There may not be a prep postseason more treacherous than the Alabama High School Athletic Association football playoffs.

So many intangibles. So many things can go wrong.

Winning a state football title is tough. The best teams don’t always get to play in it.

Matchups. Weather. Injuries. Expectations. Distractions — both internal and external.

All of the above are factors. And if one thing goes wrong, even the best team in the bracket could see its season could come to an abrupt halt.

Heading into the second round, only one area team is still playing. Top-ranked Cullman (11-0) hosts Fairfield (8-3) in the Class 5A playoffs Friday night at Oliver Woodard Stadium.

Fairfield is coming off a 13-12 win over Springville — a team Cullman beat 48-21 in the regular season. The Tigers also lost to 6A Jess Lanier, 4A Midfield and 5A McAdory in the regular season.

Let’s see, Cullman beat Springville and Walker — which knocked off McAdory 31-28 in overtime earlier this season. That means the Bearcats should be favored, right?

Maybe on paper, but how many football games have been won that way?

Regardless of what history says, this will be a tough game for Cullman. Fairfield may be the toughest opponent the Bearcats have faced.

That’s not an exaggeration.

Throw Fairfield’s opening-round game with Springville out the window. The only team that can affect is Cullman — it’s just an external distraction that could lead to an early playoff exit.

And if any team doesn’t need outside distractions, it’s Cullman. The Bearcats aren’t exactly at full strength.

Cullman has been hit hard with injuries this past month. That showed in a 21-6 first-round win over Wenonah (6-4) last Friday. It was arguably the Bearcats’ worst performance of the season — against the fourth seed from Fairfield’s region, nonetheless.

Cullman survived a shaky first half against Wenonah because the Bearcats were overwhelmingly the better team. But against Fairfield, that won’t be good enough.

For Cullman to advance past the second round, it’s going to take a complete game — similar to how the Bearcats were playing in October.

Fairfield is loaded with speed. The Tigers were the fastest team Cullman played last season, and that hasn’t changed this year.

Fairfield has physical players in the trenches. That’s one of the first things that came out of Cullman coach Mark Britton’s mouth when he was asked about the Tigers.

Fairfield has also played pretty good defense this season. The Tigers have three shutouts and the unit has held opposing teams to just 10.9 points per game.

And then there’s the atmosphere that will be created at Oliver Woodard Stadium Friday night. Fairfield may not bring as many fans as Cullman, but the Tigers’ band will be the loudest thing in the stadium.

That No. 1 ranking isn’t exactly a good thing for Cullman, either. As an Alabama Sports Writers Association voter, I can honestly say the polls aren’t always accurate — someone voted for winless Cold Springs four weeks into the season. But players and fans take them seriously, especially when the rankings can be advantageous to their team.

Not only does Fairfield get a chance to upset No. 1, but the Tigers are also playing the same team that eliminated them from the playoffs a year ago. You better believe those two tidbits of information have been brought up this week.

So, if you’re picking a winner based on records, rankings or who beat who, you may want to try another process. Things change when playoffs begin, and most of the teams that are still playing have a chance at advancing.

This is the cream the crop, and there are no easy wins left in the bracket.

That includes this Cullman-Fairfield matchup. This has all the makings of a great football game — one where the winner has a legitimate shot at playing for the state title next month.

Justin Graves can be reached by phone at 734-2131, ext. 257 or by e-mail at jgraves@cullmantimes.com.