Ohio High School Football Playoffs 2025: How Division VI Would Look at the Halfway Point

How the new Ohio High School Football Division VI playoffs could look in 2025

Coldwater players prepare to take the field. / Julie Vennitti Botos / Canton Repository / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With five weeks now in the books in the Ohio high school football season, we have hit the midway point of the regular season.

With that in mind and the fact that Ohio has once again changed the format for the playoffs, we decided to take a peek at how the playoffs would look in each division if they started after five weeks.

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.

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 playoff qualifiers and first round matchups will be announced on Sunday, Oct. 26 with the first round being played on Friday, Oct. 31. 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.

In Division VI, the top seed in each region would be Columbiana Crestview (21), Hopewell-Loudon (22), Grandview Heights (23) and Coldwater (24).

Here is how the playoff picture would look in Division VI if they started after five weeks.

(All rankings according to Joe Eitel.com and are not official).

Region 21

Byes

1. Columbiana Crestview, 2. Kirtland, 3. Smithville, 4. United

First round games

5. Columbia vs. 12 Rittman

6. Mineral Ridge vs. 11. Garaway

7. Wickliffe vs. 10 Rootstown

8. Dalton vs. 9. Cuyahoga Heights

Region 22

Byes

1. Hopewell-Loudon, 2. Archmore, 3. Bluffton, 4. Woodmore

First round games

5. Margaretta vs. 12 Carey/Convoy Crestview

6. Fairview vs. 11. Seneca East

7. Patrick Henry vs. 10 Paulding

8. Western Reserve vs. 9. Evergreen

Region 23

Byes

1. Grandview Heights, 2. Mount Gilead, 3. Colonel Crawford, 4. West Jefferson

First round games

5. Ridgewood vs. 12 Berne Union

6. Toronto vs. 11. Northmor

7. Fort Frye vs. 10 Grove City Christian

8. Centerburg vs. 9. Reedsville Eastern

Region 24

Byes

1. Coldwater 2. Deer Park, 3. Rock Hill, 4. Northeastern

First round games

5. Tri-Village vs. 12 Portsmouth West

6. Mechanicsburg vs. 11. Lima Perry

7. St. Bernard-Elmwood Place vs. 10 Summit Country Day

8. Dayton Christian vs. 9. Anna

Download the High School on SI App

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the High School on SI app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App