Can anyone familiar with the Courier-Journal website point me in the direction of the Litkenhous Ratings? I'm trying to put together my rating system predictions as I've done in the past several years and I need to Lit Ratings to complete it. For some reason I can not find them on the CJ high school sports site...thanks in advance for any help!

http://www.courier-journal.com/litratings

 

I'm not sure why they've made it so hard to find lately.

NKY represented well in the Litkenhous

Courier-Journal Litkenhous Football Ratings

Last Updated:2010-11-01 :12:11

Top 20

1.Trinity (9-1) 148.8

2.Highlands (9-1) 132.5

3.Ryle (9-1) 126.4

4.Simon Kenton (8-2) 123.2

5.Bell County (10-0) 122.9

6.Bowling Green (8-2) 121.8

7.Boyle County (10-0) 121.6

8.St. Xavier (8-2) 120.6

9.Ballard (7-3) 117.5

10.Dixie Heights (5-5) 114.0

11.Christian County (8-2) 113.4

12.John Hardin (10-0) 110.5

13.Henry Clay (8-2) 110.4

14.Male (7-3) 110.4

15.Covington Catholic (5-5) 109.9

16.Newport Catholic (8-2) 109.1

17.Manual (5-5) 108.0

18.Mayfield (10-0) 107.9

19.Somerset (10-0) 107.6

20.Warren Central (8-2) 107.2

I've always felt that the Litkenhous ratings were generally a reasonable barometer of the teams when the regular season concluded. But SK and Dixie Heights both appear to be extremely over-rated (and I mean that with no disrespect intended to either team; both are quality squads!).

I just don't think either would win most matchups against Bell County, Bowling Green, Boyle County, Ballard, St. X, John Hardin, or Henry Clay...and I'm not sure but what Warren Central shouldn't be ranked above both. WC certainly has proven on the field more to me than Dixie Heights has...

Why would bellevue be ranked over Walton in this litkenhous rankings? Walton has a better record and beat them heads up?

I've always felt that the Litkenhous ratings were generally a reasonable barometer of the teams when the regular season concluded. But SK and Dixie Heights both appear to be extremely over-rated (and I mean that with no disrespect intended to either team; both are quality squads!).

I just don't think either would win most matchups against Bell County, Bowling Green, Boyle County, Ballard, St. X, John Hardin, or Henry Clay...and I'm not sure but what Warren Central shouldn't be ranked above both. WC certainly has proven on the field more to me than Dixie Heights has...

 

I don't know about Dixie but Simon Kenton is very good and can play with just about anyone in the state. Their only two losses are to a loaded Middeltown (OH) team and Ryle in OT. Plus apparantley Highlands is afraid to schedule them. :lol:

I took the time to put in bold that I meant no disrespect to either team; both are quality teams. I particularly think SK is solid...but I also don't think they'd do better than 2-5 vs the schools I listed, and so I feel that they should be much lower than they are ranked.

 

I do not intend to be seen as "bashing" either SK or DH.

 

I DEFINITELY would take St. X, Ballard, Boyle County, Bell County, Bowling Green, and John Hardin in single-game matchups over SK...but again, we have to realize we ARE splitting hairs here - that's hardly a slight. SK is definitely a top-20 team in KY, regardless of class. Although I'm not a "SK fan", per se, I consider the SK football coach to be a friend of mine....(perhaps he'll use this as locker room material?? LOL)

 

This is where teams get TOO much credit for playing a solid schedule...Litkenhous perhaps rewards losing to top-tier teams a bit too much. You can bump up your ranking just by getting beat up by good schools. At the end of the day, having a great schedule doesn't really make you a better team (although a 1-9 team that plays a brutal schedule and plays well against it could be a top 10 team!). I just remember when UK football was really lousy and the folks who actually tried to say that they were good because they played in the SEC. Duh????????

 

SK will get their shot at one of the teams I listed - Henry Clay - if both win their first round games (and both should). That's a winnable game (for SK) in my mind, but I think it will be an extremely difficult challenge. Since getting their QB back in the lineup in game 5, HC has been a real offensive juggernaut...

I've always felt that the Litkenhous ratings were generally a reasonable barometer of the teams when the regular season concluded. But SK and Dixie Heights both appear to be extremely over-rated ... I just don't think either would win most matchups against Bell County, Bowling Green, Boyle County, Ballard, St. X, John Hardin, or Henry Clay...

Bell County, Bowling Green, Boyle County, Ballard and St. Xavier are ranked ahead of Dixie Heights, so I'm assuming the Litratings don't, either.

This is where teams get TOO much credit for playing a solid schedule...Litkenhous perhaps rewards losing to top-tier teams a bit too much. You can bump up your ranking just by getting beat up by good schools.

Actually, in all of my years of paying attention to the Litratings, I would say they put less emphasis on strength of schedule than some of the other ones I've seen.

 

And there is nothing wrong with playing a good schedule "bumping up" a team's rating, especially if that team was competitive in those games. I'm just as impressed with Ballard's close loss to St. Xavier than I am their 49-6 win over Madison Central.