By the end of this weekend, all the state’s football teams will know whether they’ve made the NJSIAA playoffs. Does it seem to be a bit early in the season to determine playoff teams? Well, it is earlier than it has been during the past 20 years.

During the offseason, a new playoff system was adopted – apparently, the state’s getting away from the old system, which crowned 16 sectional champs, in favor of creating one in which eight group champs will emerge (five public groups, three nonpublic…