Why a 10 game season?

G

Gamma Gobbler

Well-known member
I love football more than anyone I know, I live for HS games and wish I could see more. Seeing kids play the game for the love of it and for those that will excel in the future. Just to see a kid in HS that goes on to college and/or NFL is amazing to say, "I saw that kid in HS" or a kid that spilled his guts for four years to never play again makes me proud that I was one of those that put his hand in the dirt and share that brotherhood.

I wonder is a 10 game regular season too much with a potential six games added? Why 10 games? Why not 8 or 7? Are we risking our kids health to a potential 16 games, what used to be a NFL regular season? Colleges only play 12 regular season games, conference title game, bowl game and for two other schools another game, 15 maximum college games (is my math correct?) but in HS we are exceeding that for a select few. Why?

I know, I know the typical answer is, "because that's what we have always done". Kids are bigger, faster, stronger now than 10, 20 or 30 years ago and injuries are up. (Knee injuries are up 30% with the "new" turf fields and are being questioned by NFL players as to their suitability as a playing surface). A school in Iowa just cancelled their season due to excessive injuries on the varsity (interesting note, they play the freshman/jv prior to the varsity game on Friday...hmm) and if history is an indicator, that will happen more often and it may be happening in Ohio. I have not validated my statistics but in my quick view of the past two years, teams that were within the top 16 at week 8 made the playoffs...I will accept there are exceptions. However, if the regions are settled by week 8, why the additional two games? To settle seeding would be what I consider a weak excuse.

Just food for thought.
 
 
dhsdog06 said:
Most kids won't play a down of football after high school.

Let them enjoy their 40 weeks under the lights making memories with their friends.
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I have life long memories of my playing days and when I get together with my HS buddies we reminisce of the good ole days. I remember the Bike salt tablets, water is for p***ies, its only a stinger, put your helmet on the ball, fingers are made to be broken, run till you puke, etc. That era is long gone and like I said love HS football but the question remains. Why 10 games? Is it too much?
 
There are over 700 teams playing football. 300+ will miss the playoffs. 224 more will play 11 games. So over 70% of all teams will play less than a college season, no matter what.

No, 10 games isn't too much. You're talking about a fraction of the state playing 12+ games. Hell, 14 teams have a chance to play 16.
 
Honestly with half the season being over before we even get to the first day of fall I wish we played 12 regular season games and cut down on the number of teams in the playoffs. As an official HS football season always feels like it ends too early, whereas in basketball I'm always ready to be done by the time the second half of February rolls around.

I just want to get some more use out of my long sleeve football stripes. ;)
 
16 games are too much (same number a college team plays to be in the NC) but it is not going to change. Also, with smaller schools having roster issues it is becoming more difficult to field a 10-game schedule, just ask Mogadore, Milton Union and others.
 
I would like to see 10 games, but the 10th is the 1st round of an all in tournament that is still seeded. Keeps the regular season relevant with seeding and all kids can experience a playoff game. I'd be all for teams that are knocked out of the playoffs to get a week 11 game if they choose to do so.
 
dhsdog06 said:
There are over 700 teams playing football. 300+ will miss the playoffs. 224 more will play 11 games. So over 70% of all teams will play less than a college season, no matter what.

No, 10 games isn't too much. You're talking about a fraction of the state playing 12+ games. Hell, 14 teams have a chance to play 16.
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Thanks for the stats and those make sense to me; I am not meaning to piss you off but I think this is a valid question.
 
I am for cutting back the playoffs by a couple of rounds by cutting back on the number of qualifying teams per region and by going from seven divisions to five. I know that nearly no one on our 2-8 and 3-6-1 teams would have wanted to play any more football those seasons.
 
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In PA, the standard was always 9 games.

In New York prior to the advent of the state playoffs the season was capped at 10 games. The state playoffs added three weeks to the season. However, to have section playoffs, most sections took the last three weeks of the regular season for section playoffs. This meant most schools play a 7 game schedule instead.

New York starts two weeks after Ohio though and finishes the week after Thanksgiving now.

Connecticut might be the most true to calendar schedule in the US. The regular season still starts in mid September and runs until Thanksgiving. This makes their entire slate of traditional Thanksgiving day games part of the regular season. And then play a quick 3 rounds of playoffs that are condensed over the following two weekends to finish mid December.
 
1% of high school teams play 16 games. And those teams have running clocks in round 1.

8% of teams play 15 games. And those teams have running clocks in round 1.

90% (I bet) of cancellations are a birth of covid season. Teams now cancel because they are cowards. They see that they’ll get throttled, and they cancel. It’s a crime.

Last year Crestview cancelling versus Garfield? They didn’t want the stampede of 450 yards rushing. University cancelling against Mogadore? University didn’t want to get tackled by 9 white helmets (minimum) per play. Most teams that cancel are soft so don’t use that as the standard. Contenders dream of 16 games.

the best format was 8 in, 15 weeks. 16 is no biggy.
 
Sykotyk said:
In PA, the standard was always 9 games.

In New York prior to the advent of the state playoffs the season was capped at 10 games. The state playoffs added three weeks to the season. However, to have section playoffs, most sections took the last three weeks of the regular season for section playoffs. This meant most schools play a 7 game schedule instead.

New York starts two weeks after Ohio though and finishes the week after Thanksgiving now.

Connecticut might be the most true to calendar schedule in the US. The regular season still starts in mid September and runs until Thanksgiving. This makes their entire slate of traditional Thanksgiving day games part of the regular season. And then play a quick 3 rounds of playoffs that are condensed over the following two weekends to finish mid December.
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I lived in upstate New York for a year in the mid-1960s. Eight-game schedules and no playoffs. Weather and the need to get on with winter sports.
 
Gamma Gobbler said:
I love football more than anyone I know, I live for HS games and wish I could see more. Seeing kids play the game for the love of it and for those that will excel in the future. Just to see a kid in HS that goes on to college and/or NFL is amazing to say, "I saw that kid in HS" or a kid that spilled his guts for four years to never play again makes me proud that I was one of those that put his hand in the dirt and share that brotherhood.

I wonder is a 10 game regular season too much with a potential six games added? Why 10 games? Why not 8 or 7? Are we risking our kids health to a potential 16 games, what used to be a NFL regular season? Colleges only play 12 regular season games, conference title game, bowl game and for two other schools another game, 15 maximum college games (is my math correct?) but in HS we are exceeding that for a select few. Why?

I know, I know the typical answer is, "because that's what we have always done". Kids are bigger, faster, stronger now than 10, 20 or 30 years ago and injuries are up. (Knee injuries are up 30% with the "new" turf fields and are being questioned by NFL players as to their suitability as a playing surface). A school in Iowa just cancelled their season due to excessive injuries on the varsity (interesting note, they play the freshman/jv prior to the varsity game on Friday...hmm) and if history is an indicator, that will happen more often and it may be happening in Ohio. I have not validated my statistics but in my quick view of the past two years, teams that were within the top 16 at week 8 made the playoffs...I will accept there are exceptions. However, if the regions are settled by week 8, why the additional two games? To settle seeding would be what I consider a weak excuse.

Just food for thought.
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MONEY. How's that as an answer for not cutting back from 10 games? There are certain fixed costs, such as uniforms and equipment reconditioning that aren't reduced because the schedule is. Schools aren't about to give up two gates.
 
queencitybuckeye said:
I am for cutting back the playoffs by a couple of rounds by cutting back on the number of qualifying teams per region and by going from seven divisions to five. I know that nearly no one on our 2-8 and 3-6-1 teams would have wanted to play any more football those seasons.
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Its a money grab by the OHSAA and other state associations. Use Joe Eitel's records as a basis and see how many 9 thru 16 seeds win a game. And then check to see how many win two or more.
 
Gamma Gobbler said:
I have life long memories of my playing days and when I get together with my HS buddies we reminisce of the good ole days. I remember the Bike salt tablets, water is for p***ies, its only a stinger, put your helmet on the ball, fingers are made to be broken, run till you puke, etc. That era is long gone and like I said love HS football but the question remains. Why 10 games? Is it too much?
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Don't forget "Just rub some dirt on it and get back in there."
 
Gamma Gobbler said:
I know, I know the typical answer is, "because that's what we have always done".
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But - but - it is! :cool:

Just took a look at the archives - Hamilton Township alternated between 9 and 10 games a year between 1955 and 1966. Not sure they were in any playoff or county championship game back then. Starting in '67, it was 10 games from then on. Would that have been a state-wide change that year?

Interestingly, Ohio State only played a 9-game schedule during their '68 championship year, and a 10th game at the Rose Bowl.
 
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Vet Observer said:
Its a money grab by the OHSAA and other state associations. Use Joe Eitel's records as a basis and see how many 9 thru 16 seeds win a game. And then check to see how many win two or more.
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I want as much football as possible, never hear anyone moan about the other sports and all of the teams making it. I would rather basketball have 16 teams per region make it and go from there, basketball season is all ready to long, the season should be from 12/1 to 2/28 and be over.
 
Zunardo said:
But - but - it is! :cool:

Just took a look at the archives - Hamilton Township alternated between 9 and 10 games a year between 1955 and 1966. Not sure they were in any playoff or county championship game back then. Starting in '67, it was 10 games from then on. Would that have been a state-wide change that year?

Interestingly, Ohio State only played a 9-game schedule during their '68 championship year, and a 10th game at the Rose Bowl.
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Steubenville played 9 games through the 20s and 30s and went to a 10 game schedule in 1942
 
queencitybuckeye said:
I am for cutting back the playoffs by a couple of rounds by cutting back on the number of qualifying teams per region and by going from seven divisions to five. I know that nearly no one on our 2-8 and 3-6-1 teams would have wanted to play any more football those seasons.
Click to expand...
We finished 3-7, I would have given a left reproductive organ to play one more game.
 
Sykotyk said:
In PA, the standard was always 9 games.

In New York prior to the advent of the state playoffs the season was capped at 10 games. The state playoffs added three weeks to the season. However, to have section playoffs, most sections took the last three weeks of the regular season for section playoffs. This meant most schools play a 7 game schedule instead.

New York starts two weeks after Ohio though and finishes the week after Thanksgiving now.

Connecticut might be the most true to calendar schedule in the US. The regular season still starts in mid September and runs until Thanksgiving. This makes their entire slate of traditional Thanksgiving day games part of the regular season. And then play a quick 3 rounds of playoffs that are condensed over the following two weekends to finish mid December.
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Just curious. How many schools play football in CT?
 
I don’t know… when I played in the 80s, we had two down years and two great years of 10 game seasons, pre playoff era. Clearly different times and loves ever second of all 40 games in high school……
My son played 16 games last year and won every one of them….. that season as a fan flew by for us, I can clearly say the young men on the field would have played 20 games if they could! 9 of those young men recovered in spring by winning another ring in Baseball……! The basketball coach was not very happy though…..😃
 
Gamma Gobbler said:
I love football more than anyone I know, I live for HS games and wish I could see more. Seeing kids play the game for the love of it and for those that will excel in the future. Just to see a kid in HS that goes on to college and/or NFL is amazing to say, "I saw that kid in HS" or a kid that spilled his guts for four years to never play again makes me proud that I was one of those that put his hand in the dirt and share that brotherhood.

I wonder is a 10 game regular season too much with a potential six games added? Why 10 games? Why not 8 or 7? Are we risking our kids health to a potential 16 games, what used to be a NFL regular season? Colleges only play 12 regular season games, conference title game, bowl game and for two other schools another game, 15 maximum college games (is my math correct?) but in HS we are exceeding that for a select few. Why?

I know, I know the typical answer is, "because that's what we have always done". Kids are bigger, faster, stronger now than 10, 20 or 30 years ago and injuries are up. (Knee injuries are up 30% with the "new" turf fields and are being questioned by NFL players as to their suitability as a playing surface). A school in Iowa just cancelled their season due to excessive injuries on the varsity (interesting note, they play the freshman/jv prior to the varsity game on Friday...hmm) and if history is an indicator, that will happen more often and it may be happening in Ohio. I have not validated my statistics but in my quick view of the past two years, teams that were within the top 16 at week 8 made the playoffs...I will accept there are exceptions. However, if the regions are settled by week 8, why the additional two games? To settle seeding would be what I consider a weak excuse.

Just food for thought.
Click to expand...
Valid point!
 
I've honestly never heard a kid complain about 10 games. They are generally rival conference games, so have meaning to the poorest of teams. We've had "championship" games in the city, trying to keep up traditions using the best teams that didn't make play-offs. The season started to wear at that point and they're thinking of basketball.

No, ten games is not too many.
 
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