That said, when he released his Top 25 in late May, quite a few people were interested in what he had to say. He drew both praise and disdain for going out on a limb to pick Oklahoma as his No. 1, but you had to respect his logic in doing so because, well...he's Phil Steele.
However, since that time, a lot has happened in the world of college football and that Top 10 that seemed to make sense in May isn't looking nearly as air-tight in August. This article is a brief, and I do mean brief, look at the potential weakness of each team Phil Steele listed in his Top 10.
I'll leave the further discussion of said "weaknesses" to you, the reader, because I consider us all to be savvy enough to make a quick, smart, and balanced analysis. Plus, it's always nice to see a different point of view.
As always, I ask that you be respectful of each other and allow for intelligent discussion—thanks in advance for the look. Much appreciated.
10. Oregon Ducks
The obvious place to begin would be at quarterback, right? After all the Ducks lost a possible Heisman contender in Jeremiah Masoli—leaving two inexperienced guys fighting for the right to lead the Ducks back to the promised land.
However, a closer look at the Ducks QB situation and you have to feel like either Nate Costa or Darron Thomas can come in and perform—Chip Kelly knows how to find a good quarterback. The Ducks should be fine at signal-caller as long as Costa can stay healthy and Thomas can stay poised.
So, if there is one weakness that can be found, it would have to be located on the defensive line where the Ducks lost stud defensive end, Will Tukuafu. Can the team repeat the success they had as a unit in 2010 minus one of their best leaders?
Tukuafu's loss isn't a deal breaker but it's definitely something to consider, especially where line chemistry is concerned—can the Ducks keep it together, stay healthy, and remain focused enough to carry their 2009 success into 2010?
9. Miami Hurricanes
The Hurricanes come into 2010 with a lot of expectations. However, one look at their first road trip of the season—to Columbus to play Ohio State—and you have to wonder if those expectations shouldn't be tempered just a little bit.
The Canes' are loaded with talent, both in the secondary and on the defensive line—despite what their ACC sack totals will tell you—and I don't suspect they will have much of a problem finding a capable back for Jacory Harris to hand the ball off to.
That said, the fact that the offensive line lost two major cogs in Jason Fox (OT) and A.J. Trump (C) is a concern. Harris was already on the ground way too much last season and if fans are looking for him to take the next step in his development, it would help if he weren't running for his life.
Can the Canes' find capable replacements on the offensive line in time to make those title dreams come true in Miami?
8. USC
USC has been taken through the ringer this offseason. From the departure of Pete Carroll to the quasi-erasure of Reggie Bush from their history books, the program has seen better days.
However, just because they won't be eligible for the postseason for a couple years, doesn't mean they can't offer a preview of what might be coming in the future—make no mistake, there is still plenty of talent at USC.
The only true weakness on this team is its secondary. Taylor Mays is gone and the only guy with any significant starting time in the outfield is Shareece Wright. Will the lack of experience in the secondary become a major factor for the Trojans in a pass-happy conference like the Pac-10?
7. Florida
The Gators are not without talent. Tebow may be gone, but John Brantley promises a new approach to the Gator offensive attack—one that will present more balance on the field than the SEC has seen from the Swamp since the departure of Chris Leak.
You could arbitrarily pick a spot and say it could pose a problem for the Gators, but then you'd remember they still have a ton of talent bringing up the rear.
For instance, they lost Brandon Spikes at linebacker, right? Well,big deal, they have plenty more horses in that stable. Joe Haden will be a tough act to follow, but if there is one thing the Gators can find, it's a speedy defensive back to patrol the outfield. Brandon James will be missed on special teams, but I'm pretty sure someone can both catch the ball and run it really fast when the time comes.
So, in honesty, the one weakness, if you are hard-pressed to find one, has to be at wide receiver, where the only significant experience that returns comes with Deonte Thompson—both Aaron Hernandez (TE) and Riley Cooper (WR) are gone.
Will Brantley have enough targets to compliment his talented arm in 2010?
6. Boise State
The Broncos have everything on their side right now, schedule (although that match-up with Virginia Tech could make or break their season), experience (they return 20 starters), coaching (there are few better than Chris Petersen), and expectation (they finally have the respect and the ear of the BCS).
However, what they don't have is an experienced starter returning at the left tackle position. The position that, arguably, is the most important guy on the offensive line. Last season, Nate Potter performed the job very well but he has moved to guard to make way for redshirt freshman, Charles Leno.
Leno may be all that the coaches want him to be, but he hasn't started a game yet, and he will be expected to protect the blindside of the teams most treasured commodity—can he do it?
5. Nebraska
The Big Red Machine came within an eyelash of winning the Big XII outright last season. Now, with Texas nearly in their rear view, they will look to leave said conference with a bang, not a whimper—hopefully at the Longhorns expense.
In order to do so, they will first need to address their offensive inconsistency. That task will start with the quarterback position where the Cornhuskers seemed to find both joy and pain with Lee at the helm last season.
Nebraska will be fine without Suh, despite what many think, and they have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to make another appearance at the Big 12 Championship game in 2010. But, if they want to go further, they will need to bring their offense up to the same level as their defense.
Can Lee or Green take the next step and make Nebraska's final season in the Big XII a triumphant one?
4. TCU
The Horned Frogs have long been an under-appreciated, fiercely talented, and consistently steady performer in the Mountain West. All they do is win football games and produce some of the best NFL prospects in the nation—two last season alone in both Darryl Washington and Jerry Hughes.
However, their loss to Boise State in last year's Fiesta Bowl left a bad taste in the mouths of the TCU faithful who figured their program was finally going to get its moment in the sun. Well, that was then.
It's a new year and, even with some key personnel losses on defense, the team still looks poised to make another run at BCS glory if they can address the holes created in the secondary when both Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders departed.
Will the loss of veteran leadership in the secondary be a sore spot for the Frogs this season?
3. Alabama
What can you say about the Crimson Tide? They have one of the best offensive lines in the conference, one of the best running back tandems in the country, and one of the best coaches—in the nation. Nuff said.
They are worthy of all the accolades and the camera-clicks they are getting at the moment and Nick Saban's crew can expect more of the same until their first loss of the season is a reality—pimpin' ain't easy, right?
Well, for all the talent and experience offered by the offense and the defense, there is at least one glaring weakness to speak of—special teams. The Tide lost Leigh Tiffin (K), P.J. Fitzgerald (P), and uber return man, Javier Arenas.
It doesn't matter what your stance is on the importance of the special teams unit, I can say without question, a game can be won or lost in the SEC with one swing of the leg or one badly returned ball.
Can the Tide reload there as well or will the lack of experience on special teams come back to haunt them in a tight game this season?
2. Ohio State
Big things are expected from the Buckeyes this year. Few would place a bet against Jim Tressel's crew in the Big Ten—except maybe Iowa, but that's another story.
However, if the Buckeyes expect to return to another National Title berth, they will need to address the inconsistency of their offensive line. There is just too much experience in that unit for them to play as poorly in 2010 as they did last season.
If they can't do better than that, it won't matter how nifty Terrelle Pryor is, things could get ugly for the Buckeyes in a hurry.
Can the offensive line grow into the behemoth that many expect it should be already?
1. Oklahoma
However, the logic was sound enough that most could at least understand how he might have come to his conclusion.
The Sooners are pretty solid in most areas but the lack of experience at the corner spot could cause some hiccups along the way. Stoops lost two high-quality playmakers in both Domonique Franks and Brian Jackson. He'll need to insert two new able-bodied players at that spot in order to keep the heat off his talented safeties.
Will the Sooners be able to tighten their secondary up in time to be ready for the air attack of the Big 12?
(This article appears courtesy of The Lady Sportswriter)
