The preseason rankings are based on extensive team by team research taking the following into account: last season's record, number of returning All-District players, recent program history, number of returning starters, and upcoming talent.  Using this approach we have been very successful at identifying the top teams in the state as early as April.

4 of the past 5 years, our preseason #1 team has gone on to win a State Championship.

Converse Judson started the trend with their incredible last second victory over Midland in the 2002 title game.  The following year, we named North Shore the #1 team in the state and they went on to have one of the most dominant seasons in Texas high school football history.  In both 2004 and 2005, Southlake Carroll was our preseason #1 and both years they went wire-to-wire as the top team in the state.

When adjusting the rankings during the season, we look at a team's previous ranking, the relative ranking of the team they beat/ lost to, margin of victory/defeat, and their overall body of work.  Typically, the rankings can change quite a bit in the first few weeks as we find out how teams actually perform as opposed to how they look on paper.

The week-to-week movement of teams within the rankings has as much to do with what's going on with the teams ranked around them as it does with their actual performance.

We do put a great deal of time and effort (and argument) into our weekly rankings, but, in the end, they're nothing more than a "best guess" of how the top teams in the state stack up against one another.  The ultimate proof of a team's worth is how they perform on the field...the rankings mean nothing once the ball is kicked off. 

These rankings are put together for your general information and enjoyment and we strive to make them as accurate and objective as possible.

To discuss and debate the rankings, head over to our message board.