I have to say that Texas is a pretty cool state to be in because of the band programs here. They are many that are really really good.
I believe that rankings do not ALWAYS show validity to how well a band does or what they are. In my opinion, I think that ratings and rankings can't always be depended on because there might have been events within the show that could've happened that could've choked the band, or sometimes judges could've played preference, or other things like that. I think that rankings just depend, and they don't always justify how well a band does.
Also, the props and visuals, they are supposed to add some color, character, and emotion to the show. Visuals, etc. sometimes are more for BOA because you want to add points to the Visuals or GE.