Coaches seeding the playoffs

[Cross Bones]

I've seen people suggest the coaches should seed the playoffs like they do in the other sports.

Almost all games happen at the same time Friday night so when are these coaches going out and watching the other 31 schools in their class (that aren't determined until Saturday week 9)?

During the week they are breaking down film of their 9 opponents and game planning. When are they watching film of the other 31 schools in their class in order to be knowledgeable enough to seed them?

This is just a bad idea all around. Can someone convince me otherwise?

 

[mc140]

I've seen people suggest the coaches should seed the playoffs like they do in the other sports.

Almost all games happen at the same time Friday night so when are these coaches going out and watching the other 31 schools in their class (that aren't determined until Saturday week 9)?

During the week they are breaking down film of their 9 opponents and game planning. When are they watching film of the other 31 schools in their class in order to be knowledgeable enough to seed them?

This is just a bad idea all around. Can someone convince me otherwise?

Terrible idea. Some basketball coaches routinely screw up seeding and they know who is in their sectional months in advance. Others don't even bother to submit votes.

 

[SouthofI80Fan]

Nope. Won't work, too many coach have bias and will seed in a way that favors their path.

The only unbiased method is something objective which is why wins, playoff points, and opponent wins are used for seeding.

I think they should use defeated opponents for playoff points rather than opponent wins.

 

[Doctor_D]

I’m not totally opposed to some kind of formula that includes computer ratings, but I’d still want factors of the current system (wins/opponent wins) as part of the equation. Only for seeding. I still don’t mind the current system even though it has flaws.

I’m pretty sure the computer rankings are somewhat flawed because it’s my understanding that they all assign a preseason score to each team, and I don’t think that works very well when applied to every team in the state.

 

[Anon1760269333]

I’ve been hoping for this for a long time and think it’d be a great idea. 32 coaches all rank the teams and then use the averages of each team to come up with the seeds. Feel free to throw away the two best seeds given to a team and two worst to protect against outliners.

We’d no longer have 9-0/8-1 CPS teams hosting and getting dominated in round 1 or CPSvsCPS round 1 games.

This year we wouldn’t have JCA or Loyola playing against #1 seeds.

Coaches see film of numerous teams throughout the year and would do their research to make for knowledgeable rankings.

Hope this gets legs.

 

[4Afan]

I’ve been hoping for this for a long time and think it’d be a great idea. 32 coaches all rank the teams and then use the averages of each team to come up with the seeds. Feel free to throw away the two best seeds given to a team and two worst to protect against outliners.

We’d no longer have 9-0/8-1 CPS teams hosting and getting dominated in round 1 or CPSvsCPS round 1 games.

This year we wouldn’t have JCA or Loyola playing against #1 seeds.

Coaches see film of numerous teams throughout the year and would do their research to make for knowledgeable rankings.

Hope this gets legs.

Coaches don't properly seed in other sports and some don't even submit their seeds so what makes you think it would be different for football?

Also, coaches are worried about their current and future opponents, when are they going to find time to watch film on a random team not on their schedule?

When would they watch all this film and seed the teams? We don't know the teams until Saturday night after week 9. In every other sport the sectional seeding is done while the season is still in progress.

 

[Anon1760269333]

Coaches don't properly seed in other sports and some don't even submit their seeds so what makes you think it would be different for football?

Also, coaches are worried about their current and future opponents, when are they going to find time to watch film on a random team not on their schedule?

When would they watch all this film and seed the teams? We don't know the teams until Saturday night after week 9. In every other sport the sectional seeding is done while the season is still in progress.

Not saying they’d watch film on all 32 teams.

 

[4Afan]

Not saying they’d watch film on all 32 teams.

So how are they supposed to accurately seed all 32 teams? In other sports they play most every other team in their sectional.

which team's films are they supposed to watch and when do they seed the teams? No one knows who is in or who is in which class until the season ends.

 

[Anon1760269333]

So how are they supposed to accurately seed all 32 teams? In other sports they play most every other team in their sectional.

which team's films are they supposed to watch and when do they seed the teams? No one knows who is in or who is in which class until the season ends.

I think you’re over thinking it.

You could personally give a decent go at ranking 4A.

Comparing scores, tradition, discussing w other coaches.

 

[4Afan]

I think you’re over thinking it.

You could personally give a decent go at ranking 4A.

Comparing scores, tradition, discussing w other coaches.

Alright you lost me. You went from coaches watching film to seeding on tradition? What does that have to do with this year's teams?

You keep ignoring the main point, when would all this happen? Teams get announced Saturday night at 8pm after week 9, when would coaches talk to each other or evaluate 31 other teams? What would the deadline be and when would the completed brackets be released?

 

[Anon1760269333]

Alright you lost me. You went from coaches watching film to seeding on tradition? What does that have to do with this year's teams?

You keep ignoring the main point, when would all this happen? Teams get announced Saturday night at 8pm after week 9, when would coaches talk to each other or evaluate 31 other teams? What would the deadline be and when would the completed brackets be released?

That’s your main point - not mine. They watch film and talk to other coaches all through the summer and season.

After 9 weeks of games, coaches would have enough info to come up with an educated guess of ranking 32 teams.

 

[Anon1760269333]

JCA for example.

Yes they are 4-5 but coaches would still rank them high based on tradition and comparing scores.

not that hard

 

[SiuCubFan8]

JCA for example.

Yes they are 4-5 but coaches would still rank them high based on tradition and comparing scores.

not that hard

1999 has nothing to do with 2025…

 

[4Afan]

That’s your main point - not mine. They watch film and talk to other coaches all through the summer and season.

After 9 weeks of games, coaches would have enough info to come up with an educated guess of ranking 32 teams.

I promise you the Morris and Rochelle coaches never once watched film or mentioned Freeburg throughout the season.

How does it work in 1A-6A where brackets are divided north/south? Do coaches seed both the north and south? Why would the north coaches care about the seeding in the south and vice versa? If they only do one or the other based on their location how do they know where the dividing line will be for which teams they should be following?

What makes you think the coaches want to do this?

Here's the thing, the IHSA is a member run organization, the IHSA oversees and governs what the members want. Don't you think if coaches had issues with seeding someone would have brought forward a proposal to change the way teams are seeded?

 

[Breeze33]

I've seen people suggest the coaches should seed the playoffs like they do in the other sports.

Almost all games happen at the same time Friday night so when are these coaches going out and watching the other 31 schools in their class (that aren't determined until Saturday week 9)?

During the week they are breaking down film of their 9 opponents and game planning. When are they watching film of the other 31 schools in their class in order to be knowledgeable enough to seed them?

This is just a bad idea all around. Can someone convince me otherwise?

 

[Anon1760269333]

I promise you the Morris and Rochelle coaches never once watched film or mentioned Freeburg throughout the season.

How does it work in 1A-6A where brackets are divided north/south? Do coaches seed both the north and south? Why would the north coaches care about the seeding in the south and vice versa? If they only do one or the other based on their location how do they know where the dividing line will be for which teams they should be following?

What makes you think the coaches want to do this?

Here's the thing, the IHSA is a member run organization, the IHSA oversees and governs what the members want. Don't you think if coaches had issues with seeding someone would have brought forward a proposal to change the way teams are seeded?

you ask too many questions.

I like the idea of coaches voting over what we have now. That’s enough for me.

 

[4Afan]

you ask too many questions.

I like the idea of coaches voting over what we have now. That’s enough for me.

Lol they're legitimate questions that need to be answered if you want to go this route. The fact that you have zero answers is why this idea is a non starter.

 

[SiuCubFan8]

you ask too many questions.

I like the idea of coaches voting over what we have now. That’s enough for me.

The lack of thought you put into this is truly impressive.

 

[akz68]

Agree with all of the above why coaches seeding is a bad idea.

Here’s what you do. You take Edgy, Mike Clark, Michael O’Brien, Soucie, Harris, and 2 to 4 Central and Southern Illinois sportswriters and do it like the College Football Playoff Ranking broadcasts on ESPN.

Each Saturday night starting after Week 5, you put them all up in a nice Downtown Chicago hotel room, maybe mix it up once or twice and find a good hotel in Bloomington/Normal for travel purposes considering the downstate guys, and you do it like the CFP does it. Cater in nice food, a seafood tower, sure why not they deserve it , but get them in a room to discuss their preliminary rankings for each class, and they release the preliminary rankings via the Edgy and Clark podcast each Thursday night after Week 5 and you do it for 4 weeks before then having them do the final reveal Week 9 at the IHSA studios in Bloomington the Saturday of the playoff pairings.

The preliminary rankings get everyone on here fired up and engaging on the message board and social media, that makes the new On3 owners happy and there you go, a nice way to drive up fan engagement.

The sportswriters know more than the coaches. Trust me you don’t want coaches doing this for the many reasons you’ve seen mentioned above.

 

[4Afan]

Agree with all of the above why coaches seeding is a bad idea.

Here’s what you do. You take Edgy, Mike Clark, Michael O’Brien, Soucie, Harris, and 2 to 4 Central and Southern Illinois sportswriters and do it like the College Football Playoff Ranking broadcasts on ESPN.

Each Saturday night starting after Week 5, you put them all up in a nice Downtown Chicago hotel room, maybe mix it up once or twice and find a good hotel in Bloomington/Normal for travel purposes considering the downstate guys, and you do it like the CFP does it. Cater in nice food, a seafood tower, sure why not they deserve it , but get them in a room to discuss their preliminary rankings for each class, and they release the preliminary rankings via the Edgy and Clark podcast each Thursday night after Week 5 and you do it for 4 weeks before then having them do the final reveal Week 9 at the IHSA studios in Bloomington the Saturday of the playoff pairings.

The preliminary rankings get everyone on here fired up and engaging on the message board and social media, that makes the new On3 owners happy and there you go, a nice way to drive up fan engagement.

The sportswriters know more than the coaches. Trust me you don’t want coaches doing this for the many reasons you’ve seen mentioned above.

Soucie explaining his rankings.