Playoff Picture: Division I Football (Oct. 9)

It's already time to start talking playoff scenarios.

In fact, one team - Bedford - has already clinched a spot in the Division I postseason, and with a win over Bishop Guertin on Saturday, the Bulldogs would wrapup the North Conference title and the home quarterfinal game that comes with it.

With a win this week, Winnacunnet would also put itself in the postseason for the second year in a row, and thanks to tiebreakers over Exeter and Dover, the Warriors would again be East Conference champions. On Friday, Winnacunnet hosts a Salem team that came up short against Windham last week and could really use a win of its own to stay ahead of the Jaguars.

Those are the only win-and-in scenarios this week, but other teams, like Pinkerton, Londonderry, Nashua North and Merrimack, could also get themselves closer to a playoff spot with a little bit of help from other teams.

Given how tight the South/East Cluster has been this season, the loser of Friday's Exeter-Dover game will likely see its playoff hopes become very slim, while in the North/West Cluster, Nashua South needs a win over Goffstown to keep any chance at making the postseason alive.

Here’s what the D1 postseason would look like if the playoffs started this week.

South/East Cluster

East Conference

1. Winnacunnet (5-1), 11.3333
2. Exeter (3-3), 6.3333
3. Dover (3-3), 5.6000
4. Portsmouth (1-5), 1.6667
5. Spaulding (0-6), 0.0000

South Conference

1. Pinkerton (5-1), 12.0000
2. Londonderry (5-1), 13.0000
3. Salem (4-2), 9.6667
4. Windham (3-3), 7.3333
5. Timberlane (1-5), 2.0000

Tiebreakers

• Pinkerton wins the tiebreaker with Londonderry for first place in the South Conference thanks to a head-to-head victory.
• Pinkerton wins the tiebreaker with Winnacunnet for first place in the cluster thanks to a better football rating.

Playoff teams: Pinkerton, Winnacunnet, Londonderry, Salem.

In the hunt: Windham, Exeter, Dover.

Quarterfinal matchups: No. 4 Salem at No. 1 Pinkerton; No. 3 Londonderry at No. 2 Winnacunnet.

Games to watch: Exeter at Dover, Friday, 7 p.m.; Salem at Winnacunnet, Friday, 7 p.m.; Timberlane at Windham, Saturday, 2 p.m.

North/West Cluster

North Conference

1. Bedford (6-0), 15.6667
2. Concord (4-2), 8.0000
3. Goffstown (3-3), 7.3333
4. Manchester Central (3-3), 7.3333
5. Manchester Memorial (0-6), 0.0000

West Conference

1. Nashua North (5-1), 11.3333
2. Merrimack (5-1), 10.6667
3. Nashua South (2-4), 4.0000
4. Bishop Guertin (1-5), 2.0000
5. Keene (1-5), 1.6667

Tiebreakers

• Nashua North wins the tiebreaker with Merrimack for first place in the West Conference thanks to a better football rating.

Playoff teams: Bedford, Nashua North, Merrimack, Concord.

In the hunt: Goffstown, Manchester Central, Nashua South.

Quarterfinals: No. 4 Concord at No. 1 Bedford; No. 3 Merrimack at No. 2 Nashua North.

Games to watch: Merrimack at Concord, Thursday, 7 p.m.; Manchester Central at Manchester Memorial, Saturday, 1 p.m.; Nashua South at Goffstown, 1:30 p.m.