Stark County Football Week 8

Starkcountylegend

Starkcountylegend

Well-known member
Picks
Week 7
15-1

Season
97-25 79.5%


My Top 10 (For those slow on the uptake, just because a small school is in my top 10, it doesn't mean that I think they would win over unranked teams. Someone sent me a PM asking me to include all the EBC schools in my rankings, so since I do include Malvern, I have no qualms about doing this):

1. Massillon
Tigers are the best in the county, just my opinion, but the gap between them and Jackson this season has narrowed, but I would still set the line at Tigers -9 on a neutral field. Tigers biggest problem this year is they are not getting much help from level two points in the computer rankings. The Tigers scheduled an ambitious schedule, and they could have never forecasted the Reynoldsburg, Euclid, Harding and now Fitch would either be bad or have middling seasons. Yes, they probably knew that GlenOak wouldn't produce many points, and Wooster is not going to give them a whole lot. I have no idea about Canisius, they appear to have some talent. Hard is it may be for Tiger fans to root for McKinley, they should be pulling for them to win the next two in order to help with L2 points.

2. Jackson
They are a very well coached team, they can play in shootouts or in defensive battles which is a good sign of a coach that can adjust to the game. They have McKinley and Hoover, as well as CCC standing in their way to reach a perfect regular season.

3. Hoover
Defense, defense and more defense....Vikes came into the season with a much hyped defensive squad, it didn't look good after Heights mauled them, but props to Hoover for scheduling up. They limited Perry to a season low in points scored, in the last four games they are surrendering 2.5 points per game. Their offense is somewhat limited, so they probably are not a threat for a deep run into Region 7. They close out with Lake, Green and Jackson, if they can take two of those three, then they should be sitting pretty for seeding purposes.

4. West Branch
They just manhandled the second best team in the EBC, they are anabsolute juggernaut on offense this year. Currently holding the number 1 spot in Region 13

5. McKinley
A year of adjustment for the Bulldogs, you never know what your going to get week to week. Amazingly the Bulldogs are sitting in 4th in Region 1, they probably will not hold that spot with likely losses against Jackson and Massillon, and very little gains with a win over Glenoak.

6. Green
Yea, that got manhandled by McKinley, but really that was there only bad loss to date. They have Perry, Hoover and Lake to close out the season, so it should give us a better understanding as to where this program is at. With that said, the coaching staff at Green should be saluted for righting the ship and being competitive in the FED.

7. Lake
Lake traditionally plays a weak OOC schedule, and it seems to bite them in the every year. They close out with Hoover, Perry and Green, they need to probably win two of the three to secure home field in the first round.

8. Fairless
What can you say about the Fearless Fairless Falcons, just a well rounded team that is solid on both sides of the ball. I'm would really be surprised if a EBC school didn't come sniffing around for a solid head coach. With that said, is the EBC from top to bottom better than the PAC?

9. Carrolton
Lets let this program build for a couple of years, good team, could be dangerous in the playoffs. Coached by one of the five coaches in the county.

10. Canton South
I could have went Salem here, but South does more with less! Im excited to see South go to the PAC next year, they don't have the enrollment to keep up with the EBC teams, but they have a HC that knows how to win
 
 
Okay, were in the final stretch for the playoffs, so lets breakdown the potential implications:

Regions 1

1633302541539.png

Synopsis: This is actually not a bad bracket for McKinley, but they will more than likely fall from the 4th spot barring some upsets. Jackson has a fairly clear path to make it to the final four, but beating Medina might be too much. GlenOak, needs to beat Louisville and they are in, if they lose they need to hope either Euclid or Lorain finishes with no wins.
 
Region 7

1633303326845.png

Massillon is by far the best team in the Region, but they are being brought down by Level 2 points, so even if they sweep the last three games they are probably looking at playing a road game as the playoffs push forward. Hoover right now is sitting pretty, they would have a good chance to get to final four and get Massillon at home, but Hoover even if Hoover goes 2-1 and the slots 3-8 are bunched. Green would get a nice first round game and Lake is capable of knocking off Canal Winchester. Keep in mind Canal Winchester have yet to play, so a loss by Canal Winchester could cause them to fall. The region is tight right now, any loss could see a big fall.
 
Region 13

1633303929883.png

West Branch controls their own destiny, have a large lead for 1 seed. South might beat Gilmour but doesnt want to see West Branch on the road, they need to win out or go 2-1 to move up. Fairless needs to get out of five seed, they cannot beat West Branch, they have some chances to close out the season to get up to 3. NW has improved they could be a wild card, Gilmour on the road, and then likely Salem on the road might be a tough climb, they need to win out.
 
Region 17

1633304377706.png

Sandy Valley and Manchester is a fairly even game, but South Range would put up 50 plus on Sandy Valley. They need to win out and get in the 6th spot
 
Region 21

1633304736681.png

This is actually a great draw for CCC, terrible for East Canton. With the schedule the Crusaders have played they are more than capable of going deep in the region
 
Region 25

1633305037684.png

This would be a poor draw for Malvern, they are not beating St. Paul even if they win the first round game. They can move up probably into the 6th range if they win out
 
Starkcountylegend said:
Region 21 (Corrected)

View attachment 21931
Not as good of a drawing for CCC, but they are still capable of a deep run in this region
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CCC may prefer to be on the other side of the draw from Norwayne, Springfield, and Mogadore. The seeding probably won't stay like that. Otherwise, that would be a huge 2nd round game between Mogadore and Norwayne. Norwayne should move up from the 7th spot. Their league schedule is pretty backloaded with points. I could see Norwayne getting up to the 5th seed by the end of the season unless they lose to Dalton.

CCC probably has to win this weekend to have any chance at a 1st round home game.
 
I see CCC at 5-5 after week 10. Agree Norwayne should win out, along with Springfield, Mogadore, Columbia and Springfield. Labrae and Brookfield meet this week (winner should win out). 2nd level points will come into play for the final Harbin rankings. Looks like the top half as it is would be the better option but as you stated, the seeding will change 3 times in until week 10.
 
Seems like Jackson, McKinley. Hoover and Green are all locks to make the playoffs even if they lose out. Green still has L2 points coming from 6-1 North Olmstead (who should at least split with 5-2 Elyria Catholic and 5-2 Rocky River), and Garfield Heights will be the favorite against Shaw and Madison, plus Ellet still has potential wins vs Firestone and Buchtel. Green also gets L2 points either way from the GlenOak-Louisville game. So, the 5 teams Green has beaten should be expected to combine for at least 24 wins, and more likely 26 or 27. That should be enough to keep Green in the top 16 no matter what. As for Hoover, their win over Colombus Beechcroft could be an L2 gold mine, as the Cougars will be favored in all 3 of their remaining games and finish 7-3. Collinwood also has a shot to win 2 out of their final 3. If McKinley can upset Jackson or Perry upset Green or Lake, that is just an added bonus. However, if the Blue Streaks lose to both Hoover and Green, they might be in danger of missing out. Even if they beat Perry, that win wouldn't be worth much unless Perry upsets Green. If Lake loses out, they need to pray that East wins out and Alliance somehow beats West Branch.
 
FirestoneFan said:
I see CCC at 5-5 after week 10.
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I'm thinking CCC 4-5 after week 10. Possibly beating Linsly (WV) this week, no chance in week 9 against Jackson, and I'm guessing STA will cancel week 10. Maybe CCC would scramble to find a week 10 opponent if STA cancels early enough. ?‍♂️
 
TriangleMan said:
I'm thinking CCC 4-5 after week 10. Possibly beating Linsly (WV) this week, no chance in week 9 against Jackson, and I'm guessing STA will cancel week 10. Maybe CCC would scramble to find a week 10 opponent if STA cancels early enough. ?‍♂️
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I'm hearing that potential week 10 opponents have already been contacted to create some sort of contingency plan if St. Thomas Aquinas is unable to play. No matter what the records and playoff picture might look like come week 10, I'd rather the Stark County Holy War go on as scheduled.
 
Stark County Average Points (through week 7)

West Branch 49.6
Salem 43.5
Canton South 37.9
Fairless 34.9
Malvern 34.4
Carrollton 34.3
Jackson 33.1
Massillon 32.9
Green 31.9
SV 29
Hoover 28.7
Lake 26.1
CCC 24.7
Alliance 24
Perry 23.7
NW 23.1
East Canton 22.4
McKinley 21.7
Marlington 18.7
Tuslaw 14.8
STA 12.5
Louisville 11.3
GlenOak 8.6
Minerva 5.3
 
Defensive Scoring Leaders

Fairless 10.9
Hoover 13.3
Lake 13.5
Malvern 15.7
Salem 16
Green 16.1
East Canton 18.8
Jackson 18.9
NW 19.7
West Branch 20.3
Canton South 20.4
Massillon 23.7
Sandy Valley 24
Alliance 26
McKinley 26
Carrollton 26.1
GlenOak 27.3
Perry 27.5
CCC 29.1
Louisville 29.3
Marlington 31.9
Tuslaw 32.3
STA 43
Minerva 51.7
 
Cumulative Record of Opponents played to date (Strongest to weakest)


GlenOak 28-12 70%
Minerva 31-17 64.5%
CCC 30-18 62.5%
Louisville 30-18 62.5%
Marlington 30-18 62.5%
STA 25-16 61%
SV 28-18 60.9%
McKinley 27-20 57.4%
Alliance 26-20 56.5%
East Canton 19-15 55.9%
NW 26-21 55.3%
Carrollton 25-22 53.2%
Perry 26-23 53.1%
Massillon 22-24 47.8%
Green 22-25 46.8%
Tuslaw 21-26 44.6%
Canton South 21-27 43.8%
Hoover 21-27 43.8%
Malvern 20-28 41.7%
West Branch 19-28 40.4%
Lake 16-25 39%
Jackson 18-29 38%
Salem 14-33 29.8%
Fairless 14-34 29.2%
 
Mr. Slippery said:
I'm hearing that potential week 10 opponents have already been contacted to create some sort of contingency plan if St. Thomas Aquinas is unable to play. No matter what the records and playoff picture might look like come week 10, I'd rather the Stark County Holy War go on as scheduled.
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Hopefully not Farrell (PA).
 
TriangleMan said:
Hopefully not Farrell (PA).
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Hahaha. PA teams in week 10 have not been a good idea. Farrell probably has some points though. Otherwise for points purposes, a bye is a far better option than beating a winless team. Also, CCC is in the fortunate position of not needing a home gate in week 10 since they'll have already played 6 home games on paper by then. That gives them additional flexibility if a different opponent is needed for week 10.

Having said all that, I still believe week 10 gets played as scheduled. If nothing else, St. Thomas Aquinas will want that home gate if they can get it.
 
Starkcountylegend said:
Cumulative Record of Opponents played to date (Strongest to weakest)


GlenOak 28-12 70%
Minerva 31-17 64.5%
CCC 30-18 62.5%
Louisville 30-18 62.5%
Marlington 30-18 62.5%
STA 25-16 61%
SV 28-18 60.9%
McKinley 27-20 57.4%
Alliance 26-20 56.5%
East Canton 19-15 55.9%
NW 26-21 55.3%
Carrollton 25-22 53.2%
Perry 26-23 53.1%
Massillon 22-24 47.8%
Green 22-25 46.8%
Tuslaw 21-26 44.6%
Canton South 21-27 43.8%
Hoover 21-27 43.8%
Malvern 20-28 41.7%
West Branch 19-28 40.4%
Lake 16-25 39%
Jackson 18-29 38%
Salem 14-33 29.8%
Fairless 14-34 29.2%
Click to expand...
I think it would take failed logic to want to put much stock in assessing a team's schedule strength this way. I don't believe it's a coincidence that (in general) the teams with the worst records SEEM to have the strongest schedule strength while those with the best records SEEM to have the weakest schedule strength. Any math majors here?
 
In high school football in Ohio there are only 7 champions each year, and certainly not all 7 have played the “best” schedules. But they will all have played tough teams during the season to prepare them for weeks 13-15 or 16 this season and that along with talent will take you very far.
 
Massillon#82 said:
In high school football in Ohio there are only 7 champions each year, and certainly not all 7 have played the “best” schedules. But they will all have played tough teams during the season to prepare them for weeks 13-15 or 16 this season and that along with talent will take you very far.
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That's not always the case.

Look at Colerain in 2018. 6 of their 10 regular season games were against teams with losing records. Yet they made it to the Championship Game.

Or look at Mansfield and Trotwood-Madison in 2019. Both teams had 6 of their 10 regular season games against teams with losing records. Yet they both made it to the Championship Game.

Or Kenston in 2018. 8 of their regular season games were against teams with losing records. Yet they won the Championship in a runaway, 42-6.

Trotwood-Madison had 6 games in 2016 against teams with losing records yet they played for a Championship.

And in 2017, Trotwood-Madison had 6 games and Tri-Valley had 5 games against teams with losing records yet they faced off in the Championship Game.
 
Mackinbiner said:
That's not always the case.

Look at Colerain in 2018. 6 of their 10 regular season games were against teams with losing records. Yet they made it to the Championship Game.

Or look at Mansfield and Trotwood-Madison in 2019. Both teams had 6 of their 10 regular season games against teams with losing records. Yet they both made it to the Championship Game.

Or Kenston in 2018. 8 of their regular season games were against teams with losing records. Yet they won the Championship in a runaway, 42-6.

Trotwood-Madison had 6 games in 2016 against teams with losing records yet they played for a Championship.

And in 2017, Trotwood-Madison had 6 games and Tri-Valley had 5 games against teams with losing records yet they faced off in the Championship Game.
Click to expand...
So this makes no sense. None of them played all 10 teams with losing records. They all played a few tough teams. Its amazing how you try anc correct everyone on here with every post. How about you just support Jackson and leave the other BS alone. Sincerely The Jackson Community!!
 
Mackinbiner said:
I think it would take failed logic to want to put much stock in assessing a team's schedule strength this way. I don't believe it's a coincidence that (in general) the teams with the worst records SEEM to have the strongest schedule strength while those with the best records SEEM to have the weakest schedule strength. Any math majors here?
Click to expand...
I think I know why this is. When SCL added together the cumulative opponent records for each team, he included each team's own games in that total. So, 7 of the 29 losses listed for Jackson's opponents came against Jackson. This puts teams with winning records at a disadvantage in the rankings. To get a percentage that more accurately shows how a team's opponents are performing, subtract the number of a team's wins from their opponents' total losses, and the number of a team's losses from their opponents' total wins. So since Green is 5-2, I would subtract 5 from the 25 opponent losses and 2 from the 22 total wins, which shows Green's opponents are 20-20 in games not against Green. It's only a change of about 3% for Green, but the difference would be larger for Jackson or Minerva.
 
Bull GreenDog said:
I think I know why this is. When SCL added together the cumulative opponent records for each team, he included each team's own games in that total. So, 7 of the 29 losses listed for Jackson's opponents came against Jackson. This puts teams with winning records at a disadvantage in the rankings. To get a percentage that more accurately shows how a team's opponents are performing, subtract the number of a team's wins from their opponents' total losses, and the number of a team's losses from their opponents' total wins. So since Green is 5-2, I would subtract 5 from the 25 opponent losses and 2 from the 22 total wins, which shows Green's opponents are 20-20 in games not against Green. It's only a change of about 3% for Green, but the difference would be larger for Jackson or Minerva.
Click to expand...
That was exactly my thinking. Thanks for taking the time to explain it.
 
Guys and Gals, lets just remember this is all for fun and if you're on this site, you obviously have a love affair with Ohio High School football. There is no good way IMO to measure a teams strength of schedule, Level 2 points would be a good indicator, but even if you beef up your schedule for the year based on the records of your opposition from the previous year there is no guarantee that it will work out. Massillon is the perfect example, and I'm not picking on the Tigers, if you looked at their schedule at the start of the season, it was stacked, there is no way that Massillon could account for down years from some of those teams. I completely reject the premise that you don't need to play tough competition to be ready for a run at the title, yes, there are a few red herrings that occurred, but in most cases your team needs to see the speed and strength that a stronger schedule provides the measuring stick. IMO, I think it's insane that every school doesn't at least play one game above their punching weight each season going forward, 16 teams make the playoffs, you can afford to lose a game and still make the playoffs. There was no attempt to blast Jackson, they could not have forecasted that Mayfield would go winless, as they have been a solid squad for the past few years, Boardman is a good matchup, but do you really have to play both East and CCC in the same year? Maybe Im insane, but with 16 teams making the playoffs, schools should be scheduling at least one Marque game OOC each year. Now lets move past this and have some fun with some picks:


Projections For Week 8 (Order of Games based on WHBC Scoreboard)

Linsley @ CCC
Linsley is 4-2, their 4 wins have come over teams with a combined record of 2-14 (source Joe Eitel), they have lost to St. Clairsville and Steubenville, two teams that should have deep playoff runs. They hung in the game with Steubenville, and got taken to the woodshed against St. Clairsville. CCC has righted the ship after the South Range game and are playing good football right now, props to the Crusaders for playing a strong schedule, maybe too strong. CCC needs this game for computer points, they wont beat Jackson and who knows if STA will even have a team to play CCC. Going to back the Stark school here, but have trepidations because I have little knowledge on Linsley

CCC 24
Linsley 17

Tusky Central @ East Canton
This game should be decided before halftime, East Canton is vastly superior to TC! Right now, East Canton is in the 11 hold for the playoffs, they need to win out and probably need some luck to host a 1st round game.

East Canton 35
Tusky Central 7

Manchester @ Fairless
One of the better games in the county this week. Manchester opened the season with two losses to two really good teams. Since then they have have won five straight including knocking off Mogadore. Fairless has not been tested since week 1, I know it's beating a dead horse, but they are well coached and play solid on both sides of the ball. This will be a tight game, it wouldn't be surprising if Manchester comes out on top, but I'm not going against an undefeated team at home:

Fairless 23
Manchester 21

GlenOak @ Louisville
Although both teams are bad, probably in the case of the Leopards one of their worst seasons in quite along time, this still should be a decent game. Both teams are offensively challenged, so this game will come down to turnovers and field position. I think the Leopards pick up their first win of the season:

Louisville 20
GlenOak 14

Green @ Perry
Very interesting game, Green needs the win if it hopes to host a 1st round game, they are in the playoffs even if they lose out the rest of the way out. On the other hand, Perry is sitting at 18, they need this win and to beat GlenOak to secure a playoff birth, as the race for the last 3-4 playoff spots in Region 7 is tight. I think Green is the better team, but I'm going to back the team that needs the win more which is the Panthers, as a loss here probably eliminates them unless they can beat Lake on the road.

Perry 27
Green 26

Hoover @ Lake
If you're a fan of defensive football, then this game is right up your alley. In addition, this game will have huge implications in Region 7, Lake probably has to win out to get a 1st round home game. Hoover is sitting in the 5th hole, they have a fairly comfortable lead over the 9th hole team, but they also have Green and Jackson on deck. This is a coin flip game, Hoovers defense has been lights out for the past four weeks, but this is only their 2nd round game of the season. Could go either way, but going with the Blue Streaks:

Lake 14
Hoover 13

McKinley @ Jackson
It's hard to believe that even with a 4-3 record the Bulldogs are sitting in the 4 hole for the playoffs, one slot below an undefeated Jackson (though it's a large gap). As it has been pointed out numerous times on this site, the Bulldogs have owned Jackson, but I would be fairly surprised if they can beat the Polar Bears on the road. I think Jackson is the better team this year, this is a year of turmoil for the Bulldogs, although they have turned the corner.

Jackson 31
McKinley 17

Malvern @ Newcomerstown
Hard to believe that Newcomerstown has only played three games, must have been one hell of a CV19 breakout there. Isn't Newcomerstown where Woody Hayes was from? Malvern even on the road will roll! Sidebar question: Would Woody Hayes be able to coach in todays college game? He hated to pass, was tough on players, would he have adjusted?

Malvern 45
Newcomerstown 14

New Philadelphia @ Marlington
The Dukes playoff hopes are on life support, they would need to win out and still get some help. Surely, the Quakers are not as strong as they were the past few seasons, but their 3 losses have come against teams likely to go deep in the playoffs. Marlington has no identity, their offense is boring, and their defense is horrendous. I can't back the Dukes here even at home, they are fighting out of their class:

New Philadelphia 31
Marlington 14

Canton South @ Minerva
I'm sure South is wishing that Minerva was moving with them to the PAC so they could have an automatic win on a yearly basis. I applaud the kids at Minerva that show up each week and strap on the gear to play, when they know they have no chance of winning, that's dedication. South probably will not surpass the 66 points Salem put up on the Lions, but they will score at will.

South 56
Minerva 7

Triway @ NW
Triway is 4-1, they ran into a buzzsaw against Manchester in their loss, they really don't have a win that they can hang their hat on unless you consider Waynedale to be a big win. NW has made vast improvements as the season has progressed, they really need this win if they want to make the playoffs, they have Manchester on the road next week, so that will be a tough win to get a W.

NW 27
Triway 21

Salem @ Carrollton
Excellent game, if you want a shoot out, this is your game for this week. This is a huge point builder for the winner via playoff points, both are locked into the playoffs, but this win probably locks in a 1st round and possibly a 2nd round home game. Carrollton has two loses this season, to West Branch and St. Clairsville, both good teams. The Warriors are coached up well, I'm going to back them, but this should be a wild game.

Carrollton 49
Salem 40

Claymont @ Sandy Valley
Didn't they use to be in the old Senate League together? This game is over before it starts, should be a rout:

SV 42
Claymont 13

Loudonville @ Tuslaw
Both teams essentially eliminated from the playoffs, so playing for pride two bad teams, they are evenly matched, so it depends on who has the most heart. The Magic 8 Ball when asked Will Tuslaw beat Loudonville, says likely so, so we will go with that:

Tuslaw 21
Loudonville 20

West Branch @ Alliance
Alliance is another team that has grown as the season has went forward, should be a good building block for 2022. Even though Alliance knocked off Salem, I dont think they have the juice to knock off West Branch. Im hoping that Im wrong, and it may turn out to be a good game:

WB 35
Alliance 20

STA @ JFK
Not even sure if this game is still on, but if it is, a blowout will be in store.

JFK 57
STA 12

Canisius @ Massillon
I know nothing about Canisius, other than that they are undefeated with their four wins coming over teams with a combined record of 0-8 (Joe Eitel. Massillon will win this going away, they have played a tough schedule and deserve a soft game every so often:

Tiger Town 45
Canisius 7
 
Starkcountylegend said:
Guys and Gals, lets just remember this is all for fun and if you're on this site, you obviously have a love affair with Ohio High School football. There is no good way IMO to measure a teams strength of schedule, Level 2 points would be a good indicator, but even if you beef up your schedule for the year based on the records of your opposition from the previous year there is no guarantee that it will work out. Massillon is the perfect example, and I'm not picking on the Tigers, if you looked at their schedule at the start of the season, it was stacked, there is no way that Massillon could account for down years from some of those teams. I completely reject the premise that you don't need to play tough competition to be ready for a run at the title, yes, there are a few red herrings that occurred, but in most cases your team needs to see the speed and strength that a stronger schedule provides the measuring stick. IMO, I think it's insane that every school doesn't at least play one game above their punching weight each season going forward, 16 teams make the playoffs, you can afford to lose a game and still make the playoffs. There was no attempt to blast Jackson, they could not have forecasted that Mayfield would go winless, as they have been a solid squad for the past few years, Boardman is a good matchup, but do you really have to play both East and CCC in the same year? Maybe Im insane, but with 16 teams making the playoffs, schools should be scheduling at least one Marque game OOC each year. Now lets move past this and have some fun with some picks:


Projections For Week 8 (Order of Games based on WHBC Scoreboard)

Linsley @ CCC
Linsley is 4-2, their 4 wins have come over teams with a combined record of 2-14 (source Joe Eitel), they have lost to St. Clairsville and Steubenville, two teams that should have deep playoff runs. They hung in the game with Steubenville, and got taken to the woodshed against St. Clairsville. CCC has righted the ship after the South Range game and are playing good football right now, props to the Crusaders for playing a strong schedule, maybe too strong. CCC needs this game for computer points, they wont beat Jackson and who knows if STA will even have a team to play CCC. Going to back the Stark school here, but have trepidations because I have little knowledge on Linsley

CCC 24
Linsley 17

Tusky Central @ East Canton
This game should be decided before halftime, East Canton is vastly superior to TC! Right now, East Canton is in the 11 hold for the playoffs, they need to win out and probably need some luck to host a 1st round game.

East Canton 35
Tusky Central 7

Manchester @ Fairless
One of the better games in the county this week. Manchester opened the season with two losses to two really good teams. Since then they have have won five straight including knocking off Mogadore. Fairless has not been tested since week 1, I know it's beating a dead horse, but they are well coached and play solid on both sides of the ball. This will be a tight game, it wouldn't be surprising if Manchester comes out on top, but I'm not going against an undefeated team at home:

Fairless 23
Manchester 21

GlenOak @ Louisville
Although both teams are bad, probably in the case of the Leopards one of their worst seasons in quite along time, this still should be a decent game. Both teams are offensively challenged, so this game will come down to turnovers and field position. I think the Leopards pick up their first win of the season:

Louisville 20
GlenOak 14

Green @ Perry
Very interesting game, Green needs the win if it hopes to host a 1st round game, they are in the playoffs even if they lose out the rest of the way out. On the other hand, Perry is sitting at 18, they need this win and to beat GlenOak to secure a playoff birth, as the race for the last 3-4 playoff spots in Region 7 is tight. I think Green is the better team, but I'm going to back the team that needs the win more which is the Panthers, as a loss here probably eliminates them unless they can beat Lake on the road.

Perry 27
Green 26

Hoover @ Lake
If you're a fan of defensive football, then this game is right up your alley. In addition, this game will have huge implications in Region 7, Lake probably has to win out to get a 1st round home game. Hoover is sitting in the 5th hole, they have a fairly comfortable lead over the 9th hole team, but they also have Green and Jackson on deck. This is a coin flip game, Hoovers defense has been lights out for the past four weeks, but this is only their 2nd round game of the season. Could go either way, but going with the Blue Streaks:

Lake 14
Hoover 13

McKinley @ Jackson
It's hard to believe that even with a 4-3 record the Bulldogs are sitting in the 4 hole for the playoffs, one slot below an undefeated Jackson (though it's a large gap). As it has been pointed out numerous times on this site, the Bulldogs have owned Jackson, but I would be fairly surprised if they can beat the Polar Bears on the road. I think Jackson is the better team this year, this is a year of turmoil for the Bulldogs, although they have turned the corner.

Jackson 31
McKinley 17

Malvern @ Newcomerstown
Hard to believe that Newcomerstown has only played three games, must have been one hell of a CV19 breakout there. Isn't Newcomerstown where Woody Hayes was from? Malvern even on the road will roll! Sidebar question: Would Woody Hayes be able to coach in todays college game? He hated to pass, was tough on players, would he have adjusted?

Malvern 45
Newcomerstown 14

New Philadelphia @ Marlington
The Dukes playoff hopes are on life support, they would need to win out and still get some help. Surely, the Quakers are not as strong as they were the past few seasons, but their 3 losses have come against teams likely to go deep in the playoffs. Marlington has no identity, their offense is boring, and their defense is horrendous. I can't back the Dukes here even at home, they are fighting out of their class:

New Philadelphia 31
Marlington 14

Canton South @ Minerva
I'm sure South is wishing that Minerva was moving with them to the PAC so they could have an automatic win on a yearly basis. I applaud the kids at Minerva that show up each week and strap on the gear to play, when they know they have no chance of winning, that's dedication. South probably will not surpass the 66 points Salem put up on the Lions, but they will score at will.

South 56
Minerva 7

Triway @ NW
Triway is 4-1, they ran into a buzzsaw against Manchester in their loss, they really don't have a win that they can hang their hat on unless you consider Waynedale to be a big win. NW has made vast improvements as the season has progressed, they really need this win if they want to make the playoffs, they have Manchester on the road next week, so that will be a tough win to get a W.

NW 27
Triway 21

Salem @ Carrollton
Excellent game, if you want a shoot out, this is your game for this week. This is a huge point builder for the winner via playoff points, both are locked into the playoffs, but this win probably locks in a 1st round and possibly a 2nd round home game. Carrollton has two loses this season, to West Branch and St. Clairsville, both good teams. The Warriors are coached up well, I'm going to back them, but this should be a wild game.

Carrollton 49
Salem 40

Claymont @ Sandy Valley
Didn't they use to be in the old Senate League together? This game is over before it starts, should be a rout:

SV 42
Claymont 13

Loudonville @ Tuslaw
Both teams essentially eliminated from the playoffs, so playing for pride two bad teams, they are evenly matched, so it depends on who has the most heart. The Magic 8 Ball when asked Will Tuslaw beat Loudonville, says likely so, so we will go with that:

Tuslaw 21
Loudonville 20

West Branch @ Alliance
Alliance is another team that has grown as the season has went forward, should be a good building block for 2022. Even though Alliance knocked off Salem, I dont think they have the juice to knock off West Branch. Im hoping that Im wrong, and it may turn out to be a good game:

WB 35
Alliance 20

STA @ JFK
Not even sure if this game is still on, but if it is, a blowout will be in store.

JFK 57
STA 12

Canisius @ Massillon
I know nothing about Canisius, other than that they are undefeated with their four wins coming over teams with a combined record of 0-8 (Joe Eitel. Massillon will win this going away, they have played a tough schedule and deserve a soft game every so often:

Tiger Town 45
Canisius 7
Click to expand...
I hope no one saw your post as a blast against Jackson. I didn't. My first post in the thread was addressing a post (since deleted) that seemed to put a lot of weight on what was perceived as a Strength of Schedule calculation.

It seemed strange that, generally, the teams, like Fairless and Jackson, who have the better records, appeared to have played the weaker opponents while teams like Minerva and Louisville, who have the worst records, appeared to have played the stronger opponents. Bull GreenDog summed up my thoughts very well.

I greatly appreciate your posts.
 
Starkcountylegend said:
IMO, I think it's insane that every school doesn't at least play one game above their punching weight each season going forward, 16 teams make the playoffs, you can afford to lose a game and still make the playoffs. There was no attempt to blast Jackson, they could not have forecasted that Mayfield would go winless, as they have been a solid squad for the past few years, Boardman is a good matchup, but do you really have to play both East and CCC in the same year? Maybe Im insane, but with 16 teams making the playoffs, schools should be scheduling at least one Marque game OOC each year. Now lets move past this and have some fun with some picks:
Click to expand...
It's too early to judge teams on their scheduling with regards to the expanded playoffs. It's been stated multiple times on this forum by myself and others that the decision to expand the playoffs was made in the spring. Most teams' schedules for this year were already complete by then. Furthermore, some of these teams may be locked into most of their nonleague games for a few more years if they signed a 4-year contract or if they just started a 2-year contract this year. I'm pretty sure Jackson has CCC for 2 more years after this year, and the nonleague week that each Fed school has during the course of league play rotates every 4 years (except for McKinley and week 10). This is year 2 of that rotation. When the CCC contract is up, Jackson's nonleague week will rotate to week 4 which might give either side a reason to look elsewhere. Week 4 is a little easier to schedule than week 9. Incidentally, Akron East has been a good points game for Jackson in recent years and probably will end up that way again by the end of the regular season. East should go 5-5 with all but 1 of their wins coming against D2 opponents. That's more points than what Jackson will be getting from Mayfield, Perry, GlenOak, CCC, and Boardman (unless they win their last 2 games).
 
Starkcountylegend said:
Canisius @ Massillon
I know nothing about Canisius, other than that they are undefeated with their four wins coming over teams with a combined record of 0-8 (Joe Eitel. Massillon will win this going away, they have played a tough schedule and deserve a soft game every so often:

Tiger Town 45
Canisius 7
Click to expand...

Love the time and effort you put into all this. I enjoy your posts.

When it comes to the above prediction, if we win in that sort of fashion then division II lookout.
 
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