A look at how the Maxwell-proposed formula would seed teams in the playoffs

Loren Maxwell, founder of the Georgia High School Football Historians Association and creator of the Maxwell Ratings, proposed an alternative to the GHSA’s postseason rankings formula, which is set to be used for all classes in 2026.

Maxwell argues in a Four Questions interview that his Extended Standings model is more accurate, even though the calculations are more involved. The PSR is popular for its simple formula based on winning percentage and opponent winning percentage.

The choice of model is important because beginning in 2026-27, the GHSA will select and seed playoff teams in all eight classifications using the PSR or another math model. This season, the GHSA is using the PSR in four classifications (3A, 2A, A Division I and 3A-A Private) while guaranteeing playoff berths to top-four finishers in each region and giving preferential seeding to champions and runners-up.

Starting in 2026, region finish will no longer matter. The PSR alone will pick and seed teams 1-32 in all bracket sports with one exception: Region champions will be guaranteed top-16 seeds.

Below are the top 32 football teams in each class using both rankings models.

Here are five examples of differences between the two that favor Extended Standings.

• The PSR ranks Fellowship Christian No. 1 in Class 3A-A Private. The Extended Standings rank Hebron Christian No. 1. Both teams are 8-1, but Hebron beat Fellowship 45-29 and lost to an out-of-state opponent, McCallie of Tennessee.
• The PSR ranks Toombs County No. 6 in Class A Division I. Toombs’ only loss came on the road against Rome, a top-10 Class 5A team. The Extended Standings rank Toombs No. 1.
• The PSR ranks Lowndes No. 2 in Class 6A behind undefeated Buford and ahead of undefeated Grayson, Carrollton and McEachern. Lowndes is 9-1 with a loss to Valdosta. The Extended Standings rank Lowndes No. 6 while placing the four undefeated 6A teams in the top four seeds.
• The PSR ranks Beach No. 29 and Southeast Bulloch No. 32. Southeast Bulloch missed the playoffs this season because fourth-place finishers from other regions got automatic playoff berths. Both teams were 5-4 in region play. Southeast Bulloch beat Beach 48-8, but Beach finished higher in the PSR largely for having a 5-4 overall record to Southeast Bulloch’s 5-5 record with a nonregion loss to Class 4A Statesboro. The Extended Standings rank Southeast Bulloch No. 31 and Beach No. 33.
• The PSR ranks Brooks County No. 14 in Class A Division II. Brooks County’s five losses are against four AJC/GHSF Daily top-10 teams from higher classifications and one, Clinch County, from its own class. Brooks County has a 21-3 victory over a top-10 team from a higher class, Fitzgerald. The Extended Standings rank Brooks County No. 6, matching the Trojans’ ranking in GHSF Daily’s composite poll.