BluegrassPreps Class 5A Football Rankings 8/30

[Brown]

[ColonelGator]

15 hours ago, MaddenCurse44 said:

CovCath will be better than last year. 

And certainly more battle-tested.

[GC-Dragons]

Does anyone else sorta feel like the win for Highlands over BG isn't nearly as impressive and a little inflated with the result BG just had with McCracken County. I just have this feel that BG isn't elite. They very well make reach that spot later in the year, but have been very underwhelming. 

McCracken County was just beat the week prior by PT and gave up 35 points, while BG only could muster 14 against that same McCracken defense. Did I also mention that the same PT team was just beat by Graves who lost by two touchdowns to Mayfield. I'm just not sold on BG being a huge win as of yet. I guess we shall see.    

[El Diablo]

14 minutes ago, GC-Dragons said:

Does anyone else sorta feel like the win for Highlands over BG isn't nearly as impressive and a little inflated with the result BG just had with McCracken County. I just have this feel that BG isn't elite. They very well make reach that spot later in the year, but have been very underwhelming. 

McCracken County was just beat the week prior by PT and gave up 35 points, while BG only could muster 14 against that same McCracken defense. Did I also mention that the same PT team was just beat by Graves who lost by two touchdowns to Mayfield. I'm just not sold on BG being a huge win as of yet. I guess we shall see.    

I see what you mean by stacking up those scores comparisons.  BG does not look like normal BG, you’re right. But stacking up scores can be tricky with a team who’s strength is defense. 
 

Highlands beat the defending champs at their place first game with a new coach without their QB1. That information stacked up looks phenomenal. Reality is somewhere in the middle. 

[futurecoach]

3 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

Do you really want to go there? You take my one line quick comment and then act like that is the whole argument. If you want the whole case for Cooper and Highlands in the rankings, here you go.

Cooper was not good last year. Highlands was clearly better. One game does not make a season. Yes, Cooper beat Highlands last year. That was the one and only saving grace of their season. Cooper had three wins. They beat a 2 win team and a 3 win team in their other two wins. Beating Highlands was by far the highlight of a losing season. There was nothing that gave anyone an indication they would even be a .500 team coming into this season. Cooper's case using last year's results is weak. There was nothing coming into week one that would cause anyone to think Cooper could be a .500 team in 2021.

Conversely, Highlands finished the regular season 5-5. They had a nice win over Ryle, who beat Cooper by 3 TD's. They beat Boone County by a much wider margin than Cooper did. They beat Campbell County who only won two games but one of those Campbell County wins was over ... yes, Cooper. If we are comparing what Highlands did in 2020 versus Cooper, it looks like that Cooper win over Highlands was just a bad night for the Bluebirds. Then we get the coaching change with a proven winner coming in to coach Highlands. Highlands had a clearly better overall resume than Cooper and they had an improved outlook coming into 2021. The positive vibe with Coach Spire definitely had to come into play in the preseason rankings also. I can see why Highlands got into the top ten and Cooper probably was not even on anyone's radar.

If I were looking at all that, there is zero doubt in my mind that I rank Highlands well above Cooper coming into the season. That is what it looks like to me looking at all of last year for both teams plus the outlook and expectations for 2021. 

Then you get week one with the massive upset by Highlands over Bowling Green on the road - without their starting QB. That jumps the Birds up in the rankings and they follow that win with a win in week 2 over Simon Kenton. Meanwhile, Cooper beats a weak opponent in week one which does nothing to move the needle. Then they get a big win over Dixie. But, if I am looking at Cooper's history from last year, at this point I am wondering was that a bad night for Dixie like Highlands had a bad night against Cooper last year? I don't know. Maybe Cooper has improved that much. But I need to see more than that one win to start believing in Cooper. They need to show everyone something against Ryle this week to prove that Dixie win was not a one off like last year's win over Highlands was. 

So Highlands getting a new coach is a factor. But Cooper getting their starting QB back who got hurt in August last year and didn’t get to play last year doesn't factor in? It doesn’t factor in that maybe that is why Cooper only had 3 wins last year, having to play someone else at QB that completely changed their offense and limited the things they could do. So once again you pick and choose what factors matter and don’t? Then pick and choose which wins matter and which ones don’t? Cooper beats Highlands not just by a little but by a lot. Then Dixie this year but you say maybe it was just off nights by those teams. Highlands beats BG and no mention of maybe an off night by BG or possibly just beating an overranked BG squad? Or maybe an off night by Ryle last year when Highlands beat Ryle. So once again picking and choosing and creating your own narrative to fit it. That’s why I say that initial point is weak, when you have to pick and choose different things and ignore other things to try to fit a narrative. 

If you noticed I have never said I agree or disagree with the rankings.  IMO 5A is very strong and can make good cases for all the teams in the top 10 and Cooper. As I have said a few times on here, the rankings will work itself out as the season goes on.  I just simply disagree with that take you made of using last years results and thought that was a weak stance  Much like I have seen you do many times on here through the years, commenting on something when you have seen people make a point you view as weak or not valid. 

[Voice of Reason]

6 hours ago, futurecoach said:

So Highlands getting a new coach is a factor. But Cooper getting their starting QB back who got hurt in August last year and didn’t get to play last year doesn't factor in? It doesn’t factor in that maybe that is why Cooper only had 3 wins last year, having to play someone else at QB that completely changed their offense and limited the things they could do. So once again you pick and choose what factors matter and don’t? Then pick and choose which wins matter and which ones don’t? Cooper beats Highlands not just by a little but by a lot. Then Dixie this year but you say maybe it was just off nights by those teams. Highlands beats BG and no mention of maybe an off night by BG or possibly just beating an overranked BG squad? Or maybe an off night by Ryle last year when Highlands beat Ryle. So once again picking and choosing and creating your own narrative to fit it. That’s why I say that initial point is weak, when you have to pick and choose different things and ignore other things to try to fit a narrative. 

If you noticed I have never said I agree or disagree with the rankings.  IMO 5A is very strong and can make good cases for all the teams in the top 10 and Cooper. As I have said a few times on here, the rankings will work itself out as the season goes on.  I just simply disagree with that take you made of using last years results and thought that was a weak stance  Much like I have seen you do many times on here through the years, commenting on something when you have seen people make a point you view as weak or not valid. 

I went through the whole schedule for both teams from last year. No picking and choosing. The whole schedule for both, including comparing scores and results of common opponents. Highlands has the clearly better resume based on ALL of last year's results.

[futurecoach]

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

I went through the whole schedule for both teams from last year. No picking and choosing. The whole schedule for both, including comparing scores and results of common opponents. Highlands has the clearly better resume based on ALL of last year's results.

Which like it or not that resume included a blow out lost to a 3 win team. So Highlands was a .500 team with a blowout lost to a 3 win team. Yet last year even in pre season rankings this year, didn’t seem to have any effect on where people viewed Highlands. Yet even two games into a season, it still used against Cooper  

Let’s just be honest here and it has not been mentioned yet. At the end of the day the name Highlands is the big reason for why last year was not held against them, even though they have not done much recently, and that shouldn’t be the case, but the name is the reason.  There resume from last year definitely didn’t warrant them a preseason top ten ranking with a .500 record and a blowout lost to a 3 win team on that resume. It is just the name that got them that. So yes IMO it is weak to use last year to put one team down, while not another. When even that resume you listed of Highlands was not good.  
 

At the end of the day you can find post from me in college football and basketball through the years. Where I make the same argument on how it is pointless to use last years results as a point someone makes to justify rankings for this year, especially after a few games have been played. You obviously think it is still valid to use last year, which we will have to agree to disagree on. 
 

Im sure we can agree on 5A as a whole should be very solid this year, and quite honestly the rankings probably will change a lot this year. 

[TheDeuce]

11 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

Where I make the same argument on how it is pointless to use last years results as a point someone makes to justify rankings for this year, especially after a few games have been played.

After a few games (how many a few is could be debated) in a season, I would agree with you. Prior to the season, there's literally no other information to go on besides results from the previous season and the returning production. 

[Killowatt59]

10 hours ago, GC-Dragons said:

Does anyone else sorta feel like the win for Highlands over BG isn't nearly as impressive and a little inflated with the result BG just had with McCracken County. I just have this feel that BG isn't elite. They very well make reach that spot later in the year, but have been very underwhelming. 

McCracken County was just beat the week prior by PT and gave up 35 points, while BG only could muster 14 against that same McCracken defense. Did I also mention that the same PT team was just beat by Graves who lost by two touchdowns to Mayfield. I'm just not sold on BG being a huge win as of yet. I guess we shall see.    

This is absolutely correct. I said as much after the game to some folks we were talking to. It's not that Highlands is great, it's BG is not very good. As bad as BG was, it was a three play game. Three plays go a different way and BG wins. 

I think the Highlands fans have a lot to be happy about and hopeful about. Do they have a chance to win a state title season? I don't see it. Are they off to a great start to rebuild the program with their new coach? Absolutely. 

 

[Killowatt59]

9 hours ago, El Diablo said:

I see what you mean by stacking up those scores comparisons.  BG does not look like normal BG, you’re right. But stacking up scores can be tricky with a team who’s strength is defense. 
 

Highlands beat the defending champs at their place first game with a new coach without their QB1. That information stacked up looks phenomenal. Reality is somewhere in the middle. 

Just for the record the Highlands/BG game was not played at "their place". It was played at WKU. Same city, but not at the high school where they play most home games.

BG has yet to play a game in their new stadium. That will come against Hopkinsville next week.

[CCHFC]

11 hours ago, ColonelGator said:

I agree -- but our offense hasn't fully cemented and our defense is extremely stingy as always. Who knows where we could end up at the end of the year. Couple of really important weeks coming up that will tell us a lot more about this team. 

Agreed on all fronts. Very loseable games the next 3 weeks, so we need to come ready to play. I think we’ll be able to piece together a running game with Holtz’s athleticism and piece together a passing game with Eviston’s play calling (I think he’s an A+ HS OC) along with the full compliment of receivers and their run after catch ability.

My concern is not having a difference maker at QB or RB (not that we won’t win a lot of games with the current guys) when we play really talented teams, like the current top 3. I think the rest of the roster is good enough. 

[Voice of Reason]

1 hour ago, futurecoach said:

Which like it or not that resume included a blow out lost to a 3 win team. So Highlands was a .500 team with a blowout lost to a 3 win team. Yet last year even in pre season rankings this year, didn’t seem to have any effect on where people viewed Highlands. Yet even two games into a season, it still used against Cooper  

Let’s just be honest here and it has not been mentioned yet. At the end of the day the name Highlands is the big reason for why last year was not held against them, even though they have not done much recently, and that shouldn’t be the case, but the name is the reason.  There resume from last year definitely didn’t warrant them a preseason top ten ranking with a .500 record and a blowout lost to a 3 win team on that resume. It is just the name that got them that. So yes IMO it is weak to use last year to put one team down, while not another. When even that resume you listed of Highlands was not good.  
 

At the end of the day you can find post from me in college football and basketball through the years. Where I make the same argument on how it is pointless to use last years results as a point someone makes to justify rankings for this year, especially after a few games have been played. You obviously think it is still valid to use last year, which we will have to agree to disagree on. 
 

Im sure we can agree on 5A as a whole should be very solid this year, and quite honestly the rankings probably will change a lot this year. 

Again, you are selective and focus on the Cooper win over Highlands. I am looking at the complete resume of both teams.

As @TheDeuce said above, in preseason rankings last year has to be a big factor along with returning players and the educated outlook for the coming season. Say what you want about bias and Highlands being in the BGP top ten preseason, based on the first two games it looks like Highlands was ranked too low by BGP in their preseason ranking.

[El Diablo]

7 hours ago, Killowatt59 said:

Just for the record the Highlands/BG game was not played at "their place". It was played at WKU. Same city, but not at the high school where they play most home games.

BG has yet to play a game in their new stadium. That will come against Hopkinsville next week.

Yeah I know it wasn’t their home stadium. I would say that it was not a neutral field situation though. BG was playing in their home town and Highlands was traveling clear across the state. BG probably had more of a home field advantage than your average high school game. Especially first game of the year. 

[Bluebirdbath]

23 hours ago, El Diablo said:

I see what you mean by stacking up those scores comparisons.  BG does not look like normal BG, you’re right. But stacking up scores can be tricky with a team who’s strength is defense. 
 

Highlands beat the defending champs at their place first game with a new coach without their QB1. That information stacked up looks phenomenal. Reality is somewhere in the middle. 

Highlands and BG did not play at "their place" they played at WKU, mutual field advantage.

[theguru]

9 minutes ago, Bluebirdbath said:

Highlands and BG did not play at "their place" they played at WKU, mutual field advantage.

Welcome to BGP @Bluebirdbath!