Those squads and others are among the Ohio teams around the state which earned a top-four seed and were given a first-round bye in the new 12-team playoff format.
“It really rewards a program that put in the work and earned that opportunity through success during the regular season,” Middletown head coach Kali Jones said. “And I’m sure I speak for a lot of coaches that having that bye puts you in a situation to heal up and refresh because the season is a grind.”
The sentiment provided by Jones seems to be shared by several area coaches as they begin a new era of playoff football.
The OHSAA announced in June its plans to reduce the number of qualifying teams from 16 to 12. This season is the first time seeds 1-4 in each region all receive first-round byes. The teams seeded 5-12 square off this week. The format is similar to what is used in the College Football Playoff that began last year.
Middletown is one of the teams that will be sitting on the sidelines this week after earning the No. 1-seed in Region 2. The Middies are also trying to figure out the best course of action to navigate the week.
“We’re getting a few more lifts in, conditioning, light practices where we can keep them sharp but also keep them refreshed,” Jones said. “We want to strike that balance of keeping them sharp but still able to rest and heal up.”
Some coaches, such as Northeastern’s Jake Buchholtz, are calling their colleagues for ideas.
“I’ve reached out to a few of our conference teams that are also on a bye just to get an idea for what they’re doing,” Buchholtz said. “This bye week is huge, just based on how available your kids are.
“Are you healthy? Are you banged up? I think every coach might view it that’s in this situation a little differently.”
The perspective Buchholtz brings may also be shared with other schools fielding lower numbers. The need to get two-way players off their feet for a few extra days may be a bigger advantage in the small school divisions where more reps are taking place each week.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Among the teams earning byes include Middletown (8-2), Troy (8-2) and Springboro (7-3) in Division I, Trotwood (6-3) and Xenia (8-2) in D-II, Tippecanoe (10-0) and Badin (9-1) in D-III, and Valley View (9-1) in D-IV.
D-V has Miami East (9-1) getting a bye, as well as Tri-Village (10-0), Northeastern (9-1) and Mechanicsburg (8-2) in D-VI, and Marion Local (10-0) and St. Henry (9-1) in D-VII.
The format is being accepted by those getting the week off. Jones and Buchholtz agreed they would rather be the team figuring out how to handle the bye week during the initial year of the playoff setup than preparing for an additional game on the road to Canton.
Not playing on Friday also brings a unique opportunity for coaching staffs with a bye to get in-person scouting of its potential opponents.
Jones said he and his staff will be at the Fairmont-Lebanon game to get a feel of the size and physicality that a live view can provide better than watching tape. Buchholtz, meanwhile, won’t let the distance ruin the chance for his crew to make the two-plus hour trip to Ironton to see if further preparations should be made to play either Rock Hill or Dayton Christian.
“You could probably talk to 10 different coaches and get 10 different thoughts,” Buchholtz said. “Everybody’s perspective might be a little bit different, but I think ultimately there are more pros to be in those first four and having that bye week.”
All teams getting the bye will play at home in a regional quarterfinal on Nov. 7. The OHSAA also extended home-field advantage into the regional semifinal round this season. Neutral site games will begin in the regional final round.
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