(11-5-19) -Does Ohio HS Football need a new system of qualifying teams for the playoffs? Recently it was learned that the Ohio HS Football Coaches Association has submitted a plan, with possible expansion, to consider for OHSAA member schools in the future.
This year the computer points system was tested when two 10-0 schools (D V Northwood and D VI Gibsonburg) failed to qualify for the postseason in their region. Had the OHSAA did not use regions and rate each team as a entire division both schools would have easily qualified for the playoffs. In the Top 32 D V schools Northwood is ranked 21st, while in D VI Gibsonburg is ranked 22nd.
This would have also eliminated the disaster that happened when the OHSAA this year moved teams from three different regions in D VI and they all landed in Region 23 (which included Gibsonburg). Elven teams from Region 23 are ranked in the Top 32 D VI schools in D VI.
Dumping regions would have benefited 21 schools (in all 7 divisions) who did not qualify in 2019. This would also allow for the 32 best teams in the state to play for each division title.
This would be a very simple tweak to doing it right every year…other adjustments should be looked at for the future.
FINAL 2019 OHSAA HS FB Playoff Computer Rankings
Each of the seven divisions are ranked as a complete group, not by the current format of separation by regions.
The Top 32 schools in each division are ranked according their season (level 1 and level 2 points) average of total computer points (same as they would be in the Region).
Did the 32 highest ranked teams in each division qualify for the playoffs? You will see that every division has at least several schools who qualified into their Regions but not are not in the Top 32, which also means there are schools who are ranked in the Top 32 who are not playing in the playoffs this Friday night.
NOTE: Teams listed in RED are not in the Top 32.
DI – Facts and Figures –
- #1 seeds in the Top 4 of the Top 32 – 3 – the other #1 seed is ranked #7
- # of schools who qualified for round one play via Region rankings not in the Top 32 – 3 – (a #6, #7 and a #8 seed)
D II – Facts and Figures –
- #1 seeds in the Top 4 of the Top 32 – all 4
- # of schools who qualified for round one play not in the Top 32 – 4 – 2 ranked #7 and 2 #8 in region rankings
DIII – Facts and Figures –
- #1 seeds in the Top 4 of the Top 32 – 2 – the other two #1 seeds are ranked 7th and 10th in Top 32
- # of schools who qualified for round one play not in the Top 32 – 3– one #7 ranked and 2 #8 ranked
D IV – Facts and Figures –
- #1 seeds in the Top 4 of the Top 32 – 3 – the other #1 region seed is #8 in Top 32
- # of schools who qualified for round one play not in the Top 32 – 3 – One each – #6, #7, #8
D V – Facts and Figures –
- #1 seeds in the Top 4 of the Top 32 – 3 – the other #1 is ranked #7 in Top 32
- # of schools who qualified for round one play not in the Top 32 – 2 – one #7 and one #8 in region rankings
D VI – Facts and Figures –
- #1 seeds in the Top 4 of the Top 32 – 3 – the other #1 seed is #12 in the Top 32
- # of schools who qualified for round one play not in the Top 32 – 5 – one #5, #6, #7 and two #8’s
D VII – Facts and Figures –
- #1 seeds in the Top 4 of the Top 32 – 4
- # of schools who qualified for round one play not in the Top 32 – just 1 #8 seed
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Stateline Sports Network 
A better headline would be “Are the Best Football Teams Playing for State Titles in 2019?”
And the answer is yes.
The Harbin Points systems awards Level 1 points for wins based upon the size of the school you defeat. It gives Level 2 points for wins by the teams that you defeat. So the whole system is predicated on STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE. Yours and those of your opponents.
Bottom line; If you want to be the best, you have to BEAT THE BEST.
I am certain that Gibsonburg and Northwood are no where near as good as their 10-0 records would indicate. A quick look at their schedules makes that pretty clear. They are the best teams in two very weak leagues. And they don’t win enough games against larger schools with lots of wins to garner enough points to qualify.
I do agree that the OHSAA has stacked to deck by putting Gibsonburg in region 23. They really should have moved a weaker team that did not have a chance to make the top 8. They also put six MAC schools in 23 to ensure that no MAC schools meet in a State Semifinal or more than 2 MAC schools make it to Canton. They are “cutting off their nose despite their face”. MAC football is the best thing to happen to Ohio High School football every. From fan interest to gate receipts.
And what the OHSFCA is proposing is expanding the field by four teams per region. This is simply more of an attempt to make High School football look like College or Pro football for the benefit of the coaches, not the players. A 15 game season (if you make it to Canton) can be difficult for most 16-18 year-olds to tolerate. Participation numbers are falling in high school football and this is one of the reasons; making the playoffs more important than the regular season.
The system we have today is just fine. Leave it alone for crying out loud!
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If you look at the Top 32 Rankings in the story for the entire site, using those same region rankings,you will see they are both (Gibsonburg and Northwood) secure in the Top 32.
If you look at D VI Region 22 the #7 and #8 teams are both 5-5…same region Gibsonburg came from…Gibsonburg is ranked in the Top 32 of the State in D VI, those 5-5 schools are not… if there were no regions…11 schools from Region 23 (Gibsonburg’s new region) would have qualified
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