Most football coaches want region finish to override PSR, AJC survey shows

Most Georgia football coaches want region standings to replace or override the GHSA’s computer rankings when seeding playoff teams, according to an AJC Varsity survey.

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The survey, which covered a range of topics, went out to the GHSA’s 413 head coaches beginning in preseason. The survey has drawn 195 respondents.

More than one-third (37.7%) say they favor the old way of picking and seeding the playoffs, based on region standings, without computer rankings. About one-sixth (16.1%) prefer computer rankings but want them to honor region standings when seeding.

Those two groups — both opposing the GHSA’s decision to abandon region finish as a seeding consideration — represent (53.8%) of the coaches who responded.

The rest (46.1%) comprise two more similar groups:

• 33.7% that favor the GHSA’s new format of using computer rankings to pick and seed the 32-team playoff brackets without regard for region finish except to guarantee region champions a top-16 seed
• 12.4% that would take computer seeding a step further, eliminating the top-16 guarantee.

This season, six teams are projected to win region titles outright but get lower state-playoff seeds than teams finishing behind them in region play, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings’ assessment of how the final three weeks of the regular season will play out. Those teams are North Paulding, Gainesville, Effingham County, Dougherty, Charlton County and Emanuel County Institute.

Another 14 nonchampions will be seeded below region rivals that finish behind them in region standings, according to Maxwell. Those include three teams — Collins Hill, Liberty County and Marion County — projected to miss the playoffs while teams lower in the region standings make it.

The GHSA’s executive committee approved the new playoff format 67-1 in its October 2025 meeting.

Coaches also were asked about the accuracy of the GHSA’s computer model, called the Post Season Rankings. The PSR orders teams based on winning percentage and that of their opponents.

The coaches were almost evenly divided, with about one-third saying the PSR is accurate enough, one-third saying the GHSA needs a better model and one-third saying they don’t want any math model determining the playoff bracket.

Most coaches (55.7%) also say they would support a more complex computer formula if it brought better results, while the rest like the PSR’s simplicity.

Since 1996, when the GHSA expanded the playoffs to 32-team brackets, the eight regions in each classification would qualify four teams apiece to reach 32. The region champions effectively were seeded 1-8, with the second-place finishers 9-16, on a predetermined draw.

For the 2024 and 2025 football seasons, the GHSA let the PSR help pick and seed the playoff teams in four classes but still provided region-finish guarantees, such as region champions getting 1-8 seeds and fourth-place finishers getting automatic playoff berths.

This football season, for the first time, the GHSA is seeding all 32 teams in each class based on almost entirely on computer rankings, meaning second- or third-place teams could miss the playoffs, or third-place teams could be seeded higher than region champions.

Survey results

What playoff format do you prefer?

• 37.8% — Seed entirely on region finish, with a minimum of four qualifiers per region. No computer rankings.
• 33.7% — Have computer rankings select and seed all 32 teams, but guarantee a region winner a top-16 seed.
• 16.1% — Have computer rankings seed region winners first, second-place finishers next, etc.
• 12.4% — Have computer rankings select and seed all 32 teams regardless of region finish.

How do you feel about the Post Season Rankings the GHSA uses to seed/pick playoff teams?

• 33.3% — The PSR is accurate enough. I support it.
• 32.8% — GHSA needs a more accurate rankings model.
• 33.9% — I don’t want PSR or any math models determining playoff teams or seeds.