MaxPreps preseason Power Ratings

[Dr. D]

MaxPreps has also released its initial 2024 "Power Rating" for each team.  An individual team's Power Rating and preseason classification ranking can be viewed from each team's MaxPreps football home page by clicking on "2024 Season Preview".  The #1 rated teams in each classification are:

R - Hawthorne

1A- Chaminade-Madonna

2A - Cocoa

3A - Central

4A - AHP

5A - STA

6A - Mandarin

7A - Venice

No real shockers here.  My biggest beef is how can MaxPreps calculate a numerical "Power Rating" when not a single game has been played?  I'm shaking my head that it has come to this for the football postseason, but maybe a MaxPreps' apologist on here can explain why this is a good idea.  But it does seem like most are happy to roll with the proprietary, top-secret MaxPreps computer algorithms for at-large selections and playoff seeding, so maybe it's just me.  I just hope that there is not a ton of whining when someone's team inevitably gets screwed by a formula for which there is no explanation.  (Sorry, had to get that out of my system.)  6 weeks until kickoff...

[DILLARDBOYZ954]

I wonder what all did they take into contact with these before season rankings. 
 

and also do anyone has a clue how will teams be seeded for the playoffs this season. 
 

is it when your district you’re a automatic 1 or 2 seed in the region. Or is it the more tough games you play the better your SOS would be which would make you a high seed wether you win or lose ?

[Perspective]

22 hours ago, Dr. D said:

MaxPreps has also released its initial 2024 "Power Rating" for each team.  An individual team's Power Rating and preseason classification ranking can be viewed from each team's MaxPreps football home page by clicking on "2024 Season Preview".  The #1 rated teams in each classification are:

R - Hawthorne

1A- Chaminade-Madonna

2A - Cocoa

3A - Central

4A - AHP

5A - STA

6A - Mandarin

7A - Venice

No real shockers here.  My biggest beef is how can MaxPreps calculate a numerical "Power Rating" when not a single game has been played?  I'm shaking my head that it has come to this for the football postseason, but maybe a MaxPreps' apologist on here can explain why this is a good idea.  But it does seem like most are happy to roll with the proprietary, top-secret MaxPreps computer algorithms for at-large selections and playoff seeding, so maybe it's just me.  I just hope that there is not a ton of whining when someone's team inevitably gets screwed by a formula for which there is no explanation.  (Sorry, had to get that out of my system.)  6 weeks until kickoff...

I couldn't agree more.  The official power rankings shouldn't come out until week 4 or 5 of the season. 

[Dr. D]

19 hours ago, THIS_IS_DILLARD said:

I wonder what all did they take into contact with these before season rankings. 
 

and also do anyone has a clue how will teams be seeded for the playoffs this season. 
 

is it when your district you’re an automatic 1 or 2 seed in the region. Or is it the more tough games you play the better your SOS would be which would make you a high seed whether you win or lose?

My understanding is that the only thing changing this year in the selection and seeding of playoff teams is the use of MaxPreps rankings instead of the FHSAA Power Rankings.  The 4 district champions and 4 highest rated at-large teams by MaxPreps rankings qualify for the regional playoffs.  Teams would then be seeded #1 through #8 based on the final ranking order of the MaxPreps rankings (1 vs. 8, 4 vs. 5, etc.).  The higher seed will always host in the regional tournament except during the regional quarterfinal round when a district champion is facing an at-large team, the district champion is designated as the host regardless of seeding.  The four region winners are seeded for the state semifinals based on the rankings with the one seed playing the four seed and the two seed playing the three seed.  More details are available within Josh's article here:  https://floridahsfootball.com/2024/01/11/nil-playoff-rankings-classifications-summer-padded-camps-among-topics-discussed-at-fhsaa-football-advisory-committee-meeting/  

As to what composes the MaxPreps rankings, one could assume that win-loss record, strength of schedule, and margin of victory would be components, although how much weight is applied to each component remains a mystery.  Possibly home/away victories would be weighted differently.  Possibly which team has the scarier mascot, but generally teams' fate will be determined by factors which they do not know.  Seems like a good way to do business...