Here are the final rankings...

Loyola is the team to beat.

...before the playoffs begin this weekend. From here on out I'll be focusing more on the brackets themselves, particularly 8A, and what actually happens on the field.

This year nine teams ranked in someone's top ten are all in 8A: Loyola, Brother Rice, Homewood-Flossmoor, Neuqua Valley, Hinsdale Central, Barrington, Palatine, Naperville North and Marist. Wow.

Oh, and so are three undefeated squads, Oswego, West Aurora and St. Charles East (all 9-0); two schools with only one loss, Oswego East and Stevenson (both 8-1); perennial 7A powers Glenbard West and Lincoln-Way East (both 7-2); Lyons (also 7-2); and Maine South (6-3), the only team that almost beat Loyola (in Week Two). 

I can't ever remember an 8A bracket being this stacked with talent. In the past I feel like the top teams were split between 7A and 8A. Not this year.

My first-round Game of the Week? Gotta go with No. 19-seed Lyons at No. 14-seed Naperville North.

On to the rankings (all teams undefeated unless otherwise noted).

Tribune:

1. Loyola
2. Homewood-Flossmoor
3. Brother Rice (8-1)
4. Palatine 
5. Hinsdale Central
6. Prairie Ridge
7. Marist (8-1)
8. Bradley-Bourbonnais 
9. Neuqua Valley (8-1)
10. Fenwick (8-1) 

Sun-Times:

1. Loyola
2. Homewood-Flossmoor
3. Hinsdale Central
4. Palatine
5. Brother Rice (8-1)
6. Prairie Ridge
7. Bradley-Bourbonnais
8. Lemont
9. Neuqua Valley (8-1)
10. Marist (8-1)

MaxPreps:

1. Loyola
2. East St. Louis
3. Palatine
4. Neuqua Valley (8-1)
5. Brother Rice (8-1)
6. Naperville North (8-1)
7. Glenbard North (7-2)
8. Prairie Ridge
9. Homewood-Flossmoor
10. Barrington (8-1)