Football Playoff Format Changes Being Considered By OHSAA

[TGIF]

Remember the days of 5 Divisions and only top 4 in each region made it. You didn't have many, "if any" 30-40 pt blowouts in the 1st round.
When you went to watch a game, you was going to get a good game with 2 playoff caliber teams.

[FANOSPORTS]

In response to "enigmaax" post: Yep, grew up in small communities (2,500 @ 1,500) right across from each other on both sides of the beautiful Ohio river, one from k-8 and the other for high school many years ago. My high school has 5 total team State titles with a couple runners-up's in different sports after expansion and/or dropping down in classification/division over the years. My K-8 school area has 1 State title, 1 runner up and another state appearance in baseball. Both schools had many teams in football that were playoff worthy by today's standards that didn't get a sniff when writer's, media and newspapers ruled before playoffs started... and after the playoffs started they had a few 10-0, 9-1 teams that didn't make it back in the 4 team per region times. I think those teams could have competed in the 8 team expansions of today very well. There are plenty of lopsided championship games for sure but the 2nd place team in those instances had to play well and go thru 4 other opponents to get there and definitely earned that game. Yes, I agree about the community pride, success etc. and the signs posted around the outskirts of small towns with championships are good and uplifting for the area. If we're talking about kids later going into the work world with confidence they need to understand that your employer has expectations also and most base your bonuses, promotions etc. on your performance . If you're exceptional , highly or fully successful you'll be rewarded and if you're just meeting standards, then not so much. What lessons are they learning if they think, hey guys we can make the playoffs if we go 5-5 and beat our rival. Bottom line, what started out as 12 teams in 3 divisions in 1973 is now 224 teams in 7 divisions and could soon grow to 336 teams. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't see where it helps anyone involved other than the OHSAA because participation numbers for football are declining nationwide and will continue to do so for various reasons.

[First and Goal]

I'm in favor of adding more teams if your not going to split public schools vs private schools come playoff time. Big disadvantage when you can hand pick your players vs playing with what you are dealt. I've been coaching for 22 years in both systems and the talent is much different. Plus it generates more money for the schools and OHSAA.

[art_vandelay]

I'm all for it just cause football regular season would start a week earlier! Won't improve the quality of playoff games, but gives me some more games to go to for an extra week each fall. Also, look at area teams that would potentially be able to keep playing next week if this was in place this year (Oak Hill, Valley, Northwest, etc.)*

[FANOSPORTS]

I'm in favor of adding more teams if your not going to split public schools vs private schools come playoff time. Big disadvantage when you can hand pick your players vs playing with what you are dealt. I've been coaching for 22 years in both systems and the talent is much different. Plus it generates more money for the schools and OHSAA.

I just counted 15 Catholic schools that would be still alive if it were 12 teams this year with the worst 2 records being Ursuline (2-7) and McNicholas (3-6) in D4 . The expansion would definitely favor the private/parochial schools IMO.

[joshwheeler]

I like it. No one cares that all basketball teams make the tournament, why should we care that more teams make the tournament in football?

[EasternDspy]

Right now 1 injury 1 loss can hurt you. I’m all for more football.

[GoBucks1047]

I'd be for expansion only if we went back to 6 divisions. Keep D1 as is with 8 teams per region, but increase it from 72 to 80 schools. Then there would be 31-32 teams per region for D2-D6, and the top 12 teams would make the playoffs in those division. It'd be playoff expansion, but it wouldn't be as much as currently proposed. You may see some instances of a 4-6 team making a playoff and they'd be a few 5-5 teams, but it'd be less likely and would function similarly to NFL.

[enigmaax]

FANOSPORTS - Thanks for the response. Sounds like your school was pretty good. I think of schools like Waterford, Eastern, Southern, etc. When I was growing up, teams like that were lucky to play each other just to have a chance to win a few games a year. We celebrated two 5-5 seasons at Waterford in about the first 25 years of football. Switching to the TVC stepped down the competition, but it also increased viability of the program, numbers increased, attitudes changed, etc. First playoff game, lost to Danville 40-0. Nobody cared. I used to sit in the rain with about 6 people when Waterford got drubbed on the road a couple hours away for 50-point losses. There were hundreds of people who stuck out the cold to see that game. And the kids always have that “first” accomplishment.

To me, a single event like that doesn’t foster any anti-real world lesson. There was a formula, they achieved something within the formula, and have a little something to show for it. No big deal to people outside of there, but a major life event for the kids involved. No harm in that. And you know what? For some programs and communities, a moment like that doesn’t hold the same value because they have bigger prizes - their first playoff win or so many consecutive years in the playoffs or a Regional or State title. That’s okay, too. There can be different levels of success and it doesn’t have to lessen someone else’s self-perspective. If it goes to 12 teams, there’ll still be 15+ teams that don’t make it.

It isn’t a whole lot different than how some schools celebrate league titles and sectional titles in other sports. That might be a reasonable level of achievement for a given place to shoot for and it doesn’t in any way hide reality (because you still know you weren’t the best in the state, region, district, etc.).

[FANOSPORTS]

FANOSPORTS - Thanks for the response. Sounds like your school was pretty good. I think of schools like Waterford, Eastern, Southern, etc. When I was growing up, teams like that were lucky to play each other just to have a chance to win a few games a year. We celebrated two 5-5 seasons at Waterford in about the first 25 years of football. Switching to the TVC stepped down the competition, but it also increased viability of the program, numbers increased, attitudes changed, etc. First playoff game, lost to Danville 40-0. Nobody cared. I used to sit in the rain with about 6 people when Waterford got drubbed on the road a couple hours away for 50-point losses. There were hundreds of people who stuck out the cold to see that game. And the kids always have that “first” accomplishment.

To me, a single event like that doesn’t foster any anti-real world lesson. There was a formula, they achieved something within the formula, and have a little something to show for it. No big deal to people outside of there, but a major life event for the kids involved. No harm in that. And you know what? For some programs and communities, a moment like that doesn’t hold the same value because they have bigger prizes - their first playoff win or so many consecutive years in the playoffs or a Regional or State title. That’s okay, too. There can be different levels of success and it doesn’t have to lessen someone else’s self-perspective. If it goes to 12 teams, there’ll still be 15+ teams that don’t make it.

It isn’t a whole lot different than how some schools celebrate league titles and sextional titles in other sports. That might be a reasonable level of achievement for a given place to shoot for and it doesn’t in any way hide reality (because you still know you weren’t the best in the state, region, district, etc.).

Well said. The 2 school districts I attended above are average at best now record wise in most sports and have continued a decline in graduation class sizes over the last 40 years for various reasons like a lot of others in that SEO/WV region but both do the best they can with what they've got and I would love to see them both become relevant again in athletics soon.

[EasternDspy]

Who cares if .500 teams make playoffs? Football is supposed to be fun I think it would set up some sweet Playoffs storylines and upsets. It would make season mean more teams would schedule up to get a bye. One loss to a great team won’t hurt you meaning will see better matchups in reg season. One trip to playoffs for a bad program can get more kids interested and programs can build. Fort made playoffs in 12 and 13 got blew out by Kirtland and Valley but those games got the school excited for football. Those blowouts got more kids to come out and play.

[Orange and Brown]

Who cares if .500 teams make playoffs? Football is supposed to be fun I think it would set up some sweet Playoffs storylines and upsets. It would make season mean more teams would schedule up to get a bye. One loss to a great team won’t hurt you meaning will see better matchups in reg season. One trip to playoffs for a bad program can get more kids interested and programs can build. Fort made playoffs in 12 and 13 got blew out by Kirtland and Valley but those games got the school excited for football. Those blowouts got more kids to come out and play.

That's a convincing argument. I'm on the fence with it right now. I'm going to need a couple of days to process it lol

[Green 50]

Who cares if .500 teams make playoffs? Football is supposed to be fun I think it would set up some sweet Playoffs storylines and upsets. It would make season mean more teams would schedule up to get a bye. One loss to a great team won’t hurt you meaning will see better matchups in reg season. One trip to playoffs for a bad program can get more kids interested and programs can build. Fort made playoffs in 12 and 13 got blew out by Kirtland and Valley but those games got the school excited for football. Those blowouts got more kids to come out and play.

That's a convincing argument. I'm on the fence with it right now. I'm going to need a couple of days to process it lol

Many local teams have enjoyed successes from the (watered down playoffs) Trimble who seems like a dynasty in seo had only I play off win before there were 7 divisions

[enigmaax]

Who cares if .500 teams make playoffs? Football is supposed to be fun I think it would set up some sweet Playoffs storylines and upsets. It would make season mean more teams would schedule up to get a bye. One loss to a great team won’t hurt you meaning will see better matchups in reg season. One trip to playoffs for a bad program can get more kids interested and programs can build. Fort made playoffs in 12 and 13 got blew out by Kirtland and Valley but those games got the school excited for football. Those blowouts got more kids to come out and play.

Agree. I think people sometimes lose sight of the fact that these are high school kids in formative years and try to apply adult/professional persoectives to this level (same as the scheduling conversations). I have an entirely different opinion when it comes to watering down professional playoffs and to an extent, even college sports. There are completely different dynamics at play between those levels. The more kids that can experience cool moments, the better.

[cbolt]

Might as well just let everybody in, geez what a mess! We get to see more 50 and 60 point blowouts. Agree with some posters that divisions definitely need cut if they do crazy stuff like this, but they would lose too much money.

[Falcon01]

First the Jamboree game, and now this... the ohsaa crapping all over soccer kids and the ohsaa's own idea to do futbol friday night. What a joke.

[MrFirstTake]

I feel like everything is fine where it’s at sure there’s a team or two that get left out but that’s part of any level of sports you have someone who’s maybe just as good or maybe a little better or worse than the last team in and sometimes you never get the chance to prove it

[rxburgfan]

Basketball coaches will hate it.

[Pol pot]

Football Playoff Format Changes Being Considered By OHSAA
https://statelinesportsnetwork.net/2019 ... d-by-ohsaa

FANOSPORTS not gonna like this. I don’t either. Go another week later and too many 4-6 and 5-5 teams will make it

My, my, my I don't know what to say !!!!! How much more can we water it down ? I guess just do like the other sports and let everyone in and expand it 3 more weeks !!!!! Then every Johnny has a chance to play another game. Wow !!!!! (Politics and $$$ and just hide behind the guise of directors and administrators, what a crock !!!!!)

This is a proposal brought by the OHIO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION, and not the OHSAA. The Coaches Associations bring stuff like this all the time and the State votes on it. Just like the baseball season being changed, Softball just asking for a revision of their 10 days, and many other proposals.

[Pol pot]

First the Jamboree game, and now this... the ohsaa crapping all over soccer kids and the ohsaa's own idea to do futbol friday night. What a joke.

This is a proposal brought by the OHIO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION, and not the OHSAA. The Coaches Associations bring stuff like this all the time and the State votes on it. Just like the baseball season being changed, Softball just asking for a revision of their 10 days, and many other proposals.