with losing or 50/50 records. I hate to say this, but the SeaGulls from Murfreesboro would have easily placed first or second in many districts in the state, but are staying home because they got beat by Riverdale, Oakland, Blackman, and Smyrna (all top teams, but they were 4-1 outside the district). You will get some other rivalries established and lesser travel by the "top" teams. How can T$$AA believe the current system is working?

[jlmac4]

Many good points Hornsby. Neither the former or current formats are fair or provide for a competitive playoffs, or regular season for that matter. I agree there is no incentive to play a quality opponent as all wins are equal. Strength of schedule should matter and every game should count. Once again, twenty teams in this years' playoffs have a losing record(are you kidding me?). The playoffs are a joke and both T$$AA and the schools are asleep at the wheel, while TN h.s. football as a whole in 2010 is rated 25th best in the nation by Rivals, rated 13th in '09.

If TN really wants more competitive football, scrap the current format entirely, then look at some form of this format:

Ohio format.

Teams will have to play a better schedule or risk getting left out without enough quality wins. Cut districts in half, made up of a single classification. Top four seeds host round 1, then EVERYBODY travels to a neutral field centrally located between the two teams, easing travel and leveling the playing field.

I know up front some on here will roll their eyes, and think here he goes again with the Ohio crap, but so be it....this isn't about crowing. It's about the the potential to increase competitiveness both regular season and playoffs. Too many good teams are sitting at home while 20 who have no buisness being in the playoffs go play. THIS FORMAT WORKS BEAUTIFULLY. Only FOUR teams in the last ten years have gotten in with a losing record. All 192 teams have EARNED their spot and make for the most competitive playoffs in the nation most years. Not even debateable.

Ohio Brings It

This link has nothing to do with rankings, as they are hot air to me. Nice to be recognized, but noone can rank the top 100 out of over 14,000 varsity teams. It is about the fact that you will have to bring it every week to make it out of your region alive. That is what makes playoff time special to me, not the same teams most years blowing out the competition on their way to another title game appearance.