Calico Jack

ehhh.....it's kind of where a "cross seed" format meets a 'snake seeding' within quadrants. Really moreso a Snake within quadrants. Frankenstein format as I called it. ?

Yes sir! Thank you! Glad to do it....was fun. Absolutely and I think that is more realistic in terms of having. The most sense? I don't know. THIS one has gained more traction than I thought (I more or less put this one out there for fun ?)

Correct, well, sorta! Current classes 1-3 would be in Class A and Classes 4-6 Class AA However, you’d just “fall where you fall” based off your ranking at the end of the regular season (11 game, even though these are the numbers per hsratings.com through our current 10). So, the top 16 in Class A? Would be Class A D1, middle 16 Class A D2, bottom 16 Class A D3 Same for Class AA (current classes 4-6).

All fair points. However, we have the same thing going on within classes. I think we are closer in parody across multiple classes (and, not saying this is the best one, but even the '2x3 Model) than we think. Male in a 'normal year'? I'd agree. Male vs. Belfry this year? Game on (hsratings.com actually has in their "project a match up" feature.... 28-26 Belfry. Granted, a projection is just that, but considering their 83.2% projection accuracy for this year through last night, I tend to give those the benefit of the night. Oh...and the irony in those weekly averages? The lowest projection accuracy numbers for Kentucky? Week 1 -5, aka 'before most district grids start=people playing who they want'. Week 1-5 ranged from 66%-81%. Since week 6 (district grid)? 87.1%-92%. (Little plug for the 'do away with districts there) ?

People talk about using "Neutral sites" (which, I see some merit too, but prefer them at the home school)? Might not be an option with a matchup like this. Calling Cardinal Stadium/Kroger Field.

Absolutely! More than welcome! I'd have gotten them out sooner, but with work, kid's schedules....annnddddd, um, the November Smallmouth & Walleye bites in the rivers?! Priorities and all. Heavy on the last part this week. ? So, Friday it is. ?

It'd settle many of those.

People would be parking down the hill into Dayton 2.5 hours before kickoff wouldn't they? ? The best thing I like about using computer rankings (which, by the way @Tigerpride94 ?! Yours are all over it, too, more so than our current RPI format)? It makes any format laid out FUN...the unknown year to year on who you would play round 1 and throughout. Whereas the current system? Anybody want to go ahead and project next year's region finalists and/or the next 10 for that matter under the current and previous realignment(s) if they ran that long? ?

The top 96 go dancing - regardless of class. Using hsratings.com rankings, the top 96 teams statewide are slotted into six 16-team Divisions (Div. I–VI) based solely on strength, not enrollment. It’s a modern, merit-based “open division” approach similar to California or New Jersey. No class lines. No districts. The 11-game season becomes a true proving ground, with statewide competition dictating playoff placement. Why it works: Merit over enrollment True competitive parity Sparks statewide intrigue (e.g., Pikeville vs. Paducah & Pikeville to Paducah)

Two classes. Three Divisions each. Six Champions. This proposal condenses Kentucky football into two main classes — Class 1A = current A, 2A, 3A programs Class 2A = current 4A, 5A, 6A programs Each class is then split into three divisions (I, II, III) based off hsratings.com (Top 16= Division 1, Middle 16= Division 2, Bottom 16= Division 3. That still produces six total state champions, but now with more competitive balance and fewer mismatched playoff games. No districts, 11-game regular season, playoff seeding based purely on RPI or rating index. Schedule YOUR schedule, play who you play, fall where you fall. Perfect? Absolutely not. Arguments against? Absolutely, but the more you look at it and remove the conditioned, archaic way of thinking we've all fallen for ("More boys, better football" or "they have as many boys as a,b,c,x,y,z! Why aren't any better?" It's so much deeper than that. Chances of this happening? Slim, but fun to look at. Reference the PowerRanking Grid for this, Plan A and Plan C in the next thread (which, Ill attach again)...especially the smaller grid to the right. Why it works: Retains six titles for tradition Narrows competitive gaps

Same six classes. Eleven game regular season. No districts. More Freedom This model keeps the current six-class alignment (A through 6A), but eliminates districts entirely. Teams would schedule an 11-game regular season however they choose — giving flexibility for rivalries, gate-driven matchups, and more "control". Playoffs would still seed 16 teams per class based on hsratings.com, not district finish. It’s the “as-is” model with more freedom and cleaner seeding. Teams 17-32 would/could even be granted a 12th game, "Bowl" of sorts for 1- 'playoff' type feel, but just as meaningful (haven't paired those up yet).

First and foremost, CONGRATS to these young men and Coach Mullins. 1st EVER in school history as you said & that in and of itself needs to be celebrated to the fullest. Lower seed beating a higher seed, yes, but these two were about as even as it gets & THAT is what makes Friday nights fun, but especially in November...and, to win it on the road? Even sweeter. Common opponents, both went 2-2 (L's to Prestonsburg & Martin County, W's vs Betsy Layne and Floyd Central). RPI? Advantage KCC (15th & SV 20th) hsratings.com? Advantage SV (19th & KCC 22nd) & their projection was Shelby Valley 28-21 TP94? SV (17th & KCC 26th) No school in Hindman tomorrow?? If not...there shouldn't be or at least make all absences and tardies excused! ?

The few potential upsets (each year, and do happen) look like that because of the “1 v 4”, but when you look deeper, those 1’s could/would very likely be the 4 if they switched places.

That's why you wouldn't use that method. It's just as archaic as districts, well, especially with six classes. Hsratings.com, Top 16 However, I'll play. I picked 22, mostly all 2/3 games. These look about right? 1A Lou. Holy Cross/Russellville, Bishop Brossart/Bellevue, Williamsburg/Paintsville 2A Danville/Green Co, McLean Co/Crittenden, Morgan County/WV, Shelby Valley/West Carter 3A Union County/LaRue County, Garrard Co/DeSales, Central/Bardstown 4A John Hardin/Franklin-Simpson, Lincoln County/Perry Co Central, Harlan Co/Wayne Co 5A Greenwood/Madisonville, Bullitt Central/Butler, Cooper/South Oldham, Dixie Heights/Collins, West Jess/Southwestern 6A Hoptown/Daviess County, Bullitt East/North Hardin, Simon Kenton/Oldham, Meade County/Henderson I'm not one to generally find fault, but definitely NOT without proposing a solution (of which @theguru and @Colonels_Wear_Blue have already seen- three to be exact, and two of which would likely cause the KHSFB world to explode in chaos, yet make sense-despite not wanting them to- myself included, yet when I separate the "What we've always done" b/c "That's just the way it should be done" thinking? They make sense. One in particular ). All based around an 11 game regular season, Top 16 in each class to the playoffs & better yet? 17-32 in each class? Get a 12th game as well.

My biggest take away(s) from now, year 2 of the new CFB Football Playoff? 1- Best thing ever and long overdue, as we all feel. Butttttt.... 2- The G5 schools need their own Division. FCS has theirs, the P4 has theirs (even though one G5 is thrown a bone). Pretending as though they, or even the ONE that gets in every year has a legitimate chance to compete for a title is about like our current KYHSFB district/playoff set up where 80% (and, more as it pertains to G5 vs P4) are nothing more than shark bait. That's not an "everybody deserves a trophy" observation, either. Actually it's for selfish reasons of more football playoffs ?. Plus, I think those schools could reallllllllly cash in, especially if some of those lower tier Bowl games that they play in were tied to it (they'd kick in even more than what they do already, along with potential others)

Truer words never spoken.

IMO, I think a win over Florida on Saturday cures many of those feelings. IF they beat Florida? UK gets either Vandy or Louisville, despite both of them being on the road to finish 6-6....IF it was Louisville to get bowl eligible? This season becomes the 1/2 sibling of the 2017 campaign, except then? Started off hot, faltered and had to beat the Cards to "get in" (I know, I know...it was at Commonwealth, but humor me here ?. That Louisville win to get to 6-6 sparked a pretty good stretch in coming years. Sometimes that's all it takes. Saw it with the home South Carolina game in his first few years, and then again with that game. As far as Mitch? This actually all started with his apprehension to the NIL stuff in the beginning- he and Dabo, the kindred spirits they are. This falls on him SOOOO much more than it does Stoops IMO. I don't think there is any chance of Sumrall coming here with the jobs that are open, fan faved on the field/sidelines or not. I think he wants to, but has to make the smart play for he and his. Maybe it is the play? I don't see it, though.

1) Ole Miss game that they were in + had chances to win down until the final minutes (granted, Ole Miss was in a QB limbo themselves at the time). 2) Texas game. 3-5 & one yard from being 5-3, split one of those and 4-4. Florida at home is a must (Captain Obvious there). Win it? The likelihood of upsetting Vandy or Louisville on the road obviously increases with the Mojo. I look at this game vs Florida for UK much like it was for Florida last year. They needed a shot in the arm and quick, almost desperation mode (which it was, for their Bowl hopes + Billy Napier's job security at the time)..yet they maybe played as "free" as they had all year. Same scenario for UK this week (not that the Auburn game wasn't). UK matches up well with Florida in styles of play (also did with South Carolina, per usual, but that went from up 7-0 to GAME OVER in seconds in back to back Murphy's Law possessions). Florida isn't rolling in here playing like Ole Miss/Tennessee (same coaching tree, scheme/philosophy) on offense. Clean game for both? Final possession type game. Significant turnover margin in favor of one? Game over. This is Kentucky's 'play in' Bowl Game.

Yep & some already have...namely Auburn and Florida. Auburn never should have fired Gus Malzahn & Florida needs to start looking in the mirror themselves. Dang I was pulling for Billy Napier there. I think they were going to flip the switch just like they started doing the back half last season. He's just a likeable dude.

No doubt, and to echo what's being said in years like this or even in general, "Who are you going to hire?" Dillingham for example at Arizona State? He's not leaving there. Why would he? He's from there, played there, spent the first 10 years of his coaching career both in high school and college there. His wife is from there & didn't realize until earlier this morning when hearing they have their first child on the way this winter. As if the above isn't enough reasons, he's at a place that can get to the college football playoff as they proved last year & if they were to have back to back 6-6 years? That seat won't get hot, all while making MILLIONS in a place where it's practically SUMMER year 'round.

Depends on if they have to actually MOVE or not, even MORE if married + family. Know the scene from the original "Barber Shop" & the guys that stole the ATM, who had to move it up the stairs of their apartment complex? More accurate than not & that's just towards the IDEA of it. ?

#7, but really #1....the two ton pink elephant in the room that you won't find in most "Coach Speak 101 Manuals", which I can proudly say I've never subscribed to ?, but: "Schedule as many people as possible who are undoubtedly worse than you." (actually for the AD & newly hired HFC, but nonetheless when it comes to importance of BUILDING) Go look at 80% (maybe more) of the schedules this year & any year. Who do wins come against? ? I don't make the rules. ?

Because being an assistant, especially an ACTUAL coordinator at those type programs > being a head coach just anywhere. Cliff Dew- Mayfield (as was Joe Morris before him) Mark Spader- Bowling Green (as was Kevin Wallace before him, all be it only for a couple years, after resigning as the HC of Warren East after a 10 year stint) Justin Grundy- Bardstown (as was David Clark before him) Chad Tackett- Ashland (as was Tony Love before him. Tackett actually had an impressive run at Fairview in the mid 2000's for three years, resigned, went back to Ashland for 15 as an assistant under TWO different HC's) Matt Varney- Belfry (goes without saying, but obviously not the way he nor any of us across the state wanted to see him take over the reigns with the tragic passing of Coach Haywood ) Jayson Fallin - Owensboro (although resigned after the '24 season) Dustin Lopez- Hopkinsville (who I also hope gets the keys to the new Christian County HS with what he's done at Hoptown with all the uncertainty of if/when the new consolidated high school was going to happen) ..are just a few that come to mind in recent years who were assistants/coordinators for in and around that amount of time (some longer) at the same programs they are now leading. There are others further back in time, too. Some are still in that role, some are not. You get the point(s). Michael Salmons-Raceland, Brian Weinrich- Highlands, Dale Estes- Campbellsville, Nigel Smith- LexCath are some others that come to mind. Then you have guys that were head coaches, who, on the surface to those that "don't know what they don't know" might have looked like failed attempts at being able to 'run their own show'- that resigned, only to go be an assistant within said great program & later earned/given the keys to it OR land legit good job (outside of where they went back to be an assistant). Jason Morris- McLean Co HFC--> O'Cath Asst--> O'Cath HFC. Jackson Arnett- Barren Co HFC --> Boyle Asst --> Glasgow HFC That's not to say taking a HC job just to take one can't springboard into getting a GREAT one, because it does...but TIMING, both doing well in the previous year(s) at Job A & then Job B simultaneously coming open the following months, has to often times hit just right (annnnd, "THOSE JOBS" don't come open often-ALONG with the slim chances that nobody in house wants it (usually the case). Jay Volker - Beechwood HFC (can't remember the school in Ohio he was previously, but won 'only' four games in 2-3 years. Obviously those hiring knew 1- What they saw during the interview process 2- his pedigree & 3- the dead end job he was trying to do it at) Hunter Cantwell- Carroll County HFC --> CAL HFC (AND for the powers to be hiring to see through any of the opinions.. "Well, he just went 4-7, 4-7, 6-6 at Carroll Co." To which I'm sure they either 1- Didn't care about those opinions and/or 2- said, "If he can win a playoff game there, just think what he could do here." Justin Haddix- Perry County Central HFC --> Corbin HFC (now Boyle & the rest is history). Like Cantwell, finished 6-6 at PCC his last year before Corbin came open...along with a 9 win, but also a 4 win in between. Were there some within Corbin that probably snubbed their nose at first to "We're hiring Perry County Central's coach?" Guarantee it. But they KNEW ("If can do that there, think what he could do here" + who he had played for/coached under for years altogether in Mike Holcomb)

Come next year? Four. Not sure if this will make you feel better or throw salt on the wound, but you'd be very surprised that 3-4 coaches at one program over that duration of time is far more common across the state than you'd think.

I think you’d be surprised. There is a silent majority out there that don’t disagree with that at all, especially if there was an 11 game regular season to get that “extra” week. However, IMO, it doesn’t need to just be an automatic Top 2 seeds for the mere fact that one district might be stacked vs another full of can’t play dead. I'm Team HSRatings.com (formerly CalPreps) all the way & there is really no arguing there, while not 100% perfect? Nothing else compares & anybody that argues differently is just trying to be difficult for the sake of being difficult ?. I've got a couple different drafts/approaches about shaking things up (16 teams per class) so that things don’t continue to be the absolute snooze fest that it’s largely become & it starts way before the playoffs (Team No Districts here, too- play who you want). I’ll release Sunday sometime. I think there is some merit to them or if nothing else…fun to argue about ?