BTF

I just hope that administrators and IHSAA officials around the state are following this topic so they understand how much revenue they are costing their athletic departments.

Didn't see the article. I mean, it's the Battle of the Bishops...........it's big. I just think Snider/Dwenger is bigger most years. Two larger schools with SAC implications on the line.

All bets are off when these two get together. Dwenger plays Snider with more passion than any other team on their schedule, and have for four decades. Probably the most fierce rivalry in the SAC. I wouldn't be surprise one iota if the Saints win this one.

I promise, if those two teams played in the sectional final, all schools would have benefited from more revenue. It's important to pump money into your local athletic department, it's YOUR community after all. It's bad enough that the casual fan would rather go watch a bunch of players wearing Colts jerseys who make millions of dollars and have no ties to the state of Indiana. Or that a fan would prefer to dump hundreds of dollars in a college game versus supporting the local kids down the street. Every dime counts. The Pioneer/Lewis Cass game would have seen an increase in attendance of 100 fans had it been played a week or two later. In a large city like Fort Wayne, the difference could be 1000. That's a lot of money for the schools, you can't deny this.

On a much smaller scale. I've been going to games for a long time. When the two best teams in the sectional meet for the championship, the crowd difference is largely measurable. Your argument just doesn't hold water.

You meet fans and players from different schools at the sectional championship. I met a quarterback from Carroll who was eliminated and came to watch Snider in the sectional championship. I met a couple of older gentlemen from Garrett during a sectional game between Snider and Homestead. When the sectional championship comprises of two teams with good records, big crowds are the result.

I've been saying this for years.

That would be a bad idea. Russ Isaacs said it best.............."we're #1 by default." A team from Indy loses one game and they drop in the polls behind an undefeated team from Fort Wayne or Lafayette. The AP poll goes by record only. The coaches poll is better, but not by much. Most coaches are too busy coaching their team and studying who they are playing next, versus worrying themselves about who the Top 10 teams are in their class. Outside of the Sagarin Ratings, the old GID polls of the past are the most accurate that I've seen. You've got a bunch of high school football fans on this forum that live and breath what is going on, not only with the team they root for, but also what is happening statewide. The GID polls, when we were applying them, were FAR more accurate than the AP or the Coaches Poll. And outside of the two closed conferences, the Sagarin Ratings are by far the most accurate thing we currently have.

Notre Dame will cover.

Interesting that he still regards Coan as the number one guy. If he's THAT good, then why does he keep taking him out? With a line that's not very good, doesn't it make sense to use a quarterback who can scramble around rather than just hanging out in the pocket? Everyone seems to understand this with the exception of Brian Kelly. I don't get it.

Brian Kelly is just getting started. He has more 4 & 5-star recruits coming in than he's ever had. He's on a mission to win a national champion.

Sectional 4 is Westfields to lose. I give the Rocks 2:1 odds. Can't sleep on HSE though or they will take it. Sectional 3 should be Carroll. Homestead will give them another war. Warsaw's coaches are smart enough to pull another upset. Then it's being back to predictable when 4 faces 3. I always give 3 the benefit of the doubt and I always turn out wrong

I think Carroll is a Top 20 team regardless of class. No way they are the second best team in 6a. We'll see how good they are if they get by Homestead again and play Westfield.

It shouldn't. Cathedral is safely tucked away in a different class. The two will never meet.

Fun seeing Luers ranked ahead of Cathedral.

Sounds like a high school team I know. At the end of the day, it's hard to win games when a team makes as many mistakes as ND did. Interception inside the 10 yard line. Fumbled kickoff return. Dropped wide open pass that led to a punt. Missed extra point. Not playing the right quarterback from the beginning of the game. Everyone knew Pyne was our guy. Why didn't Kelly? Instead, a Group of Five school comes in with swagger and beats Notre Dame in there own house and rubbed it in along the way. I would think that's a hard pill to swallow for the ND coaches and players.

That would be Drew Pyne.

Kelly's commitment to Coan is costing this team. Notre Dame is losing this game for no other reason than they have no idea who their quarterback is five games into the season.

I've seen this happen the last couple of years. SAC schools go up and down like a yoyo until playoff time.

That would be the halftime score. Taking nothing away from Valpo, they've put together one heck of a program comprised of kids from their community.

In Fort Wayne I'd pick North Side. The community seems to really get involved. If I'm remembering right, they have someone doing the actual grilling, no different than a tailgate. Snider/Northrop's Spuller Stadium on the visiting side offers the worst bratwurst you'll ever have in your life. It tastes like it was microwaved. Any out of towners visiting this stadium are better served sliding into Arby's down the street and bringing your food in.

I agree. Luers over Cathedral Carroll over Westfield The SAC boasts four teams in the Top 12 compared to two each for the MIC and HCC. Football is alive and well in The Summit City.

Center Grove and Cathedral are in a league of their own. The Irish embarrassed one of the better teams in Ohio last night on their home field. That being said, no one in 6a is ready for CG. In fact, CG even being in the playoffs takes the excitement out of it. The game to anticipate will be Merrillville vs Westfield given that Westfield gets past Sectional 3.........about 4:1 odds to do so. I agree that Valpo's season isn't over by a long shot. Again, it's all about second place. There is no excitement with regard to Cathedral. The big question is who will come out of 5a north. I like Zionsville, Snider, and Valpo as the favorites.........probably in that order. Dwenger proved last night that they can't be counted out either. They had the #2 team in the entire state of Indiana playing catchup the whole second half :).

You beat me to it. You said "convincingly," and there it is. They have some athletes.

Merrillville looks good.