OK, this is my pet peeve about the current 6 classes...winless teams making the playoffs because they play in a four team district.

 

Now understand, I'm a big fan of MORE teams in the playoffs. Sending only the district champion - or the champion and the runner-up - makes the regular season mean a lot more, but I like the fact that we allow four teams in per district. Allows for the teams that peak late to get in - in my opinion, the championship should end up in the hands of the best team at the end of the year...and sometimes, that's a team that lost four games to start the year while their starting QB was hurt, or while they learned a new coach's system, or while they simply gained experience.

 

We've had a number of teams over the years win state championships after catching fire late in the season...

 

But winning NO games and making the playoffs? We have a number of winless teams this year that could make the playoffs without getting that first "W"...and I think you should have to at least win ONE game to earn the right to go to the playoffs.

 

Keep in mind that in order to achieve this goal, we'd almost certainly have to cut back the classifications to five... Thoughts?

I know last year in 1-A Clinton Co. was 0-10 regular season went to the playoffs, was 0-11 after their playoff game and their coach George Hatcher was voted district coach of the year. Now, you tell me how that is justified before talking about winless teams not making the playoffs.:ylsuper:

I agree.....you should make the regular season count. Top 2 teams in the district goes to the playoffs. It will shorten the playoff system now and we won't be going so late in December with the state championships.

OK, this is my pet peeve about the current 6 classes...winless teams making the playoffs because they play in a four team district.

 

Now understand, I'm a big fan of MORE teams in the playoffs. Sending only the district champion - or the champion and the runner-up - makes the regular season mean a lot more, but I like the fact that we allow four teams in per district. Allows for the teams that peak late to get in - in my opinion, the championship should end up in the hands of the best team at the end of the year...and sometimes, that's a team that lost four games to start the year while their starting QB was hurt, or while they learned a new coach's system, or while they simply gained experience.

 

We've had a number of teams over the years win state championships after catching fire late in the season...

 

But winning NO games and making the playoffs? We have a number of winless teams this year that could make the playoffs without getting that first "W"...and I think you should have to at least win ONE game to earn the right to go to the playoffs.

 

Keep in mind that in order to achieve this goal, we'd almost certainly have to cut back the classifications to five... Thoughts?

 

I agree with you on some of this but I don't cut the classes but cut the number of teams that make the playoffs like it used to be where only the winner and runner-up of the district can make the playoffs and you will get rid of the winless teams that make the playoffs. Then the 1st round games will be better for both teams where you have quality opponents playing each other.:thumb:

I agree with you on some of this but I don't cut the classes but cut the number of teams that make the playoffs like it used to be where only the winner and runner-up of the district can make the playoffs and you will get rid of the winless teams that make the playoffs. Then the 1st round games will be better for both teams where you have quality opponents playing each other.:thumb:

 

:thumb:

The 6 Class system dis not do this. Under the 4 class system there were still 4 team districts with winless teams getting into the playoffs.

The 6 Class system dis not do this. Under the 4 class system there were still 4 team districts with winless teams getting into the playoffs.

 

Agreed, it still doesn't fix an apparent problem with the current system. Does Ohio have the right solution???

As of right now there is a possibility that 11 TEAMS with no wins at all could reach the playoffs.Give me the Top 2 teams from each district and shorten the playoffs by a week!

The 6 Class system dis not do this. Under the 4 class system there were still 4 team districts with winless teams getting into the playoffs.

 

Granted, the districts needed tweaking before 6 classes came along...but the 6 class system all but guaranteed there would be 4 team districts, as each classification has less than 40 teams to spread across 8 districts...

 

But I don't think cutting the playoffs back to two teams per district is the answer. Why? Although the top two generally are the teams that make long runs in the playoffs, we've had some significant exceptions. South Oldham made the semi-finals back when they had Donnell Gordon (lost to Billy Jack Haskins & Paducah Tilghman in the semis)...unless I'm mistaken, they finished fourth in their district that year. (South has never finished in the top two in their district)

 

I know Shelby County won it all in 4A one year when they lost 4 or 5 regular season games...

 

The point being, while the third and fourth place teams means a lot of lopsided scores in the early rounds - it also means that the team that jells late has the opportunity to prove its superiority.

 

Just doing some raw numbers, if you had a 5 class system, you'd have about 45 teams per class. Divide that into 8 teams per district, and you've got 5-6 teams per district.

Edited October 30, 200817 yr by ColonelMike
clarification

Does Ohio have the right solution???

No, absolutely not.

But winning NO games and making the playoffs? We have a number of winless teams this year that could make the playoffs without getting that first "W"...and I think you should have to at least win ONE game to earn the right to go to the playoffs.

 

Keep in mind that in order to achieve this goal, we'd almost certainly have to cut back the classifications to five... Thoughts?

 

Should this thought process pertain to other sports as well? There are several winless baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, etc. teams that play in the post season tournaments/playoffs.

 

Whats even worse in those sports is you can lose in the district portion of the postseason and get to keep playing into the regional tourney!

The only thing that is a bigger joke than winless teams going to the playoffs is a state the size of KY having 6 classes. JMO

I know last year in 1-A Clinton Co. was 0-10 regular season went to the playoffs, was 0-11 after their playoff game and their coach George Hatcher was voted district coach of the year. Now, you tell me how that is justified before talking about winless teams not making the playoffs.:ylsuper:

 

Are you positive about this, Bronco?

 

I was at the (our) district banquet for Lynn Camp, Williamsburg, Campbellsville and Clinton County and I am almost positive that Herb Wiseman (Late of Campbellsville:madman:), won the COY award. He was not winless and went to the Region Final against Hazard. I am just about 100% on this. I have slept since then, though.:lol:

 

(I really don't see Coaches Mitchell, Wiseman or Herron voting for Hatcher on the merit of his season.)

 

As far as winless teams in the playoffs, leave them be. They will be gone in the first week in most cases and they are usually so bad that the #1 seed has a glorified practice. If you lose to a winless team as a #1 seed, you probably were not going very far anyway. How about a team that wins 2 games? Harlan did it and is HOSTING a playoff game. They won 2 district games and that appears to be all they will get? Do they deserve it? I say yes.

The winless teams that make it had no say so over being in a 4 team district.

Who, exactly, are the winless teams hurting by being in? It's not like a team that has one win can supplant a team in another district or class with 0 wins. The 4A system was better, but the 6A is OK. Let the kids have their moment. It is one extra game of experience for the teams that are winless and a chance to play spoiler, which makes everything fun.

An opinion from someone who has no history with the KY playoff system beyond the last few years: there are WAY too many poor quality teams who make the playoffs. Where I grew up, you knew only the BEST teams would be lucky enough to make the post-season.

Agreed, it still doesn't fix an apparent problem with the current system. Does Ohio have the right solution???

 

I think Ohio has a better way of selecting teams for the playoffs. It ranks teams based on victories, strength of schedule, etc. It's not perfect and there are some early mismatches, but you won't find winless teams making the playoffs based on what (4-team) district they play in. Playoffs, IMO, is a way of rewarding kids for accomplishing something they have earned, not entitled to.