Just pre-season stuff, but Phil Steele's Top 40 has teams from the MWC, WAC, CUSA and Sun Belt but not the MAC. (2 MWC, 2 WAC, 1 CUSA, 1 Sun Belt)

40- Arizona
39- Tennessee
38- Wisconsin
37- West Virginia
36- Oregon St.
35- Nevada (WAC)
34- Florida St.
33- Arkansas
32- NC State
31- Troy (Sun Belt)
30- N Carolina
29- Michigan St.
28- Georgia Tech
27- Southern Miss (CUSA)
26- USF
25- Clemson
24- UCLA
23- Pitt
22- Nebraska
21- Miami
20- Iowa
19- Illinois
18- TCU (MWC)
17- LSU
16- Rutgers
15- BYU (MWC)
14- Oklahoma St.
13- Georgia
12- Boise St. (WAC)
11- Virginia Tech
10- Ohio St
9- Cal
8- Alabama
7- Notre Dame
6- Ole Miss
5- Penn St.
4- Oklahoma
3- USC
2- Texas
1- Florida

Intersting stuff...thanks...

He also has Rutgers and Illinois in the top 20...don't see that happening, especially Illinois.

Nebraska and UCLA in the top 25...don't see that happening.

Somehow has Tennessee and Arkansas in the top 40 as well.

Hell, WMU beat Illinois last season and NIU should have beat Tennessee. CMU and WMU are deserving of being in the top 40. Both return excellent veteran QB's.

ND at #7 pretty much makes this list a farce.

(05-28-2009 07:49 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  He also has Rutgers and Illinois in the top 20...don't see that happening, especially Illinois.

Nebraska and UCLA in the top 25...don't see that happening.

Somehow has Tennessee and Arkansas in the top 40 as well.

Hell, WMU beat Illinois last season and NIU should have beat Tennessee. CMU and WMU are deserving of being in the top 40. Both return excellent veteran QB's.

ND at #7 pretty much makes this list a farce.

Everyone has their own opinion. This is just pre-season stuff, but wasn't Steele the only one pre-season last year that had Utah rated fairly well? Saw where he also predicted the boise State and Hawaii run. May be a farce, may not but time will tell won't it ?

(05-28-2009 08:16 PM)MeanGreen61 Wrote:  

(05-28-2009 07:49 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  He also has Rutgers and Illinois in the top 20...don't see that happening, especially Illinois.

Nebraska and UCLA in the top 25...don't see that happening.

Somehow has Tennessee and Arkansas in the top 40 as well.

Hell, WMU beat Illinois last season and NIU should have beat Tennessee. CMU and WMU are deserving of being in the top 40. Both return excellent veteran QB's.

ND at #7 pretty much makes this list a farce.

Everyone has their own opinion. This is just pre-season stuff, but wasn't Steele the only one pre-season last year that had Utah rated fairly well? Saw where he also predicted the boise State and Hawaii run. May be a farce, may not but time will tell won't it ?

Phil Steele is usually good though. Only magazine worth buying. All the other ones are a joke. I don't think its that hard to predict Utah and Boise State to do well last season though. Both were good teams the season before.

This top 40 list doesn't indicate who he thinks will be the 40 best teams. Its more of an indication that they're in the top 40 because they return a lot of starters or have an easy schedule. Things like that. I think his power rankings are the ones that indicate who he believes the best teams are.

regardless, it proves that the MAC is falling behind. When the most respected name in college football scouting snubs your ENTIRE conference, it's safe to say you've slipped a few notches.

Just more proof that the Sun Belt has passed the MAC.

I will say this though, I like the MAC. I watch your teams every week during the season on Tuesday/Thursday ESPN games.

(05-30-2009 10:29 AM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  regardless, it proves that the MAC is falling behind. When the most respected name in college football scouting snubs your ENTIRE conference, it's safe to say you've slipped a few notches.

Just more proof that the Sun Belt has passed the MAC.

I will say this though, I like the MAC. I watch your teams every week during the season on Tuesday/Thursday ESPN games.

Here is Steele's top 50 and MAC had 2 in 41-50 and CUSA had 4 more in 41-50, making for 5 in top 50 not bad for CUSA.

1)Florida
2)Texas
3)USC
4)Oklahoma
5)Penn State
6)Mississippi
7)Notre Dame
8)Alabama
9)California
10)Ohio State
11)Virginia Tech
12)Boise State
13)Georgia
14)Oklahoma State
15)BYU
16)Rutgers
17)LSU
18)TCU
19)Illinois
20)Iowa
21)Miami, Fl
22)Nebraska
23)Pittsburgh
24)UCLA
25)Clemson
26)USF
27)Southern Miss.
28)Georgia Tech
29)Michigan State
30)North Carolina
31)Troy
32)NC State
33)Arkansas
34)Florida State
35)Nevada
36)Oregon State
37)West Virginia
38)Wisconsin
39)Tennessee
40)Arizona
41)Texas Tech
42)Colorado
43)Central Michigan
44)Utah
45)UTEP
46)Houston
47)East Carolina
48)Michigan
49)Ohio
50)Tulsa

so the MAC's (arguably) best team in Central Michigan didn't even break the top 40 and their champion, Buffalo, isn't in the top 50?

I also see that Southern Miss is the ONLY Conference USA team ranked higher than TROY.

(05-30-2009 12:47 PM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  so the MAC's (arguably) best team in Central Michigan didn't even break the top 40 and their champion, Buffalo, isn't in the top 50?

I also see that Southern Miss is the ONLY Conference USA team ranked higher than TROY.

And FAU (#4 SBC) spanked CMU on national television in what was basically a home game for CMU.

Go SBC !!!

(05-30-2009 10:29 AM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  regardless, it proves that the MAC is falling behind. When the most respected name in college football scouting snubs your ENTIRE conference, it's safe to say you've slipped a few notches.

He still rates the MAC as a conference ahead of the SBC.

Also, as you can see by a follow-up post the MAC has two teams in the top 50 on his list and only one SBC team.

(05-30-2009 10:29 AM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  Just more proof that the Sun Belt has passed the MAC.

I'm still not seeing the proof.

The MAC participated in five bowl games last year. Sun Belt only participated in two, one of which being a MAC bowl game.

The MAC was rated higher in the Sagarin ratings last season.

The MAC defeated six BCS teams. The SBC defeated two BCS teams.

In the losses vs. BCS teams, the MAC lost by an average 14.5 points per loss. In the losses vs. BCS teams, the SBC lost by an average of 22.5 points per loss.

Check out this link from an ESPN article that shows the non-BCS victories over BCS schools from the years 1998-2007. From those years, the MAC is a collective 41-214 (.161 winning %) vs. BCS teams. The SBC is a collective 10-168 (.056 winning %) vs. BCS teams.

Here are the MAC schools:
6. Bowling Green 9-13 .409
8. Toledo 8-13 .381
11. Miami (Ohio) 7-18 .280
20. Northern Illinois 4-16 .200
21. Ohio 4-19 .174
22. Western Michigan 4-20 .167
25. Akron 3-17 .150
35. Kent State 1-16 .059
39. Buffalo 1-19 .050
45. Eastern Michigan 0-17 .000
47. Central Michigan 0-20 .000
50. Ball State 0-26 .000


Here are the SBC schools:
26. Mid. Tennessee 3-26 .103
27. Troy 3-22 .120
32. North Texas 2-25 .074
34. Florida Atlantic 1-12 .077
41. La.-Monroe 1-25 .038
43. Florida Intl. 0-11 .000
48. La.-Lafayette 0-22 .000
49. Arkansas State 0-25 .000

(06-01-2009 05:48 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(05-30-2009 10:29 AM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  regardless, it proves that the MAC is falling behind. When the most respected name in college football scouting snubs your ENTIRE conference, it's safe to say you've slipped a few notches.

He still rates the MAC as a conference ahead of the SBC.

Also, as you can see by a follow-up post the MAC has two teams in the top 50 on his list and only one SBC team.

(05-30-2009 10:29 AM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  Just more proof that the Sun Belt has passed the MAC.

I'm still not seeing the proof.

The MAC participated in five bowl games last year. Sun Belt only participated in two, one of which being a MAC bowl game.

The MAC was rated higher in the Sagarin ratings last season.

The MAC defeated six BCS teams. The SBC defeated two BCS teams.

In the losses vs. BCS teams, the MAC lost by an average 14.5 points per loss. In the losses vs. BCS teams, the SBC lost by an average of 22.5 points per loss.

Check out this link from an ESPN article that shows the non-BCS victories over BCS schools from the years 1998-2007. From those years, the MAC is a collective 41-214 (.161 winning %) vs. BCS teams. The SBC is a collective 10-168 (.056 winning %) vs. BCS teams.

Here are the MAC schools:
6. Bowling Green 9-13 .409
8. Toledo 8-13 .381
11. Miami (Ohio) 7-18 .280
20. Northern Illinois 4-16 .200
21. Ohio 4-19 .174
22. Western Michigan 4-20 .167
25. Akron 3-17 .150
35. Kent State 1-16 .059
39. Buffalo 1-19 .050
45. Eastern Michigan 0-17 .000
47. Central Michigan 0-20 .000
50. Ball State 0-26 .000


Here are the SBC schools:
26. Mid. Tennessee 3-26 .103
27. Troy 3-22 .120
32. North Texas 2-25 .074
34. Florida Atlantic 1-12 .077
41. La.-Monroe 1-25 .038
43. Florida Intl. 0-11 .000
48. La.-Lafayette 0-22 .000
49. Arkansas State 0-25 .000

Uh...Yeah...and most of our games are against the SEC. Let the MAC play the teams we have and then check your numbers.

Also, run those stats from the last three years and not from when we were basically a 1AA conference in transition.

(06-01-2009 06:01 PM)BlueRaiderFan111 Wrote:  

(06-01-2009 05:48 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(05-30-2009 10:29 AM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  regardless, it proves that the MAC is falling behind. When the most respected name in college football scouting snubs your ENTIRE conference, it's safe to say you've slipped a few notches.

He still rates the MAC as a conference ahead of the SBC.

Also, as you can see by a follow-up post the MAC has two teams in the top 50 on his list and only one SBC team.

(05-30-2009 10:29 AM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  Just more proof that the Sun Belt has passed the MAC.

I'm still not seeing the proof.

The MAC participated in five bowl games last year. Sun Belt only participated in two, one of which being a MAC bowl game.

The MAC was rated higher in the Sagarin ratings last season.

The MAC defeated six BCS teams. The SBC defeated two BCS teams.

In the losses vs. BCS teams, the MAC lost by an average 14.5 points per loss. In the losses vs. BCS teams, the SBC lost by an average of 22.5 points per loss.

Check out this link from an ESPN article that shows the non-BCS victories over BCS schools from the years 1998-2007. From those years, the MAC is a collective 41-214 (.161 winning %) vs. BCS teams. The SBC is a collective 10-168 (.056 winning %) vs. BCS teams.

Here are the MAC schools:
6. Bowling Green 9-13 .409
8. Toledo 8-13 .381
11. Miami (Ohio) 7-18 .280
20. Northern Illinois 4-16 .200
21. Ohio 4-19 .174
22. Western Michigan 4-20 .167
25. Akron 3-17 .150
35. Kent State 1-16 .059
39. Buffalo 1-19 .050
45. Eastern Michigan 0-17 .000
47. Central Michigan 0-20 .000
50. Ball State 0-26 .000


Here are the SBC schools:
26. Mid. Tennessee 3-26 .103
27. Troy 3-22 .120
32. North Texas 2-25 .074
34. Florida Atlantic 1-12 .077
41. La.-Monroe 1-25 .038
43. Florida Intl. 0-11 .000
48. La.-Lafayette 0-22 .000
49. Arkansas State 0-25 .000

Uh...Yeah...and most of our games are against the SEC. Let the MAC play the teams we have and then check your numbers.

Excuses...excuses...

The SBC played six of their 21 BCS games against SEC teams last season. That's only 28.6% of your total matchups against BCS teams. I thought you said most of them were against the SEC?

How many SEC games did the MAC play last year?

This MAC troll has nothing better to do than come over here and "prove" to us that the MAC isn't the new bottom dweller of the conferences. Poor thing.

I got nothing against the MAC, but if he's going to present facts, let's put them into perspective.