Phil Steele Is Coming To Your Computer

Learn from the master...

If everyone were asked to compose a short list of folks they could sit down and talk college football with before the season, there's probably only one name that would show up on just about every single list: Phil Steele.

For the sport's truly addicted, Steele's annual preview is a Bible of sorts. It's not that the man isn't ever wrong - like everyone else, he is. It's that he consistently takes his analysis further and, when his research leads him to believe something that isn't conventionally held, he prints it anyway. Where other publications and prognosticators seem to jumble ever so slightly the end-of-season rankings from the previous year, Steele dives headfirst into the cold, hard data to make his guesses about the upcoming season.

The cold, hard data, too, is worth admiring. No one packs more information into so little space, giving readers stats and data points on every player from every team. It seems almost impossible to cover 119 teams and leave no stone unturned, but Phil Steele does it year in and year out.

And next week, Steele jumps off of my Short List and into the guest chair, as he'll be our featured expert on EDSBS LIVE.

Start preparing now, and if you have some questions, shoot 'em this way. I know I've got quite a few for the guru - both about Texas (Colt McCoy and Tray Allen spring to mind) and CFB in general.

--PB--