A few years ago, coaches complained not enough teams made the playoffs in high school football. A team could go undefeated, lose a game in districts and be done.
When that was changed to include a new format in which half of the schools reached the playoffs, some screamed the playoffs were too watered down and the regular season didn't mean anything.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association announced last year it would retool the playoff format to include a nine-game regular season followed by a seeded district tournament with the winner advancing to the playoffs.
The district seeds are based on a team's performance in the regular season, which is then thrown into a formula that includes everything from record to strength of schedule.
Seems like a fair compromise. The regular season means something. It means something again to reach the playoffs.
But are people really talking about the system, or the matchups?