Phil Steele....Oregon in the CFP Hunt
- By coreyegner
- First Duck Club
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From ESPN....I copied the whole thing because it is on a service that I pay for and you cannot read it if you are not subscribed. Consider this an advertisement for ESPN....
It was too long to post so I edited it some.
The 13 teams who could crash the College Football Playoff party
Florida got to the SEC championship game in 2016, yet the Gators aren't among the favorites to make it to the College Football Playoff in 2017. That makes them a strong sleeper to crash the CFP party this year. (Photo by Logan Stanford/Icon Sportswire
Jul 19, 2017
Editor's note: This article was adapted from Phil Steele's college football preview magazine, which is available here.
Last year, my No. 1 surprise team was the Washington Huskies, and they went from 7-6 in 2015 to making the College Football Playoff. They gave Alabama a good game in the playoff before losing 24-7, but they delivered on the hype.
What under-the-radar teams are in the running to bust into the CFP in 2017?
1. Florida Gators
2. Miami Hurricanes
3. Stanford Cardinal
Stanford is not a stranger on this list. Just two years ago, the Cardinal were my No. 1 surprise team and finished No. 3 in the final polls, winning the Rose Bowl after nearly making the CFP. Last year, they opened 4-3 but won their last six games and finished No. 12. They lost their two best players -- running back Christian McCaffrey and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas -- but are in all eight of my top unit rankings. Their defensive back seven is one of the best in the country, with my No. 2 set of linebackers and No. 4 set of defensive backs. As good as the starters are, there will not be a drop-off when the backups play. Stanford gets Washington at home and last year faced the Huskies in a bad spot, with the Cardinal coming off a big road win, traveling to Washington and some injuries in the defensive backfield. A win in that game would put them in the Pac-12 title game and one step away from the CFP. While coach David Shaw has not been there yet, not many teams would want to go up against a team coached by him with extra time to prepare. And he has a deep and talented squad.
4. Oklahoma State Cowboys
5. LSU Tigers
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6. Michigan Wolverines
Michigan has qualities that are similar to a team that made the playoffs last year -- yes, Ohio State fans, I am comparing the 2017 Wolverines to the 2016 Buckeyes. Ohio State was the least-experienced team in the country and was thought to be a year away from being CFP-worthy. But the Buckeyes went on the road and beat Oklahoma, a preseason top-five team, and made the playoff despite not winning their own division. Michigan is No. 127 in my experience rankings and has the fewest returning starters in the FBS, with just five. The Wolverines have two top-10 teams in their own division, but coach Jim Harbaugh has plenty of talent to work with, and despite the inexperience, they rank in all eight of my top units. They had a combined 46-20 first-down edge versus Penn State and Wisconsin in 2016, so they have a shot at winning those killer road games. The Wolverines have four of my preseason top-10 teams on the schedule, but their three losses last year were close (by one point, three points and one point, respectively) so I give them a shot at rising up and pulling some surprises.
7. TCU Horned Frogs
The Horned Frogs are coming off a losing year and will be under the radar. They should have one of the most explosive offenses in the country, and coach Gary Patterson will craft a solid defense. All eight units rank high in my ratings, including my No. 6 set of receivers and defensive backs. They are the most experienced team in the Big 12 (and No. 4 in the nation). While they must play Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Oklahoma on the road, they are capable of getting to the Big 12 title game, which would make them a threat to make the CFP.
8. Virginia Tech Hokies
The Hokies have a solid shot at making some noise. They have a typically solid defense led by defensive coordinator Bud Foster, with my No. 26 defensive line, No. 9 linebackers and No. 3 defensive backs, plus the Hokies are solid on special teams, as always, with my No. 18-rated unit. The offense averaged 35.0 PPG last year, and if head coach Justin Fuente can work his magic again on that side of the ball, the Hokies get Clemson at home and avoid Florida State. Their toughest road games are at Miami and Georgia Tech. If the Hokies return to the ACC title game, even with one loss, they would have a great shot at making the playoff.
9. Texas Longhorns
10. Georgia Bulldogs
11. Kansas State Wildcats
12. NC State Wolfpack
13. Oregon Ducks
New Oregon coach Willie Taggart did a great job at South Florida -- look at the kind of shape he left USF in! After talking to him this spring, I am convinced he will make a finesse team much more physical, and he has decent talent to work with. Oregon finished No. 2, 9, 2 and 19, respectively, from 2012 to 2015 in the final polls, so the Ducks fit the mold of a bounce-back team.
It was too long to post so I edited it some.
The 13 teams who could crash the College Football Playoff party
Florida got to the SEC championship game in 2016, yet the Gators aren't among the favorites to make it to the College Football Playoff in 2017. That makes them a strong sleeper to crash the CFP party this year. (Photo by Logan Stanford/Icon Sportswire
Jul 19, 2017
Phil SteeleESPN Staff Writer
Editor's note: This article was adapted from Phil Steele's college football preview magazine, which is available here.
Last year, my No. 1 surprise team was the Washington Huskies, and they went from 7-6 in 2015 to making the College Football Playoff. They gave Alabama a good game in the playoff before losing 24-7, but they delivered on the hype.
What under-the-radar teams are in the running to bust into the CFP in 2017?
Stanford is not a stranger on this list. Just two years ago, the Cardinal were my No. 1 surprise team and finished No. 3 in the final polls, winning the Rose Bowl after nearly making the CFP. Last year, they opened 4-3 but won their last six games and finished No. 12. They lost their two best players -- running back Christian McCaffrey and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas -- but are in all eight of my top unit rankings. Their defensive back seven is one of the best in the country, with my No. 2 set of linebackers and No. 4 set of defensive backs. As good as the starters are, there will not be a drop-off when the backups play. Stanford gets Washington at home and last year faced the Huskies in a bad spot, with the Cardinal coming off a big road win, traveling to Washington and some injuries in the defensive backfield. A win in that game would put them in the Pac-12 title game and one step away from the CFP. While coach David Shaw has not been there yet, not many teams would want to go up against a team coached by him with extra time to prepare. And he has a deep and talented squad.
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Michigan has qualities that are similar to a team that made the playoffs last year -- yes, Ohio State fans, I am comparing the 2017 Wolverines to the 2016 Buckeyes. Ohio State was the least-experienced team in the country and was thought to be a year away from being CFP-worthy. But the Buckeyes went on the road and beat Oklahoma, a preseason top-five team, and made the playoff despite not winning their own division. Michigan is No. 127 in my experience rankings and has the fewest returning starters in the FBS, with just five. The Wolverines have two top-10 teams in their own division, but coach Jim Harbaugh has plenty of talent to work with, and despite the inexperience, they rank in all eight of my top units. They had a combined 46-20 first-down edge versus Penn State and Wisconsin in 2016, so they have a shot at winning those killer road games. The Wolverines have four of my preseason top-10 teams on the schedule, but their three losses last year were close (by one point, three points and one point, respectively) so I give them a shot at rising up and pulling some surprises.
The Horned Frogs are coming off a losing year and will be under the radar. They should have one of the most explosive offenses in the country, and coach Gary Patterson will craft a solid defense. All eight units rank high in my ratings, including my No. 6 set of receivers and defensive backs. They are the most experienced team in the Big 12 (and No. 4 in the nation). While they must play Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Oklahoma on the road, they are capable of getting to the Big 12 title game, which would make them a threat to make the CFP.
The Hokies have a solid shot at making some noise. They have a typically solid defense led by defensive coordinator Bud Foster, with my No. 26 defensive line, No. 9 linebackers and No. 3 defensive backs, plus the Hokies are solid on special teams, as always, with my No. 18-rated unit. The offense averaged 35.0 PPG last year, and if head coach Justin Fuente can work his magic again on that side of the ball, the Hokies get Clemson at home and avoid Florida State. Their toughest road games are at Miami and Georgia Tech. If the Hokies return to the ACC title game, even with one loss, they would have a great shot at making the playoff.
New Oregon coach Willie Taggart did a great job at South Florida -- look at the kind of shape he left USF in! After talking to him this spring, I am convinced he will make a finesse team much more physical, and he has decent talent to work with. Oregon finished No. 2, 9, 2 and 19, respectively, from 2012 to 2015 in the final polls, so the Ducks fit the mold of a bounce-back team.
Ducks picked No. 4 in Pac-12 North...
- First Duck Club
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Take it for what it's worth, here are the preseason media predictions for the Pac-12 this year.
