Five newbie questions, five expert answers on the Minnesota high school football playoffs

The 32-team bracket for the Class 6A playoffs will be released at 10:15 a.m. Friday.

Did we just run out of stuff we know for sure?

The guy in charge of the Star Tribune's high school sports coverage — we'll call him KB — went to bed after editing Thursday's game stories with questions. Mike Grant's words after Eden Prairie's 35-14 victory over Stillwater — "I think we did enough tonight," he told staff writer David La Vaque — indicated that even the most connected coaches in the state don't know for sure who's getting the four precious top seeds and where the bracket will go from there.

KB did what he does when he's wondering about high school football. He reminded himself that staff writer Jim Paulsen has been doing this for a quarter-century, and he prepared five questions.

KB asks: Jim, there are a lot of teams in those other classes. Why only 32 in Class 6A?

Jim answers: Many tend to believe there are too many classes, hence the tired "Everyone gets a trophy" criticisms, but there is no sport more dependent on numbers than football. Class 6A is home to the largest schools in the state, some in the 3,000-student range. Pairing like vs. like simply evens the playing field, which is the whole point of dividing teams into classes. The Minnesota State High School League formed Class 6A in 2012 to help with that.

KB asks: What is happening that will lead to tomorrow's announcement?

Jim answers: Coaches from each of four sections rank the other seven teams in the section. Votes are tallied and teams are placed in corresponding bracket position.

KB asks: Do they have all the information they need?

Jim answers: There are still five Class 6A games to be played Thursday, some involving top-10 teams. The committee cannot make final decisions until those results are determined.

KB asks: What do we know for sure, besides they'll announce it midmorning Friday?

Jim answers: Well, undefeated teams will likely get the top seeds. There are two in 6A: Maple Grove and Rosemount. Stillwater, which lost for the first time Wednesday to Eden Prairie, is also a likely No. 1 seed. The final top seed will likely go to either of a pair of two-loss teams: Eden Prairie or Lakeville South. Three teams that play Thursday — Centennial, Woodbury and Shakopee — have an outside chance at a No. 1 seed. The winner of Centennial vs. Woodbury would have a strong argument for a No. 1 seed.

KB asks: Jim, am I an ogre for sending you to the hinterlands of the north metro to cover Class 5A football in brisk weather Wednesday night when the game was going on 2 miles from my warm home? Don't answer that. It's just my way of getting outside Class 6A. Where are we with the other six classes? When will we know who's playing who on Tuesday?

Jim answers: The section seedings in the other six classes are determined in either the traditional manner, with section coaches voting on seeding, or by the QRF. Most of the seeds are being decided Thursday.