Steele Recap:
*hosts = horrible
Days off from work all yr = 4, 8<SUP>th</SUP> interview of the day
Staff of 30 people (hire me!)
Why Lville sucked in 07 = defense. Went from 16ppg to 31ppg.
Why FSU sucked in 07 = injuries. Upset at them. BC game was an impressive game for them. Let a couple games get away. 1<SUP>ST</SUP> half of Clemson, Wake Game. Bowl loss excused. This season, has talent, 15 returning starters. Schedule is favorable. Toughest foes @ home. Could see them rebounding and winning Atlantic but he has been disappointed with them and did not pick them. Weakness on OL has been a problem. Injuries/problems w/ Depth. Surprised, LSU increased 5ppg on offense w/out Jimbo Fisher. FSU suspensions will hurt them for the 1<SUP>st</SUP> three weeks, Wake in week 3.
Michigan in 07 = W/ defense facing spread in practice, they should be better defending it. Oregon game, he thinks if Dixon doesn’t get hurt, they are playing for NC. Game against Wisky, played w/out Hart-Henne. Says mailed in that game. Thought they played OSU well. Still in game in 1<SUP>st</SUP> half. Sent Carr out on winning note. Looked good w/ full force vs. UF in bowl game.
Last yr App St over Mich, is it more and more of a pattern, is it going to become more common? He thinks it will be. Playing field becoming more even. Scholorship limits are evening the playing field. Stanford over USC. Cuse over Lville. Doesn’t feel it will be like last yr. Sum undefeated, some 1 loss teams. Not parity like NFL but little guy has a shot
Strongest season of the B12? Recently, B12 has stepped game up. B12 had 4 teams in top -10 at end of 07. Every single QB is almost back, some of best in country, best group. Rated #2 behind SEC. Thinks big gap between #2 and #3. B12 use to be defense + rushing, now defenses are getting shredded, is there a Mike Leach affect? Some huge, high scoring games in B12 last yr. Braska giving up 38ppg. Thinks Leach has had impact. Spreads out a defense. Offensive league, not on the WAC status yet.
5 games to watch: USC vs. OSU…When OSU plays USC, if u look at remainder of schedules, winner of game thinks will play in title game….UF vs. UGA….Thinks UGA will come in @ #1……Oky vs. Tex and Oky vs. TT…..Only has TT an underdog vs. Oky. Only has Tex underdog vs. Oky and TT because they are both road. VT vs. UNC. Thinks the Coastal is decided in this game. UNC had 6 close losses, -6 in turnovers, 18 returning starters. Sept 20<SUP>th</SUP> could decide Coastal in this game.
Pitt @ #4 most improved. Talk about BE: Pitt @ #3 in BE. Saw Pitt play defense vs. WVU, only 12 FD. Had 2 games w/ TD called back which would of given them win and turned it over next play. USF vs. WVU for the BE title. Best RB was Devine @ end of yr. Loaded on offense. Schedule is favorable. Has them favored in all 12 games. Has USF one of most improved teams. Played bad when the weather changed. Defense is going to be solid, improved offense. Great schedule. Road games are winnable. Got KU at home, thinks they win. Has them 11-0 before @ WVU. That decides BE. Host is skeptical of WVU, thinks Coaching hire was emotional than logical. What is there to be skeptical about WVU? Biggest question mark is defense. Lose 7 of top 10. Has #7 DL in BE and #6 DB in BE. Thinks they find capable replacements. W/ RU, hosts thinks they will struggle because of Ray Rice departure. Returning Teel is nice at QB, are they going to look like same team? Projected at 8-4, there is no RB that comes close to Ray Rice. Teel has tools, good size, good arm, progressed as QB in 2<SUP>nd</SUP> half of season. 20-13 ratio and 58%. Has outstanding WR’s. Shiano has done good recruiting. 8 starters back on defense, #28 defense in country. Dogs @ WVU @ Cinci @ Pitt, @ USF.
Notre Dame: Have them as one of the most improved teams? Has them #1 improved teams. Last yr lost more lettermen then returning. Surprising to see that. Claussen was never 100%, has experience. Much better supporting cast. 9 starters back on offense, 7 back on offense. Schedule last year was #8, this year is #67. Thinks ND beats Mich. Underdog @ MSU, @ UNC, @ USC. Thinks they take out Pitt @ home. Has them favored 9/12. Has them 9-3 or 10-2. Much more experience, much easier schedule in Gator bowl vs. FSU.
Back to BE, Pitt, McCoy is a stud. Is Pitt a legit Turnaround? Thinks the are, thinks they could have had winning record last couple of years. Have just 12 lettermen lost. Have 53 of 66 back. Most in BE. Forced to go with Frosh @ QB last yr. Never gave him a shot to win games. Bill Stall has lead on Bostic. Has underrated WR core. Have a top 25ish defense. Brought in Phil Bennett, thinks he should be able to help. Have 2 tough MAC teams, could see them opening 4-0. After 9 games is 7-2. November determines Pitt season. All 3 he sees as toss ups. Papa Johns Bowl vs. UK
UCLA: Impressive coaching staff, P10 shaping up? 3 weeks with byes this year. Concern w/ UCLA is at QB. Lost 2 in the spring. Looks like Craft could be starter. Lose 4 starters on OL. UCLA schedule is #6. UT game they will be dogs. BYU is talking about BCS. Fresno game at home scares him. Anywhere, Anytime. Play Oregon on road. Play a Cal team that is stronger than last yr? Washington game who wants to pay them back. ASU on road and face USC at home. Underdog in 7 of 12 games w/ toss up with Fresno. Slight chance to eek into a bowl at 6-6.
ASU: Tied for 3<SUP>rd</SUP> in P10. Problem w/ them is OL. Can ASU protect Carpenter (55sacks), 32ppg. How? How he ranks OL. Grade player out of HS. Each year, comb different NFL scouting books. Talk to people in the league. Player makes all conf, upgrade them. Production level of OL. Look at experience level. How experienced are they, how many starts do they have. Have ASU w/ #10 OL in P10. Reason why they are tied for 3<SUP>rd</SUP> in P10. Has defense @ #13 in Country. Have tough conference road games. Doesn’t know if they match 10 wins of last yr.
UGA: Convential Wisdow has UGA #1, why are Gators #1? Schedule and talent level. Had UGA tied for 1<SUP>st</SUP> last yr, with a team that returned 9 starters. This year have 17 starters back. Moereno led the team when he became feature.On defense they got 9 back, very strong team. 4 major question marks. @ SC on road. SC was 6-6 how is that tough. SC was very strong on defense in beginning of year. Lost 2 top players in first 4 weeks. Won @ UGA between hedges. Have 10 back on defense, get back 4 hurt starters, one of top defenses in country. Thinks Spurrier can mold QB. Thinks they surprise some folks. Playing at LSU for UGA will be tough. His question w/ LSU is @ QB in the 8<SUP>th</SUP> week, playing behind #1 OL in country. LSU is at home. QB will have been battle tested by then. LSU has real good shot. UF game, Tebow was not 100%. He couldn’t run the football, by far worse rushing performance of yr. Auburn game being final road game for them. They got 16 guys back, OL is going to be strength. #21 OL in country. Auburn has bye week before. Basically 4<SUP>th</SUP> road game in a row for UGA. Got beat up for ranking UF #14 last yr. Impressed by LSU game in WK6, young team, taking on vetern team on road, UF was winning by 2 scores, let LSU escape w/ victory. Defense should be improved. Held UT to 14 first downs. Had tough situation vs. Mich. Thought UF was over confident. Mich offense was full force at that point. Defense is not bad, tons of team speed. #12 DL, #7 LB, #1 ST in country. Top notch OL, #1 set of WR, UF has 3 true SEC road games. Toughest one is vs. Tenn. Thinks they win that game. Most tough games at home, UGA is neutral. Gators have talent and schedule to run table, provided they get past Auburn in title game.
Bama: kick off w/ Clemson, Sr QB, roster filled with holes. What is Saban going to do this yr? Underdog in 5 games this yr. Has them #3 in SEC-W. Got UGA on road, Tenn on road, LSU on road, Auburn, game vs. Clemson. 13 returning starters. Question last year was depth. Could of beaten LSU last yr, could of beaten UGA last yr. Tougher schedule, not all recruits intergrated. Maybe 7-5 or 8-4. Excited about Julio Jones. Next year schedule is softer.
B10: OSU is the class of conference. Who might challenge OSU in B10. Has it #3 conference. OSU has 19 returning starters. Most returning starters anyone has had back from NC game is 16, both times, team returned. Wells, one of top RB in country. Toughest B10 road game is at Wisky. #2 team in B10 is PSU, doesn’t think they have a shot in Columbus. #9 rated defense in country. Like Carrel Clark. Have WR’s. Have #10 OL. #2 rated DL in country and #2 ST. Big game for PSU is @ Wisky, could see them 11-1 in Rose Bowl. Wisky w/ 17 returning starters, concerned about QB. Strong at OL, Strong at RB. Mich/Iowa/Illionois all tied for 4<SUP>th</SUP> in B10.
Miami: Think they are a year away. Thought they would have been better last yr. Thought game vs. UVA was terrible, embarrassing. A lot of growth to do. Only 11 returning starters. Might get to bowl elgibilty. UF -20 is Golden Nuggest line. Thinks UF rolls them.
1 player not pimped hard enough in his magazine. Host says, Lamar Houston, DE moved to DT.
opcorn:
