Not all of Florida's football playoff regions are created equal.

Some have such a heavy favorite that even thinking about them losing seems farfetched. Some are completely wide open — especially with the new Open Division taking some of the top teams in the state — but not necessarily in the best way.

But there's a third category, too.

The regions that have multiple outstanding football teams among its eight selections. It's a region blessed (or cursed, depending on your perspective) with so much talent that several different teams could emerge as champion in three weeks.

And, on paper at least, those are the regions that are the most exciting.

Here's a look at the five best regions in the FHSAA playoffs (not including the Open Division).

5. Region 1-5A

Region 1-6A made the list of the top regions in the state in 2025. It's a different class number but these are the same teams with similar depth. Mandarin won nine games, with its only loss coming at undefeated Raines. Buchholz won its first nine games this season before falling to Bolles on the road in a thrilling regular season finale. Buchholz beat Mandarin in the 2025 regional championship game. Nease dropped three of its first four -- including a district loss to Mandarin -- before reeling off six consecutive wins. Pace has won six in a row, including a thrilling win at Niceville on Nov. 4 to win the District 1 title. Evans has won six of seven, with its three losses coming by a total of 14 points.

4. Region 1-4A

Undefeated Columbia has signature wins (Bolles, Trinity Christian) and is the No. 2 overall seed in the class but will face a tough road to win the region. St. Augustine is 9-1 with its lone loss coming in controversial fashion against nine-win Mandarin in Week 11. Ed White went 8-2, with its only losses coming against undefeated Raines and Columbia. Choctawhatchee, a state semifinalist in 2025, dropped its first two games before reeling off seven consecutive wins. One of those losses was a 15-13 loss at nine-win Mosley in the season opener.

3. Region 2-1A

This is the only region in Class 1A that has all of its top four seeds ranked in the top nine in the MaxPreps rankings. Trinity (6-4) has played one of the toughest schedules in the state and has wins over University and Bolles. Hawthorne, the 2025 Rural Class champion, lost star quarterback Richard Roundtree Jr. to injury in Week 4 but still finished the season 10-0 thanks in large part to a stifling defense. University fell to Trinity 14-8 in Week 2 but has won five of its past six. Melbourne Central Catholic won seven games its first season under state champion winning coach Ryan Schneider.

2. Region 3-5A

Forget about the MaxPreps rankings. This region has a pair of heavyweights in rivals Armwood and Tampa Bay Tech. Beyond those two, this is a deep and talented region from top to bottom. Armwood and Tampa Bay Tech both won nine games. Armwood is undefeated in Florida this season, including a 14-7 win at Tech. Palmetto also won nine games with its lone loss coming against Clearwater Central Catholic in Week 1. Sumner and Manatee won six games; Sumner will host the regional quarterfinal despite losing to Manatee in the regular season. Royal Palm Beach won its final nine games of the season and has allowed just 73 points this year.

1. Region 2-2A

Well, where do you want to start when talking about how deep and impressive this region is? Every team is ranked in the top 15 in the class. The First Academy and Clearwater Central Catholic both were in the conversation for the Open Division for most of the season. Cocoa has won 19 consecutive regional championships. Bradford was a regional finalist in 2025 and won nine games this season. Neither team is a top four team in the region. Clearwater Central Catholic, Berkeley Prep and Tampa Catholic all went 4-1 in District 6. Berkeley beat CCC and CCC beat Tampa Catholic. Top-seeded TFA went 7-3, with its three losses coming against national power IMG and Open Division teams West Boca and Lakeland.