50 states. With a team in each state (as far as I know), there should be 50 teams that are the best in their respective states. It’d be interesting to see what people from said states think about this. Michigan should be especially interesting.
Obviously, I’d like to throw 177 into the ring for CT.
What is the criteria?
I’ll take an easy state.
78 for RI.
By any criteria:
HI - 359
DE - 365
I didn’t put criteria because I felt that different people would have different opinions, like Chairman’s v. Regionals v. sheer consistency, and I didn’t want to spoil the creative flow.
I have to agree about 78, especially since they’re a new team.
Another tough one - 16 for Arkansas.
Ill throw out a few “nominations” for Kansas:
935- Year in and Year out they build a solid competitive robot
1108- I did not have the privlege of seeing Paola compete this year, but they have a solid team that should be winning Chairman’s for years to come.
And also since I live a mile from stateline, I feel like I should be capable of naming a few Missouri teams.
1806- SWAT has had great robots ever since I started in FIRST back in '08
1730- One of 3 hot teams from the Lee’s Summit school district they were the 11th seed in their divison at Championships and always make a good run for Chairman’s.
1986- The 2nd of the Lee’s Summit teams, If you were on Curie you will know them as the #3 alliance captain and finalist.
1987- The 3rd of the Lee’s Summit teams, they had a great robot this year. If they hadn’t run into intermitant drivetrain issues, they definately could have gone as far as either of the other Lee’s Summit teams.
71- Indiana (never bet against beatty)
25- New Jersey
67- Michigan
1625 - Illinois
254- California
233- Florida
148- Texas
Justification for 67:
Most World Championship wins out of Michigan (three), Hall of Fame team, consistently win districts, regionals, and back to back World Championships. They’ve really cooked up a recipe for success 
(yes I just used that line).
Justification for 254:
Although 254 has not won a world championship like other CA teams. They’re up to 20 regional wins and consistently appear on Einstein.
I’ll post more as I remember what the different states are.
My nominations for SC after 1 season in FRC:
1102
1398
58 Riot Crew for Maine
190 Gompei and the Herd from WPI for Massachussetts
2370 iBots for Vermont
40 Checkmate for New Hampshire
Being a native Nevadian, I’d like to suggest 987 for Nevada
My nominations for WV:
337
1249
2614
The only teams in the state, all of which have done fairly well at all of the regionals they’ve attended the past few years. Others can decide which of those is the best.
I would like to suggest 67 for MI:
3 world championships (2 in a row), more than any other Michigan team.
Hall of Fame
Won every event they attended in 2009 and every one except Michigan State Championship in 2010 - consistently good, even against tough Michigan competition.
Second the 987 in NV.
AZ: tossup between 39 and 60.
I’d have to go with 39, though. (They’re a continuation of 64, and 64 was never an easy team to beat.)
60’s influence mainly comes from their collaboration with 254 back in 2004.
SD is easy: There is no best team, because there isn’t a team.
(I’ve checked off and on the past 3 years. The first year, there was one. The last couple, there hasn’t been one.)
As much as I love 1625, I’m not sure they can match 111’s 2 world championships and Hall of Fame status…not yet, atleast.
Wisconsin is a really tough state as there are no real dominate every year teams. If going just by robot preformance, it is wide open. If going only by chairmans and other awards, I think 1714 would take it.
Massachusetts - 88
New Jersey - 25
Pennsylvania - 341
Canada (yes, it’s a state.) - 1114
Canada is not a state. It’s a country.
If you are going by State for 1114 it’s Ontario.
Ontario is actually a province, not a state. 1114 is still my nomination whether we break it down into provinces or not.
1902 for Florida!
Well for Canada I would actually say 188, even though they have not won at Championships, their team practically started FIRST in Canada and they are a perrennial powerhouse wherever they go and even Championships
And I guess I have to throw in 1592 for Florida 
Being from Massachusetts I have to go with 126. 88 may have been better this year, but in past years 126 has been better. They have more regional wins and more RCA’s all time.
I’d like to mention 69 as well. They haven’t been so big on a national stage because the typically don’t attend the championships, but their robots have always been competitively dominant at a regional level. I still think their 2007 bot was in the top 5 for the whole country.