🏈 OK, all of you Phil Steele magazine fans, explain this one...

[TerryP]

For the reasons cited, I do think Notre Dame has a chance to hit that 8-9 win mark. But, some things should be proven instead of granted arbitrarily.

Steele has Notre Dame at pre-season #7.

 

[252BAMA]

For the reasons cited, I do think Notre Dame has a chance to hit that 8-9 win mark. But, some things should be proven instead of granted arbitrarily.

Steele has Notre Dame at pre-season #7.

I think the 2 things he looks at the greatest when making those predictions are ease of schedule and returning starters. I know the schedules are easy for both ND and Ole Miss (couldn't help but notice he had them 6th). And I assume the returning starter list is favorable for both. Assume, because he has yet to put up the 2009 list on his web site, and I am beginning to wonder if he is going to do so this year. Last year it was up in January.

 

[alagator]

I have not looked at Notre Dame's schedule in a while, and do not remember it exactly, but it appears to be easy, easier, and easiest - with the exception of USCsr (which is even played in South Bend and might not be quite so out of reach afterall).

I would really be surprised if Notre Dame goes 11-1 or 1-2. I mostly see 9-3 as their floor.

Give a Notre Dame team double digit victories and it would take an unusual run of one-loss teams to keep them out of the top eight.

I did not look at the Steele list, but have seen one that had UF at #1 and LSU, Ole Miss, and Alabama all in the Top Ten. Would be difficult to pull off, but I guess it could. Would mean the SEC would be extremely top heavy with four outstanding teams and a bunch of four-or-more loss teams.

 

[252BAMA]

I have not looked at Notre Dame's schedule in a while, and do not remember it exactly, but it appears to be easy, easier, and easiest - with the exception of USCsr (which is even played in South Bend and might not be quite so out of reach afterall).

I would really be surprised if Notre Dame goes 11-1 or 1-2. I mostly see 9-3 as their floor.

Give a Notre Dame team double digit victories and it would take an unusual run of one-loss teams to keep them out of the top eight.

I did not look at the Steele list, but have seen one that had UF at #1 and LSU, Ole Miss, and Alabama all in the Top Ten. Would be difficult to pull off, but I guess it could. Would mean the SEC would be extremely top heavy with four outstanding teams and a bunch of four-or-more loss teams.

That is exactly what I have for the SEC this year. With UGA barking at the door to get in that room with the Top 4.

 

[TerryP]

That is exactly what I have for the SEC this year. With UGA barking at the door to get in that room with the Top 4.

Starting to warm up to UGA?

 

[TerryP]

As a caveat, I swore off of pre-season magazines years ago because there was so much in them that was just - wrong. And, most of those mistakes were not things that happened after the printing dates, it was just faulty research and absurd opinions.

All that said, I still see some with "love" for Phil Steele. And, with Steele I see the same things that pushed me over the edge with Athlon, Lindy's..............

I ran across this info this morning by pure chance...

Last years top 25 from Steele - some spot on, others off by a large margin.

1. UF
2. tOSU
3. OU
4. USC
5. Clemson
6. WVU
7. Mizzzou
8. USF
9. Georgia
10. Penn State
11. Tex Tech
12. Auburn
13. LSU
14. Utah
15. Texas
16. Va Tech
17. BYU
18. South Carolina
19. Notre Dame
20. Cal
21. Wisonsin
22. Oregon
23. Tennessee
24. FSU
25. Pitt

 

[252BAMA]

Starting to warm up to UGA?

Very little. I already had them in the 5 spot. I have changed 2 games, SC and ASU, mostly because they are in Athens, which puts them at 7-5 (5-3).

 

[TerryP]

Very little. I already had them in the 5 spot. I have changed 2 games, SC and ASU, mostly because they are in Athens, which puts them at 7-5 (5-3).

5th in the SEC with a 5-3 record?

Does your math work out on that? That would be 7 teams at 4-4 or worse.

I'd like to see your predictions...

 

[252BAMA]

5th in the SEC with a 5-3 record?

Does your math work out on that? That would be 7 teams at 4-4 or worse.

I'd like to see your predictions...

Tied with LSU at 5-3 with LSU winning tie breaker head to head.

West
Bama 8-0
Ole Miss 7-1
LSU 5-3
Ark 4-4
barn 1-7
MSU 0-8

East
UF 8-0
UGA 5-3
UK 4-4
SC 3-5
ut 2-6
Vandy 1-7

 

[alagator]

Tied with LSU at 5-3 with LSU winning tie breaker head to head.

West
Bama 8-0
Ole Miss 7-1
LSU 5-3
Ark 4-4
barn 1-7
MSU 0-8

East
UF 8-0
UGA 5-3
UK 4-4
SC 3-5
ut 2-6
Vandy 1-7

With the teams in the bottom half I would probably make some record changes, but that is mostly the pattern I see this year. Like the Big 12 last year, four pretty dominant teams with gaudy records and a pack of marginal teams with very poor conference records who become bowl eligible only by beating up on out-of-conference foes.

I really think the most pressing SEC question this Fall is if Florida can succeed in posting the first undefeated and untied record in school history. Everyone wants to talk about how good our (UA) defense will be this year - some even tossing around such descriptions as 'dominant' and '1992 like.' I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the UA defense will most likely not even be the best defense in the conference this year. UF's is SCARY good. The UF stats might not be as gaudy as UA's (mostly because the UF offense will put games away far sooner and UF will play its reserves as a unit more often and in a softer fashion against teams throwing the ball in desperation than will UA), but the UF stop-unit is talented and experienced and hungry.

Everyone wanted to know my thoughts on the SECCG last year, given my ties to both UA and UF. To a person, the UA people tried to tell me the UA defense was just too good. I tried to alert them to the fact the UF defense was just as good or perhaps only a little notch behind. But the difference between the UA Offense versus the UF Defense compared to the difference between the UF Offense versus the UA Defense was miles in favor of Florida. Same for this year, only UF will probably have the better squad on both sides of the ball. Not saying UA could NOT win, but it would be a pretty substantial upset.

 

[TerryP]

I don't disagree with that at all alagator.

In fact, I'd guess that the rushing defense numbers would favor UF because they'll face more passing oriented teams (and teams trying to score more due to the offensive prowess of the Gators.)

Likewise, our passing defense numbers would be better due to our style of play.

Total defense possibly going to Bama due to the passing yards UF gives up...scoring defense may be a wash.

But, when you try to say one defense is better than another based on a 5 yard differential in one category I see it as a futile effort. As example, there was very little difference in numbers on punt coverage last year (less than 3 yards) but UF had better special teams than Bama - no doubt about it.