Michigan high school football playoffs: Predicting the winner of every division

See who we think will take home the trophy at the end of the season

High school football playoffs are here as the playoffs kickoff this week, and there are a lot of intriguing matchups throughout the brackets. 

Here is who I think will win each division in the MHSAA playoffs.

Michigan high school football computer rankings entering the playoffs (10/23/2023)

Michigan high school football playoff brackets: 2023 state tournament matchups, game times

Division 1

Starting with Division 1, everyone will have their eyes on Belleville and Bryce Underwood, who is the top player in the country in the class of 2025. They’re going to be hard to beat.

A couple other teams to watch are Rockford, Saline, and Lake Orion. Rockford is the top ranked team in the bracket, and Saline and Lake Orion played in an undefeated matchup last week with the Dragons coming out on top. 

At the end of the day, I have to pick Belleville to win it all. Having the top high school player in the entire country is hard to pick against. There is a lot of talent across the bracket, but it doesn’t get better than the Tigers.

Winner: Belleville

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Division 2

Warren De La Salle is always one of the best teams in the state, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Pilots follows up last year’s playoff run after losing quarterback Brady Drogosh.

But, in the Division 2 bracket, I’m going with Byron Center to take home the trophy. A lot of people are picking Warren De La Salle, and it could very well end up being the champion, but Byron Center has looked extremely impressive this season, and the Bulldogs have as good of a chance as anyone.

Winner: Byron Center

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Division 3

Two teams worth mentioning in the Division 3 bracket are Gaylord and Mason. The ultimate goal for every team going in a season is to win every game and win a championship with a perfect record. 

Neither of these teams are the favorite in this bracket, but they are both still undefeated. It will be interesting to see if either can pull off a perfect season.

I’m going with Gaylord to complete the perfect season. This team has been unbeatable so far this year, and I expect that to continue throughout the postseason.

Winner: Gaylord

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Division 4

Heading into the Division 4 bracket, it’s going to be interesting to see what Whitehall and Harper Woods do in the playoffs. 

Whitehall is undefeated and seems like the clear favorite to win it all, and Harper Woods seems like they could be flying under the radar a bit because of their three losses. Don’t be surprised if the Pioneers make some noise.

It’s hard to argue with the success that Whitehall has had this season. Because of that, I’m picking them to finish off the perfect year, and they will end up hoisting the championship trophy at Ford Field.

Winner: Whitehall

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Division 5

The Division 5 bracket is going to be the story of the Grand Rapids schools. 

We have Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Grand Rapids West Catholic. West Catholic is undefeated, and Catholic Central has one loss, but it was to an Illinois team. Let’s hope that we get to see these two teams meet up in the postseason.

West Catholic is going to finish off the perfect season and it will be the Division 5 champion. 

I do believe that these two teams will meet up with Catholic Central in the playoffs, and it’s going to be a terrific game. However, West Catholic will squeak out a thriller and win the Division 5 title.

Winner: West Catholic

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Division 6

Michigan Collegiate is going to be a very tough out in the Division 6 bracket. The Cougars are one of a few undefeated teams left in the state, and it’s going to be tough for any team to ruin its perfect season.

One sleeper team to look out for in this bracket is the Hart Pirates. They haven’t been tested too heavily yet this season, but they have just one loss on the year, and they can make some noise in the playoffs.

It’s too hard to see Michigan Collegiate going down, and they are my Division 6 champion pick. They will likely play in numerous close games on the road to Ford Field, but this team is battle-tested, and ready to take home a championship.

Winner: Michigan Collegiate

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Division 7

North Muskegon and Millington are two teams in the Division 7 bracket that are undefeated and hungry for perfection. These are two squads that you are definitely going to want to keep an eye on throughout the playoffs, and it will be interesting to see if one of them can pull off a perfect season.

But Jackson Lumen Christi isn’t an undefeated team, but it is my pick to win the Division 7 championship. 

Their talent is on another level, and it’s hard to imagine them losing in these playoffs.

Winner: Lumen Christi

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Division 8

There are a decent amount of teams that are still perfect in the Division 8 bracket, which will make for an intriguing postseason. 

One of these undefeated squads will likely end up hoisting the trophy at Ford Field. Two of the best are Ubly and Whiteford. These two teams are the best of best, and a matchup between them would be a treat.

Those two teams are something special, but so is undefeated Iron Mountain, and that is who I am picking to take the crown.

They will likely have to go through at least one of those previously mentioned teams, but they will be ready. 

Winner: Iron Mountain

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