Ohio High School Football Playoffs 2025: Division I Second Round Matchups, Predictions, Brackets

The second round of the OHSAA football playoffs are set for Nov. 7, see matchups and predictions for Division I

St. Edward football head coach Tom Lombardo leads the Eagles onto the field before a game against Elder on September 10, 2022. / Jeff Harwell, SBLIve Sports

The first round of the Ohio high school football playoffs are in the books, and now the top four teams in each region come off their bye week as the second round takes place on Friday, Nov. 7.

With that in mind, we at High School on SI Ohio have decided to post the matchups for each division in each round, while also making predictions for each and every game.

Ohio High School Football Playoffs 2025: Division I First Round Matchups, Predictions, Brackets

As a reminder, the OHSAA has once again changed the format for the playoffs.

The change that was made by the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the postseason this year is a reduction in teams making the playoffs and we posted a story at the midway point of the season as to what the playoffs would look like at that point in Division I.

Starting in 2021, the OHSAA went to a format that saw the top 16 teams in each region qualify for postseason play. But starting in 2025, only 12 will make the playoffs with the top four seeds in each region earning a bye in the first round.

Also, the first three rounds of the postseason will be hosted by the higher seeded team instead of the first two rounds. 

With the top four teams earning a bye, the first-round games will be the following:

• No. 12 at No. 5
  No. 11 at No. 6
  No. 10 at No. 7
  No. 9 at No. 8

In round two, the No. 1 seed will host the winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9, the No. 2 seed will host the winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10, the No. 3 seed will host the winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11, and the No. 4 seed will host the winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12. 

As has been the case over the last several years, all playoff games until the state championships will be played on Friday night.

The second round (or regional quarterfinals) will be played on Nov. 7, the regional semifinals on Nov. 14, the regional finals on Nov. 21 and the state semifinals on Nov. 28. The regional finals and state semifinals will all be held at neutral sites as determined by the OHSAA.

The state championship games will once again be at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton from Dec. 4-6, with the Division I state championship game on Friday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

OHSAA Football Playoffs - Division I Second Round Matchups and Predictions

Region 1

No. 8 Berea-Midpark (7-4) at No. 1 Lakewood St. Edward (8-2)

No. 7 Massillon Jackson (6-5) at No. 2 Mentor (10-0)

No. 11 Medina (4-7) at No. 3 Canton McKinley (8-2)

No. 5 Perrysburg (9-2) at No. 4 Toledo Whitmer (8-2)

Predictions:

St. Edward over Berea-Midpark
Mentor over Jackson
Canton McKinley over Medina
Perrysburg over Whitmer

Region 2

No. 8 Lebanon (8-3) at No. 1 Middletown (8-2)

No. 7 Hilliard Bradley (6-5) at No. 2 Troy (8-2)

No. 6 Huber Heights Wayne (7-4) at No. 3 Findlay (6-4)

No. 5 Springfield (7-4) at No. 4 Springboro (7-3)

Predictions:

Middletown over Lebanon
Troy over Hilliard Bradley
Wayne over Findlay
Springfield over Springboro

Region 3

No. 8 Delaware Olentangy Berlin (6-5) at No. 1 Lewis Center Olentangy Orange (10-0)

No. 10 Groveport Madison (6-5) at No. 2 Pickerington Central (9-1)

No. 6 Upper Arlington (9-2) at No. 3 Pickerington North (9-1)

No. 5 Powell Olentangy Liberty (7-4) at No. 4 Lewis Center Olentangy (8-2)

Predictions:

Olentangy Orange over Olentangy Berlin
Pickerington Central over Madison
Pickerington North over Upper Arlington
Olentangy over Olentangy Liberty

Region 4

No. 8 Fairfield (6-5) at No. 1 Cincinnati Elder (10-0)

No. 7 West Chester Lakota West (7-4) at No. 2 Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (7-3)

No. 6 Liberty Township Lakota East (8-3) at No. 3 Cincinnati St. Xavier (7-2)

No. 5 Cincinnati Winton Woods (9-2) at No. 4 Cincinnati Princeton (8-2)

Predictions:

Elder over Fairfield
Moeller over Lakota West
St. Xavier over Lakota East
Princeton over Winton Woods

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