Rankings are participation medals for the regular season. It's something to sell newspapers.
Ranking the teams playing in that class doesn’t really matter that they aren’t eligible if they are the 3rd best team they could finish as that. Just like a semi final team with an easy path can still finish the year ranked 7th or 8th. Rankings are for fun and I don’t recall getting a ribbon or anything for finishing ranked 5th or 3rd. It’s either you win state or finish runner-up in football to get hardware. Just like when the championship game was always played in the east semi finals for so many years before they changed to the statewide reseed. Finish first, the rest really doesn’t matter. Just my opinion
I guess if the ranking meant anything toward actual competition then no, but they don’t. Rankings are just someone’s opinions and in yours those teams shouldn’t be included but really what does it hurt to say, well we have 65 boys in high school and only 18 out for football and we went 8-0 and we were ranked 3rd at the end of the season but based off numbers we are ineligible. Yes they know they wouldn’t be in playoffs but being ranked literally affects no one. It is their only feel good. Heck why even play if you aren’t eligible. Because it’s football, it’s awesome. In the mid to late 90’s we had so many teams in sw ne playing 8 man football and not eligible that we created what was known as the gridiron and all ineligible teams played in it like a championship bracket still. I guess they could leave the teams out of the rankings or put asterisks next to them stating not eligible but I’m really not sure why it matters. It doesn’t actually say, top ten teams eligible for the playoffs. Just top ranked teams in each class.
I would venture to guess that the newspapers doing the rankings don't have a clue which teams are eligible or not as they don't give it that much attention.
Correct... Softball ratings today had a team ranked 1-2 spots lower than a team they beat at state head to head & knocked out of the tourney. Some sports writers have no clue.
That, is hitting the nail, squarely on the head. To me, at least, it's a reward for schools that are either A. Afraid to compete against schools their own size or B. Get their jollies out of beating smaller schools. Some will argue with me, but there is absolutely zero reason for a "ranked" school coming from the chicken league. I wouldn't even have them play the schools that actually belong in the class, so...
I was only able to find rankings for Omaha World Herald and HuskerlandPreps, the others seem to either be waiting to put out final rankings or are just done with them.
I laugh at LJS and OWH 8man rankings most of the year. Why put rankings out if you don't pay attention to it? NEnext on Twitter is always the most accurate from D-3 to Class A.
With that being said, do you think DCS is the 3rd best team in D-2? If so, there is a major drop from 2 to 3 as Hitchcock beat them 44-6. Maybe they had an off game, we will find out Friday in Howells.
I agree. It seems like laziness to not have ratings reflect current thinking. I would agree but junior high football from the suburbs does not interest me in the least! lol. Seems I have to wade through a whole bunch of garbage to find what I want.
Somebody on here indicated that the score wasn't really indicative of the game or talent levels. Dunno.
I agree i think DCS is a very good team, bur appears there is a large drop off after 1 and 2 in the rankings
Yes, I did say that after the game with there being 3 goal line stands and an untimely lateral that ended as a pick 6. They seem to have things rolling again, would like to see some competition for Howells-Dodge before the championship. One thing with 8-man football is some teams match up better to others.
Those people have no idea what is going on on the smaller classes, I wish they would have more staff to assist them, after Class B they really have no clue, Sauter is even worse, have to stick here or NENext or 8 by 80 to get real insight on smaller classes, I'm sure there are others too. LJS and OWH is a joke.
Yes DCS is 3rd best. I think DCS gives H-D a heck of a game. Honestly think the top 3 in D-2 would win D-1 this year.
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I would say might have a chance to win, but just a chance From what I have seen, NPSP and Stanton are a little better and sorry to say I would not put DCS in that group with those four teams at all. They are a good team but in my opinion not at that level. Nice thing they have a chance to prove me wrong
Agree with finding stuff on hear or the 8 by 80 guys but after class C2 I don’t know how much to trust NENext. 8 man rankings usually have some head scratchers and if you listen in his Twitter spaces he’s pulling stuff directly from the 8 by 80 boys. Don’t believe me, just listen to the HC and Bloomfield pregame then listen to his Twitter spaces, it’s almost word for word. C2-A and the freshman stuff he does is top notch though!
