The “bubble watch” heads into high gear this week, with 60 teams facing a game with pre-playoff pressure.
Teams with 5-3 or 4-3 records heading into the final week of the regular season need a win to automatically qualify for the Michigan high school football players, which begin Friday, Nov. 1.
For 11-man teams, reaching a sixth win (or fifth win for teams that play eight games) is the goal. For the 8-man playoffs, the Michigan High School Athletic Association ranks the teams by playoff points and takes the top 32 before separating them into two 16-team divisions based on enrollment.
Three games feature teams squaring off with the same goal of getting their sixth wins. The Hudsonville Unity Christian-Zeeland East, Vicksburg-Otsego and Detroit Public Safety-Redford Union games pit 5-3 opponents facing each other with the winner going to the playoffs.
All, however, is not lost for the teams that finish 5-4. Once the automatic qualifiers are determined, the MHSAA will use playoff points to determine at-large bids to fill the 256-team field.
The MHSAA will announce the qualifiers and first-round pairings Sunday, with times and dates announced Monday.
The 60 11-man football teams on the bubble, ranked by enrollment, with record, playoff points and Week 9 opponent:
Grand Blanc, 2719, 5-3, 65.125 (at 7-1 Saline)
East Kentwood, 2673, 5-3, 62.750 (at 7-1 Rockford)
Hudsonville, 1930, 5-3, 70.875 (home vs. 0-8 West Ottawa)
Detroit Western, 1888, 5-3, 48.750 (home vs. 0-7 Detroit Douglass)
Waterford Mott, 1658, 5-3, 59.125 (at 3-5 Waterford Kettering)
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 1638, 5-3, 61.000 (home vs. 6-2 Rochester Adams)
Detroit U-D Jesuit, 1486, 5-3, 61.804 (at 4-4 Dearborn Divine Child)
Sterling Heights, 1464, 5-3, 65.125 (at 0-8 Warren Cousino)
Harrison Township L'Anse Creuse, 1434, 5-3, 65.250 (home vs. 1-7 Fraser)
Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 1404, 5-3, 72.925 (vs. 7-1 West Bloomfield)
Birmingham Seaholm, 1370, 5-3, 65.125 (at 4-4 Auburn Hills Avondale)
Port Huron, 1309, 5-3, 57.125 (at 2-6 Warren Woods Tower)
Midland Dow, 1287, 5-3, 61.625 (vs. 8-0 Midland High)
Grand Rapids Northview, 1130, 5-3, 59.625 (home vs. 4-4 Lowell)
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, 1129, 5-3, 58.250 (home vs. 8-0 Muskegon)
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 1128, 5-3, 74.891 (vs. 1-7 Detroit Cody)
Garden City, 1030, 5-3, 57.875 (at 3-5 New Boston Huron)
Detroit Mumford, 1007, 5-3, 53.000 (home vs. 0-8 Detroit Pershing)
East Grand Rapids, 959, 5-3, 60.250 (home vs. 3-5 Wyoming)
Zeeland East, 943, 5-3, 59.946 (home vs. 5-3 Hudsonville Unity Christian)
St. Johns, 938, 5-3, 60.125 (at 4-4 Alpena)
Eastpointe, 926, 5-3, 68.750 (home vs. 2-6 Roseville)
Marysville, 869, 5-3, 57.375 (at 1-7 Center Line)
Cadillac, 824, 5-3, 57.250 (at 7-1 Traverse City Central)
Redford Union, 823, 5-3, 60.000 (home vs. 5-3 Detroit Public Safety)
Carleton Airport, 815, 5-3, 55.250 (home vs. 0-8 Melvindale)
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 811, 5-3, 58.161 (vs. 3-5 Harper Woods Chandler Park)
Vicksburg, 764, 5-3, 53.250 (at 5-3 Otsego)
Allendale, 756, 5-3, 52.000 (at 7-1 Sparta)
Otsego, 683, 5-3, 54.125 (home vs. 5-3 Vicksburg)
Sault Ste. Marie, 679, 5-3, 60.250 (at 2-6 Gaylord)
Williamston, 621, 5-3, 58.000 (home vs. 8-0 Pewamo-Westphalia)
Hudsonville Unity Christian, 618, 5-3, 61.000 (at 5-3 Zeeland East)
Livonia Clarenceville, 602, 5-3, 39.875 (at 6-2 Whitemore Lake)
Dowagiac, 596, 5-3, 58.250 (home vs. 0-8 South Haven)
Detroit Communication Media Arts, 567, 5-3, 40.500 (home vs. 1-7 Detroit Collegiate Prep)
Essexville Garber, 561, 5-3, 54.125 (at 3-5 Bay City John Glenn)
Clawson, 515, 5-3, 49.625 (home vs. 1-7 St. Clair Shores South Lake)
Dundee, 497, 5-3, 51.875 (home vs. 8-0 Hillsdale)
Reed City, 490, 5-3, 56.750 (at 3-5 Leroy Pine River)
Shepherd, 454, 5-3, 46.250 (home vs. 7-1 Ithaca)
Detroit Osborn, 441, 5-3, 50.875 (vs. 3-4 Detroit Loyola)
Newaygo, 438, 5-3, 55.000 (at 2-6 Saranac)
Menominee, 425, 5-3, 55.889 (vs. 8-0 Hopkins)
Clinton Township Clintondale, 392, 5-3, 46.125 (home vs. 3-5 Hazel Park)
Lake City, 386, 5-3, 45.250 (at 6-2 Sanford Meridian)
Byron, 342, 5-3, 55.125 (at 5-2 Flint Beecher)
Hartford, 341, 5-3, 37.125 (at 7-1 White Pigeon)
North Muskegon, 338, 5-3, 45.125 (at 8-0 Muskegon Orchard View)
Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, 333, 5-3, 38.250 (home vs. 3-5 Manistee)
Charlevoix, 318, 5-3, 48.000 (at 6-2 Harbor Springs)
Madison Heights Bishop Foley, 316, 5-3, 40.607 (home vs. 4-4 Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett)
McBain, 308, 5-3, 47.000 (home vs. 7-1 Clare)
Sandusky, 289, 5-3, 39.000 (home vs. 4-4 Bad Axe)
Unionville-Sebewaing, 250, 5-3, 49.375 (home vs. 4-4 Brown City)
Ottawa Lake Whiteford, 235, 5-3, 45.375 (home vs. 3-5 Petersburg Summerfield)
Bark River-Harris, 223, 5-3, 39.000 (at 6-2 Ishpeming)
Detroit Public Safety Academy, 191, 5-3, 49.125 (at 5-3 Redford Union)
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, 189, 5-3, 42.375 (home vs. 2-6 Reese)
Lake Linden-Hubbell, 131, 5-3, 42.625 (home vs. 3-5 Manistique)
8-Player ranking, by playoff points
(Top 32 qualify for playoffs)
1. Colon, 160, 8-0, 66.429
2. Deckerville, 195, 8-0, 64.429
3. Powers North Central, 107, 8-0, 64.000
4. Martin, 187, 8-0, 60.571
5. Pickford, 138, 7-1, 57.875
6. Portland St. Patrick, 99, 8-0, 57.571
7. Climax-Scotts, 145, 7-1, 56.875
8. Suttons Bay, 205, 8-0, 56.333
9. Mio, 168, 7-1, 55.393
10. Morrice, 182, 7-1, 54.625
11. Hillman, 124, 7-1, 53.750
12. Pellston, 173, 7-1, 49.893
13. Crystal Falls Forest Park, 121, 6-2, 47.625
14. Mesick, 193, 7-1, 47.083
15. Engadine, 108, 7-1, 45.750
16. Mayville, 193, 6-2, 44.625
17. Kingston, 197, 6-2, 43.625
18. New Haven Merritt Academy, 174, 7-1, 42.500
19. Bellevue, 171, 5-3, 39.500
20. Cedarville, 154, 5-3, 36.875
21. Peck, 119, 5-3, 36.750
22. Posen, 71, 5-3, 36.393
23. Onekama, 142, 5-3, 36.054
24. Camden-Frontier, 175, 5-3, 35.125
25. Brethren, 141, 5-3, 33.625
26. Kinde North Huron, 126, 5-3, 33.554
27. Marion, 133, 5-3, 33.321
28. Brimley, 166, 5-3, 32.750
29. Burr Oak, 70, 5-3, 32.125
30. Hale, 113, 5-3, 31.143
31. Genesee, 179, 4-4, 30.875
32. Newberry, 186, 5-3, 29.750
33. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 100, 4-4, 27.893
34. International Academy of Flint, 185, 4-4, 27.804
35. Webberville, 182, 4-4, 27.661
36. Onaway, 182, 4-4, 26.643
37. Rapid River, 131, 3-5, 26.125
38. Gaylord St. Mary, 162, 3-5, 25.333
39. Bay City All Saints, 136, 4-4, 25.161
40. Vestaburg *, 186, 4-3, 25.036
41. Manistee Catholic Central, 177, 4-4, 24.625
42. Ashley, 90, 3-5, 23.554
43. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart *, 113, 3-4, 22.714
44. Carney-Nadeau, 132, 3-5, 21.208
45. Tekonsha, 159, 3-5, 20.750
46. Battle Creek St. Philip, 179, 3-5, 20.643
47. Lawrence, 180, 3-5, 20.625
48. Central Lake, 169, 3-5, 20.333
49. Rudyard, 164, 3-5, 20.125
50. Akron-Fairgrove, 90, 3-5, 17.750