Us and Memphis.
Phil Steele reveals college football preseason Top 25
ByBRAD CRAWFORD Jul 19, 8:06 AM
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Ahead of what is expected to be an unprecedented college football season that has flexed several positive developments in recent days, another early Top 25 has surfaced from one of the nation's most respected analysts. Phil Steele, a prognosticator with several decades of skin in the game, dropped his 2020 preview this week to VIPs, an early look at who he considers to be title contenders, surprise teams and breakout players this fall.
Much like our own preseason Top 25, you'll notice perennial favorites — along with a surprise team — near the top along with several programs Steele expects to factor into respective conference title races this season. Steele told ACC Network last week he considered interrupting his string of annual content if he couldn't fit his analysis into a full magazine due to the work stoppage this spring amid the pandemic, but instead pushed the pedal to the floor and sent it to the printer this summer.
Steele's robust 350-page full-color season preview is available exclusively at Books-A-Million and Barnes & Nobles book stores on July 24, or online at PhilSteele.com. Known as "the book experts can't do without," Steele's magazine is celebrating its 26th anniversary as one of the most accurate preseason previews in the country.
Steele's 2020 preseason Top 25 rankings ahead of the start of fall practice goes as follows:
(Photo: Getty)
25. Memphis Tigers
24. Oklahoma State Cowboys
23. Iowa Hawkeyes
Steele isn't as high on the Cowboys as some national analysts, but still believes they're worthy of a spot inside the preseason Top 25. Head coaches are usually wary about talking up their team before the season, but Mike Gundy is beaming with confidence. Oklahoma State has posted double-digit victories on six occasions under Gundy's watch, but the Cowboys only have one Big 12 title to show for it. They're hoping to change that as one of the Big 12's best — on paper — exiting the spring. Spencer Sanders is arguably a Top 15 quarterback nationally while returning All-American Chuba Hubbard is our top player in college football at the running back spot. Couple that with several key starters back on defense and Oklahoma State could be a force.
(Photo: Getty)
22. UCF Knights
21. Kentucky Wildcats
Can UCF get to a New Year's Six game this fall? Best-case scenario for the Knights this season is an unbeaten finish. And the schedule might be solid enough to warrant College Football Playoff buzz if UCF beats North Carolina, Memphis and Cincinnati and looks good doing so. The coaching staff is anxious to see what Dillon Gabriel can do at quarterback as a sophomore, one of the top players in the country at the position who was thrown into the fire last fall as a Year 1 starter. He threw for 3,653 and 29 touchdowns, but giveaways were a problem at times when he tried to do too much. ... Kentucky has high expectations inside its locker room under Mark Stoops, but hasn't received a ton of interest nationally this summer — until now. Ranked No. 21 per Steele, the Wildcats could strike fear in Georgia and Florida in the SEC East if this team can stay healthy. This is the highest we've seen Kentucky slotted in any preseason poll.
(Photo: Getty)
20. Tennessee Vols
19. Auburn Tigers
18. Virginia Tech Hokies
Two SEC programs not expected to win their respective divisions but certainly compete against the elite teams on the schedule this fall, Tennessee and Auburn will be motivated to show out given the fact each hasn't been mentioned among the conference's title contenders. For the Vols, they'll try and continue their offseason momentum during Jeremy Pruitt's third campaign. ... Depending on how you look at it, Virginia Tech essentially dodged a major bullet this month when the Big Ten announced it was moving to a league-only season, meaning the Hokies' September home game against Top 10 Penn State was wiped away. With Hendon Hooker as the starting quarterback and Rayshard Ashby anchoring the defense, Justin Fuente has to feel confident in this team's leadership heading into the 2020 campaign after progress was made last season following a six-win disaster the previous year. Keep an eye on the Week 6 showdown at North Carolina, a matchup that could decide the Coastal Division.
17. MIAMI HURRICANES
(Photo: Getty)
Steele is high on the Hurricanes this season as a top contender in the ACC Coastal alongside North Carolina and Virginia Tech, other programs trying to unseat Clemson at the top of the ACC. Miami believes it has found the answer to its inconsistency at quarterback in Houston transfer D'Eriq King and there's early-round talent on defense that should factor into the team's success this season.
16. NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
(Photo: Getty)
Dripping with offseason momentum on the recruiting trail following a better-than-expected first campaign for Mack Brown, the Tar Heels are on the ACC Coastal's shortlist of contenders in a wide open division in hopes of getting a rematch vs. five-time defending league champion Clemson. North Carolina nearly handed the Tigers their first conference loss since 2017 last fall in Chapel Hill, but a failed two-point try in the closing minutes proved the final tally. Sophomore quarterback Sam Howell is one of the nation's best and North Carolina has an All-American linebacker in Chazz Surratt leading the charge defensively. Brown's team has hype behind them.
15. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
(Photo: Tim Fuller, USA TODAY Sports)
Will this be the year Michigan competes for a division crown in the Big Ten and ends its lengthy losing skid to Ohio State? Much of that is the reason the Wolverines are sitting outside the Top 10 to open the season. Serving as a reserve behind Shea Patterson each of the past two seasons, quarterback Dylan McCaffrey gets his shot at being the guy for the Wolverines this fall if he can beat out Joe Milton during fall camp. McCaffrey is a rugged competitor and has shown a sense of fearlessness in a way when he has carried the football in 10 appearances since he arrived on campus in 2018. His abilities also give play-caller Josh Gattis an opportunity to tinker with the playbook a bit. He is believed to be the clubhouse leader for QB1, but the competition with Milton should be an interesting battle. But the primary question with Michigan always centers around winning that game at the end of the season and whether the Wolverines will be able to do so.
14. WISCONSIN BADGERS
(Photo: Brad Fedie, 247Sports)
Go ahead and pencil in the Badgers as the preseason Big Ten West favorite thanks to the lofty levels of respect a few weeks out from the start of fall camp. Quarterback Jack Coan enters his fourth year after an impressive junior campaign featured a 69.6 completion percentage and just under 3,000 yards through the air. His play will be paramount to success since Wisconsin's bellcow in the backfield, decorated All-American ballcarrier Jonathan Taylor, was an early NFL Draft casualty this spring. Steele isn't as high on the Badgers as some preseason projections and has Wisconsin rated as his third-best team in the Big Ten.
13. FLORIDA GATORS
(Photo: Getty)
Few are as high as Florida as we are this season, potentially a College Football Playoff contender if the Gators can upend LSU in Gainesville and snap their skid vs. East rival Georgia. This team has a talented starting 22, led by Kyle Trask, who's developing into a star at quarterback. With a preseason win total hovering near double digits according to oddsmakers, expectations are high for a team that's won 21 games overall during Dan Mullen's first two seasons and welcome back the bulk of their production on both sides of the football. Steele likes the Gators too, ranking Florida as the SEC's fifth-best team — second in the East — to open.
12. TEXAS LONGHORNS
(Photo: Getty)
Another national title contender just outside Steele's Top 10, it's make or break time for Tom Herman following a full coaching staff makeover this offseason. Herman enters his fourth season knowing all eyes will be glued to Austin to see if the Longhorns are Big 12 title material and then some. Chris Ash inherits a defense that largely underachieved last season for various reasons and will continue the development of Joseph Ossai and Caden Sterns, two leaders on that side. The most important player for Texas is quarterback Sam Ehlinger. This team's championship hopes ride on his shoulders. If he can stay healthy, new OC Mike Yurcich believes the sky is the limit for this offense.
11. USC TROJANS
(Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
Clay Helton's team nearly made Steele's Top 10 and this is the highest we've seen USC ranked this summer. Clearly, Steele expects USC to be a factor in the Pac-12 Championship race and perhaps be a Playoff darkhorse this fall with a talented roster, led by quarterback Kedon Slovis. In quarterback JT Daniels' absence last season, Slovis threw for 3,502 yards last season with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Oddsmakers expect USC to challenge Oregon for a title out West this fall and losing the season opener against Alabama means the Trojans have a considerably better shot at winning double-digit games.
10. PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
(Photo: Getty)
The Big Ten's second-best team in 2020 per Steele, Penn State has three 11-win seasons in the last four years and return experienced quarterback Sean Clifford along with several impact players on defense, including national player of the year candidate Micah Parsons. Clifford, a first-year starter in 2019, completed 59 percent of pass attempts for 2,654 yards and 23 touchdowns in 12 games as a redshirt sophomore while adding 402 yards and five scores as a runner en route to All-Big Ten honorable mention. Playing a Big Ten-only slate, the Nittany Lions won't have to travel to Virginia Tech in September and can focus their target on a home game vs. Ohio State and others this fall.
9. OREGON DUCKS
(Photo: Wayrynen, USA TODAY Sports)
The hype surrounding Oregon this season is warranted, per Steele. Equipped with one of the more talented rosters in program history on the strength of an elite signing class, Oregon expects to compete for a College Football Playoff berth this fall and has the talent to do so. Much of that could fall on the shoulders of quarterback Tyler Shough, who was Justin Herbert's backup last season as a redshirt freshman. In limited duty, he showed command of an offense that shouldn't change all that much under new OC Joe Moorhead, who coached at Mississippi State in 2019. Tailback CJ Verdell will be one of the playmakers helping Shough ease into that transition as QB1. Not having to face Ohio State during the non-conference slate certainly improves Oregon's shot at an unbeaten regular season.
8. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
(Photo: Matt Cashore, 247Sports)
While the Irish welcome back multi-year starter and Heisman candidate Ian Book at quarterback after he threw for 3,034 passing yards and 34 scores last season, there are holes elsewhere that fill be addressed largely by inexperienced talent. Book finished second on the team with 546 rushing yards, which is notable since Tony Jones is gone along with reliable WR1 Chase Claypool and top tight end Cole Kmet. The coaching staff is confident many of Notre Dame's 2020 signees will contribute in a big way this fall. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is a player Clark Lea will lean on defensively after a couple notable departures in key spots.
7. GEORGIA BULLDOGS
(Photo: Getty)
Anchored by a veteran-laden defense and two elite-level quarterbacks transfers in Jamie Newman (Wake Forest graduate) and JT Daniels (USC), the Bulldogs are equipped with a roster to win it all. Steele pegs Georgia as the SEC's fourth-best team — behind three West squads — in his preseason Top 25, a smidge lower than most analyst have Kirby Smart's team. Georgia has won three consecutive division titles, but hasn't solved Alabama during that stretch and plays the Crimson Tide early this fall in a pivotal matchup for both national championship contenders during SEC play.
6. LSU TIGERS
(Photo: Getty)
Can LSU replicate another perfect season and run to a national championship? Steele opines that it's possible as long as Myles Brennan is a difference-maker under center. After losing 14 starters and its top two assistant coaches, the Tigers face an uphill climb in college football's toughest division, however. Two SEC teams come in ahead of LSU in Steele's Top 5 and both are situated in the West. The return of Biletnikoff winner JaMarr Chase bolsters a talented core of wideouts despite heavy draft losses and the Tigers are confident new assistants they've hired to fill holes left by Dave Aranda (Baylor head coach) and Joe Brady (Panthers offensive coordinator) will be home runs.
5. TEXAS A&M AGGIES
(Photo: Getty)
Ranked No. 15 in ESPN's preseason Football Power Index and outside the Top 5 of our own way-too-early poll, the Aggies should be one of the nation's top teams this season, per Steele. This is the highest we've seen Texas A&M slotted in any preseason rankings, which speaks to the confidence level one of the nation's most respected prognosticators has in this year's squad. Jimbo Fisher needs maximum production this fall out of quarterback Kellen Mond and emerging ballcarrier Isaiah Spiller, two starters who will benefit from playing behind a veteran offensive line returning most of its girth up front. Mond will have weapons to throw to in WR1 Jhamon Ausbon and dual tight ends Jalen Wydermyer and Baylor Cupp. The Aggies improved greatly on defense a season ago and welcome back contributors at every level on that side.
4. OKLAHOMA SOONERS
(Photo: Getty)
Once again one of the nation's elite as they are every year under Lincoln Riley, we can go ahead and assume the Sooners will be the team to beat in the Big 12, as Steele does. Oklahoma's success on offense this fall relies heavily on quarterback Spencer Rattler, who is projected to take the reins under center and push Oklahoma toward title contention. The bigger question is Alex Grinch's defense and how the loss of several key players up front along with Kenneth Murray in the middle will affect things. Oklahoma is coming off an embarrassing defensive effort last time out and more of that would limit this team's heightened potential. There doesn't appear to be a Joe Burrow-caliber quarterback standing in the Sooners' way at least, unless Sam Ehlinger or Spencer Sanders really open eyes in the passing game.
3. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
(Photo: Getty)
Like dozens of others, Steele slots Alabama behind the Big 2 in the No. 3 hole to open the season. Alabama should be a unanimous Top 5 team entering the season with former five-star Dylan Moses — among other future early-rounders — returning along with depth at quarterback despite the departure of the efficient Tua Tagovailoa. The battle between Mac Jones and freshman five-star sensation Bryce Young would've be an intriguing dichotomy on the Crimson Tide's confidence level in Jones vs. a kid who brings a dynamic element to Steve Sarkisian's attack had spring practice been played as scheduled. Even with Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy's departure to the NFL, Alabama survived the early rush of juniors to the next level and will have one of the nation's most talented rosters once again.
2. CLEMSON TIGERS
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
Steele said earlier this summer during an interview with ACC Network he expects Clemson's road to league title in the ACC this season to be somewhat more difficult than year's past due to competitive balance not seen recently. That doesn't mean the Tigers won't finish unbeaten, however. He pointed out that Clemson's game at Notre Dame in November is a possible trip-up spot. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables will need to find a new alpha on defense since he'll no longer have Isaiah Simmons to lead, but that's never been an issue during his impressive tenure as Dabo Swinney's most important assistant. Equipped with All-American candidates Travis Etienne and Trevor Lawrence, Clemson's offense should be one of the nation's best.
1. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
(Photo: Getty)
17COMMENTS
Steele's preseason pick to win the national championship, the Buckeyes lead his preseason Top 25. Ohio State's unexpected spring addition of Oklahoma transfer running back Trey Sermon fills a potential void in the backfield following the departure of JK Dobbins to the NFL and expected RB1 Master Teague going down with an injury, a much-needed puzzle piece to complete a talented backfield. Quarterback Justin Fields has received much of the shine since falling one completion short of a berth in the national title game last fall. He's on the Heisman shortlist entering his junior season, alongside Trevor Lawrence — a player he's battling for No. 1 overall pick honors in 2021.
Phil Steele reveals college football preseason Top 25
ByBRAD CRAWFORD Jul 19, 8:06 AM
Share17 Comments
Ahead of what is expected to be an unprecedented college football season that has flexed several positive developments in recent days, another early Top 25 has surfaced from one of the nation's most respected analysts. Phil Steele, a prognosticator with several decades of skin in the game, dropped his 2020 preview this week to VIPs, an early look at who he considers to be title contenders, surprise teams and breakout players this fall.
Much like our own preseason Top 25, you'll notice perennial favorites — along with a surprise team — near the top along with several programs Steele expects to factor into respective conference title races this season. Steele told ACC Network last week he considered interrupting his string of annual content if he couldn't fit his analysis into a full magazine due to the work stoppage this spring amid the pandemic, but instead pushed the pedal to the floor and sent it to the printer this summer.
Steele's robust 350-page full-color season preview is available exclusively at Books-A-Million and Barnes & Nobles book stores on July 24, or online at PhilSteele.com. Known as "the book experts can't do without," Steele's magazine is celebrating its 26th anniversary as one of the most accurate preseason previews in the country.
Steele's 2020 preseason Top 25 rankings ahead of the start of fall practice goes as follows:
(Photo: Getty)
25. Memphis Tigers
24. Oklahoma State Cowboys
23. Iowa Hawkeyes
Steele isn't as high on the Cowboys as some national analysts, but still believes they're worthy of a spot inside the preseason Top 25. Head coaches are usually wary about talking up their team before the season, but Mike Gundy is beaming with confidence. Oklahoma State has posted double-digit victories on six occasions under Gundy's watch, but the Cowboys only have one Big 12 title to show for it. They're hoping to change that as one of the Big 12's best — on paper — exiting the spring. Spencer Sanders is arguably a Top 15 quarterback nationally while returning All-American Chuba Hubbard is our top player in college football at the running back spot. Couple that with several key starters back on defense and Oklahoma State could be a force.
(Photo: Getty)
22. UCF Knights
21. Kentucky Wildcats
Can UCF get to a New Year's Six game this fall? Best-case scenario for the Knights this season is an unbeaten finish. And the schedule might be solid enough to warrant College Football Playoff buzz if UCF beats North Carolina, Memphis and Cincinnati and looks good doing so. The coaching staff is anxious to see what Dillon Gabriel can do at quarterback as a sophomore, one of the top players in the country at the position who was thrown into the fire last fall as a Year 1 starter. He threw for 3,653 and 29 touchdowns, but giveaways were a problem at times when he tried to do too much. ... Kentucky has high expectations inside its locker room under Mark Stoops, but hasn't received a ton of interest nationally this summer — until now. Ranked No. 21 per Steele, the Wildcats could strike fear in Georgia and Florida in the SEC East if this team can stay healthy. This is the highest we've seen Kentucky slotted in any preseason poll.
(Photo: Getty)
20. Tennessee Vols
19. Auburn Tigers
18. Virginia Tech Hokies
Two SEC programs not expected to win their respective divisions but certainly compete against the elite teams on the schedule this fall, Tennessee and Auburn will be motivated to show out given the fact each hasn't been mentioned among the conference's title contenders. For the Vols, they'll try and continue their offseason momentum during Jeremy Pruitt's third campaign. ... Depending on how you look at it, Virginia Tech essentially dodged a major bullet this month when the Big Ten announced it was moving to a league-only season, meaning the Hokies' September home game against Top 10 Penn State was wiped away. With Hendon Hooker as the starting quarterback and Rayshard Ashby anchoring the defense, Justin Fuente has to feel confident in this team's leadership heading into the 2020 campaign after progress was made last season following a six-win disaster the previous year. Keep an eye on the Week 6 showdown at North Carolina, a matchup that could decide the Coastal Division.
17. MIAMI HURRICANES
(Photo: Getty)
Steele is high on the Hurricanes this season as a top contender in the ACC Coastal alongside North Carolina and Virginia Tech, other programs trying to unseat Clemson at the top of the ACC. Miami believes it has found the answer to its inconsistency at quarterback in Houston transfer D'Eriq King and there's early-round talent on defense that should factor into the team's success this season.
16. NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
(Photo: Getty)
Dripping with offseason momentum on the recruiting trail following a better-than-expected first campaign for Mack Brown, the Tar Heels are on the ACC Coastal's shortlist of contenders in a wide open division in hopes of getting a rematch vs. five-time defending league champion Clemson. North Carolina nearly handed the Tigers their first conference loss since 2017 last fall in Chapel Hill, but a failed two-point try in the closing minutes proved the final tally. Sophomore quarterback Sam Howell is one of the nation's best and North Carolina has an All-American linebacker in Chazz Surratt leading the charge defensively. Brown's team has hype behind them.
15. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
(Photo: Tim Fuller, USA TODAY Sports)
Will this be the year Michigan competes for a division crown in the Big Ten and ends its lengthy losing skid to Ohio State? Much of that is the reason the Wolverines are sitting outside the Top 10 to open the season. Serving as a reserve behind Shea Patterson each of the past two seasons, quarterback Dylan McCaffrey gets his shot at being the guy for the Wolverines this fall if he can beat out Joe Milton during fall camp. McCaffrey is a rugged competitor and has shown a sense of fearlessness in a way when he has carried the football in 10 appearances since he arrived on campus in 2018. His abilities also give play-caller Josh Gattis an opportunity to tinker with the playbook a bit. He is believed to be the clubhouse leader for QB1, but the competition with Milton should be an interesting battle. But the primary question with Michigan always centers around winning that game at the end of the season and whether the Wolverines will be able to do so.
14. WISCONSIN BADGERS
(Photo: Brad Fedie, 247Sports)
Go ahead and pencil in the Badgers as the preseason Big Ten West favorite thanks to the lofty levels of respect a few weeks out from the start of fall camp. Quarterback Jack Coan enters his fourth year after an impressive junior campaign featured a 69.6 completion percentage and just under 3,000 yards through the air. His play will be paramount to success since Wisconsin's bellcow in the backfield, decorated All-American ballcarrier Jonathan Taylor, was an early NFL Draft casualty this spring. Steele isn't as high on the Badgers as some preseason projections and has Wisconsin rated as his third-best team in the Big Ten.
13. FLORIDA GATORS
(Photo: Getty)
Few are as high as Florida as we are this season, potentially a College Football Playoff contender if the Gators can upend LSU in Gainesville and snap their skid vs. East rival Georgia. This team has a talented starting 22, led by Kyle Trask, who's developing into a star at quarterback. With a preseason win total hovering near double digits according to oddsmakers, expectations are high for a team that's won 21 games overall during Dan Mullen's first two seasons and welcome back the bulk of their production on both sides of the football. Steele likes the Gators too, ranking Florida as the SEC's fifth-best team — second in the East — to open.
12. TEXAS LONGHORNS
(Photo: Getty)
Another national title contender just outside Steele's Top 10, it's make or break time for Tom Herman following a full coaching staff makeover this offseason. Herman enters his fourth season knowing all eyes will be glued to Austin to see if the Longhorns are Big 12 title material and then some. Chris Ash inherits a defense that largely underachieved last season for various reasons and will continue the development of Joseph Ossai and Caden Sterns, two leaders on that side. The most important player for Texas is quarterback Sam Ehlinger. This team's championship hopes ride on his shoulders. If he can stay healthy, new OC Mike Yurcich believes the sky is the limit for this offense.
11. USC TROJANS
(Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
Clay Helton's team nearly made Steele's Top 10 and this is the highest we've seen USC ranked this summer. Clearly, Steele expects USC to be a factor in the Pac-12 Championship race and perhaps be a Playoff darkhorse this fall with a talented roster, led by quarterback Kedon Slovis. In quarterback JT Daniels' absence last season, Slovis threw for 3,502 yards last season with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Oddsmakers expect USC to challenge Oregon for a title out West this fall and losing the season opener against Alabama means the Trojans have a considerably better shot at winning double-digit games.
10. PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
(Photo: Getty)
The Big Ten's second-best team in 2020 per Steele, Penn State has three 11-win seasons in the last four years and return experienced quarterback Sean Clifford along with several impact players on defense, including national player of the year candidate Micah Parsons. Clifford, a first-year starter in 2019, completed 59 percent of pass attempts for 2,654 yards and 23 touchdowns in 12 games as a redshirt sophomore while adding 402 yards and five scores as a runner en route to All-Big Ten honorable mention. Playing a Big Ten-only slate, the Nittany Lions won't have to travel to Virginia Tech in September and can focus their target on a home game vs. Ohio State and others this fall.
9. OREGON DUCKS
(Photo: Wayrynen, USA TODAY Sports)
The hype surrounding Oregon this season is warranted, per Steele. Equipped with one of the more talented rosters in program history on the strength of an elite signing class, Oregon expects to compete for a College Football Playoff berth this fall and has the talent to do so. Much of that could fall on the shoulders of quarterback Tyler Shough, who was Justin Herbert's backup last season as a redshirt freshman. In limited duty, he showed command of an offense that shouldn't change all that much under new OC Joe Moorhead, who coached at Mississippi State in 2019. Tailback CJ Verdell will be one of the playmakers helping Shough ease into that transition as QB1. Not having to face Ohio State during the non-conference slate certainly improves Oregon's shot at an unbeaten regular season.
8. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
(Photo: Matt Cashore, 247Sports)
While the Irish welcome back multi-year starter and Heisman candidate Ian Book at quarterback after he threw for 3,034 passing yards and 34 scores last season, there are holes elsewhere that fill be addressed largely by inexperienced talent. Book finished second on the team with 546 rushing yards, which is notable since Tony Jones is gone along with reliable WR1 Chase Claypool and top tight end Cole Kmet. The coaching staff is confident many of Notre Dame's 2020 signees will contribute in a big way this fall. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is a player Clark Lea will lean on defensively after a couple notable departures in key spots.
7. GEORGIA BULLDOGS
(Photo: Getty)
Anchored by a veteran-laden defense and two elite-level quarterbacks transfers in Jamie Newman (Wake Forest graduate) and JT Daniels (USC), the Bulldogs are equipped with a roster to win it all. Steele pegs Georgia as the SEC's fourth-best team — behind three West squads — in his preseason Top 25, a smidge lower than most analyst have Kirby Smart's team. Georgia has won three consecutive division titles, but hasn't solved Alabama during that stretch and plays the Crimson Tide early this fall in a pivotal matchup for both national championship contenders during SEC play.
6. LSU TIGERS
(Photo: Getty)
Can LSU replicate another perfect season and run to a national championship? Steele opines that it's possible as long as Myles Brennan is a difference-maker under center. After losing 14 starters and its top two assistant coaches, the Tigers face an uphill climb in college football's toughest division, however. Two SEC teams come in ahead of LSU in Steele's Top 5 and both are situated in the West. The return of Biletnikoff winner JaMarr Chase bolsters a talented core of wideouts despite heavy draft losses and the Tigers are confident new assistants they've hired to fill holes left by Dave Aranda (Baylor head coach) and Joe Brady (Panthers offensive coordinator) will be home runs.
5. TEXAS A&M AGGIES
(Photo: Getty)
Ranked No. 15 in ESPN's preseason Football Power Index and outside the Top 5 of our own way-too-early poll, the Aggies should be one of the nation's top teams this season, per Steele. This is the highest we've seen Texas A&M slotted in any preseason rankings, which speaks to the confidence level one of the nation's most respected prognosticators has in this year's squad. Jimbo Fisher needs maximum production this fall out of quarterback Kellen Mond and emerging ballcarrier Isaiah Spiller, two starters who will benefit from playing behind a veteran offensive line returning most of its girth up front. Mond will have weapons to throw to in WR1 Jhamon Ausbon and dual tight ends Jalen Wydermyer and Baylor Cupp. The Aggies improved greatly on defense a season ago and welcome back contributors at every level on that side.
4. OKLAHOMA SOONERS
(Photo: Getty)
Once again one of the nation's elite as they are every year under Lincoln Riley, we can go ahead and assume the Sooners will be the team to beat in the Big 12, as Steele does. Oklahoma's success on offense this fall relies heavily on quarterback Spencer Rattler, who is projected to take the reins under center and push Oklahoma toward title contention. The bigger question is Alex Grinch's defense and how the loss of several key players up front along with Kenneth Murray in the middle will affect things. Oklahoma is coming off an embarrassing defensive effort last time out and more of that would limit this team's heightened potential. There doesn't appear to be a Joe Burrow-caliber quarterback standing in the Sooners' way at least, unless Sam Ehlinger or Spencer Sanders really open eyes in the passing game.
3. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
(Photo: Getty)
Like dozens of others, Steele slots Alabama behind the Big 2 in the No. 3 hole to open the season. Alabama should be a unanimous Top 5 team entering the season with former five-star Dylan Moses — among other future early-rounders — returning along with depth at quarterback despite the departure of the efficient Tua Tagovailoa. The battle between Mac Jones and freshman five-star sensation Bryce Young would've be an intriguing dichotomy on the Crimson Tide's confidence level in Jones vs. a kid who brings a dynamic element to Steve Sarkisian's attack had spring practice been played as scheduled. Even with Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy's departure to the NFL, Alabama survived the early rush of juniors to the next level and will have one of the nation's most talented rosters once again.
2. CLEMSON TIGERS
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
Steele said earlier this summer during an interview with ACC Network he expects Clemson's road to league title in the ACC this season to be somewhat more difficult than year's past due to competitive balance not seen recently. That doesn't mean the Tigers won't finish unbeaten, however. He pointed out that Clemson's game at Notre Dame in November is a possible trip-up spot. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables will need to find a new alpha on defense since he'll no longer have Isaiah Simmons to lead, but that's never been an issue during his impressive tenure as Dabo Swinney's most important assistant. Equipped with All-American candidates Travis Etienne and Trevor Lawrence, Clemson's offense should be one of the nation's best.
1. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
(Photo: Getty)
17COMMENTS
Steele's preseason pick to win the national championship, the Buckeyes lead his preseason Top 25. Ohio State's unexpected spring addition of Oklahoma transfer running back Trey Sermon fills a potential void in the backfield following the departure of JK Dobbins to the NFL and expected RB1 Master Teague going down with an injury, a much-needed puzzle piece to complete a talented backfield. Quarterback Justin Fields has received much of the shine since falling one completion short of a berth in the national title game last fall. He's on the Heisman shortlist entering his junior season, alongside Trevor Lawrence — a player he's battling for No. 1 overall pick honors in 2021.
