OHSAA extending 2021 playoffs to 12 teams per region

I like it. And the reason I like it:
1. more games to choose from. Yes there may be blowouts, but if you are a follower of a team, I would assume you want to support those kids regardless of who they are playing. And if you are the diehard fan like me and pick the game you want to see, it just gives you more options and a better chance of not picking the blowout game. Sign me up!
2. teams like Ignatius that would have met Ed's last year in the regional quarterfinal or semi. Would have been another potential playoff classic that didn't happen. I, for one would have loved to see them play in the playoffs.
3. This really isn't about everyone getting a trophy. The number of trophies handed out will stay the same.
4. If it helps the OHSAA monetarily make up for lost revenue from last basketball season as well as the potential loss of a football season this year, just another good thing.

But I still wish they would have D1 playoffs on Friday and D2 playoffs on Saturday.
 
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Massillon#82 said:
Really because I know for a fact we had a t-ball league champion and they kept score and we had a w-l record.
We had flag and midget football and both had league championships and kept a w-l record. That was in the 70’s and 80’s so it’s not like I’m some 65 year old get off my lawn guy.
So I don’t know where you grew up but that was how it was done in Massillon and I know the surrounding areas had it also.
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Even to this day my hometown does not "Crown a champion" in anything up until little league. The levels below the kids are not even on a team. Each time they show up a the park they come up with different teams.

As far as football: Still do not have anything under 7th grade. Even in our league for JH I dont think they actually officially 'crown a league champ' with a trophy or anything. Pretty much everyone knows who wins the JH football league and they make it a big deal on social media, but in terms of a league sanctioned JH champion I dont believe there is such a thing.

I noticed that section because of where i moved to and going to the boy's games I was always surprised this area they have trophy cases in the JH for all their JH titles. That was new to me because I dont believe my hometown league does so.


As for adding the 9-12, i do not see an issue. People will say it waters it down, as it always does when teams are added at any level (even in the NFL adding a team some bitched) . Yeah, there will be more blowouts likely, but I would gladly see some more blowouts just to see some 9-12 who prove they belonged by winning a playoff game(s)
 
I came to care about high school football the 90s when the 4 team playoff system was still the norm. Being most familiar with D1, R4, you had to be usually no worse than 8-2 unless you had some really strong Harbin-rich wins (which usually only the GCL-S teams had the schedule ability for that).

Playoffs were normally 2 GCL South Schools and 2 publics from Cincinnati and/or Dayton. Most GCL-public games were blowouts with a few exceptions. Most public vs. public games were more competitive (1998 Colerain-Centerville was a classic. Colerain won by stopping Centerville on a fake XP attempt for 2). There were some great GCL-GCL games, too.

The cream rose to the top every time and the best teams won. The 5-10 teams that are legit contenders in each division to win a title every year will probably be the same for the foreseeable future.

I agree with the other posts on here touting the positives with this and I think it will help the long term success of high school football in Ohio.

More teams in means more players/fans/communities getting to experience not only the excitement making the playoffs, but possibly winning a first round game. Hamilton squeaked in at 5-5 last year but I don't think that mattered one bit to them.
 
Spread All Day said:
Yeah screw those 4 year olds man if they don’t win they don’t deserve ice cream.... CLOWN
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But it was ok when I was a kid ? I don’t think my whole generation turned into a bunch of psychotic idiots because we didn’t get ice cream. No instead it was a learning experience to practice harder and fight to win to get what you want. Not have it HANDED to you no matter what the outcome.
 
put me in the "disagree column" as well. I'm sure the reasons have been stated already. Cheapens the regular season as well as the playoffs. I wonder if this is a generational divide?
 
Massillon#82 said:
Really because I know for a fact we had a t-ball league champion and they kept score and we had a w-l record.
We had flag and midget football and both had league championships and kept a w-l record. That was in the 70’s and 80’s so it’s not like I’m some 65 year old get off my lawn guy.
So I don’t know where you grew up but that was how it was done in Massillon and I know the surrounding areas had it also.
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He comes from the opposite side of the state, where they do some things a little different than Massillon maybe.

Just for grins I wonder how their unorthodox approach stacks up against the time honored methods of Massillon, results wise.

His school has won 6 state football tittles, (on the field). From a little 10 ten member league with 7 out of 10 having now won a state football tittle for a combined 35 state football titles, (won on the field).

You should come on over and visit his part of the state some time, Lord knows a good bunch of them make an annual pilgrimage to your area in early December most years.
 
I am not a fan of this move. From a competitive standpoint I think what we had was fine. Chances are if you can't make it in the top 8, you don't deserve to be there. In reality 8 was probably too many IMO but seemed just about right.
 
8 was and is the sweet spot IMO. Those wishing the good ol days of 4 were best left out entirely too many well deserving teams.

Now, I don't have the patience to look it up and I know we have some uber-numbers geeks on here (I say that positively). But does anyone no how many 5-8 seeds made it to Semi-Finals, Finals, and became Champ? It would be interesting to see the numbers over the past 21 seasons with the expanded numbers from 4 to 8.
 
big medicine said:
He comes from the opposite side of the state, where they do some things a little different than Massillon maybe.

Just for grins I wonder how their unorthodox approach stacks up against the time honored methods of Massillon, results wise.

His school has won 6 state football tittles, (on the field). From a little 10 ten member league with 7 out of 10 having now won a state football tittle for a combined 35 state football titles, (won on the field).

You should come on over and visit his part of the state some time, Lord knows a good bunch of them make an annual pilgrimage to your area in early December most years.
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Don't forget the baseball titles bud (those are sort of a big deal over here even with the unorthodox youth baseball system we run) but this isnt about my school vs his school.

This is strictly about the adding of 4 more teams. I think some probably read my posts, who dont know where I hail from, believe I welcome those 4 extra teams so my hometown can make it to the playoffs easier.

Far, far from the truth.



I get it, most of the arguments are valid (except for those afraid of the bye week, c'mon man!). Does it cheapen and lessen making the playoffs?

Eh, yeah, maybe a little bit but really, do you believe the 12/region really are going to feel slighted, or that it is no big deal, or making the playoffs takes away from the whole experience?

It wont. That argument comes from the fuddy duddy adults for argumentative purposes. We heard it every time a division was added, but do the schools/kids care or think their state title is any less important and valuable than when there was only 3,4,5 divisions? Nah.

I dont look at my title when there was only 3 divisions any different than when there were 4 divisions. Did not make that title from 3 divisions any more special than when they went to 4.


Of course this is a money grab, but it also helps local groups with more $$ as well with that extra home game.

The POSITIVES outweigh the negatives.
 
For Heavens sake fellas calm down. It will all work itself out in the end....I mean, just last week I was saying to a friend of mine...."ya know Mack, (not that one....a good one), I don't think the OHSAA is making enough money....what could we do to make them more money?" "Even if it's at the risk of these young men's safety."
 
cincifbfan said:
8 was and is the sweet spot IMO. Those wishing the good ol days of 4 were best left out entirely too many well deserving teams.

Now, I don't have the patience to look it up and I know we have some uber-numbers geeks on here (I say that positively). But does anyone no how many 5-8 seeds made it to Semi-Finals, Finals, and became Champ? It would be interesting to see the numbers over the past 21 seasons with the expanded numbers from 4 to 8.
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I used to know that. I can tell you when I investigated it a few years back good conferences like the MAC in small school or GCL in big school have had some state champions come from the 6-8 soots. St X is a big school champ from a 5-5 regular season. Marion Local has multiple deep runs from a deep seed, take 2003 they were the 8 seed, with regular season losses to Coldwater, Versailles ( won state in their division) and Delphos St John's. They rolled over #1 Covington 35-8 and ended up dropping the title game to Columbus Grove. I believe they also have a state title from either the 7 or 8 spot. Many of the MAC state titles at the smallest school level involve a team that starts as a low seed.

That is why I am all for the New Bremens or Parkways of the best leagues to get a chance with 12 in the pool, and hopefully they dont draw another conference opponet right off the bat.

That is one thing I would like to see changed. Make it so teams were able to avoid playing fellow league opponets until say the regional title game. I find non league matchups more interesting than watching two teams go at it a second time in the year.
 
D4fan said:
I used to know that. I can tell you when I investigated it a few years back good conferences like the MAC in small school or GCL in big school have had some state champions come from the 6-8 soots. St X is a big school champ from a 5-5 regular season. Marion Local has multiple deep runs from a deep seed, take 2003 they were the 8 seed, with regular season losses to Coldwater, Versailles ( won state in their division) and Delphos St John's. They rolled over #1 Covington 35-8 and ended up dropping the title game to Columbus Grove. I believe they also have a state title from either the 7 or 8 spot. Many of the MAC state titles at the smallest school level involve a team that starts as a low seed.

That is why I am all for the New Bremens or Parkways of the best leagues to get a chance with 12 in the pool, and hopefully they dont draw another conference opponet right off the bat.

That is one thing I would like to see changed. Make it so teams were able to avoid playing fellow league opponets until say the regional title game. I find non league matchups more interesting than watching two teams go at it a second time in the year.
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St Henry won state as an 8, think they were the first 8 to win one.
 
I wonder how long before we see a 16-0 team? Obviously most 10-0 teams will finish in top 4 and have that bye week.
 
Interestingly, it could really help attendance. You will get more teams who may rarely experience the playoffs. Twice as many home games for the playoffs. Players, coaches, and fans from the team with a bye are much more likely to go watch their future opponent in week 11.

I know that many don't like this but it is going to add alot of excitement for football those first two weekends. I suspect that week 11 in 2021 will set records for how many people show up on this site.
 
Yappi said:
Interestingly, it could really help attendance. You will get more teams who may rarely experience the playoffs. Twice as many home games for the playoffs. Players, coaches, and fans from the team with a bye are much more likely to go watch their future opponent in week 11.

I know that many don't like this but it is going to add alot of excitement for football those first two weekends. I suspect that week 11 in 2021 will set records for how many people show up on this site.
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This is an interesting perspective on it all.

While I personally would rather the qualification threshold to stay at the "top 8", this expansion of the playoffs can give a "shot in the arm" to HS football in Ohio for all the reasons you said. Gives some more "weight" and public interest toward the last couple weeks of a season even if a team is .500 +/- 1 win. Increases the # of teams still in playoff contention. I know for the league my team is in, basically everyone but us and one or two other teams here/there are out of the conversation by week 7 at current. Might give a little extra weight and efficacy to programs that have been stuck in the mud, too.
 
Yappi said:
Interestingly, it could really help attendance. You will get more teams who may rarely experience the playoffs. Twice as many home games for the playoffs. Players, coaches, and fans from the team with a bye are much more likely to go watch their future opponent in week 11.

I know that many don't like this but it is going to add alot of excitement for football those first two weekends. I suspect that week 11 in 2021 will set records for how many people show up on this site.
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Yay for Yappi.
 
IMO, eight per region is the most I would ever like to see. I already believe we have too many divisions as it is and I hate the idea of a bye week, especially.
 
spit-toon said:
Gotta put in place now to start recouping $ lost by their idiotic decisions this spring !!
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Financially skipping the spring sports saved athletic departments a lot of money,not one spring sport turns a profit,but if fans are not allowed or restricted this fall it will be a crushing blow. BTW I wish they could have had all the spring sports but they are a drain on funds.
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Here is a novel idea, want to get people interested in H.S. football, create better play off match ups, to do that less divisions. No one is interested in watching another MAC school destroy some hapless team on the east side of the state. More is not better.
 
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