Q of the Week: Top Underdog Team to Watch

Edgytim

All-Conference
Staff member
May 29, 2001
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We already know a ton of teams with losing records will make the 2026 IHSA Football Playoff field. Who is your underdog team who you project could have a losing regular season record and a team you would not want to play? Post them here.
 

McCaravan

All-American
Feb 1, 2016
5,337
8,318
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There is a good chance St. Rita starts 0-3 and finishes 3-6 and makes a deep run in 7A depending on when/if they meet ESL or BR. Is underdog a correct term to describe the 7A runner up? No. But a Team that may have a losing record and make a run? Yes.

The first two games vs PC and GW will tell a lot
 

sporthog_9er

All-Conference
Jun 9, 2001
1,349
1,202
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LW West- could be bumpy with new QB, Ernst not coaching, have to play LWE, HF, LWC, Lockport...could see them under .500 but not a team you'd want to face early in postseason as they could start to figure things out towards the end
 

Colin2299

Senior
Aug 13, 2025
668
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Not sure the new rules help any program more than Chicago Leo. Excited to see what they do if they get to (3) wins.

Whatever team(s) with 3/4 wins out of the NUIC will be dangerous in the 1A/2A playoffs.
 

SiuCubFan8

All-Conference
Jul 27, 2007
6,413
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Not sure the new rules help any program more than Chicago Leo. Excited to see what they do if they get to (3) wins.

Whatever team(s) with 3/4 wins out of the NUIC will be dangerous in the 1A/2A playoffs.
Proviso East, DLS are gettable games and maybe Eisenhower and Viator.
 
Jul 9, 2025
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The Comets of REED-CUSTER are set to challenge Peotone and Manteno for the 3 spot in the ICE.
Night Sky Meteor GIF by Pokémon
 
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Jul 3, 2025
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Jacksonville... If they have a decent defense... I could see a world where they conquer the West...
Idk other than that. Honestly, the CS8 is kind of tough to predict atm... Rochester, SHG should be strong. Mac returns a ton, but SHS, QND, and Glenwood graduated the whole house it seems. Maybe all that just means it's a two headed race and Jax should just stay home. But I like the Crimson, they got spunk! As I presume our old buddy BamaTimber would say.
 
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Still Missing34

All-Conference
Jul 12, 2005
2,730
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I'll throw Yorkville's hat in the ring. They give Oswego hell every year and win about 1/2 the time in recent years.

They are coached well and have a beast of a DLine returning.
 
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