How Many Wins are Needed to make the Playoffs Now?

SiuCubFan8 said:

Is letting more teams into the playoffs giving participation trophies though? Last I checked, they are still only giving out 8 trophies at the end of the year (different argument if you think that is to many). Expanded playoffs has been a thing from professional leagues on down. The badge of honor of making the playoffs kinda ended a long time ago, no?

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The professional leagues are doing it because more games means more money, sponsorship deals, and a greater revenue percentage for the owners. Part of that is the massive TV deals and contracts with the streaming services.

At the HS level, I've argued for and against the expanded playoffs. It is good to give more teams a chance at making the playoffs but the two or three win bar is low.

I don't think anyone would've had an issue with an expanded playoff if they kept the bar at 5 wins gets you an automatic berth for seeds 1-32 and then seeds 33-48, it's based on wins, strength of schedule, and playoff points.

Maybe even create a relegation-style bracket where seeds 1-32 play in one bracket while seeds 33-48 are in another bracket. Winners in the relegation bracket move up and get to play the teams that lost in the higher 1-32 bracket. Reward the winners of a higher bracket with a bye week as the relegation winners and higher bracket losers battle it out. Once that's finalized, reseed the teams based on wins, strength of schedule, and playoff points. Then you've got one bracket where teams play for the state championship.

HuskieFan2020 said:

The professional leagues are doing it because more games means more money, sponsorship deals, and a greater revenue percentage for the owners. Part of that is the massive TV deals and contracts with the streaming services.

At the HS level, I've argued for and against the expanded playoffs. It is good to give more teams a chance at making the playoffs but the two or three win bar is low.

I don't think anyone would've had an issue with an expanded playoff if they kept the bar at 5 wins gets you an automatic berth for seeds 1-32 and then seeds 33-48, it's based on wins, strength of schedule, and playoff points.

Maybe even create a relegation-style bracket where seeds 1-32 play in one bracket while seeds 33-48 are in another bracket. Winners in the relegation bracket move up and get to play the teams that lost in the higher 1-32 bracket. Reward the winners of a higher bracket with a bye week as the relegation winners and higher bracket losers battle it out. Once that's finalized, reseed the teams based on wins, strength of schedule, and playoff points. Then you've got one bracket where teams play for the state championship.

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Fair point on professional and college expansion.

My point was, it isn't an "everyone gets a trophy" thing. The honor of making the playoffs is long gone, IMO. The same amount of trophies are handed out at the end of the year.

The schools voted for it and maybe they will end up voting against it in a year. We will see how it shakes out.

Wassup13_rivals219252 said:

Then call the regular season what it really is, the "Exhibition Season" which then goes straight to the "Playoffs".

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Like every other IHSA sport?

HuskieFan2020 said:

The professional leagues are doing it because more games means more money, sponsorship deals, and a greater revenue percentage for the owners. Part of that is the massive TV deals and contracts with the streaming services.

At the HS level, I've argued for and against the expanded playoffs. It is good to give more teams a chance at making the playoffs but the two or three win bar is low.

I don't think anyone would've had an issue with an expanded playoff if they kept the bar at 5 wins gets you an automatic berth for seeds 1-32 and then seeds 33-48, it's based on wins, strength of schedule, and playoff points.

Maybe even create a relegation-style bracket where seeds 1-32 play in one bracket while seeds 33-48 are in another bracket. Winners in the relegation bracket move up and get to play the teams that lost in the higher 1-32 bracket. Reward the winners of a higher bracket with a bye week as the relegation winners and higher bracket losers battle it out. Once that's finalized, reseed the teams based on wins, strength of schedule, and playoff points. Then you've got one bracket where teams play for the state championship.

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So something like this?

McCaravan said:

It's gonna happen. I posted earlier Rita could very well with their schedule finish 3-6 and that's without MC or BR on their schedule, and I really believe they would make a run in 7A unless they meet BR or ESL early on. They good team with a hard schedule. Last year they were 5-4 and got in with a week 9 win and outside of a tight game in round 2 with LWC they coasted to the Championship game and that was blowing out Batavia and Hersey.....well Hersey scored they just decided not to play Defense that day. Laurence was 5-4 (I think) and made it to the Semis.

So while I'm not a big fan of this new system it does benefit good teams with hard schedules and it will also be less of a challenge for top teams to find non-conference opponents....even though BR still needs a week 2....

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McCaravan,

You've always been objective, and I think this is a very reasonable take on Rita's season from what I know--which isn't that much.

I truly think it will depend on the QB situation. If the young man, Senior-to-Be produces, this team will be very competitive against its schedule and beyond. From what I know, he's an amazing athlete who's very tough. He'll be a great scrambler out of the pocket to gain valuable yardage. If he succeeds with his passing along with some of these promising athletes on that field, it will bode very well for the Mustangs.

Curious how the defense will perform facing a ton of very talented QBs. It's going to be a tough task, but I believe Coach Hopkins and staff will be up to the challenge.

Wittymoniker1 said:

McCaravan,

You've always been objective, and I think this is a very reasonable take on Rita's season from what I know--which isn't that much.

I truly think it will depend on the QB situation. If the young man, Senior-to-Be produces, this team will be very competitive against its schedule and beyond. From what I know, he's an amazing athlete who's very tough. He'll be a great scrambler out of the pocket to gain valuable yardage. If he succeeds with his passing along with some of these promising athletes on that field, it will bode very well for the Mustangs.

Curious how the defense will perform facing a ton of very talented QBs. It's going to be a tough task, but I believe Coach Hopkins and staff will be up to the challenge.

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Rita's 1st 4 games wooof, Iggy and then Montini.

will Batavia petition up to 8A in order to rid itself of the curse?

LWN_Pheonix said:

will Batavia petition up to 8A in order to rid itself of the curse?

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So they previously moved up voluntarily to face BR and MC?

Brother Rice is 7A

and everyone knows about the curse involving Batavia and MC

LWN_Pheonix said:

Brother Rice is 7A

and everyone knows about the curse involving Batavia and MC

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I thought we debunked the curse last year when you didn't know what conference Batavia played in when the alleged curse began.

4Afan said:

I thought we debunked the curse last year when you didn't know what conference Batavia played in when the alleged curse began.

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There is no way something like that took place

the issue that I have is that my understanding of “tte curse of 1990” has more to do with boosters than anything else

I believe that it would be better explained by the MC posters here rather than someone from Rt30 & Harlem

SiuCubFan8 said:

Fair point on professional and college expansion.

My point was, it isn't an "everyone gets a trophy" thing. The honor of making the playoffs is long gone, IMO. The same amount of trophies are handed out at the end of the year.

The schools voted for it and maybe they will end up voting against it in a year. We will see how it shakes out.

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Fair point. I think at the end of the day, this may not be a one-year thing after all. If you're a highly seeded team that is a bit banged up going into the playoffs, that bye week helps you get healthy.

This whole idea of. "This is going to be a one and done thing," is all based on what we see right now but once we get a chance to evaluate the whole product, all those schools who may want to vote no could end up saying we need to keep the system.

LWN_Pheonix said:

Brother Rice is 7A

and everyone knows about the curse involving Batavia and MC

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The curse of Mr. Twister.

Wittymoniker1 said:

McCaravan,

You've always been objective, and I think this is a very reasonable take on Rita's season from what I know--which isn't that much.

I truly think it will depend on the QB situation. If the young man, Senior-to-Be produces, this team will be very competitive against its schedule and beyond. From what I know, he's an amazing athlete who's very tough. He'll be a great scrambler out of the pocket to gain valuable yardage. If he succeeds with his passing along with some of these promising athletes on that field, it will bode very well for the Mustangs.

Curious how the defense will perform facing a ton of very talented QBs. It's going to be a tough task, but I believe Coach Hopkins and staff will be up to the challenge.

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Rita has a good team with some very good players. Brandon Johnson is one of the best RBs in the CCL who Rita can ride until the passing game and QB settle in. Look out for Brody Wantrobe (spelling?) at TE.....I think if that Freshman QB doesn't leave for LWW he may have won the position, he was a pro style QB. Fennell is talented but could be better used at other places on Offense, but he maybe QB by default with the Junior to be leaving as well.....Had JJ Clanton and Donovan Evans stayed they would be in much better shape. But they start with a loaded PC team that returns their all conference QB and it's so hard facing an experienced team right off the bat when you are figuring some things out. Glenbard West who is supposed to be very good is next and they have on the road. Then @Loyola who is returning a ton. Then St. Francis and a lot will be told on how their new QB from ESL settles in. They have to play Iggy with that offense they haven't seen much and Iggy returns their QB to run it. They have to play @Montini and @ Naz.....I would put them at a very possible 3-6, with a likely 4-5 if they can beat Franny, and I would say ceiling would be 5-4 with an upset win over maybe GW. If they played PC in week 9 I would give them a better shot but opening with them with all they have back it's a tough test out of the gate......but like I said put a healthy Rita team at 3-6 in the playoffs with that schedule they played and look out....iron sharpens iron.

**Fact- When these Rita Seniors were Freshman they beat MC Freshman, a team with Burrell, Harrington, Samuels, Clark and others and they beat them soundly! Now that doesn't matter as these players matured, lived in the weight room, went to elite training camps, and developed as athletes at a very fast rate but they did beat them so talent is there at Rita.