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November 18, 2009

Dallas Jackson
Rivals High Senior Analyst

Dallas Jackson is the high school sports expert for RivalsHigh.com. Send him a question or comment at DallasJ@Yahoo-Inc.com and follow him at twitter.com/rivalshigh.

We know there's plenty of great football played in the South, but on the opening day of the Greatest State Debate - RivalsHigh's quest to determine the top state for high school football in the country - we learned you can't sell short an area of traditional power: The Rust Belt.

Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan all scored big opening-round victories. They joined Louisiana in today's quarterfinal round. All rolled with relatively easy victories.

  • No. 5 Louisiana beat No. 12 South Carolina, 20-10

  • No. 6 Pennsylvania topped No. 11 Virginia, 20-10

  • No. 7 Ohio trounced No. 10 Mississippi, 23-7

  • No. 8 Michigan dominated No. 9 Maryland, 24-6

    Today's play won't be as easy as the four top seeds (Texas, Florida, California and Georgia) are waiting.

    Before we get to the action, here's a quick recap of how we play.

    Step One: Raw numbers (The winning side gets a field goal)

  • Most teams in the Top 25: There has to be a reward for having some truly great teams. If the state's have the same number in the group, the state with the highest-ranked team will get the field goal. If neither has a ranked team, no points will be awarded.
  • Most teams in the Top 100: Quantity counts as much as quality. Depth helps. The state with more teams wins. Should the teams tie, the state with the most teams in the Top 50 will get the points.
  • Top recruits: How many players does the state have in the Rivals 250? Ties will be broken by number of players in the Rivals 100.

    Step Two: Analysis (The winning side gets a touchdown)

  • Depth of quality: Having good teams in your largest class is one thing, but how is the football that is played in the lower divisions?
  • Out-of-state schedule: This is a key indicator. We'll look at the state's record. But more than that, their willingness to take on the best.
  • Intangibles: Call it the 'it' factor. Call it a gut feeling. Comparing states that don't' go head-to-head is hard, so we'll bring in all the outside information and influences we can with a special eye on past performances.

    There's 30 points on the board to be had - and it's mathematically impossible for there to be a tie. So enjoy the game and then join the debate. The competition runs through Friday.

    No. 1 Texas HS Football
    No. 8 Michigan HS Football
    Teams in the Top 25
    Teams in the Top 25
    Total Teams: 5
    Top Team: No. 3 Dallas Skyline Raiders
    Texas has some of the best football teams in the country. There is no defined "football season" in Texas, because for successfull programs, it is always football season. After the season, it is weight lifting, then spring practice, onto 7-on-7's and the summer time before the season. It is a way of life and it shows. Skyline may not be the best team in Texas this year, but there is not a far drop off to find out who is.
    Total Teams: 0
    Top Team: No. 34 Sterling Heights Stevenson Titans
    Stevenson has been in a battle with a couple of other Michigan teams for that No. 1 spot. This is a very good year for Michigan football, and while there does not appear to be an elite team, there are certainly plenty of very good ones. Jason Fracassa and Carl Davis lead the squad making a run at a Division I state championship. This is a deep year in Michigan and the best in Division I may not be best overall.
    The Top 5 teams in Texas would probably beat the best one in Michigan, 3-0.
    Teams in the RivalsHigh 100
    Teams in the RivalsHigh 100
    Total teams ranked: 12
    Texas may actually be underrated on this rankings list as there may be 15 deserving teams. Teams in 4A Texas could probably win other states highest classification. The state semifinals in Texas 5A Divison I and Division II are fiercely competitive. While this may be a "down" year for traditional powerhouses, there are plenty of great teams to fill in voids.
    Total teams ranked: 4
    With East Grand Rapids, Clarkston, and Catholic Central on the list, Michigan is well represented in the RivalsHigh 100. The four teams they have in the entire list still do not compare to the five that Texas has in the Top 25. While it is a no doubt an "up" year in Michigan, there is no chance it holds up to Texas teams.
    Texas has more than double the teams in the RivalsHigh 100, 6-0.
    Players in the Rivals 250
    Players in the Rivals 250
    Total in Rivals 250: 35
    Highest: No. 4 Lache Seastrunk
    Seastrunk has been on the national radar since his 3,000 yard sophomore season. He followed that up with a 3,000 yard junior season and a Rivals 100 ranking. Now, the No. 4 player nationally, Seastrunk is one of the hottest recruiting commodities. He has been graded out to "as good as it gets" for his speed and agility. Rivals.com analyst Barry Every thinks that he could be the next Jahvid Best or Reggie Bush.
    Total in Rivals 250: 5
    Highest: No. 52 Devin Gardner
    Michigan has one of its best classes in recent memory with a lot of high-end talent. Devin Gardner is the No. 1 dual threat quarterback nationally and has helped get Insker's season back on track. He reminds Rivals.com analyst Barry Every of Penn State signal-caller Daryll Clark or a young Jason Campbell. He still has room to fill in and has already commited to stay home and attend Michigan.
    Texas extends the lead to 9-0.
    Depth in-state
    Depth in-state
    Texas is so good at the highest level they split their classes into Divisions for the playoffs. But do not be fooled and think that only 5A schools can compete. There are plenty of 4A schools (some which are over 2,000 kids) that can compete in any state. Lake Travis, Waxahacchie, Longview and Guyer Denton have all be considered for ranking out of the 4A this season. There are certainly dead spots in Texas - Austin metro, the entire border of the state, and pretty much all of West Texas - but most metroplex areas have great football and very good surrounding areas. Michigan has too many classes. The state drills down to Division VIII - which is double Pennsylvania! Division I is rock solid this season and so is Division II - with Lowell, Brother Rice, Inkster, Muskegon and Warren De La Salle. Division III has Orchard Lake, St. Mary's and East Grand Rapids carrying the flag. From there down, it is not pretty. Moving this state back to five classes (or even four) would be perfect. The state is improving but this may be one of the better runs they have.
    Some Texas 3A schools would be in the Div. I in Michigan. Tough to get passed that. Texas, 16-0.
    Out-of-state competition
    Out-of-state competition
    2009 Record for OOS games: 46-32
    Texas has started to welcome the Herbstreit Classic to Jerry World and it has been met with mixed results. This season Trinity was able to knock off the best in Utah (Bingham), but Klein Oak was trounced by Sherman Oaks (California) in what was a surprise result. Most of the wins have come against New Mexico (29-11) but they still take on more squads than Michigan.
    2009 Record for OOS games: 33-22
    Michigan does not have much of a reputation for playing many top-level out-of-state games. That is evident by the state total: Just 55 games. With Illinois and Ohio being resonable drives it would have been great to see more teams go out and play games. Going 19-11 against Wisconsin is okay but the marquee games did not go their way.
    Texas is chugging along, 23-0.
    Intangibles
    Intangibles
    It's Texas football ... there is not much need for intangibles. This is a great state for football in the country. More out-of-state games would be nice, but that is trying to poke holes in their arguement. Coaches at the highest level just coach, which makes a big difference compared to those who also teach classes. This is one of the best years of Michigan football in recent memory. There are many talented players and a lot of quarterbacks in this class. If the depth behind this class is similar, Michigan football can start to make a name nationally. Of course nothing would do more for perception than a big win (or five) out-of-state.
    Texas sweeps the matchup with Michigan, 30-0.

    We're closing in on the Final Four.

    TAKE IT TO THE BOARDS: Talk about the Greatest State Debate on the national message board!




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