Playing better teams makes you better ....... oh really ?!?!?

[blazer1set]

So the conventional wisdom goes something like this:  you play against better competition in order to get better yourself.   This is the standard argument (and perhaps rightfully so) to explain how certain unnamed Tri-cities teams can dominate locally, get the fan base all excited (“this is finally the year!!!!â€), and then get smashed in the playoffs year after year.     So let’s look at a recent scenario and see if our premise holds true.

•  Crockett had back to back games with Science Hill, Elizabethton and Dobyns Bennett (yikes!).
•  Crockett lost all 3 games by a combined score of 203-28.
•  Crockett had a run against far superior teams, the best in the Tri-cities (South fans, you’re the best too, just haven’t played Crockett in our little scenario, so don’t get huffy..)

So Crockett should be so good now, after having played such awesome competition, that they are going to win out by an avg score of 38-13 and go deep into the 5A playoffs.
Crockett fans, nothing personal here, this just seems to be a good example to illustrate our premise.   BTW Boone gets 5 back to back games starting next week with South/DB/Greeneville/TN High/Science Hill.       Based on our opening premise, Boone will be so good at the end of this run that they will be in Cookeville on Dec 6 representing 5A.    Gold ball, welcome home to Gray, TN.
Ok, a lot of tongue-in-cheek stuff above, but how about it, does playing better competition REALLY make you better?
 

[MidTennFootball]

So the conventional wisdom goes something like this:  you play against better competition in order to get better yourself.   This is the standard argument (and perhaps rightfully so) to explain how certain unnamed Tri-cities teams can dominate locally, get the fan base all excited (“this is finally the year!!!!â€), and then get smashed in the playoffs year after year.     So let’s look at a recent scenario and see if our premise holds true.

•  Crockett had back to back games with Science Hill, Elizabethton and Dobyns Bennett (yikes!).
•  Crockett lost all 3 games by a combined score of 203-28.
•  Crockett had a run against far superior teams, the best in the Tri-cities (South fans, you’re the best too, just haven’t played Crockett in our little scenario, so don’t get huffy..)

So Crockett should be so good now, after having played such awesome competition, that they are going to win out by an avg score of 38-13 and go deep into the 5A playoffs.

Crockett fans, nothing personal here, this just seems to be a good example to illustrate our premise.   BTW Boone gets 5 back to back games starting next week with South/DB/Greeneville/TN High/Science Hill.       Based on our opening premise, Boone will be so good at the end of this run that they will be in Cookeville on Dec 6 representing 5A.    Gold ball, welcome home to Gray, TN.

Ok, a lot of tongue-in-cheek stuff above, but how about it, does playing better competition REALLY make you better?

 

 

Yes it does. But if your a team that is going to struggle, you need to be realistic in who you play. Teams like Crockett need to probably schedule one tough game out of district to test themselves and make the rest of them very winnable games.

 

Independence is a good instance of how playing bad competition does not do you any good. You dont get better by beating a tewam 49-0. You get better by being in a tough competitive game and figuring out what you need to work on. Thats why you need to play good competition

[Thisismyface]

Maybe the adage should go something more like "competition makes you better."

 

Getting destroyed by teams that you can't match up with doesn't teach a whole lot week in and week out. Being competitive and having successes and failures, wins and losses, that you can learn from and be encouraged by will grow results more than a weekly beat down.

[Hoganknows]

The way the TSSAA playoffs are now....is playing tuff competition in your out of district games really to your advantage? Think not!

[MidTennFootball]

The way the TSSAA playoffs are now....is playing tuff competition in your out of district games really to your advantage? Think not!

 

It is if you want to win a Gold Ball................

[notredame66]

I agree with Hogan on this one - if I'm a coach I try to get my team in the playoffs now-a-days

As for your reference to Indy, look at the team they played last night Ravenwood - if you think Indy had it easy RHS had played all cupcakes !

In fact not defending Indy but you don't hide when you play Blackman and Beech

.............

Back to the question lets use the SEC as an example - that is why they play teams like little sister of the poor university for non conf games

Back in the ol days of TSSAA I would say yes playing great teams will help you - it did Indy when they lost in title game some 7 yrs ago

Games with MBA and BA helped

[THSVikings2004]

So the conventional wisdom goes something like this:  you play against better competition in order to get better yourself.   This is the standard argument (and perhaps rightfully so) to explain how certain unnamed Tri-cities teams can dominate locally, get the fan base all excited (“this is finally the year!!!!â€), and then get smashed in the playoffs year after year.     So let’s look at a recent scenario and see if our premise holds true.

•  Crockett had back to back games with Science Hill, Elizabethton and Dobyns Bennett (yikes!).
•  Crockett lost all 3 games by a combined score of 203-28.
•  Crockett had a run against far superior teams, the best in the Tri-cities (South fans, you’re the best too, just haven’t played Crockett in our little scenario, so don’t get huffy..)

So Crockett should be so good now, after having played such awesome competition, that they are going to win out by an avg score of 38-13 and go deep into the 5A playoffs.

Crockett fans, nothing personal here, this just seems to be a good example to illustrate our premise.   BTW Boone gets 5 back to back games starting next week with South/DB/Greeneville/TN High/Science Hill.       Based on our opening premise, Boone will be so good at the end of this run that they will be in Cookeville on Dec 6 representing 5A.    Gold ball, welcome home to Gray, TN.

Ok, a lot of tongue-in-cheek stuff above, but how about it, does playing better competition REALLY make you better?

 

 

You have to have something to work with or build on, otherwise it won't matter.  In most years, a fantastic finish for Crockett would be 4th or 5th in the Big 7.  They probably wouldn't even make the playoffs in the Three Rivers.  So playing teams like Science Hill, DB, or Elizabethton isn't much help because they probably looked terrible in all facets of the game.  Teams that are in the cellar in my opinion need to schedule 3 or 4 morale boosters because they'll be more than challenged when they play the #1 or #2 team in the conference.  Schools that are middle of the pack need to mix it up a bit, and schools that dominate year in and year out and only lose maybe 1 conference game every 3-4 years need to look for tougher competition because that's what they'll see in the playoffs.

 

I'll use DB and Science Hill as examples because they're the two top teams in conference at the moment.  The Science Hill coaching staff and players are probably learning a thing or two about their team over the next two weeks as they play Siegel and BA.  Things they probably wouldn't have learned had they scheduled Sullivan North and Johnson County for example.  DB, while down this year, has upgraded their schedule.  They've had 3 games that have come down to the wire and they're only half way through the season; they've been battle tested already.  It certainly won't hurt those young players to get this experience.

Edited September 21, 2013 by THSVikings2004

[Hoganknows]

It is if you want to win a Gold Ball................

You got to make the playoffs first to get the Gold Ball...this playoff system has create a scheduling nightmare for good programs in 2A,4A and 6A.

[orngnblk]

You got to make the playoffs first to get the Gold Ball...this playoff system has create a scheduling nightmare for good programs in 2A,4A and 6A.

Try being a year in year out sucsessful small 1A school and try to get a team in 1A to play you,GB has to schedule 3A schools to fill a schedule.190 students compared to 400 students.It is tough!

[Hoganknows]

Try being a year in year out sucsessful small 1A school and try to get a team in 1A to play you,GB has to schedule 3A schools to fill a schedule.190 students compared to 400 students.It is tough!

Good example..Thanks

[RebRaider85]

You have to have something to work with or build on, otherwise it won't matter. In most years, a fantastic finish for Crockett would be 4th or 5th in the Big 7. They probably wouldn't even make the playoffs in the Three Rivers. So playing teams like Science Hill, DB, or Elizabethton isn't much help because they probably looked terrible in all facets of the game. Teams that are in the cellar in my opinion need to schedule 3 or 4 morale boosters because they'll be more than challenged when they play the #1 or #2 team in the conference. Schools that are middle of the pack need to mix it up a bit, and schools that dominate year in and year out and only lose maybe 1 conference game every 3-4 years need to look for tougher competition because that's what they'll see in the playoffs.

.

I think Sullivan Central has done a decent job with this. They have scheduled winnable (but not mercy rule) games out of conference and they have a shot at a couple conference wins. Given recent history, if they keep this up for a few years they might get some interest back in the program. I know their area youth league programs are definitely on the upswing. They might be OK in 5A in a few years. They actually have a shot at 6 wins this year... Edited September 22, 2013 by RebRaider85

[milo118]

I agree with an earlier post. It helps as long as you have something to build on not only this year but also years to follow. Your players have to buy into what the coach is selling. It all goes to the character of the team. Some teams do not respond to it well at all. Take siegel for example. Coach W demands his players play at a high level because he demands high level opponents. His players buy into that sort of philosophy. So it works or them. Take a look at the teams that play for the gold ball every year in 6A. Teams like Maryville and Whitehaven schedule teams like Ensworth and South Penola respectively. They schedule those teams in preparation for deep runs into the playoffs when you will see that caliber of team. But there is a flip side to that. Schedule teams that are better than you but don't go out and schedule Katy Tx if you are a sub .500 team ritually. So some restraint is required as well.

Edited September 22, 2013 by milo118