Every Monday(-ish), I bracket the 256 playoff teams using the IHSA Playoff Outlook. This is NOT a prediction. These are NOT my opinions. It is simply the most logical way the playoffs would be bracketed, using the IHSA's specific system, if today's standings were the final standings.
Each week I usually have to add/subtract teams to get a true 256. The Outlook doesn't adjust for a conference champion/representative falling below the cutoff. It also rewards forfeit victories before the week that match-up would've been played. I take care of that before proceeding.
The cutoff on the Playoff Outlook is 3-3 with 27 playoff points. 18 teams have that record. 12 of those teams are in the playoffs, and 6 are out. The next tie-breaker used was wins by defeated opponents. Here is the sliver of difference between these teams:
-- Teams 257 thru 262 -- Morrison (1A), Niantic-Sangamon Valley (2A), Staunton (3A), Litchfield (3A), Rockford East (6A), Guilford (7A)
My adjustments....
Check the forfeits first. None that I noticed.
Next, let's check to see if every conference has at least one team representing it in the playoff field. Praise Jesus, THEY ALL DO!
NO ADJUSTMENTS!
NOTES:
Maybe I'll edit some notes in here on Monday
** is the smallest team in the class
^^ is the biggest team in the class
~~~ 8A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#32 South Elgin at #1 Lincoln-Way East
#17 Homewood-Flossmoor at #16 Naperville North
#25 St. Ignatius at #8 Barrington
#24 Plainfield South** (2360) at #9 Palatine
#29 Bolingbrook at #4 Lyons
#20 Belleville East at #13 Taft
#28 Maine South at #5 Oswego
#21 Huntley at #12 York
Lower Bracket
#31 Lake Park at #2 Naperville Central
#18 Warren at #15 Loyola
#26 Plainfield North at #7 Sandburg
#23 Leyden at #10 Marist
#30 Glenbrook South at #3 Fremd
#19 Downers South at #14 Minooka
#27 Lockport at #6 West Aurora
#22 Niles West at #11 Stevenson
~~~ 7A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#32 Lincoln-Way Central at #1 Whitney Young
#17 Hersey at #16 Mount Carmel
#25 Reavis at #8 Glenbard East
#24 Rolling Meadows at #9 Edwardsville^^ (2307)
#29 Wheaton North at #4 Lincoln Park
#20 Hoffman Estates at #13 Addison Trail
#28 Collinsville at #5 St. Charles North
#21 Jacobs at #12 Harlem
Lower Bracket
#31 Mundelein at #2 Downers Grove North
#18 St. Rita at #15 Maine West
#26 West Chicago at #7 Batavia
#23 Andrew at #10 Normal
#30 Brother Rice at #3 Quincy** (1876)
#19 Prospect at #14 Bradley-Bourbannais
#27 Lincoln-Way West at #6 Schaumburg
#22 Moline at #11 Hononegah
~~~ 6A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Riverside-Brookfield at #1 Libertyville
#9 Lake Forest #8 Antioch
#13 Wheaton-Warrenville South^^ (1833) at #4 Belvidere North
#12 Fenton at #5 Fenwick
#15 Amundsen at #2 Geneva
#10 Glenbard South at #7 Wauconda
#14 Lake Zurich at #3 Cary-Grove
#11 Senn at #6 Mather
Lower Bracket
#16 United at #1 East St. Louis
#9 Glenwood at #8 Lemont
#13 Oak Forest at #4 Kankakee
#12 Normal West at #5 Springfield
#15 Shepard at #2 Richards
#10 Washington at #7 Simeon** (1374.5)
#14 Crete-Monee at #3 Bloomington
#11 Pekin at #6 Kennedy
~~~ 5A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Freeport at #1 Sycamore
#9 Burlington Central #8 Payton
#13 Lindblom at #4 Prairie Ridge
#12 Noble/UIC at #5 Kaneland
#15 Woodstock at #2 Benet Academy
#10 Grayslake North at #7 St. Francis
#14 Carmel at #3 Nazareth
#11 Marmion at #6 Westinghouse
Lower Bracket
#16 LaSalle-Peru at #1 Triad
#9 Sterling #8 Mahomet-Seymour
#13 Providence at #4 Dunlap
#12 East Peoria at #5 Joliet Catholic** (965.25)
#15 Perspectives/Leadership at #2 Peoria
#10 TF North at #7 Centenniel^^ (1363)
#14 Hillcrest at #3 Morgan Park
#11 Marion at #6 Sacred Heart-Griffin
~~~ 4A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Marengo at #1 Dixon
#9 St. Laurence #8 Coal City
#13 Clemente at #4 Rochelle
#12 Ag Science at #5 DePaul
#15 Ridgewood at #2 Sullivan
#10 Morris at #7 Boylan Catholic
#14 Sandwich** (579) at #3 Woodstock North^^ (936)
#11 Corliss at #6 Wheaton Academy
Lower Bracket
#16 Highland at #1 Breese Central
#9 Effingham #8 Carterville
#13 Lincoln at #4 Waterloo
#12 Centralia at #5 Cahokia
#15 Normal University at #2 Manteno
#10 Metamora at #7 Rochester
#14 Jacksonville at #3 Richland County
#11 Columbia at #6 Macomb
~~~ 3A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Stillman Valley at #1 Byron
#9 Richmond-Burton at #8 Montini
#13 Peotone at #4 Du-Pec Coop
#12 Herscher at #5 North Lawndale
#15 Genoa-Kingston at #2 Monmouth-Roseville
#10 King at #7 Dyett
#14 North Boone at #3 South Shore
#11 Phoenix at #6 Princeton
Lower Bracket
#16 Mt. Carmel at #1 Sullivan-Okaw Valley
#9 Roxana at #8 Murphysboro^^ (575.5)
#13 Harrisburg at #4 Williamsville
#12 Clinton at #5 DuQuoin
#15 Benton at #2 Eureka
#10 Peoria Notre Dame at #7 Monticello
#14 Tolono Unity at #3 New Berlin** (444.5)
#11 Olympia at #6 Greenville
Each week I usually have to add/subtract teams to get a true 256. The Outlook doesn't adjust for a conference champion/representative falling below the cutoff. It also rewards forfeit victories before the week that match-up would've been played. I take care of that before proceeding.
The cutoff on the Playoff Outlook is 3-3 with 27 playoff points. 18 teams have that record. 12 of those teams are in the playoffs, and 6 are out. The next tie-breaker used was wins by defeated opponents. Here is the sliver of difference between these teams:
-- Teams 257 thru 262 -- Morrison (1A), Niantic-Sangamon Valley (2A), Staunton (3A), Litchfield (3A), Rockford East (6A), Guilford (7A)
My adjustments....
Check the forfeits first. None that I noticed.
Next, let's check to see if every conference has at least one team representing it in the playoff field. Praise Jesus, THEY ALL DO!
NO ADJUSTMENTS!
NOTES:
Maybe I'll edit some notes in here on Monday
** is the smallest team in the class
^^ is the biggest team in the class
~~~ 8A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#32 South Elgin at #1 Lincoln-Way East
#17 Homewood-Flossmoor at #16 Naperville North
#25 St. Ignatius at #8 Barrington
#24 Plainfield South** (2360) at #9 Palatine
#29 Bolingbrook at #4 Lyons
#20 Belleville East at #13 Taft
#28 Maine South at #5 Oswego
#21 Huntley at #12 York
Lower Bracket
#31 Lake Park at #2 Naperville Central
#18 Warren at #15 Loyola
#26 Plainfield North at #7 Sandburg
#23 Leyden at #10 Marist
#30 Glenbrook South at #3 Fremd
#19 Downers South at #14 Minooka
#27 Lockport at #6 West Aurora
#22 Niles West at #11 Stevenson
~~~ 7A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#32 Lincoln-Way Central at #1 Whitney Young
#17 Hersey at #16 Mount Carmel
#25 Reavis at #8 Glenbard East
#24 Rolling Meadows at #9 Edwardsville^^ (2307)
#29 Wheaton North at #4 Lincoln Park
#20 Hoffman Estates at #13 Addison Trail
#28 Collinsville at #5 St. Charles North
#21 Jacobs at #12 Harlem
Lower Bracket
#31 Mundelein at #2 Downers Grove North
#18 St. Rita at #15 Maine West
#26 West Chicago at #7 Batavia
#23 Andrew at #10 Normal
#30 Brother Rice at #3 Quincy** (1876)
#19 Prospect at #14 Bradley-Bourbannais
#27 Lincoln-Way West at #6 Schaumburg
#22 Moline at #11 Hononegah
~~~ 6A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Riverside-Brookfield at #1 Libertyville
#9 Lake Forest #8 Antioch
#13 Wheaton-Warrenville South^^ (1833) at #4 Belvidere North
#12 Fenton at #5 Fenwick
#15 Amundsen at #2 Geneva
#10 Glenbard South at #7 Wauconda
#14 Lake Zurich at #3 Cary-Grove
#11 Senn at #6 Mather
Lower Bracket
#16 United at #1 East St. Louis
#9 Glenwood at #8 Lemont
#13 Oak Forest at #4 Kankakee
#12 Normal West at #5 Springfield
#15 Shepard at #2 Richards
#10 Washington at #7 Simeon** (1374.5)
#14 Crete-Monee at #3 Bloomington
#11 Pekin at #6 Kennedy
~~~ 5A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Freeport at #1 Sycamore
#9 Burlington Central #8 Payton
#13 Lindblom at #4 Prairie Ridge
#12 Noble/UIC at #5 Kaneland
#15 Woodstock at #2 Benet Academy
#10 Grayslake North at #7 St. Francis
#14 Carmel at #3 Nazareth
#11 Marmion at #6 Westinghouse
Lower Bracket
#16 LaSalle-Peru at #1 Triad
#9 Sterling #8 Mahomet-Seymour
#13 Providence at #4 Dunlap
#12 East Peoria at #5 Joliet Catholic** (965.25)
#15 Perspectives/Leadership at #2 Peoria
#10 TF North at #7 Centenniel^^ (1363)
#14 Hillcrest at #3 Morgan Park
#11 Marion at #6 Sacred Heart-Griffin
~~~ 4A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Marengo at #1 Dixon
#9 St. Laurence #8 Coal City
#13 Clemente at #4 Rochelle
#12 Ag Science at #5 DePaul
#15 Ridgewood at #2 Sullivan
#10 Morris at #7 Boylan Catholic
#14 Sandwich** (579) at #3 Woodstock North^^ (936)
#11 Corliss at #6 Wheaton Academy
Lower Bracket
#16 Highland at #1 Breese Central
#9 Effingham #8 Carterville
#13 Lincoln at #4 Waterloo
#12 Centralia at #5 Cahokia
#15 Normal University at #2 Manteno
#10 Metamora at #7 Rochester
#14 Jacksonville at #3 Richland County
#11 Columbia at #6 Macomb
~~~ 3A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Stillman Valley at #1 Byron
#9 Richmond-Burton at #8 Montini
#13 Peotone at #4 Du-Pec Coop
#12 Herscher at #5 North Lawndale
#15 Genoa-Kingston at #2 Monmouth-Roseville
#10 King at #7 Dyett
#14 North Boone at #3 South Shore
#11 Phoenix at #6 Princeton
Lower Bracket
#16 Mt. Carmel at #1 Sullivan-Okaw Valley
#9 Roxana at #8 Murphysboro^^ (575.5)
#13 Harrisburg at #4 Williamsville
#12 Clinton at #5 DuQuoin
#15 Benton at #2 Eureka
#10 Peoria Notre Dame at #7 Monticello
#14 Tolono Unity at #3 New Berlin** (444.5)
#11 Olympia at #6 Greenville
