How Could The Playoffs Be Improved?

[oneoak]

I think Ohio has a good playoff system, but could it be improved? How about the top 32 teams get in regardless of region, more or fewer divisions, more or fewer teams per region? What do you think?

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

too many, don't want them watered down any further. there has to be some kind of goal for winning.

[OSU22]

too many, don't want them watered down any further. there has to be some kind of goal for winning.

I think when he says top 32 teams he means that the number of teams making the playoffs would be the exact same. top 8 make it out of 4 regions, but instead of top 8 in each region you have top 8 in the entire division. for example there may be 3 or 4 teams who aren't in the top 8 in one region but have higher points than other teams in other regions but they're left out because their division is is tougher to make the playoffs. so it wouldn't be more games, it would just be a restructure.

The problem would most definitely be travel. There could be 4-5 + hour drives, maybe even longer, for a week 111 game.

Maybe that's what they're trying to move toward with how they screwed up region 21

[Mavrick2016]

Go back to the top 4 teams in each region.

[smurray]

Go back to the top 4 teams in each region.

But because region A is so much tougher than region B a team in region A finished 5th in that region and is left out but had more computer points than say the 2nd or 3rd ranked team in region B.
I understand the concept of the top 32 teams in each division making it regardless of region as another poster suggested, but travel would be a nightmare depending on how they are matched up. You can’t really do 1 vs 32 and so on, you pretty much have to do regions.

I can’t see it messed with too much in the near future.

[NY BUCK]

This is just an opinion of coarse but to me I don’t really see the benefit of being the 1 seed. If you play a tougher schedule you can still be really good but you could be at a 6,7 or 8 seed. Therefor the 1 seed could be playing the best team in the region still. There’s no benefit from being the 1 or the 4. You get one home game then you are on the road just like everybody else. I don’t know what really could be done if anything but I think it’s really the only sport the one seed don’t get much benefit, could be wrong on that though. Other than that I don’t see much wrong with our playoff system

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

great question.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

I still say have a private and a public school state champion. but ole dutch will rub me raw fer sayin it.

[Mavrick2016]

Go back to top 4 teams in each region, 1 seed plays 4 seed, 2 seed plays 3 seed.
winners play for region championship, winner moves to State Semi Finals.

[trojandave]

Ohio has 7 divisions, and that's fine with me.......there shouldn't be fewer, when only 7 schools get to hoist the state championship trophy. In this day and age when financial issues plague school systems to the point of putting up levies on election ballots, I think the current system of 8 teams in each region is important. If a school is still in the running for a playoff spot by week 9 or 10, then most likely it will result in greater fan attendance which in turn will put more money in a school's pocket. I know for a fact that at Portsmouth HS football games, concessions are a big part of helping to fund certain activities such as band or varsity basketball. Boosters can only do so much, and money for non-revenue sports has to come from somewhere. Football at most schools is the big moneymaker, and a school whose football program is mired in mediocrity no doubt gets hurt in the pocketbook.

As far as the playoffs being watered down, it took my school, Portsmouth HS, 11 years to get back to the playoffs, even with the 8 teams qualifying standard. It's still not easy to make the playoffs......there are many more schools that don't make it that do make it (about 200 out of about 720). If Portsmouth ever wins a state title in whatever division, I can guarantee you that I won't feel that my Trojans accomplished any less of a state championship just because there were 6 other state champions crowned that weekend.

With all the talk about separating public vs. private on SEOPS, then for those that want that separation, be glad that there are 7 divisions. If there were only 4 or 5, that would be more fuel for the fire and more frustration for schools that annually put out a good football team but can't get past an "academy" or "jesuit" or "catholic" school in the playoffs. More divisions mean more possibilities and more hope, and the trickle down effect is more fan interest, which in turn means that the bleachers will have fewer empty seats. Also an important consideration is that individual players will get more notice, and just maybe open a door for that player to get a scholarship offer of some type that otherwise may not be possible with him sitting at home in week 11.

It sounds noble to want fewer divisions, but to have 7 in a state where 720 schools play football is not such a bad thing. If there's one revision that could be adopted it would be in realigning regions within the divisions. There are some regions that are much stronger than others, but the one obstacle to realignment would be travel considerations, which has been mentioned above. What invariably happens in the current system is that some really strong teams get eliminated in the early rounds because of the region they're in, while some lesser teams are still playing by week 12 or 13. I don't know the perfect solution to straighten this out, and in reality there will never by a perfect system.

What I do know that if a school can't be one of the 200 schools to make the playoffs, then they need to look at the inner workings of their program and not blame the current system that we have in Ohio.

[EasternDspy]

Go back to top 4 teams in each region, 1 seed plays 4 seed, 2 seed plays 3 seed.
winners play for region championship, winner moves to State Semi Finals.

I hate hate this. The system is flawed already you got teams going 9-1 and 10-0 not making playoffs. I want the best teams to win. Prove it on the field. I say cut reg season to 9 weeks and expand to 16 teams. Give more teams time to improve. Week 1 or 2 loss can keep you out. The team you are in week 1 or 2 is not the same team in week 11.

[OSU22]

Go back to top 4 teams in each region, 1 seed plays 4 seed, 2 seed plays 3 seed.
winners play for region championship, winner moves to State Semi Finals.

Yea this would be a HUGE step backwards.

[2trap_4ever]

Go back to top 4 teams in each region, 1 seed plays 4 seed, 2 seed plays 3 seed.
winners play for region championship, winner moves to State Semi Finals.

I hate hate this. The system is flawed already you got teams going 9-1 and 10-0 not making playoffs. I want the best teams to win. Prove it on the field. I say cut reg season to 9 weeks and expand to 16 teams. Give more teams time to improve. Week 1 or 2 loss can keep you out. The team you are in week 1 or 2 is not the same team in week 11.

This except, start season earlier and still play 10 regular season games plus playoffs. I would say to look at improving computer points system as a whole.

[EasternDspy]

Go back to top 4 teams in each region, 1 seed plays 4 seed, 2 seed plays 3 seed.
winners play for region championship, winner moves to State Semi Finals.

I hate hate this. The system is flawed already you got teams going 9-1 and 10-0 not making playoffs. I want the best teams to win. Prove it on the field. I say cut reg season to 9 weeks and expand to 16 teams. Give more teams time to improve. Week 1 or 2 loss can keep you out. The team you are in week 1 or 2 is not the same team in week 11.

This except, start season earlier and still play 10 regular season games plus playoffs. I would say to look at improving computer points system as a whole.

That works as well

[Bumpy]

For the most part I think what Ohio has is a pretty good system, however I do think the OHSAA could do a better job of region assignments. Other than D1 ( because they only have 2 regions ) D2 through D7 having 4 regions each should mean the week 11 teams on the road should have maybe a 2 hour drive at the most. The most recent region assignments could have a 1st rd. game between a school from Lawrence county vs. a Mahoning county school, about 4 hours. Several other examples of 3 to 3 1/2 hr drives also. Ohio is not a large state and being able to split it up into 4 sections should not be rocket science, I know that southeast Ohio does pose a small issue because of the sparse population but it still should not make for a 3 1/2 to 4 hr first round drive for the players and fans that want to attend.

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Here are some things I would do.
Highest seed (1) being the highest gets home field as long as they are left, up to the semi finals. Then the semi finals will be played as close as they can be to an equal distance between the teams be left.

Ref (Crews) would be the same group that worked during the season.

State finals would be played on Friday and Saturday and as close to the center of the state as possible.

[Jokerswild]

The way it’s done here in Ohio is the best way. The more you win and the more your opponents win the more points you earn to get to the playoffs. Yes there are blowout with 1 versus 8 but there are cases where a 7-3 8 seed blows out the 10-0 1 seed. So at the present state it works. No need to expand or subtract.

[Omega]

too many, don't want them watered down any further. there has to be some kind of goal for winning.

I am with you Bait. 224 high schools, or about 25% of Ohio high schools qualify for the football playoffs. I follow Waverly and I am pleased that they made the playoffs the last two seasons. Yet the performance in their first round losses indicate the Tigers are not quite ready to compete with the best in the state. My recommendations would be to cut back to five divisions consisting of 16 teams, with those teams being the 16 highest point earners regardless of geographic region. I know it will not happen, but the topic is great for discussion.

[Izladoom]

I like the idea of top 32 regardless of region That way the best 32 teams gets in and quality teams don’t get left out just because their region was stacked

[93Bulldog]

I like the idea of top 32 regardless of region That way the best 32 teams gets in and quality teams don’t get left out just because their region was stacked

That does not guarantee the best 32.
The harbin system doesnt recognize strength of programs, strength of area in terms of quality football being played. Athens can have a weak schedule, go 10-0 & be one of the top 16 point earners in the state - but does that mean they are really better than a (6-4) DeSales which finishes 33rd and misses the cut?

There is no perfect system, it doesn't exist and never will. Not when you have 106 teams (each division) that play in completely different parts of the state vs completely different opponents.