ESPN RISE

Editor's note: In the first semifinal matchup of the Great State Debate, No. 1 seed Texas takes on No. 5 seed Pennsylvania. Cast your vote for Texas or Pennsylvania between noon Monday and noon on Wednesday.

After edging Ohio in the first round of the Great State Debate, Pennsylvania prep football fans will have to turn out even stronger this week in a semifinal matchup with Texas.

Texas is a state practically synonymous with high school football. The passion of its players, parents, media and fans is legendary and explains why the state was seeded No. 1 in the Great State Debate.

Sure, Florida and California have claims on being the No. 1 high school football state in the nation if you analyze different criteria. But Texas has the talent, support and a population in which high school football is practically part of its DNA.

While Pennsylvania narrowly edged Ohio in the first round, Texas won by a whopping 85 percent to 15 percent in its first-round matchup against Virginia.

A Pennsylvania win might be comparable to an unranked college team knocking off the No. 1 team in the nation. So if Oregon State can upset then-No. 1 USC, the Keystone State has reason to hope. Stay tuned for the results

The case for: No. 1 Texas

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AP Photo/Odessa American/Kevin Buehler

Texas' legendary high school football powers will be tough to defeat.

"Texas has the best football in the country because of its fan support. The fans in Texas expect so much from the players that it makes the players want to play at a high level. This only makes the competition level extremely high, which leads to great games. Just as much Texas has the best all-around talent and depth of great football players."
-- Mesquite (Texas) DB Marcus Trice // Oklahoma commit

"Look at everyone who has come from Texas, the Vince Youngs and Cedric Bensons, Texas just speaks for itself. California and Florida are also known to have great football, but they just do not compare to Texas."
-- Garland (Texas) Naaman Forest DB Terrance Bullitt // Texas Tech commit

"Texas has the size and speed no one else has. We just ball and take football to the heart. Ain't nothing like Texas 5A football anywhere in the country."
-- Aldine (Texas) Eisenhower WR Greg Timmons // Texas commit

"Texas has the best football in the country because there is a deep passion for the game in the state. We have more athletes than anyone else and a big love for the game. In this state everyone competes, and that is what makes us the best."
-- DeSoto (Texas) DB Adrian White

The case for Pennsylvania

State Your Case

The Great State Debate poses a simple question: Which state has the best high school football? We've edited the field down to eight. This week, No. 1 seed Texas and No. 5 seed Pennsylvania face off. Which state will advance? That's up to you. Join the conversation, blog about your state and vote for your favorite.

The winner of this week's matchup will be announced Wednesday, Oct. 1.

"Pennsylvania has football tradition. We play the game the same way as when it began. You do not see the spread or fast-tempo systems; it's just face-to-face power football."
-- Langhorne (Pa.) Neshaminy TE Paul Carrezola (West Virginia commit)

"I feel we have the best football because we produce a lot of great players. Just the last two years alone, we have the top players in the country in Terrelle Pryor and Dorian Bell. In the pros, [there] are a lot of great players from Pennsylvania -- Steve Slaton and Bob Sanders, to name a few. … We play very physical and have a lot of players move on to the next level who do really good because they are ready to play at a high level."
-- York (Pa.) William Penn LB Brandon Walker

"Well, we have a big state with a lot of great talent and prospects. It's not like Florida, where they are known for speed; in Pennsylvania, the players are a lot more diverse. We have speed and the size. Another big thing is there is a lot of great football history in the state."
-- Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty WR Devin Street (Pittsburgh commit)