Phil Steele has built a cottage industry as a college football soothsayer. He recently looked into his crystal ball and prophesied not his own 2016 preseason rankings, but the first AP Top 25 of the 2016 season.
Bovada listed Ohio State as the 2016 betting favorites on Monday, but Steele predicts the AP won't be as high on the Buckeyes. (The AP also enjoys the luxury of not having to put its money where its rankings are.)
Steele sees the AP slotting them at No. 6 as the highest ranked Big Ten team. Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Florida State, and Louisiana State comprise the Top 5.
Here's how Steele sees the AP's Top 10:
| RANK | TEAM |
|---|---|
| 1 | ALABAMA |
| 2 | CLEMSON |
| 3 | OKLAHOMA |
| 4 | FLORIDA STATE |
| 5 | LOUISIANA STATE |
| 6 | OHIO STATE |
| 7 | MICHIGAN |
| 8 | BAYLOR |
| 9 | STANFORD |
| 10 | TENNESSEE |
Hype for The Game 2016 will dwarf the 2015's version if both Michigan and Ohio State creep into the Top 5 before the their season-ending clash on Nov. 26.
