Playoff season is finally here.

The regular season gave us plenty to argue about, and boy did we. We disagreed on rankings, who should be allowed to play, who should coach, and whether that win was as impressive as everybody said. Now we get to the part of the season where it all gets left on the field.

And while the biggest names will get plenty of attention, I love an underdog. Give me the team taking a long bus ride with a little confidence and a home crowd it would love to disappoint.

This week's opening round has a few candidates. There's a visiting team that already beat its opponent. Another whose .500 record deserves a second look. And a program returning to the playoffs after a wait that has lasted most of its players' football lives.

Here are five games worth your attention Friday, Nov. 13, and what to watch once they kick off.

Walton at Westlake

Class 7A | The matchup: Two quarterbacks who can make a defense defend twice

Westlake quarterback Cannon Robinson has thrown 22 touchdown passes and run for 12 more. Walton's Christion Peacock had 22 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing scores through nine games.

That's a tough assignment for defenders who can cover everything correctly and still have watch the quarterback take off.

For Westlake, the question is whether it can pressure Peacock without giving him an escape route. For Walton, it's whether the secondary can stay with receivers when Robinson buys extra time. A play can look finished and still have another 25 yards left.

The underdog appeal: Walton is 6–4, but the Raiders reached the state final in 2023. Westlake is trying to advance beyond the opening round for the first time since that same season. There is enough here to make the home crowd a little uncomfortable.

Watch early: What happens when the first read is covered? The defense that handles the quarterback's next move could have the advantage.

How to watch: GPB-TV and GPB.org, 7:30 p.m. ET.

Ola at LaGrange

Class 5A | The matchup: Caden Waye and Peyton Davis against the opposing run defenses

Ola already beat LaGrange 26–16 in September. Both teams finished 8–2. Now Ola gets to travel back for the playoff meeting.

Congratulations on winning the first one. Your reward is a bus trip.

The seeding gives LaGrange home-field advantage, but Ola has something useful to pack in the duffel bag... they've been here before, and they have evidence they can win this matchup. LaGrange, meanwhile, gets a chance to make the September result a footnote. The teams meet Friday again.

Running backs Caden Waye of Ola and Peyton Davis of LaGrange give this matchup a clear place to focus. The battle starts with their offensive lines. Who can create room without needing an extra blocker on every snap? And when a defense crowds the line, can the passing game make it pay?

The underdog appeal: How much of an underdog can you feel like when you've already beaten the team across from you?

Watch early: LaGrange's response to Ola's running game. The rematch should tell us quickly which adjustments matter.

Houston County at Kell

Class 6A | The matchup: Kell's running game against Houston County's defensive front

Houston County's 5–5 record doesn't exactly demand a second glance, but give it one anyway.

The Bears played the third-toughest schedule in Class 6A, according to the schedule ratings in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's preview. Maxwell's model actually favors visiting Houston County over Kell, 34–26. That's a projection, but it's a useful warning against picking this game by record alone.

Kell running back Moonie Gipson gives the Longhorns a player to game plan around. For Houston County, containing that ground game would help create longer passing downs. For Kell, productive early-down runs could keep the Bears from dictating the defensive calls.

The underdog appeal: Houston County has the lower seed and the road assignment.

Watch early: Kell's yards on first down. Repeated second-and-short situations would let the Longhorns play this game on their terms.

Lassiter at Gainesville

Class 6A | The matchup: Lassiter's offense against Gainesville's defense

Lassiter is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Some of the seniors playing Friday were in elementary school the last time the Trojans got this opportunity. That's a long time for a program to wait, and a pretty good reason for everybody else to pay attention.

Lassiter enters 8–2. Gainesville is 7–3. Both average about 39 points per game, though Gainesville has faced a considerably tougher schedule.

The question is whether Lassiter can keep its offense moving against that step up in competition. Avoiding obvious passing situations would help. So would finishing a promising opening possession with points.

The underdog appeal: A postseason return after a decade is a story. An opening-round road win would give it another chapter.

Watch early: Lassiter's first few third downs. Manageable distances would give the Trojans a chance to settle in before the game starts asking too much of them.

Burke County at Carver-Columbus

Class 3A | The matchup: Burke County's offense against Carver's defense

Last season, these teams met in a state semifinal. Carver won 33–14.

This year, somebody goes home in the first round. That's a fairly rude reunion, even by Love Island standards.

But there's no love loss between these two teams. Carver has won the past two Class 2A championships and enters this Class 3A postseason with 10 consecutive playoff victories. Burke County gets an immediate chance to end that streak—and change the ending from last year's meeting.

For Burke, sustained drives could keep the game within reach and limit Carver's possessions. For Carver, early stops would force the visitors to start taking more chances. This is a matchup where the first quarter could shape how much of the playbook either side gets to use.

The underdog appeal: Burke County gets another shot at the team that ended its last season. The stakes arrived early this time.

Watch early: Whether Burke can finish drives. Moving the ball is encouraging. Against a team accustomed to surviving November, points are considerably more useful.