How Taking A "Bye" Affects Warren G. Harding's Playoff Hopes

Unfortunately, the situation surrounding the football program at Youngstown Ursuline (which won't be discussed in this article) led to the cancellation of their annual matchup with Warren G. Harding. It would have been the 39th meeting ever between the two longtime rivals as the Fighting Irish hold a 21-17 lead in the series while Harding has outscored them 815 to 738.

With the Raiders now without a week 5 opponent, many have wondered how this would affect their playoff chances moving forward.  Actually, a “bye” isn’t the worst thing in the world.  Before we move forward, let’s go over a brief vocabulary lesson that will help explain the formula that the OHSAA uses to calculate playoff computer points…

-Level 1 Points (L1’s): The points received for defeating an opponent.  The amount of points received is determined by the division that the team is in.

-Level 2 Points (L2’s): Once “Team A” defeats “Team B,” “Team A” will collect computer points for every victory that “Team B” gets during the regular season.  Again, the amount of computer points received will be based on the division that the team is in.

-L2 Divisor: The number of teams on a schedule multiplied by the number of opponents that they have.  Usually, 10 regular season opponents multiplied by 10 (the number of opponents that most teams have) equals 100.  With the Ursuline game cancelled, that gives Harding seven opponents who each play 10 games apiece and another three opponents with 9 games scheduled (Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Austintown Fitch, and Cardinal Mooney all cancelled their matchups against Ursuline).  

Once week 5 is complete throughout Ohio, Harding’s L2 divisor will drop from 100 to 90.  If the other three schools with cancellations end up eventually taking as well, that will make Harding’s L2 divisor drop by 1 for every bye that is taken.  If all three take byes, Harding’s L2 divisor will be 87 after their week 10 matchup against Fitch. 

-Point values…

Division I: 6.5

Division II: 6.0

Division III: 5.5

Division IV: 5.0

Division V: 4.5

Division VI: 4.0

Division VII: 3.5 

-Formula: Level 1 average + Level 2 average = Computer points average

As of today, Harding has a computer point average of 2.7500.  Here’s how they got it…

1. Harding’s two victories are over Akron Buchtel (Division IV) and Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (Division II).  5.0 (D4) + 6.0 (D2) = 11.0 1st level points.

2. 11.0 first level points divided by 4 (number of games played) = 2.7500.  As of today, that’s Harding's Level 1 average.

3. As of today, Buchtel and St. Vincent-St. Mary are both winless.  0 (Level 2 Points) divided by 100 (current L2 divisor) 0.

4. 0 multiplied by 10 (number of weeks in a season) = 0.  As of today, that’s Harding’s current Level 2 average.

5. 2.7500 (L1 average) + 0 (L2 average) = 2.7500.

After week 5 concludes, any L2’s that Harding accumulates in the future will be divided by 90 (instead of 100).  Of course, that’s contingent on Buchtel and St. Vincent-St. Mary winning their games.  However, the big opportunities for Harding to cash in on computer points will come as the season progresses.  

For example, hypothetically speaking, here’s how many computer points each of Harding’s future opponents would be worth if they lost this weekend…

-Erie (PA) McDowell (1-3)… 6.5 Level 1 points; 6.5 Level 2 points

-Boardman (2.2)... 6.0 Level 1 points; 10.0 Level 2 points

-Cardinal Mooney (2-2)... 4.5 Level 1 points; 9.5 Level 2 points 

-Massillon (2-2)... 6.0 Level 1 points; 13.0 Level 2 points

-Austintown Fitch (3-1)...  6.0 Level 1 points; 19.0 Level 2 points

NOTE- By comparison, as of today, every team that beats Harding would receive…

-6.0 Level 1 points (Harding is in Division II) 

AND

-11.0 Level 2 points. (5.0 for Buchtel & 6.0 for SVSM)

At the conclusion of the regular season, the top 12 teams in each Region with the highest computer point averages will advance to the 2025 OHSAA playoffs.