23andCounting

I already gave my prediction, why do I have to give it again? Lets roll with.............Carroll wins if they play to their potential. They lose if they have an off night.

Weather app showing 0%. Local news channels, who aren't very good by the way, are reporting scattered rain afternoon and evening.

Nah, I just like pulling strings on the way there. Then I make my pick.

I knew that post would bother you, you're way too predictable. Give me some substance other than "you're hilarious my man." I know what you're thinking, because again, you're predictable. You think I'm preparing myself to say on Saturday morning "the only reason Carroll lost is because it rained." I have no clue if Carroll would lose in the rain, I simply asked if Westfield is run or pass oriented. If they are run, then I'd have to say the rain would greatly favor them. Who in their right mind would claim that I'm wrong?

Pretty sure I submitted my pick on Tuesday. Concord

Is Westfield a run or pass oriented team? If it rains, I don't see Carroll having much of a chance. Their offense is driven by their ability to pass the ball.

That was another error on the part of the IHSAA. It should have been the highest and lowest class with 32 teams. Why on earth they choose to just split the biggest class in two is beyond me. Not sure there was much thought process when that that decision was made.

I don't mind the success factor. But I've been saying for years that it should be a 4-year cycle instead of two. Maybe 9 points to bump up. I'd like to see at least three successful seasons, maybe even four before a program gets the bump. There are SO many teams out there that are successful due to a two year run on talent. Then the less talented kids get bumped up to the higher class. Doesn't make sense. Been saying this since the inception. If the IHSAA would just sit down with me for an hour, I could fix some of their issues.

I have a hard time believing AC loses this game because they are outcoached or outworked. If Andrean has the talent everyone says they do, that'll be hard for AC to overcome. I've got Andrean in this one, but nothing would surprise me. I mean, AC can't go to the title game every year, can they? Somethings gotta give.

I was too. I just flipped a coin and said "over."

Sometimes not likely in a season of parity.

@temptation Good stuff. You make some pretty good points about the 4-team playoff versus the 12-team. Let me answer a couple of questions that you presented: Why should Notre Dame be ranked ahead of Miami? You already know the answer, pretty simple. Notre Dame looks better than they did in Week 1, can't say the same for Miami. There has to be some stock into how you are playing right now. As it looks, one could conclude that Miami over Notre Dame was a one off, an upset. Ohio State lost to Michigan last season, but we all knew they were the best team in the country. Why wasn't Michigan ranked ahead of Ohio State if head to had "has" to matter? We could do this all day long. I guess I like the 12-team playoff for no other reason that if Notre Dame loses, I can admit it was because they weren't the best team. If it were a 4-team playoff, possibly knocking ND out, you'd have to listen to me for the next 10 months spewing about how Notre Dame might have been the best team in the country based on how they were playing in the latter half of the season. With the 12-team playoff, we don't have to listen to the Group of Five claim "National Champions" because they had an undefeated season like Central Florida did in 2017. Yeah, there are drawbacks, like SEC faithful whining because they think all their 2-loss teams should be ranked ahead of everyone else. But in the end, it's a better route to finding a TRUE champion.

Michigan was the best team in the country in 2023, no one is questioning that. But you really think "playing to be perfect" every week matters more than blowing through a playoff with 12 strong teams looking to knock each other off their perch? C'mon, certainly The Temp doesn't believe that.

Yet everyone knows, with 100% certainty, that they are one of the best 12 teams in the country, probably Top 6. Probably the best team in the SEC if they were in the SEC. Is what it is. It's not "getting away with something." In past years, the media has been hard on the Irish. They know a good team when they see one. Can't wait for Freeman to hoist the trophy.

Remember how Dwenger and Snider filled up Spuller Stadium with about five deep standing around the track? What, 8000 fans? Those were the days.

Roncalli, Carroll, Homestead, Snider, Luers, Columbia City, and East Noble totaled 25 points. That's 3.5 points per game to some pretty good football teams. Which begs the question. How did Lebanon muster up 27 points? I know Dwenger was up 29-7 at halftime. Defense fall asleep? Maybe Garrett rested some guys?

It feels like a ego thing with them. It has to be their idea even though there are better ones out there.

Depends on the school. Warsaw brought a nice crowd to the Snider game this season. Merrillville showed out here in Fort Wayne in 2023. North Side packed the house in 2022. It's kind of why I'm rooting for Merrillville this year. They have a good fan base that deserve to see a game at Lucas Oil.

Agree. Center Grove didn't seem to be the same team they were at the beginning of the season. Brownsburg got over the hump last season, they're winning this game comfortably.

Too bad there's no way of finding out. Wouldn't mind winning a couple of beers back. The Giants might even be a Top 25 team, but they'd lose to CP, Penn, Dwenger, and Carroll in my opinion. Ben Davis = Merrillville, and I say that as a compliment as I think the Pirates are a very good football team.

I just look at WC's body of work through the season and feel like they'll crumble somewhere amongst the better competition. That's this Friday in my opinion. You're right though, give a talented team the right motivation, hard telling what could happen. I've got Brownsburg at 82%. But that 18% is pretty dangerous.

Lol, probably not.

Nah, their dream run ends Friday by double digits.

That can't bode well for St. Joe. Carroll (one of the best offenses in the state) couldn't put the ball in the endzone against the Saints in good weather. You never know though, St. Joe has won some close games against some pretty good opponents. The Penn game was ugly though. Only common opponent: South Side St. Joe 26, South Side 0. Dwenger 28, South Side 12. The Archers did appear to be drastically improved as the season went on. But transitive property does favor St. Joe here. Dwenger 9, Carroll 6. Carroll 41, Penn 30. Penn 38, St. Joe 6. Favors the Saints on this one. Hopefully it's a good competitive game for all fans who make the trip. If it were to get out of hand, for your sake I hope it doesn't, you could always slide up north to catch the end of Carroll/Westfield (hopefully a competitive game.) I know I always have a backup plan when there are two good games down the road from one another.

The rhetoric in Fort Wayne was that Blackhawk would come in and take over the sport. Wonders how long that's going to take. I guess they are showing a third straight year of improvement..........1-9, 1-8, 2-8. Lesson learned. Basketball domination has nothing to do with football domination.