3A - Quarterfinalists vs. Final AP Poll

[CHARGERFAN]

I am always of the opinion that high school football decides it's final placings through the TSSAA playoff system, rather than through polls by voters. However, I have found that alt least this year, the two systems correspond pretty well. Here is what I mean.

The TSSAA Playoff Bracket for 3A shows these Quarterfinal games:

Alcoa @ Gatlinburg-Pittman

Giles County @ Meigs County  

Liberty Creek @ East Nashville

Covington @ Dyersburg

So, I looked back at the final AP Poll for 3A published on Oct. 30. Here is the poll:

https://dailymemphian.com/section/sportshigh-school-sports/article/39565/ten-memphis-area-high-school-teams-ranked-ap-prep-football-polls

Division I - Class 3A
School	Record	Points	Prv
1. Alcoa (10)	8-1	116	1
2. Dyersburg (1)	10-0	107	2
3. Meigs County (1)	10-0	100	3
4. Gatlinburg-Pittman	9-1	76	4
5. East Nashville	8-2	67	5
6. Giles County	7-2	60	7
7. Covington	8-2	59	6
8. McMinn Central	7-3	24	8
9. Sheffield	8-2	19	NR
10. Kingston	7-3	14	9

Others receiving votes: Unicoi County 10. Westview 4. Sequatchie County 2. Chuckey-Doak 2.

Comparing these lists, seven of the eight Quarterfinals teams were the top seven teams listed in the AP Poll. I find it interesting that all seven made it to the third round of the playoffs without anyone getting upset and knocked out. And, I have to conclude that the AP voters did a very good job of identifying the top teams in the state. 

I'm curious. Do you think this is unusual, or do you think that the playoffs and the polls always agree like this?

[tradertwo]

3 hours ago, CHARGERFAN said:

I am always of the opinion that high school football decides it's final placings through the TSSAA playoff system, rather than through polls by voters. However, I have found that alt least this year, the two systems correspond pretty well. Here is what I mean.

The TSSAA Playoff Bracket for 3A shows these Quarterfinal games:

Alcoa @ Gatlinburg-Pittman

Giles County @ Meigs County  

Liberty Creek @ East Nashville

Covington @ Dyersburg

So, I looked back at the final AP Poll for 3A published on Oct. 30. Here is the poll:

https://dailymemphian.com/section/sportshigh-school-sports/article/39565/ten-memphis-area-high-school-teams-ranked-ap-prep-football-polls

Division I - Class 3A
School	Record	Points	Prv
1. Alcoa (10)	8-1	116	1
2. Dyersburg (1)	10-0	107	2
3. Meigs County (1)	10-0	100	3
4. Gatlinburg-Pittman	9-1	76	4
5. East Nashville	8-2	67	5
6. Giles County	7-2	60	7
7. Covington	8-2	59	6
8. McMinn Central	7-3	24	8
9. Sheffield	8-2	19	NR
10. Kingston	7-3	14	9

Others receiving votes: Unicoi County 10. Westview 4. Sequatchie County 2. Chuckey-Doak 2.

Comparing these lists, seven of the eight Quarterfinals teams were the top seven teams listed in the AP Poll. I find it interesting that all seven made it to the third round of the playoffs without anyone getting upset and knocked out. And, I have to conclude that the AP voters did a very good job of identifying the top teams in the state. 

I'm curious. Do you think this is unusual, or do you think that the playoffs and the polls always agree like this?

I think it looks better because of the balance between the grand divisions... if more of the top teams were relatively close to each other geographically, the quarters would look more different than the rankings.