In the final weeks of the season there are often several very identifiable games that a team with shaky playoff status really needs to win to secure a spot.

And in a week that saw multiple prominent programs falter in games, the reverse happened with several teams that looked as if their playoff status was precarious as they pulled off upsets big and small to push their way into the projected field.

Teams such as Jacksonville, North Boone and Hillcrest looked like underdogs in Week 8, but all rose up and collected key victories that appear to clear the path to playoff slots.

Those schools weren’t alone in doing that and in all, nine different schools claimed wins that the projection didn’t expect them to in Week 8.

But the projection wasn’t off only on wins. Surprise losses from teams such as Geneva, Loyola and Maine West, slowly started to balance the scales between the wins and losses.

However it didn’t fully change those scales and the list of 4-5 teams projected to make the field shrunk to just four.

There are currently 221 teams that are playoff eligible that have reached five wins (there are three more CPL teams that did not finish high enough in their divisional races to be eligible for the postseason regardless of win total by CPL rule).

There are 58 teams with four wins. If 35 win, no four-win teams will be needed. If less than 35 win, how many less than 35 will determine the number of 4-win teams that will be needed. If more than 35 win, how many more teams that win will determine how many 5-win teams will be removed from the 256-team field with low playoff points.

There is one match between 4-4 teams this week (Pekin vs. East Peoria), while 24 4-4 teams face teams with better records in Week 9.

So while it is possible that the field might not need 4-5 win teams it will all come down to how many teams in that group of 58 win games in Week 9.

While many of the top seeds in each classification are almost locked down, the bottom half of the field is very much in flux and Week 9 will decide how the field is truly shaped.

Here is the Week 8 playoff projection for all eight classes:

Class 1A

Teams on the bubble between 1A/2A (from closest to bubble to farthest): Cumberland, Deer Creek Mackinaw, Athens, Tuscola, Rushville.

Class 2A

Teams on the bubble between 1A/2A (from closest to bubble to farthest): Cumberland, Deer Creek Mackinaw, Athens, Tuscola, Rushville.

Teams on the bubble between 2A/1A (from closest to bubble to farthest): Arthur, Newman Central Catholic, Chicago Richards, Chicago Marshall, Sullivan.

Teams on the bubble between 2A/3A (from closest to bubble to farthest): Vandalia, Wilmington, Pana, DuQuoin, Erie-Prophetstown.

Class 3A

Teams on the bubble between 2A/3A (from closest to bubble to farthest): Vandalia, Wilmington, Pana, DuQuoin, Erie-Prophetstown.

Teams on the bubble between 3A/2A (from closest to bubble to farthest): West Frankfort, Stillman Valley, Aurora Central Catholic, Hillsboro, Oregon.

Teams on the bubble between 3A/4A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Benton, Bishop McNamara, Noble/Rauner, Manteno, IC Catholic.

Class 4A

Teams on the bubble between 3A/4A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Benton, Bishop McNamara, Noble/Rauner, Manteno, IC Catholic.

Teams on the bubble between 4A/3A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): South Shore, Columbia, Macomb, Alton Marquette, Breese Central.

Teams on the bubble between 4A/5A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Decatur MacArthur, Hillcrest, Woodstock, Sterling, Woodstock North.

Class 5A

Teams on the bubble between 4A/5A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Decatur MacArthur, Hillcrest, Woodstock, Sterling, Woodstock North.

Teams on the bubble between 5A/4A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Normal University, Corliss, Mahomet-Seymour, Noble/Bulls, Marion.

Teams on the bubble between 5A/6A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Wauconda, Champaign Centennial, Vernon Hills, Washington, Lake View.

Class 6A

Teams on the bubble between 5A/6A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Wauconda, Champaign Centennial, Vernon Hills, Washington, Lake View.

Teams on the bubble between 6A/5A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Dunlap, Glenwood, Crete-Monee, Normal West, Kennedy.

Teams on the bubble between 6A/7A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): East Moline United, Harlem, Wheaton Warrenville South, Bradley-Bourbonnais, St. Laurence.

Class 7A

Teams on the bubble between 6A/7A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): East Moline United, Harlem, Wheaton Warrenville South, Bradley-Bourbonnais, St. Laurence.

Teams on the bubble between 7A/6A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Carmel, Addison Trail, St. Charles North, Reavis, Willowbrook

Teams on the bubble between 7A/8A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Belleville East, Edwardsville, Glenbard West, Glenbard East, Andrew.

Class 8A

Teams on the bubble between 7A/8A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Belleville East, Edwardsville, Glenbard West, Glenbard East, Andrew.

Teams on the bubble between 8A/7A (from closest to the bubble to farthest): Elgin. Hinsdale Central, Maine South, Naperville North, Marist.