Who says the BCS formula is confusing? The Colorado High School Activities Association’s football wild card formula certainly gives the much-maligned college football system a run for cloudy clarity.
Rifle finishes 10-0 by defeating wild-card contending and last season’s 3A state runner-up Glenwood Springs, 32-27, and falls from third to fourth, winding up in the same side of the bracket as #1 Canon City (10-0) and Battle Mountain (9-1). The Huskies defeated Eagle Valley 54-0, but dropped from fifth to ninth, thus losing the home game the top-ranked wild card team that didn’t win its league receives. That position went to D’Evelyn (8-2), which, ironically, will host Battle Mountain in the first round.
The wild card standings follow a formula which awards points based upon wins-and-losses and the opponent’s record. For instance, Rifle earned 88 points for defeating a five-win Glenwood team. Silver Creek (9-1) jumped ahead of the Bears with its 36-14 win over eight-win Roosevelt (8-2), thus earning 97 points.
And because of that loss, the Roughriders (falling from #9 to 13), who finished second in the Northern League, will travel to Rifle for the first round of the playoffs next Saturday. The winner of that game will play the winner of Windsor (#5, 9-1)-Holy Family (#12, 8-2) in the quarterfinals, Nov. 19.
Here are the 3A state playoff brackets (also available at chsaa.org):
#1 Canon City (10-0) v. #16 Frederick (7-3)
#8 D’Evelyn (8-2) v. #9 Battle Mountain (9-1)
#4 Rifle (10-0) v. # 15 Roosevelt (8-2)
#5 Windsor (9-1) v. #12 Holy Family (8-2)
#3 Silver Creek (9-1) v. #14 Palmer Ridge (7-3)
#6 Vista Ridge (9-1) v. #11 Lewis-Palmer (8-2)
#7 Evergreen (9-1) v. #10 Palisade (8-2)
#2 Kennedy (10-0) v. #15 Mountain View (7-3)
