Forums

I was actually surprised that some states have a mercy rule instead of running clock. 

Or I could throw these scores out at you: 38-24 42-17 38-10 27-17 39-31 41-21 31-14 Average point differential 17.4 points. And, yeah, you probably recognize these scores . . . they are indeed the scores of the first seven games of this years College Football Playoffs.   One single-digit point difference game  (the instant classic game between Texas and Arizona State).  Three of the games had a point differential of 20 or more.  And, in theory, these are games being played between the top 12 teams in all of college football.  Or I could throw out these scores: 34-7 48-21 43-8 31-9 These are all final Super Bowl scores from games played since 2001.  You know, that game played between the two best teams in the NFL.  Point is, point differential doesn't always tell the whole story, but I understand the argument being made that it is reflective of Florida high school football playoff games not being as competitive as most people would think they would or should be. 

I grew up in an era in which blowouts were common in Super Bowls. It never occured to me that such outcomes would be cause for calling for dumping the system! I think that as long as you have the best teams playing, it shouldn't matter what the margin of victory is. Of course, we live in a new era in which the Vice President, in running for the Presidency, has advocated for government engineering equivalent outcomes for all. It seems that the entire idea of having competitions, keeping score and crowning one team champion is antithetical to the pursuit of equal outcomes for all. It appears that this point has not been relaized by some.

Im surprised there is a mercy rule in championship games.  Seems like there should be no mercy rule if you made it that far and you might have the firepower to actually come back?

Throwing this out for purposes of comparison.   Here are some of the results of the high school football championship games (with point differential in parentheses): STATE A: 6A  38-24  (14) 5A  56-35  (21) 4A 14-7   (7) 3A 20-7  (13) 2A 52-14  (38) 1AI  38-18   (20) 1AII  34-14  (20) Private 3A-A  49-28  (21) Average point differential for State A:  19.25   STATE B: 6A D1  50-21  (29) 5A D1 32-20  (12) 6A D2  24-17  (7) 5A D2 38-35  (3) 4A D1   55-21  (34) 4A D2  28-14 (14) 3A D1 48-14 (34) 3A D2  28-0  (28) 2A D1  30-28 (3 OT)   (2) 2A D2  36-29  (7) 1A D1   70-24 (mercy rule 3rd quarter)  (46) 1A D2  54-8 (mercy rule at halftime)   (46) Average point differential for State B: 22.42   STATE C: 1AA  28-26   (2) 2AA  35-28  (7) 3AA  18-14   (4) 4AA  25-23  (2) 5AA  48-7  (41) 6AA  27-21 ()T)  (6) 7AA  42-8   (34) 1A  21-14   (7) 2A  55-19  (36) 3A  42-41  (OT)   (1) 4A  52-34  (18) 5A  68-47  (21) 6A  38-21  (17) 7A  55-27   (28) OPEN  37-15  (22) Average point differential for State C:  16.4   By the way, State A is Georgia, State B is Texas and State C is California.