Phil Steele's Preseason Top 10

[cloverleaf]

Steele's preseason top 10 football teams for the coming season.

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida State
5. LSU
6. Ohio State
7. Michigan
8. Baylor
9. Stanford
10. Tennessee

Personally I think Notre Dame and Houston should be in this list and
Ohio State and Stanford should be dropped down. I have my list in
the CFB Notebook thread if interested.

Welcome your comments..............................

 

[GoSooners]

Many around here think the OU/Houston road game will be a tougher test for the Sooners than the OU/tOSU home game. All I know is neither game is going to be a cakewalk for the Sooners. I think OU probably loses one of them. I like OU this season, but I'm not quite as high on them as others. I think given their recruiting for the past few years, OU was as good as they were ever going to get LAST SEASON. Every team has a ceiling, and I think OU reached it last year. The question is how many of these teams in the top 10 will suffer a dropoff from last season. As for the Big 12, I think Baylor, Texas and particularly OSU are going to be better this year. And when you add in tOSU and Houston, I can see OU losing 1 or 2 games and probably missing the playoff. If it comes down to a one loss Pac-12 team and a one loss Big 12 team, they'll go with the Pac-12. Especially since they missed out on the playoff last year. The Committee will be looking for new blood. And OU's early exit from the Playoff didn't help the Big 12's rep.

 

[cloverleaf]

Tom Herman seems to have Houston on the rise GS. Proves good coaching
and some good players can make a lot of difference. If Herman can just keep
some of the good HS players from the Houston area...he could have some
pretty good teams down the road. I really like this Houston team...especially
with the schedule in the American Athletic Conference.

 

[GoSooners]

Tom Herman seems to have Houston on the rise GS. Proves good coaching
and some good players can make a lot of difference. If Herman can just keep
some of the good HS players from the Houston area...he could have some
pretty good teams down the road. I really like this Houston team...especially
with the schedule in the American Athletic Conference.

I like Houston too, but the one thing they weren't very good at last year was stopping the higher powered offenses in their league. Cincy, Memphis and Navy all scored in the 30's on them. UH pretty much had to outscore them to win. If they get into that kind of shootout with OU, the Sooners will probably have too much firepower for them in the end. The biggest thing that concerns me is the game is early in the season. And the road has never been kind to the Sooners.

 

[cloverleaf]

When you look at Houston's schedule:

Oklahoma, Lamar, @Cincinnati, @Texas State, UConn, @Navy, Tulsa
@SMU, Cent. Florida, Tulane, Louisville, @Memphis

I would guess they will be favored in all but two games (Oklahoma and Louisville.)

 

[MackDonald]

Steele's preseason top 10 football teams for the coming season.

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida State
5. LSU
6. Ohio State
7. Michigan
8. Baylor
9. Stanford
10. Tennessee

Personally I think Notre Dame and Houston should be in this list and
Ohio State and Stanford should be dropped down. I have my list in
the CFB Notebook thread if interested.

Welcome your comments..............................

Only one West Coast team......Ouch. Ohio State & Michigan are [a] familiar twosome once again now that the Wolverines' drought seems to be relieved. Three SEC schools....yawn.....The Volunteers are back ? Very interesting...... I smell big troubles in the SEC East...Saturday Blood-lettings big time. Can't wait.

 

[cloverleaf]

Mack, saying Tennessee is back is a stretch.

Vols will be rated high preseason but will blow 4 or 5 games like they always do.

Tennessee's problem is they don't know how to win.

 

[GoSooners]

Mack, saying Tennessee is back is a stretch.

Vols will be rated high preseason but will blow 4 or 5 games like they always do.

Tennessee's problem is they don't know how to win.

I don't really know what the Vols problem is, but they seem to lack that killer instinct at times. Maybe they can grow out of it, but I think it's more of a coaching problem than a player problem...

 

[CoachCB]

If FSU finds a QB they are going to be very, very good...especially playing the soft ACC schedule and they get UF at home. Last year was FSU's "we'll take our lumps" season, and they still had a solid year. They lost the bowl to Houston as a disinterested favorite (and the QB got injured). Fisher has recruited as well as any team in the country the last 5 years, including Bama & Ohio State. They have an outstanding roster.

I'm not sure what to make of Tennessee. I thought they'd have a good team last year and they pretty much shit the bed. The Florida game killed them. If they get by Va Tech, they have to turn around and beat Florida (11 game losing streak). If Jones doesn't win the East this year the natives won't be happy. He has a senior QB and they return 17 or so starters, they should be good - definitely top 10.

Is Michigan as good as Harbaugh runs his mouth? They brought in a great recruiting class...but those guys won't make much of an impact this year.

Ohio State has a ton of talent....but they lost a ton of starters. Meyer is one of the top 2 coaches in CFB, so I wouldn't count them out.

 

[CoachCB]

CL, I went to Steele's page and couldn't find a top 10 (or 20 or whatever). Is this his "projected AP top 10"? He usually won't put out HIS top 20 until later in the off-season (he does the thing where he releases a few teams each day and does a write up...then one a day when he gets to the top 10 or so).

 

[cloverleaf]

Coach, I read so many FB sites everyday I can't remember where I saw this.

It was stated Steele's top 10 2016.

Did not list 11-25.

 

[RunLeeRun]

Ohio St does better without pressure, plus they have some actual opponents this year. That, imo, makes it easier to get that young, Ubertalent motivated.

Whens the ladt time Oregon wasnt floating in the top 10? This might be the right year to have them on the schedule.

 

[cloverleaf]

RunLee, NO doubt Ohio State has talent because Myers has recruited well.

Guess question is how well so much NEW talent will perform as a team this season.

Ain't like the Bucks are going to lose 4 games.

 

[MackDonald]

Ohio St does better without pressure, plus they have some actual opponents this year. That, imo, makes it easier to get that young, Ubertalent motivated.

Whens the ladt time Oregon wasnt floating in the top 10? This might be the right year to have them on the schedule.

You're right Lee...Oregon has been a pre-season top-10 fixture for years.....It will be interesting to see how that plays out. Just maybe it will be to their advantage is they start the season as a "dark horse" rather than a favorite......

 

[cloverleaf]

Jesus men.....absolutely best CFB posters on the net.

When Roll Tide and Conan and a few others get off their asses...............

RX CFB is going to be good.

 

[EveryGamblersDream]

I don't think Louisville will be favored over Houston.

 

[8ate]

ohio state and ohio state offense plays Sooners this year; do not fergit Herman was offense coach and called plays when they kicked Bammy's ass for buckeyes when they won nat'l championship; and were denied chance to defend the next year..>>but Sooners should beat both Ohio States..>>lucky for them catching the Buckeyes at home in off year for THE OSU...

gl all