The latest OHSAA football computer ratings are out, and several Midwest Athletic Conference and Western Buckeye League teams are currently in playoff position heading into Week 7.

The September 29 ratings are a snapshot of where teams stand with four weeks remaining in the regular season.

Under the current OHSAA playoff format, the top 12 teams in each region qualify for the postseason. The top four teams in each region receive first-round byes. Final playoff positions will be determined by the computer ratings released after the regular season concludes October 25. 

In the Midwest Athletic Conference, five teams are currently ranked inside the top 12 of their respective regions.

Marion Local leads Division VII, Region 28 with a 6-0 record and an average of 10.3167.

Minster, also 6-0, is second in the same region with a 9.7333 average. The Wildcats are only 0.0360 ahead of third-place Ansonia, making the battle for positioning near the top especially close. 

New Bremen is sixth in Region 28 at 3-3.

Coldwater is seventh in Division V, Region 18 with a 5-1 record, while Versailles sits eighth in Division VI, Region 24 at 4-2. 

St. Henry is currently the MAC team closest to the playoff cutoff. The Redskins are 13th in Region 24 and just 0.3227 behind the current 12th-place position.

Fort Recovery is 15th in Region 28 and only 0.3632 behind the current cutoff. 

In the Western Buckeye League, Celina continues to hold the top spot in Division III, Region 10.

The Bulldogs are 6-0 with a 13.3833 computer average, giving them a 1.1000 advantage over unbeaten Ontario.

Both teams have identical Level 1 totals, meaning Celina’s advantage comes entirely from stronger Level 2 points generated by victories from teams the Bulldogs have already defeated.

Ottawa-Glandorf is also unbeaten at 6-0 and currently holds fourth place in Division IV, Region 14. That puts the Titans in the final position that would receive a first-round playoff bye if the season ended today. 

Wapakoneta is eighth in Region 10, while Van Wert is sixth in Region 14.

St. Marys Memorial is currently 13th in Region 10 and only 0.3000 behind the final qualifying position. Shawnee sits 14th and is 0.5334 behind the cutoff. 

Overall, five of the MAC’s 10 teams and four of the WBL’s 10 teams are currently ranked inside the top 12 of their regions.

Four teams from the two leagues — Marion Local, Minster, Celina and Ottawa-Glandorf — currently sit inside the top four and would receive first-round byes if those positions held through the end of the regular season. 

The closest teams currently outside the playoff field are St. Marys, St. Henry and Fort Recovery, each sitting within approximately 0.36 points of the current regional cutoff. 

OHSAA computer ratings are based on Level 1 and Level 2 points. Level 1 points reward a team for its own victories, while Level 2 points are generated by victories from opponents that team has defeated.

That means a team’s rating can continue to improve when previous opponents win later in the season, even without the team itself playing another game. Margin of victory does not factor into the formula. 

The standings will continue to change as teams and their defeated opponents add wins over the final weeks of the regular season.