The college football season is getting closer by the day, making each set of preseason rankings that much more meaningful as kickoff approaches.
College Football Magazine Tycoon Phil Steele is still an authority in sports, especially when it comes to his pre-season predictions. As is usually the case, for the 2024 issue, Steele detailed his preseason Power Poll.
Below you can see what Phil Steele’s full ranking is among the top 25 college football teams for 2024, with commentary on his top 10. Take a look:
This line from Steele is all you need to know about Georgia’s dominance so far this decade: “The Bulldogs have the same number of national titles as losses over the last three years.” » That’s two of each, of course.
Steele had another simple but poignant comment on this list: “Georgia is a complete team with great depth at almost every position. » A returning quarterback and Steele’s No. 2 Heisman candidate Carson Beck only raises the Dawgs’ ceiling, and all signs point to some return to the postseason.
There is no secret at the table in Columbus, all the games are played for the 2024 season with a loaded roster and a formidable transfer portal for Ryan Day year of do or die. Additions like Will Howard (QB), Caleb Downs (S), Quinshon Judkins (RB) and others, combined with what comes up, makes a clear top two list.
Phil Steele is optimistic about the team and knows this season is crucial for the current regime. He says the Buckeyes “have talent very close to Georgia and they are on a mission this year.”
The Ducks come in third, and Phil Steele doesn’t think it’s ridiculous to think this club could be tied with the Big Ten powerhouse just ahead of them. “They have very comparable talent to Ohio State, but they just don’t have the hype,” he wrote.
Steele is all-in on the Oregon offense, closing in Dillon Gabriel as the No. 1 Heisman contender in year six. He also ranks the Ducks’ receiving corps No. 1 in the country, with the offensive line coming in third. The matchups against Ohio State and Michigan will loom large, however.
The reception in the SEC isn’t as harsh as Longhorn fans might have feared, as Phil Steele notes that Texas simply faces the 36th toughest ranking in the country by his measures. Don’t let that fool you, though, because the ‘Horns still face two goliaths in Michigan (on the road) and at home against Georgia.
Texas’ real advantage lies in its roster balance. Phil Steele ranks the best units at each position and says “Texas is top 20 in all eight units, including the one that matters most, the No. 1 QB.”
In Big Ten country, 2024 brings a western frontier, a presumptive favorite in the Buckeye State and a defending national champion up north. However, Phil Steele says “don’t overlook the Nittany Lions this year because they have a very talented team and a schedule tailor-made for success.”
Steele notices the elephant in State College, which James Franklin Wasn’t able to land a knockout blow against a top dog. But with Ohio State at home this season and Michigan and Oregon off the roster, there aren’t as many threats and a top chance against OSU.
Skeptical about a change in leadership in Tuscaloosa? Well, it’s not possible to revive retirees, but Phil Steele makes an equally strong one-sentence argument for the success of the first year under Kalen DeBoer as possible :
“DeBoer has an incredible 104-12 record as head coach and inherits a more talented team than the one he took to the national championship game last year! Jalen Milroe is a top-five Heisman contender according to Steele, plus a top-10 defense and a No. 1 special teams unit he says make ‘Bama a title contender once again.
The Sooners are a special and perhaps unfortunate case in the eyes of Phil Steele. He has Oklahoma ranked seventh in his power poll, strictly judging the quality of Norman’s team; however, they fall to 20th in his season predictions thanks to a truly crazy schedule.
While Steele noted Texas’ friendly schedule in year one, Oklahoma had as tough a draw as possible. For starters, thanks to the neutral Red River Showdown, OU has just three SEC home games and four away, three against teams in the top 12 of last year’s final standings – and in total, they will face six of the top 17. teams starting in 2023. Ouch.
Marcus Freeman’s tenure hasn’t gotten off to a hot start in South Bend, but the necessary factors are in place for him to garner plenty of support with a run to the College Football Playoff in 2024. Steele thinks ND can get there. arrive and cause damage.
He says Notre Dame “could be favored in all 12 games this year” with a schedule that isn’t even in his top 50 toughest. He adds: “They also have the talent to win games in the playoffs. »
Steele said Lane Kiffin the “original king of the portal” and his majesty once again delivered on their promises this offseason, landing several of the best players in the portal, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. With a loaded roster and a returning QB who is on Steele’s Heisman list, he is optimistic for a strong start at Oxford.
“The Rebels are 6-0 heading into their matchup against LSU and are a legitimate playoff threat,” he wrote. Sure, Ole Miss only lost two games a year ago to top-five teams Alabama and Georgia. With as much or more talent, and Jaxson Dart One more year, the expanded playoffs are a very reasonable goal.
The Hurricanes are still searching for an effective formula to stabilize a once-great program with modern success, and Phil Steele is willing to believe that Mario Cristobal is the architect of the program that can right the ship. The first year was not a resounding success, but it could make for a very promising second year.
Like many, Steele loves additions. Cam Room is a Heisman contender for him and Damien Martinez was one of the nation’s elite running backs a year ago. “He won two Pac-12 titles in four years with Oregon and made that team a powerhouse,” Steele cites as reason to believe Cristobal has pulled off another tremendous turnaround.
Phil Steele’s 11-25 Power Poll
11. Utah
12. Michigan
13. Clemson
14. State of Florida
15. Texas A&M
16. Virginia Tech
17. Oklahoma State
18. Iowa
19. Florida
20. LSU
21. Montreal university
22. Missouri
23. Louisville
24. U.S.C.
25. Wisconsin
For those curious, Kennesaw State comes in very last place, as the Owls are ranked No. 134 out of 134 for 2024.