OHSAA extending 2021 playoffs to 12 teams per region

Spread All Day said:
They take long breaks in college, and they have buys in the pros. Coaches will have to adjust
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I understand, and like I said, HIGH SCHOOL kids can't handle it.

I have coached high school in states that have regular season bye weeks, and let me tell you, bye weeks are a NIGHTMARE for high school, even for the "power teams."
 
BirdDog10 said:
I agree with most of this.. I just liked the system the way we had it. Getting a home playoff game is a big deal to most schools.. not so much anymore. And I have a hard time believing that any 9-12 seeds will make it to the semi's or championship games.
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True, but you never know. Most didnt think an 8th seed would have a chance in hell either but a few have.
This also can HELP some schools as twice as many will be hosting a home game. That can be some good money for boosters and the like.

If I was bored enough I would go through and look at 9-12 to see what sort of records we normally see but I am too busy.
 
I can definitely understand the playoff expansion. But I would have increased it to 10 and not 12. And I would have shortened the season to nine games instead of ten, so that every game potentially means more. But that's just me.

There are some teams (Ravenna at 8-2 back to back seasons in 9th comes to mind) that probably could have made a deep run, and under this format Newbury (never made the playoffs) would have made it for the first time.
 
I am always in favor for more football but not this way..... I understand it but if you want to expand then lets go down to 6 divisions and get rid of the regions.
 
thavoice said:
True, but you never know. Most didnt think an 8th seed would have a chance in hell either but a few have.
This also can HELP some schools as twice as many will be hosting a home game. That can be some good money for boosters and the like.

If I was bored enough I would go through and look at 9-12 to see what sort of records we normally see but I am too busy.
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It’ll depend on the region really. Here’s the D6 and D7 regions in NE.
R21 the last 2 seasons
2018:
T9. 9-1
T9. 8-2
11. 8-2
12. 8-2

2019:
9. 7-3
10. 7-3
11. 7-3
12. 4-6
So the last 2 years only 1 team would’ve gotten in with less than 7 wins.

On the other end you have Region 25
2018:
9. 6-4
10. 4-6
11. 4-6
12. 4-6

2019:
9. 6-4
10. 7-3
11. 5-5
12. 4-5-1
Whereas R25 half the extra qualifiers would only have 4 wins
 
BirdDog10 said:
Not a fan... With the exception of the terrible job they did of breaking up regions in 2019, I think the 8 teams per region is as close to a perfect system as you can get, 5 weeks of playoffs, and every team has to prove their worth to make it to the postseason
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Don't worry. They will change it to 16 playoff teams soon enough.
 
???
In D2 R5 last year this would have added a 6-4 and 3 teams at 5-5. They are making the regular season almost irrelevant at this point.
To add to this 2 of the last 3 times that Massillon has went 4-6 they would have made the playoffs with 12 teams per region.
 
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Things that I like:
1. First round games should be more competitive. 5 vs 12 is probably a much better matchup most years than a 1 vs 8.
2. Second round games should be slightly more competitive. An undeserving team should lose out in the first round.
3. No more arguing about deserving teams being left out of the playoffs. Sure, the 12/13 argument will happen but that will almost always be two teams that have lost almost half their games. There shouldn't be any undefeated teams and barely any one loss teams being left out.
4. Will keep this site extremely busy one more weekend every year!!
5. Most likely won't change the maximum number of games in any given year. There might be some exceptions but it should be rare that 9-12 teams make the championship.
6. If season starts one week earlier, half the kids in the state will be able to turn their attention to their Winter sport one week earlier than normal.

What I don't like:
1. Extending season 1 more week. Probably just have to start the season one week earlier.
2. Teams with very bad records will occasionally make the playoffs. Particularly those who benefit from a forfeit win over a good team.
3. The opposite of #5 from above, might have teams playing 16 games.
 
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thePITman said:
Sounds like it passed.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1263194864960880642

I haven't read the press release, yet, but I'm just not sure what this is meant to solve, other than to gather more playoff revenue. The season goes longer, worse teams get into the playoffs, and 112 additional schools are late to the start of basketball practice.
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Regular season will start a week earlier, so those 112 teams will be eliminated from the playoffs at the same time as what was week 10 of the regular season under the current format. However, remember that boys basketball's competitive season is allowed to start before Thanksgiving beginning this coming year. There should be other details regarding when official football practice would start. Otherwise, the time frame for two-a-days and scrimmages is rather tight prior to the 1st weekend of games.
 
So 48 of the approx 72 teams in D1 are going to make the playoffs ?
If this was the case last season in D1 it would add 16 more playoff teams of which 11 teams that have a 5-5 record or below, including a 3-7 team.
In D2 it would be 8 of the 16 with a 5-5 record or below.
 
The season will start a week earlier but there was no mention of when practice starts, practice could start the last week of July.
 
To piggyback off of the Northeast Ohio regions, in 2017, two 4-6 teams and two 5-5 teams would have qualified, and in the following year, three 4-6 teams would have qualified, and one 5-5 team would have had a home game.
 
Spread All Day said:
The state of Pennsylvania does just fine with bye weeks.
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Bye weeks in PA are a joke and worthless. It's because they go by districts. And for example District 7 (WPIAL) has so many more teams than say District 10, 6, etc.. And District 7/ WPIAL League wants their own playoff tournament. So while they are playing their own tournament, teams wait around and get various bye weeks. Also District 7 traditionally is one of the best districts in the state. So they only get their winner into the state tournament, and their #2 #3, #4, etc.. in most cases are better than most other district teams that get in. And many districts in given classifiatons only have 1 or 2 teams. That is another reason teams get byes. They play 1 game in their district, and have to wait for all the other bigger districts to catch up. It really is a horrible system.
 
ISI said:
The season will start a week earlier but there was no mention of when practice starts, practice could start the last week of July.
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Can't find the thread from the fall, but IIRC, the proposal included shortening the preseason, so it looks like practice would still start around the same time as before. Perhaps teams would have to cut back to 2 scrimmages. Many smaller schools were already not using all 3 scrimmage opportunities.
 
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TheDuq said:
Awesome, also l see this as a plan to make up for money lost this Fall.
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I agree it is driven by $$$. PA did something ridiculous a few years when they went from 4 classes to 6. It has watered things down to say the least. Also if you think about it, there are less kids playing football, schools are closing/merging so there are less schools, but yet we are going to EXPAND the playoffs. Follow the $$$$!
 
cincifbfan said:
Bye week for top seeds is a HORRIBLE idea. High school kids can't handle a bye week for playoffs. You want momentum & competition, not an off week to play someone who is "high" on winning a round 1 playoff game.
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I agree. I always hated bye weeks as a coach. Why not take the top 16 if you are simply going to add a week, and let all 16 play?
 
I guess if going to 12 or 16 from 8 helps with the loss of revenue that the OHSAA is seeing and will see because of losing this entire football season, last years basketball finals, and probably this coming basketball season, and maybe the entire 2020-2021 HS sports completely, then I'm ok with with going to 12 teams to help that. Revenue wise they have and will be hit hard. So why not let them make it up via extra football. Most of us are always looking for extra football. But let's get D1 and D2 on 2 different nights for the playoffs.
 
Haven’t seen it mentioned. But I would be more in favor of adding another division. I’m also in favor of exploring 8 man football for those lower division schools. I think that would serve a better purpose.

I’m not necessarily against more schools making the playoffs. But I am against more games. Adding another division gets more teams in, but doesn’t extend the season.
 
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