Schuckman: State football rankings generate debate, but have no bearing on playoff brackets

QUINCY — There are three main points of emphasis high school football fans needs to understand in regards to the state rankings, which have created considerable interest and conjecture following Wednesday afternoon’s reveal of this week’s votes.

One, the polls are discussion points and conversation starters. They provide some clarity on which teams could be state-title contenders and offer a deeper look at which teams are improving and which are on the decline.

Two, they carry no actual influence on which teams make the playoffs and where those teams appear in their respective draws. They’re fun. Nothing more, nothing less.

Three, voters put time and effort into providing the most accurate look at the prep football landscape in a state that stretches 385 miles from north to south and 218 miles from east to west.

Questions of how and why are being asked, especially in regards to where the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame football teams landed this week. Understandably so, and the hope is this provides some big-picture rationale why the Blue Devils remain No. 2 in Class 7A and the Raiders fell to No. 4 in Class 2A.

Let’s start with how the poll system works.

Each week, a representative of the Associated Press collects top-10 votes in each of the eight classes representing schools throughout Illinois. Those votes are submitted by a panel of sportswriters and sportscasters from throughout the Land of Lincoln.

One of the most oft-heard criticisms is no single voter can see every team play. That’s absolutely correct, but building perspective on which teams deserve to be ranked is certainly doable.

Thanks to social media and the work of those who cover high school sports, information is widely available. The dissemination of that information improves every year. This year, Chicago-based writer Mike Clark and Geneva-based broadcaster Matt Rodewald have spearheaded the use of Google docs to share information.

All members of the voting pool have access to weekly “How They Fared” updates and share information on teams from their coverage areas. It creates conversation to help determine how much a 55-0 victory or a 21-20 loss should impact a team’s stature.

It’s the most comprehensive blanket of information for voter use in the quarter century I have been a participant.

Voters use all of that information to select their respective top 10 teams. Voters are not required to vote for all eight classes, although they are encouraged to participate as much as they feel comfortable. I do vote for all classes and have all but once this season when a medical emergency kept me from voting.

There’s the how. Now let’s look at the why.

Following last Friday night’s 63-6 victory over Sterling, many QHS fans expected the No. 2 Blue Devils to rise to No. 1 since top-ranked Downers Grove North suffered a 21-20 loss to Lyons Township.

However, reigning Class 7A state champion Chicago Mt. Carmel knocked off Joliet Catholic 35-21, giving the third-ranked Caravan the needed boost to leapfrog Quincy.

For those wondering how a team with a 5-2 record moves past the only remaining undefeated team in Class 7A, there’s one simple reality: The Caravan’s strength of schedule is significantly better

Every team on Mt. Carmel’s schedule currently owns a winning record, and seven of the nine opponents are currently state ranked. Meanwhile, Quincy’s opponents own a 29-34 combined record and Class 2A QND is the only state-ranked foe. 

The memory of Mt. Carmel’s 61-14 state quarterfinal victory last fall over Quincy also lingers.

How Quincy Notre Dame dropped a spot in the Class 2A poll despite beating a Class 5A program with a winning record on the road is a little more of a head-scratcher.

The Raiders won their sixth straight game and the Central State 8 Conference West Division title outright with a 35-21 victory over Jacksonville. Meanwhile, sixth-ranked Bismarck-Henning beat fourth-ranked Momence 42-14, giving the Blue Devils a major boost in the voter’s eyes.

Despite receiving two first-place votes — one more than last week — QND lost 15 total points with one less voter participating. Bismarck-Henning gained 77 points, largely because of the what-have-you-done-lately viewpoint. The Raiders have beaten teams in larger classifications, but for the most part, those teams have lacked a state ranking next to their name.

So which victories mean more? That’s a subjective thing for each voter to decide.

What won’t be subjective are the on-field results in November.

That’s when being No. 1 matters the most.