Phil Steele's preseason Top 10

[Van]

1. Oklahoma
2. Ohio State
3. Alabama
4. TCU
5. Nebraska
6. Boise State
7. Florida
8. USC
9. Miami
10. Oregon
11. Texas
12. North Carolina
13. Virginia Tech
14. Iowa
15. Auburn
16. Notre Dame
17. Arkansas
18. Penn State
19. Georgia
20. Florida State
21. South Carolina
22. West Virginia
23. Wisconsin
24. Houston
25. Arizona

Few thoughts...

-OU at #1, despite not even being in the Top 10 of other preseason polls. Interesting. I just saw his interview, and he's a big believer in four-loss teams coming back to win national titles. He adds that OU's schedule will have them as a double-digit favorite in every game except the Texas game, and he has Texas outside his Top 10 on their way to losing the RRS and @Nebraska.

-Boise St not being in the top five is also interesting. He has Boise St losing to Va Tech.

-He has USC too high. Then again, he says that all his various factors he uses to help him choose conference champions aren't helping him to arrive at a choice for Pac 10 champ. It's completely wide open; too wide open for him to call.

-Check out who's not even ranked: LSU. For that matter, when was the last time both LSU and Michigan went into a season unranked? Obviously this isn't the "official" AP preseason poll, but still...wow.

[Dinsdale]

He has USC too high. Then again, he says that all his various factors he uses to help him choose conference champions aren't helping him to arrive at a choice for Pac 10 champ. It's completely wide open; too wide open for him to call.

Oregon's to lose, assuming they get any sort of QB play, which they will.

[Van]

Bullshit. But then that's to be expected, since you live in Canada.





the truth

[Goober McTuber]

Wisconsin at 23 is a bit low.

Sincerely,

18 returning starters.

[King Crimson]

-OU at #1, despite not even being in the Top 10 of other preseason polls. Interesting. I just saw his interview, and he's a big believer in four-loss teams coming back to win national titles. He adds that OU's schedule will have them as a double-digit favorite in every game except the Texas game, and he has Texas outside his Top 10 on their way to losing the RRS and @Nebraska.

i bet OU isn't a double dig fave at ATM (unless Sherman just sucks, for real). I'd be very surprised to see OU beat both FSU and @Cincy by 10 given the way they've played against better teams and on the road.

i was surprised to read it (OU at 1). would need instant, very good OL play and and solid run game to help out L. Jones. Not sure Murray is 1. that guy, every down back and 2. can stay healthy. D should be very salty, and some talent at WR (along with Broyles)....though, with some exceptions here and there, a lot of those guys had 4 months of the dropsies. often on big downs, or when Jones threw a strike...only to send the punt team on the field.

Not sure I'm as sold on NU as a lot of people. Same with Miami.

[Dinsdale]

Wisconsin at 23 is a bit low.

Sincerely,

18 returning starters.

Oregon was supposed to have that many... but the Lane County Department of Corrections adjusted that figure.

[Van]

Returning a bunch of starters from a meh team often leads to nothing more than another meh season.

-M.A.

[Goober McTuber]

Returning a bunch of starters from a meh team often leads to nothing more than another meh season.

-M.A.

Not sure who you're addressing since both Wisconsin and Oregon put together pretty decent 10-3 seasons last year.

[Van]

Northern Illinois at home
Fresno St at home, and it took two OTs.
D1-AA, 3-8 Wofford at home
Sub .500 Michigan St at home
Sub .500 Minnesota
Sub .500 Purdue at home, and it was a squeeker.
Sub .500 Indiana, and it was a squeeker.
Sub .500 Michigan at home
Sub .500 Hawaii
Miami, in a bowl game

Those are your wins, Goobs. That's the very definition of BFD. There isn't an impressive win on that schedule, with the bowl game being the lone victory to even get a sniff, and Wisky only got into that one due to their pathetic schedule.

Meh. Very.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

The only "meh" in this thread is Phil fucking Steele.

[Goober McTuber]

Northern Illinois at home
Fresno St at home, and it took two OTs.
D1-AA, 3-8 Wofford at home
Sub .500 Michigan St at home
Sub .500 Minnesota
Sub .500 Purdue at home, and it was a squeeker.
Sub .500 Indiana, and it was a squeeker.
Sub .500 Michigan at home
Sub .500 Hawaii
Miami, in a bowl game

Those are your wins, Goobs. That's the very definition of BFD. There isn't an impressive win on that schedule, with the bowl game being the lone victory to even get a sniff, and Wisky only got into that one due to their pathetic schedule.

Meh. Very.

Interestingly, if you look at each of these six teams, their loss to Wisconsin was what put them below .500:

Sub .500 Michigan St at home
Sub .500 Minnesota
Sub .500 Purdue at home, and it was a squeeker.
Sub .500 Indiana, and it was a squeeker.
Sub .500 Michigan at home
Sub .500 Hawaii

[MuchoBulls]

He's still drinking that WVU Kool Aid?

Pitt should be somewhere in the Top 25 ahead of WVU and ranked higher than where he has WVU.

[MuchoBulls]

This may be South Carolina's year to do something in that division. They always play UGA tough and they get them at home. UF will be their make or break game.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

South Carolina? Wake me when they can score more than 6 points a game.

[Dinsdale]

I expect Oklahoma to bounce back big-time.

I dunno -- the prognosis for a team that loses Old Reliable at QB for an untested replacement often isn't good.

Oregon's to lose, assuming they get any sort of QB play, which they will.

Uhm... errr...


EJECT!!!!


Although Derron Thomas got some real-game time his freshman year, and this will be year 3 in the program for him, so it's not completely "going green." That, and he's a freak of nature, right along the Dixon/Masoli lines.

[Dinsdale]

You mean the "untested replacement" that started all but two games for OU last year and played significant minutes in all of them? Jones isn't Bradford, certainly, but he's hardly untested.

I think OU will be just fine at QB... I was just cracking on myself, mostly.

[M Club]

Those are your wins, Goobs. That's the very definition of BFD. There isn't an impressive win on that schedule, with the bowl game being the lone victory to even get a sniff, and Wisky only got into that one due to their pathetic schedule.

Meh. Very.

wisconsin is the same exact team every year. how their record plays out depends on how good the other teams are. if they're 10-1 it means the big ten sucks. if they're 8-4 then the big ten's pretty strong. basically, nothing more than a weather vane. their fans are fat.

[Goober McTuber]

wisconsin is the same exact team every year.

Apparently Michigan is not. Maybe that’s why their fans are so quiet.

[Van]

Those are your wins, Goobs. That's the very definition of BFD. There isn't an impressive win on that schedule, with the bowl game being the lone victory to even get a sniff, and Wisky only got into that one due to their pathetic schedule.

Meh. Very.

wisconsin is the same exact team every year. how their record plays out depends on how good the other teams are. if they're 10-1 it means the big ten sucks. if they're 8-4 then the big ten's pretty strong. basically, nothing more than a weather vane.

Excellent points.

their fans are fat.

BWAAAAHAAA!

Dammit, Club, that's the most I've laughed in a week. That was some killer timing there.

[Goober McTuber]

wisconsin is the same exact team every year. how their record plays out depends on how good the other teams are. if they're 10-1 it means the big ten sucks. if they're 8-4 then the big ten's pretty strong. basically, nothing more than a weather vane.

Excellent points.

Not really. In 2008 the conference was a little bit down. I believe tOSU wound up with two losses, no other team had less than three, and Wisconsin finished 7-6. Two years before that when Wisconsin went 12-1, tOSU also went 12-1, Michigan was 11-2 and PSU finished 9-4. Did the Big 10 really suck in 2006?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Wisco is gonna be damn solid this year. They'll be one of, if not the most balanced team in the conference.

[Van]

Which will mean...what?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

That they're going to be a good football team. What else? :?

[Van]

When Wisky beats Northwest Sodomy St in the woods, does anybody hear it?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Jesus, I didn't say they were gonna bring the '72 Dolphins to irrelevancy.

[M Club]

wisconsin is the same exact team every year.

Apparently Michigan is not. Maybe that’s why their fans are so quiet.

really? i make a half-ass crack on your vanilla team and that's the funny you bring? michigan fans are so quiet because of the acoustics.

[Goober McTuber]

wisconsin is the same exact team every year.

Apparently Michigan is not. Maybe that’s why their fans are so quiet.

really? i make a half-ass crack on your vanilla team and that's the funny you bring?

One half-ass crack deserves another? Huh?

[M Club]

i suppose.

[Van]

You never are!

[SEC! SEC! SEC!]

-Check out who's not even ranked: LSU.

Considering the top tier recruiting classes LSU has had lately, that is a bit surprising.

I'm not worried.

Of course you aren't!

Sin,

3. Alabama
7. Florida
15. Auburn
17. Arkansas
19. Georgia
21. South Carolina

[OUMO]

OU #1, um no.

And Notre Dame even in the top 25, give me a break.

[Killian]

And Notre Dame even in the top 25, give me a break.

To start the year, I agree. To end it? I can see that.