Finals predictions: Closest and Most lopsided title games
- Thread starter doctor_d
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1A - game should be interesting, Althoff favored.
2A - I think could be the closest and the most likely private school to lose.
3A - Montini should roll
4A - could be close, Rams favored
5A - could go either way, Naz favored
6A - all gas no brakes
7A - another blowout
8A - Loyola without much trouble
2A - I think could be the closest and the most likely private school to lose.
3A - Montini should roll
4A - could be close, Rams favored
5A - could go either way, Naz favored
6A - all gas no brakes
7A - another blowout
8A - Loyola without much trouble
1A - Lena -3
2A - Maroa -1 but I Think this is really a coin flip
3A - Montini -13
4A - DePaul -9
5A - Naz -6
6A - ESL -18
7A - MC -12
8A - Loyola -13
2A - Maroa -1 but I Think this is really a coin flip
3A - Montini -13
4A - DePaul -9
5A - Naz -6
6A - ESL -18
7A - MC -12
8A - Loyola -13
-Lena very young. Very few seniors. Gimme Althoff and the points all day.
-Agree with 2A
-Montini should pull away and win by at least 28.
-I’ll take Mt. Zion +9 but DePaul wins
-5A is spot on
-The remaining 6A-8A games will probably be decided by at least 21 points minimum
1A- Althoff more talented but Lena-Winslow offense will be tough for them to stop. Close one for Althoff though.
2A- Maroa has been here often, I think the moment gets CC. Maroa by 1-2 tds.
3A- This will get out of hand early. Montini's two toughest games are behind them.
4A- DePaul by a couple TDs.
5A- Naz wins but JCA will keep it to two tds. Naz is that good.
6A- ESL by 28. This is not Cary Grove's offense which has been their Kryptonite.
7A- MC by 28. They are rolling right now.
8A- Loyola by 21 but I hope York keeps it closer.
Only running clock will be Montini IMO.
2A- Maroa has been here often, I think the moment gets CC. Maroa by 1-2 tds.
3A- This will get out of hand early. Montini's two toughest games are behind them.
4A- DePaul by a couple TDs.
5A- Naz wins but JCA will keep it to two tds. Naz is that good.
6A- ESL by 28. This is not Cary Grove's offense which has been their Kryptonite.
7A- MC by 28. They are rolling right now.
8A- Loyola by 21 but I hope York keeps it closer.
Only running clock will be Montini IMO.
1A - will be closer than many think, if anyone can slow down Althoff it's Lena,
2A - coin flip, maybe MF gets the edge because they have been there but I'll take CC -2
3A - Montini will roll, it won't be close at any point in the game -32
4A - Mt. Zion seems like a team of destiny right now but DePaul played the tougher schedule, DP -6
5A - Naz should prevail but JCA will keep it close due to the styles of play of both teams
6A - ESL -24
7A - MC playing some good ball, will pull away late -16
8A - York battles tough but Loyola wins a closer than expected game -13
2A - coin flip, maybe MF gets the edge because they have been there but I'll take CC -2
3A - Montini will roll, it won't be close at any point in the game -32
4A - Mt. Zion seems like a team of destiny right now but DePaul played the tougher schedule, DP -6
5A - Naz should prevail but JCA will keep it close due to the styles of play of both teams
6A - ESL -24
7A - MC playing some good ball, will pull away late -16
8A - York battles tough but Loyola wins a closer than expected game -13
1A - Althoff -28
I REALLY didn’t like the way Lena looked vs Hope’s spread last year. This is hope on steroids.
2A - Chicago Christian - 3
Knights are this years team of destiny
3A - Montini - 42
3a south is no bueno
4A - DePaul - 4
I know nothing on either team. 😉
5A - Naz -3
Best game of the weekend
6A - ESL -4
I REALLY want to pick the Vikings but just can’t.
I’ll set the total points at 87 for this one.
7A - MC -28
I think Lynch has grown quite the distain for Batavia’s “one town one team” motto in protest of private schools and doesn’t call the dogs off.
Bulldogs will never be able to hang with Mt Carmel until they open up their offense.
8A - Loyola - 17
I do love to see a program lose their HC and then go further the next year. But this one will be all Ramblers.
I REALLY didn’t like the way Lena looked vs Hope’s spread last year. This is hope on steroids.
2A - Chicago Christian - 3
Knights are this years team of destiny
3A - Montini - 42
3a south is no bueno
4A - DePaul - 4
I know nothing on either team. 😉
5A - Naz -3
Best game of the weekend
6A - ESL -4
I REALLY want to pick the Vikings but just can’t.
I’ll set the total points at 87 for this one.
7A - MC -28
I think Lynch has grown quite the distain for Batavia’s “one town one team” motto in protest of private schools and doesn’t call the dogs off.
Bulldogs will never be able to hang with Mt Carmel until they open up their offense.
8A - Loyola - 17
I do love to see a program lose their HC and then go further the next year. But this one will be all Ramblers.
if I recall correctly
Batavias coach Piron had some choice words about Lynch, MC and private schools when they lost in the final seconds 3-4 years ago
I don’t see either coach “mending” any bridges and both coaches are more than happy that the other made it to the finals this year
Batavias coach Piron had some choice words about Lynch, MC and private schools when they lost in the final seconds 3-4 years ago
I don’t see either coach “mending” any bridges and both coaches are more than happy that the other made it to the finals this year
Belleville (Althoff Catholic) -18. The Crusaders can key on the run game (23 pass attempts) and Dowell has a huge game. Althoff O will be too much.
Maroa (M.-Forsyth) -2.5. Experience will be a big factor here.
Lombard (Montini) -33. Monticello is not gonna be ready for what awaits them.
Mt. Zion -3. Watched them shut down a really good Breese Central team and I know nothing about DePaul, except that their facilities look awesome.
LaGrange Park (Nazareth Academy) -15. Naz is too much and they will wear down the Hillmen.
East St. Louis (Sr.) -24. I see Bass shutting down Taylor and the other CBs getting picks off hurried throws.
Chicago (Mt. Carmel) -9. Lynch has his team humming, and the CMC victory song will be played at the end of this contest.
Wilmette (Loyola Academy) -10. The second-best team in the state should roll.
Maroa (M.-Forsyth) -2.5. Experience will be a big factor here.
Lombard (Montini) -33. Monticello is not gonna be ready for what awaits them.
Mt. Zion -3. Watched them shut down a really good Breese Central team and I know nothing about DePaul, except that their facilities look awesome.
LaGrange Park (Nazareth Academy) -15. Naz is too much and they will wear down the Hillmen.
East St. Louis (Sr.) -24. I see Bass shutting down Taylor and the other CBs getting picks off hurried throws.
Chicago (Mt. Carmel) -9. Lynch has his team humming, and the CMC victory song will be played at the end of this contest.
Wilmette (Loyola Academy) -10. The second-best team in the state should roll.
I'll take the over. Althoff, Montini, Depaul, Naz, MC, Loyola
It is interesting that there are only two unbeaten teams in the entire 16-team field. That is an unusually low number. Fortunately, those two teams play each other in what I think is the most interesting game of the slate. I will start my television viewing early.
I agree with others that the matchup seems favorable for Althoff. Their defense is strong against the run (which is a good trait to have against Lena-Winslow), but somewhat weaker against the pass (which Lena is unlikely to exploit). Lena's defense has shown some vulnerability this year, which is not a good trait to have against an incredibly explosive Althoff offense.
And yet, Lena-Winslow's championship pedigree is so strong I just can't rule them out.
In short, I don't know who will win this game.
I agree with others that the matchup seems favorable for Althoff. Their defense is strong against the run (which is a good trait to have against Lena-Winslow), but somewhat weaker against the pass (which Lena is unlikely to exploit). Lena's defense has shown some vulnerability this year, which is not a good trait to have against an incredibly explosive Althoff offense.
And yet, Lena-Winslow's championship pedigree is so strong I just can't rule them out.
In short, I don't know who will win this game.
One of the unusual things about this version of Lena-Winslow is how young they are. I know it's fairly common for smaller schools to play a fair amount of underclassmen, but L-W is very young. Only 3 senior starters on Offense, and 5 on Defense. Advantage Althoff there.
I'm only interested in JCA-Naz. Naz has outcoached JCA the past few games. When JCA has been in a tight game and things aren't going well offensively the tendency is to continue to do what hasn't been working. Then, keep trying what hasn't been working. Naz has able to adapt their offense to what is being given to them by the JCA defense. I want JCA to win number 16 but I suspect that Naz will take over by the end of the 3rd Quarter. Naz by 10.
MF just really struggles in the championship games. 2 for 11 in school history now
These state finals will be laughably bad. Only see one game decided by a touchdown or less maybe. That’s not good football and it’s bad for our state
This is either the catalyst needed to change IHSA Football, or the sport will continue declining in the state.
The problem is the only way to make a change is a formal proposal. There is no other avenue. It’s a problem the IHSA k owes its a problem but unilaterally they can’t impose a change without the membership asking for it.
These lopsided finals actually aren't a public-private issue. It is the North/South brackets issue as well as a lazy seeding issue.
In 3A, if we seeded 1-32 and actually tried to seed by relative strength and not simply record, then the Byron-Montini second round classic would be our championship game tonight instead of this mismatch of a final.
Not sure what to expect in 4A, but if it's a mismatch, you only need to look back to the North semifinal to see a good game between Coal City and DePaul.
1A Althoff was clearly an outlier and not really a 1A type team.
Public-private is obviously a tough debate with lots of issues to develop any resolution. But for anyone tired of blowouts in the finals, most classes have true championship games being played in semifinals, quarters, or even the second round. It should be near unanimous agreement to get ride of the north/south bracketing and almost as nearly unanimous to support an algorithm or committee seeding the 32 teams in each class and leaving the two best teams on opposite sides of the bracket.
There is nothing controversial or difficult about getting either of those two things done.
The north/south brackets and lazy seeding only serves as one of the many spotlights on the underlying issue(s).
Go back to 6 classes (I know it will never happen). It seems like the “Haves” are just too spread out in the different classes for there to be a bunch of competitive games.
It’s funny the one game that could be competitive has the best team in the state.
On paper that game looks to have the best chance of being competitive. Maybe 5a too but I doubt it
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