LAST WEEK: 34-6, .850
SEASON TOTAL: 497-115, .812

There’s always a certain sadness to the playoffs. 

The finality of it all can be difficult to cope with after covering a group of teams for three straight months.  And unless I’ve missed my guess, this week’s area round may be particularly painful for the Big Country. 

If I’m correct, our coverage area will say goodbye to no fewer than 14 of our remaining 26 teams, leaving a dozen with a shot at still reaching Arlington. And from there, it only gets more difficult.  

That also holds true for accurately picking winners. The column hit at 85 percent accuracy last week, but from this point forward, history has shown that hitting that number late in the postseason is extremely difficult.  So perhaps the area will have a few extra survivors. 

I’ll see you on the road. Here’s this week’s forecast: