Dallas Jackson is the Senior Analyst for RivalsHigh. Email him your question, comment or story ideas to DallasJ@Yahoo-Inc.com and follow him on Twitter.

SIZING UP THE TEAMS WITH A CLAIM TO THE NATIONAL TITLE:

Batesville (Miss.) South Panola, 15-0 Class 7A Champion

The case for South Panola as national champion: The Tigers have been the most impressive team from a physical standpoint this season. The offensive and defensive lines are among the best in the country and neither side tires. South Panola is loaded with Division I talent, giving it the ability to line up position-for-position with anyone. The team has the best player in Mississippi for the Class of 2011 - Nikolas Brassell - and likely the best for the Class of 2013 - Antonio Connor - on the field. Amazingly, its defensive line is all juniors - the same unit that led the team to a state title as sophomores. The defensive backfield and the receivers are loaded with Division I players. The talent and tenacity are tough to match.
The case against: We have seen this before, right? South Panola dominates its competition in Mississippi and expects to earn a high national ranking - it sounds like the story of the past decade in Batesville. The level of play in Mississippi is not what it is in Florida, Texas, California or Ohio and building up the strength of schedule is tough to do. Special teams also play a key role in football games and the Tigers special teams are suspect. Kickoffs are OK, extra points have been shaky but solid, field goals are non-existent. In a game against elite competition, would South Panola be able to kick a game-winner or would it need a miracle touchdown because it had no faith in the field-goal attempt?

Concord (Calif.) De La Salle, 14-0 CIF Open Bowl Champion

The case for De La Salle as national champion: It is easy to make an argument for the best team in California. It is even easier when it is a perennial power such as De La Salle. The Spartans physical style of play led it to another state championship. Its balance on offense and defense was able to overwhelm Servite in the Open Division game - as it has many opponents before this. The Spartans also have the best out-of-state win of any team in consideration - a victory over Bishop Gorman. Coaching always has been the key at De La Salle and Bob Ladouceur is one of the best nationally.
The case against: A lot like South Panola, the argument against is the strength of schedule. Would wins over Stockton St. Mary's, Bishop Gorman, California High and Servite stack up with the other wins of elite teams nationally? Likely not. The questions always linger about the competition in NorCal versus SoCal, but with the North taking all three of the big Bowls this weekend, that perception could change. As many teams have seen, perception is a tough ship to steer and it could cost the Spartans this season.

Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, 15-0 Class 5A Champion

The case for St. Thomas Aquinas as national champion: The Raiders went through one of the most difficult classes in Florida without a blemish and its defense dominated both Manatee and Plant along the way. Aquinas also added out-of-state wins when it went to Texas and throttled Dallas Skyline and hung a loss at home on Georgia squad Camden County. Having a game-managing quarterback who can throw to two Division I wide receivers is an added luxury the Raiders had to work with. The defensive front was better than expected and could give any offensive line fits.
The case against: The run to a title was slightly tainted as both its semifinal opponent (Manatee) and its final competition (Plant) were not healthy at game time - Manatee without two on its defensive line, while Plant's starting quarterback played with a bad back. Also, its two out-of-state wins were not as good as they could have been. Dallas Skyline was considerably down this year and Camden County was a second-round loser in Georgia. Florida also has too many classes and it waters down the playoff runs as the first three rounds amounted to nothing nationally. All of the things that could have, and should have, worked for the Raiders may end up having a negative sting.

Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward, 15-0 Division I Champion

The case for St. Edward as national champion: When talking about strength of schedule, the case for No. 1 starts and ends with St. Edward. This team played the hardest schedule of any team in the national Top 10 and maybe in the country. It beat seven nationally-ranked teams over the course of the season and downed three of the four teams in Cincinnati's vaunted GCL South - despite being located near Cleveland. The offensive line may not be matched by any team either. It is big and physical across the front and can pass or run block. A complete team this certainly is.
The case against: The team had a tough time in a few games, including its state final win against Huber Heights Wayne, and played in a number of close contests. The offense, while productive, was not prolific and could be slowed by a team with a good defensive line and quality secondary. Also, with every Ohio team, comes the question of team speed. Would this team be able to compete with some of the elite in Florida, Texas, or California? Or would it get run by?

Rock Hill (S.C.) Northwestern, 15-0 Class 4A Division II Champion

The case for Northwestern as national champion: Northwestern went through five ranked teams on its trek to a state title in South Carolina. It was able to get over the hump for the first time in three attempts to take home the prize and did it on the strength of the offense. Quarterback Justin Worley is a national player of the year candidate throwing for over 5,300 yards, 64 touchdowns and completing over 72-percent of his passes. The Trojans were not held below 30 points in any contest and proved to be the clear best team in South Carolina - a state that is very much on the rise in high school football.
The case against: Even with a prolific offense, you need a solid defense to be crowned national champion and the Trojans did not seem to have that this year. The team gave up over 20 points in seven games and over 30 points three times. Those are numbers that are hard to ignore, even if the team scored over 600 on the season. It played the toughest schedule of anyone in South Carolina but how that would hold up nationally is still a major question mark.