Phil Steele

[metro0308]

Haven't seen this posted yet, Courtsey of TBO and Brett McMurphy

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/comments/steele-solid-on-the-bulls/

Ever since the University of South Florida moved to Division I-A in football, the Bulls have not received much respect from the national media (remember when Sports Illustrated rated USF before the 2001 season as the nation’s second-worst team and the Bulls finished 8-3). This year, however, more of the national types are jumping on the Bulls’ bandwagon.

However, none believe in the Bulls as much as Phil Steele. In Steele’s 2007 College Football Preview magazine he writes – and this is not a misprint – “Two of my first sets of power ratings that I had completed were calling for [uSF] to go undefeated.â€Â

Steele then explains his conference rankings talked him out of predicting an unbeaten season for USF, then adds: “despite those rankings, USF could still end up in the National Title game.â€Â

That’s right: the BCS Title game (that’s the Sugar Bowl Jan. 7 in New Orleans if you want to go ahead and purchase your plane tickets now). Steele ranks USF as his No. 5 surprise team (Florida State is first, followed by Virginia Tech, Penn State and Ohio State).

While USF playing for the national title is a long shot, USF fans should know that Steele’s preseason magazine has been the most accurate preseason magazine over the past eight years combined, including ranking first in the 2006, 2004, 2001 and 1999 seasons, according to Stassen.com, which lists each magazine’s success rate since 1993.

The Bulls going from Birmingham to Bourbon Street in one year? Phil Steele says it’s a real possibility.

[outrunner]

http://thebullspen.com/index.php?topic=34379.0