Phil Steele's Top 40

#4 not a bad place to be! Let the season begin.

I love the ranking. It is good to get to hunt again instead of being hunted.

I do not understand the love affair with TCU. They are ranked ahead of Alabama and Baylor in almost every preseason poll. Yet, look at the records for last 3 years:

Alabama 36-5
Baylor 30-9 and beat TCU twice
TCU 23-15 and lost to Baylor twice.

Now, please tell me why everyone thinks TCU is the team to beat.

I think TCU is getting a lot of love by the polls so they can make up for not making it last year. Their offense is much better( ask Ole Miss) and they are a legit playoff team.It seems as though the voters will try to get TCU and Baylor in this year.

Redwood Forrest said:

I do not understand the love affair with TCU. They are ranked ahead of Alabama and Baylor in almost every preseason poll. Yet, look at the records for last 3 years:

Alabama 36-5
Baylor 30-9 and beat TCU twice
TCU 23-15 and lost to Baylor twice.

Now, please tell me why everyone thinks TCU is the team to beat.

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Because TCU brings back more experience and has Baylor at home. If you go back to 2010 then it would be:
TCU 47-17 and Baylor 47-18. The only differences are TCU having an undefeated season and two major bowl wins to Baylors 0. TCU also has been the Boise killer so I guess that factors into things. I honestly have less issues with TCU being ranked top 4 than Baylor being in the top 10 , even though I think OU is going to beat both of them because Bob always does better when people least expects it.

Also the three that Briles has won were close 2 and 3 point games (11,13, and 14). but Patterson's 2 wins were butt whoopings 28 and 35 point wins in (10 and 12)

CajunCrimson said:

Exactly the reason I see TCU not making the Top 4 -- they play at K State, at Okie State and at OU plus they play West VA and Baylor at home......

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Me too. I can see them dropping a couple pretty easily.

I see TCU at 10-0 going into their final two games at Oklahoma and at home vs Baylor. Easily an 11-1 or maybe 12-0 finish for TCU and in the playoffs.

Redwood Forrest said:

I do not understand the love affair with TCU. They are ranked ahead of Alabama and Baylor in almost every preseason poll. Yet, look at the records for last 3 years:

Alabama 36-5
Baylor 30-9 and beat TCU twice
TCU 23-15 and lost to Baylor twice.

Now, please tell me why everyone thinks TCU is the team to beat.

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Because what happened the last 3 years really has no bearing on how good a team will be this year. What does TCU's record 3 years ago have to do with their team and schedule today?


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CrimsonForce said:

Because what happened the last 3 years really has no bearing on how good a team will be this year. What does TCU's record 3 years ago have to do with their team and schedule today?


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Well, I don't know what to say to that. :conf2:

If those rankings hold true, we will have to play seven of the top 25 and nine of the top 40. It will be asking a lot to make the playoff again. Of course, if it were up to some folks, we would also add the Cowboys, Steelers, and Titans so we wouldn't have to play any weak teams.

I agree with 3 of the Top 4 teams. Not quite sure why the pollsters love USC so much. Rematch with Ohio State in the semi-final playoff game.

gtowntide said:

I think TCU is getting a lot of love by the polls so they can make up for not making it last year. Their offense is much better( ask Ole Miss) and they are a legit playoff team.It seems as though the voters will try to get TCU and Baylor in this year.

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Not both, but one of them will get in (Baylor or TCU) unless they both just trip up and lose multiple games each. Which is possible I guess.

ALA2262 said:

Steele now has Bama at #3 and USC at #4.

2015 Bowl Projections.

Bowl Projections

Although we are still suffering through the preseason getting ready for September 3rd, it is never too early to start thinking about the postseason. For some, there are too many bowls, but my view has always been simple: the more football, the better!

Beginning with the playoff games on New Year’s Eve, my four projected teams are as follows:

Cotton Bowl (Arlington, TX): #2 TCU vs. #3 Alabama
Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, FL): #1 Ohio State vs. #4 USC

http://www.philsteele.com/Blogs/2015.../DBJuly20.html

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So Phil decides to change his rankings whenever he likes after folks bought the magazine?

I say Alabama is still the hunted. Alabama is the benchmark, especially in the SEC. Every team in the SEC is gunning for Bama and will give their best effort when they play us. That's just the way it is. Maybe the team can play this year with more of a chip on their shoulder with the way last year ended and all the off season talk and endless articles about Alabama not really being all that any longer.