Projected Preseason AP Top 26 (by Phil Steele)

http://www.philsteele.com/Blogs/2013/APR13/DBApr06.html

he says "this is NOT MY preseason Top 26 for next year, it is where I project the AP Top 26 to come out at the start of the season."

he says he has "correctly projected at least nine of the Top 10 teams (in the AP Poll) each year" that he's done this

SEC West
#1 Bama
#5 Texas A&M
#12 LSU ("The schedule is very difficult starting with the opener against TCU in Arlington, which could be more like an away game and they also pull Florida and Georgia out of the SEC East")

SEC East
#6 Georgia
#8 Florida
#9 South Carolina

Big Ten
#2 Ohio State
#17 Nebraska
#19 Michigan
#20 Northwestern
#24 Wisconsin

Pac
#3 Oregon
#4 Stanford
#21 Oregon State
#23 UCLA
#25 Southern Cal

Big XII
#14 Oklahoma
#15 TCU ("16 returning starters and will also welcome back quarterback Casey Pachall")
#18 Texas
#22 Oklahoma State
#26 Kansas State

ACC
#11 Clemson
#13 Florida State

Other
#7 Notre Dame ("will return 14 starters")
#10 Louisville
#16 Boise State

 

aTm is vastly over rated. They will be lucky to finish in the top 15.

 

I

agree. Johnny football lost a lot of o-line

 

Why 26?

 

He also lost his OC and top WR (although he is getting Seal-Jones).

 

I wonder why there is no mention of the tough schedule Bama has to face....

 

Full write-up on LSU is below. He does mention Bama's schedule as "manageable". He picked 26 teams because he thinks one of the bottom 3-4 teams could slip out of the top 25 due to injury/suspension/etc.

No. 12 LSU-Arguably no one in recent history lost more production to the NFL Draft than the Tigers who saw a record-11 players declare early. The losses are massive especially on the defensive side of the ball, which will see the loss of arguably its top 5 or 6 players. It starts with Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery at DE and continues with their best LB in Kevin Minter followed by CB Tharold Simon and S Eric Reid. On offense, quarterback Zach Mettenberger does get back his top two rushers and top two receivers and the OL will have to do a much better job of protecting him after allowing 32 sks (9.0%). The schedule is very difficult starting with the opener against TCU in Arlington, which could be more like an away game and they also pull Florida and Georgia out of the SEC East. They do play Alabama and Texas A&M both in November but conveniently get a bye week prior to both games.

 

I also think A & M will falter in their sophomore season in the SEC.

Oregon at #3 following a coaching change? We'll see...

ND--gtfo...

Florida @ #8? South Carolina @ #9? I don't think so, but then again, we can play our way into greatness by season's end, anyway.

 

They also never mention how Alabama is allowed to have extra players on the field and in the booth during SEC games.




I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict Alabama doesn't get called for holding in any SEC game this year.