The football playoffs are just around the corner and with few games remaining, the playoff picture is starting to come into focus.
With just two weeks left in the regular season in Class 5A, 4A, 2A, 1A, 8-man and 6-man and three weeks left in 3A, here is how the first round of each bracket would shape up if the state tournaments started this week.
These predictions are determined the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index the morning of Oct. 19.
Per the CHSAA football bulletin here are the qualifying and seeding criteria for the postseason:
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Class 5A
This is a 24-team bracket with the top eight seeds getting byes in the first
First round byes: (1) Cherry Creek, (2) Pine Creek, (3) Columbine, (4) Arapahoe, (5), Ralston Valley, (6) Mountain Vista, (7) Legend, (8) Grandview
First round matchups:
- (9) Regis Jesuit vs. (24) ThunderRidge
- (10) Castle View vs. (23) Brighton
- (11) Valor Christian vs. (22) Douglas County
- (12) Fountain-Fort Carson vs. (21) Arvada West
- (13) Eaglecrest vs. (20) Mullen
- (14) Chatfield vs. (19) Rock Canyon
- (15) Denver East vs. (18) Cherokee Trail
- (16) Legacy vs. (17) Fairview
Class 4A
This is a 24-team bracket with the top eight seeds getting byes in the first round.
First round byes: (1) Palmer Ridge, (2) Erie, (3) Montrose, (4) Broomfield, (5), Heritage, (6) Mesa Ridge, (7) Dakota Ridge, (8) Thomas Jefferson
First round matchups:
- (9) Golden vs. (24) Widefield
- (10) Pueblo West vs. (23) Bear Creek
- (11) Vista Ridge vs. (22) Monarch
- (12) Fruita Monument vs. (21) Falcon
- (13) Ponderosa vs. (20) Longmont
- (14) Loveland vs. (19) Standley Lake
- (15) Windsor vs. (18) Rampart
- (16) Grand Junction Central vs. (17) Denver South
Class 3A
This is a 16-team bracket with no teams receiving first-round byes. The 3A playoffs begin a week later than the other six classifications.
First round matchups:
- (1) Holy Family vs. (16) Pueblo South
- (2) Green Mountain vs. (15) Denver North
- (3) Durango vs. (14) Discovery Canyon
- (4) Roosevelt vs. (13) Glenwood Springs
- (5) Lutheran vs. (12) Pueblo Central
- (6) Lewis-Palmer vs. (11) Mead
- (7) Riverdale Ridge vs. (10) Resurrection Christian
- (8) Thompson Valley vs. (9) Northfield
Class 2A
This is a 16-team bracket with no teams receiving first-round byes.
First round matchups:
- (1) Rifle vs. (16) Alamosa
- (2) Delta vs. (15) Wellington
- (3) Berthoud vs. (14) Pagosa Springs
- (4) Kent Denver vs. (13) Eaton
- (5) La Junta vs. (12) Moffat County
- (6) TCA vs. (11) Florence
- (7) Elizabeth vs. (10) Brush
- (8) University vs. (9) Basalt
Class 1A
This is a 16-team bracket with no teams receiving first-round byes.
First round matchups:
- (1) Limon vs. (16) Monte Vista
- (2) Holyoke vs. (15) Platte Canyon
- (3) Meeker vs. (14) Yuma
- (4) Gunnison vs. (13) Cedaredge
- (5) Buena Vista vs. (12) CSCS
- (6) Strasburg vs. (11) Centauri
- (7) Wiggins vs. (10) North Fork
- (8) Wray vs. (9) Banning Lewis
8-man
This is a 16-team bracket with no teams receiving first-round byes.
First round matchups:
- (1) Simla vs. (16) Front Range Christian
- (2) Mancos vs. (15) Fowler
- (3) Haxtun vs. (14) Vail Christian
- (4) Lyons vs. (13) Calhan
- (5) Dove Creek vs. (12) Merino
- (6) West Grand vs. (11) Sedgwick County
- (7) Akron vs. (10) McClave
- (8) Sanford vs. (9) Byers
6-man
This is a 16-team bracket with no teams receiving first-round byes.
First round matchups:
- (1) Stratton vs. (16) Hanover
- (2) Otis vs. (15) Eads
- (3) Granada vs. (14) Primero
- (4) Branson/Kim vs. (13) Briggsdale
- (5) Idalia vs. (12) Cheyenne Wells
- (6) Walsh vs. (11) Genoa-Hugo
- (7) Arickaree vs. (10) La Veta
- (8) Sierra Grande vs. (9) Peetz
