Projected Playoff Bracket

[LouPickney]

So what do the playoff brackets look like now with Ensworth's win over BA?

 

The #2 M/E seed may be more attractive than the #1 M/E seed, as the #1 and #3 M/E teams would meet in the semifinals if they won out. Not to slight MUS, but Ensworth already beat them in Memphis to start the year in a game where Ensworth lead 21-0 in the first quarter.

 

I believe this is how it would play out based on what I read on the TSSAA website. Things have changed since the days when there were only three divisions (A, AA, AAA) total in the entire state.

 

If BA, Ensworth, Baylor, and MBA all win on 10/28:

 

II-AA MIDDLE/EAST

1. Baylor 9-1 (6-1)

2. Ensworth 9-1 (6-1)

3. BA 8-2 (6-1)

4. BGA 7-3 (4-3)

5. MBA 5-5 (3-4)

6. McCallie 4-5 (2-5)

7. Father Ryan 4-6 (1-6)

8. Pope John Paul II 2-8 (0-7)

 

IF MUS and Christian Brothers win on 10/28:

 

II-AA WEST

1. MUS 7-3 (3-0)

2. Christian Brothers 8-2 (2-1)

3. St. Benedict at Auburndale 6-3 (1-2)

4. Briarcrest 4-6 (0-3)

 

First Round:

Bye: #1M/E Baylor, #2M/E Ensworth, #1W MUS, #2W Christian Brothers

#7M/E Father Ryan at #3W St. Benedict, #6M/E McCallie at #4M/E BGA, #4W Briarcrest at #5M/E MBA, #8M/E John Paul II at #3M/E BA

 

Quarterfinals:

Father Ryan/St. Benedict winner at Ensworth

McCallie/BGA winner at MUS

Briarcrest/MBA winner at Baylor

John Paul II/BA winner at Christian Brothers

 

Semifinals:

FRHS/Benedict/Ensworth vs. McCallie/BGA/MUS (higher seed hosts)

Briarcrest/MBA/Baylor vs. BA/JPII/Christian Brothers (higher seed hosts)

 

Finals:

Winners of the two semifinal games play

[shakinthefat]

II-AA MIDDLE/EAST

1. Baylor 9-1 (6-1)

2. Ensworth 9-1 (6-1)

3. BA 8-2 (6-1)

4. BGA 7-3 (4-3)

5. MBA 5-5 (3-4)

6. McCallie 4-5 (2-5)

7. Father Ryan 4-6 (1-6)

8. Pope John Paul II 2-8 (0-7)

 

IF MUS and Christian Brothers win on 10/28:

 

II-AA WEST

1. MUS 7-3 (3-0)

2. Christian Brothers 8-2 (2-1)

3. St. Benedict at Auburndale 6-3 (1-2)

4. Briarcrest 4-6 (0-3)

 

What was the TSSAA tie breaker for BA, EHS and Baylor?

 

Still think the West should have only 1 bye due to having just 4 teams.

[RedRobin]

The #2 M/E seed may be more attractive than the #1 M/E seed, as the #1 and #3 M/E teams would meet in the semifinals if they won out. Not to slight MUS, but Ensworth already beat them in Memphis to start the year in a game where Ensworth lead 21-0 in the first quarter.

 

Kinda weird, but the #2 M/E seed was far more attractive than the #1 M/E seed last year. # 1 Ensworth had to beat #3 BA for a second time in the semis, while #2 Baylor played MUS. While Baylor had a very long trip, MUS was down quite a bit last year and, in my opinion, was nowhere near as good as either Ensworth or BA, who were very evenly matched. Although Ensworth beat MUS earlier this year, it appears that MUS is far better than they were a year ago and Ensworth should have their hands full out there in Memphis if that is how this plays out. It is never easy to beat a quality opponent twice in one year.

[LouPickney]

What was the TSSAA tie breaker for BA, EHS and Baylor?

There is no mention of head-to-head in any tie-breakers on the TSSAA website. I'm presuming that Ensworth's win over MUS in August is being ignored for II-AA M/E seeding purposes, similar to Cal/Colorado in NCAA football playing this year in a non-conference game despite both now being in the Pac-12.

 

According to this .pdf file, the tie-breaker is determined in this order:

 

1. The team with the greatest number of victories.

 

Ensworth and Baylor would be 9-1 and Brentwood Academy would be 8-2. BA would be punished for its loss to a very tough Trinity team out of Louisville and be the first eliminated.

 

The process would begin again, and Ensworth and Baylor at 9-1 would push. Baylor having beaten Ensworth 42-14 would not come into play, unless I'm wrong about head-to-head not being taken into consideration.

 

2. The team who plays the greatest number of team who win 50 percent or more of their games.

 

The TSSAA has turned the word "team" into a plural noun. Division play offsets. They played three non II-AA M/E games each:

 

Ensworth: MUS (6-3), Knox Webb (7-2), and Raleigh Egypt (1-8)

Baylor: Soddy-Daisy (3-6), Bradley Central (7-2), and Columbia Central (8-1)

 

Both would have 2-of-3 non II-AA M/E opponents with records of 50%+, so they would push.

 

3. The team who has the greatest number of victories over teams winning 50 percent or more of their games.

 

Ensworth and Baylor will have the same number, since there is no way Raleigh Egypt or Soddy-Daisy can possibly finish with a .500 or better record and their II-AA M/E opponents offset.

 

4. The team whose opponents have earned the most victories.

 

II-AA M/E play offsets.

 

Ensworth: 6+7+1 = 14

Baylor: 3+7+8 = 18

 

Even if MUS, Knox Webb, and Raleigh Egypt all win on 10/28 and Soddy-Daisy, Bradley Central, and Columbia Central all lose, it would still be Baylor with more opponent victories at 18-17. So, on the fourth tie-breaker, Baylor would get the #1 M/E seed.

 

Still think the West should have only 1 bye due to having just 4 teams.

It does seem unbalanced in that respect, though it would also seem unfair if the Middle/East got three byes and the West only got one, particularly if the West had two very strong teams in a given year.

 

The II-AA playoff format is non-traditional, to be sure, and is more akin to a college basketball conference post-season tournament than a typical high school football playoff system.

[Trojan Fan]

There is no mention of head-to-head in any tie-breakers on the TSSAA website.

 

Read it again above the listed tiebreakers:

If at any point when the following tiebreaking

procedures are applied, one team has beaten all the other teams that are tied for a play-off position, that

team shall be rated above the others. After any position in the district/region standings has been determined, the

tie-breaker procedure shall begin all over again to determine the next position. This procedure shall be repeated

to determine all places in the district/region.

[shakinthefat]

BA would be punished for its loss to a very tough Trinity team out of Louisville and be the first eliminated.

 

So DII-AA coaches should probably schedule weak non division games just in case. Makes about much sense as "every team makes the playoffs rule".

Why should BA or MBA be punished for playing the #2 team in the nation?

[LouPickney]

Read it again above the listed tiebreakers:

If at any point when the following tiebreaking procedures are applied, one team has beaten all the other teams that are tied for a play-off position, that team shall be rated above the others. After any position in the district/region standings has been determined, the tie-breaker procedure shall begin all over again to determine the next position. This procedure shall be repeated to determine all places in the district/region.

Thank you -- it didn't make any sense to me for head-to-head to not be in it.

[owlbooster]

Red Robin:

 

BA not Baylor traveled to Memphis last year and thumped the West #2 MUS Owls, who indeed were "down" and not a match for the better M/E teams. However, that is not the case this year. It would be "wise" not to attach too much significance to the EHS win on August 19. That was a long time ago. MUS had 6 TOs, 5 inside their own territory. EHS had 0 TOs and led 21-0 after only 6 minutes yet won 28-14 after Elder returned the 2nd half KO 96 yds for a TD. Will never understand how the ball was kicked anywhere near him, but I'm pretty sure it would not happen again in a rematch. Nonetheless, if MUS misfired like that again, they likely would lose to any of the top 4 M/E teams. Otherwise, they could make it to Cookeville.

[owlbooster]

So DII-AA coaches should probably schedule weak non division games just in case. Makes about much sense as "every team makes the playoffs rule".

Why should BA or MBA be punished for playing the #2 team in the nation?

I almost feel sorry for Ensworth being "penalized" for playing Memphis Raleigh

Egypt, a perennial cellar-dweller in Memphis. Bowers frequently has to take what he can get, but this game had BAD written all over it. BTW, their stadium was the site of the East-Craigmont game last Friday, which was stopped near the end of the first half due to GUNSHOTS being fired from a car outside the apartment complex next to the stadium!

[RedRobin]

Red Robin:

 

BA not Baylor traveled to Memphis last year and thumped the West #2 MUS Owls, who indeed were "down" and not a match for the better M/E teams. However, that is not the case this year. It would be "wise" not to attach too much significance to the EHS win on August 19. That was a long time ago. MUS had 6 TOs, 5 inside their own territory. EHS had 0 TOs and led 21-0 after only 6 minutes yet won 28-14 after Elder returned the 2nd half KO 96 yds for a TD. Will never understand how the ball was kicked anywhere near him, but I'm pretty sure it would not happen again in a rematch. Nonetheless, if MUS misfired like that again, they likely would lose to any of the top 4 M/E teams. Otherwise, they could make it to Cookeville.

 

You, sir, are absolutely correct - MUS was actually the No. 2 seed out of the West last year and BA beat them on the East side of the bracket. CBHS, which lost to BGA in the quarterfinals, was actually the No. 1 seed in the West side of the bracket. Baylor (the No. 2 seed in the Middle/East) won the West and advanced to the Finals by beating BGA in the semis. Ensworth (the No. 1 seed in the Middle/East) advanced to the finals by beating BA (for the second time that season) in the semis. Sorry for the misinformation - I was thinking that MUS was the No. 1 seed in the West every year since this system started and had forgotten that they had to play BA in Brentwood last year. Ensworth knows that both teams are far different from the teams that met at MUS in the season-opener and believe me, no one who is associated with Ensworth would ever take MUS lightly. Thanks for correcting my prior post.

[RedRobin]

I almost feel sorry for Ensworth being "penalized" for playing Memphis Raleigh

Egypt, a perennial cellar-dweller in Memphis. Bowers frequently has to take what he can get, but this game had BAD written all over it. BTW, their stadium was the site of the East-Craigmont game last Friday, which was stopped near the end of the first half due to GUNSHOTS being fired from a car outside the apartment complex next to the stadium!

 

According to the newspaper account which I read, this was the second shooting incident during a football game at R-E within a three week period. The paper quoted the Craigmont coach as saying something like "None of the shots were fired towards the football field, so I thought once they got the guns away, we would resume play." Guess life is different in Memphis???!!!???

[owlbooster]

You, sir, are absolutely correct - MUS was actually the No. 2 seed out of the West last year and BA beat them on the East side of the bracket. CBHS, which lost to BGA in the quarterfinals, was actually the No. 1 seed in the West side of the bracket. Baylor (the No. 2 seed in the Middle/East) won the West and advanced to the Finals by beating BGA in the semis. Ensworth (the No. 1 seed in the Middle/East) advanced to the finals by beating BA (for the second time that season) in the semis. Sorry for the misinformation - I was thinking that MUS was the No. 1 seed in the West every year since this system started and had forgotten that they had to play BA in Brentwood last year. Ensworth knows that both teams are far different from the teams that met at MUS in the season-opener and believe me, no one who is associated with Ensworth would ever take MUS lightly. Thanks for correcting my prior post.

BA played at MUS last year - M/E #3 at West #2....I was there....