Phil Steele’s Experience Chart for 2009

Phil Steele recently posted his ‘new and improved’ Experience Chart for the 2009 season, which he claims to be ‘FIVE TIMES better,’ to an online column in the Orlando Sentinel.

In the past, Phil only used a system where he broke down the number of Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen each team had in the two deep and rated the teams experience level based on that.

This year Phil took that same system and added a few new factors including % of letterman returning, % of returning offensive yards, % of returning total tackles, and returners from the offensive line.

And then by the miracle of the calculator, he devised a formula where he plugs all of these factors into an equation that churns out a number from 0 -100, with 100 being a team with 25 seniors (NCAA scholarship limit) in the two deep and every yard and tackle returning but 120+ career starts.

For more info and for the complete list, read the article by clicking on the link above or buy the magazine (I swear I don’t get paid to plug him.) If you’re a Nebraska, Missouri, or Texas Tech fan, you might want to look away. Below is what he found.

#1 Minnesota 82.2
#2 UAB 81.1
#3 Toledo 80.0
#4 East Carolina 78.7
#5 FIU 77.2
#6 Florida 75.8
.
#10 Oklahoma State 74.4
#11 Texas 74.1
#20 Baylor 69.9
#21 Virginia Tech 69.8
#25 Iowa State 69.1
#40 Arkansas State 65.7
#44 Louisiana-Lafayette 64.9
#50 Oklahoma 63.8
#53 Kansas 62.9
#55 Texas A&M 62.8
#60 Colorado 62.0
#76 Kansas State 58.5
#89 Florida Atlantic 55.7
#106 Texas Tech 50.8
#112 Nebraska 49.3
#120 Missouri 39.6

Phil Steele’s Big 12 Predictions

Thanks to ESPN.com’s Tim Griffin, I don’t have to wait until June 9 to see all of Phil Steele’s “College Football Bible” when it hits the bookstores.

For the few of you who do not know Phil, he produces the authority of college football. In his yearly publication, you will see hundreds upon hundreds of pages of information with two in 6 point font devoted to each team. In those pages, you get position outlooks, depth analysis at every position, top newcomers to watch, a team schedule complete with gambling angles, in-depth ATS analysis, and a complete statistical breakdown of the team and players. And although it will take you from June until September to maybe get through every word, it’s best if you just keep it in your back pocket for when you need a quick reference.

Anyways, here is Phil’s outlook for the Big 12 with bowl projections:

North Division

1. Nebraska (Holiday Bowl vs. California)

T2. Colorado (Independence Bowl vs. Auburn)

T2. Kansas State (Insight Bowl vs. Wisconsin)

4. Kansas (Alamo Bowl vs. Michigan State)

5. Missouri

6. Iowa State

South Division

1. Texas (BCS title game vs. Florida)

2. Oklahoma (Fiesta Bowl vs. Boise State)

3. Oklahoma State (Cotton Bowl vs. LSU)

4. Texas Tech (Sun Bowl vs. UCLA)

5. Baylor (Texas Bowl vs. Navy)

6. Texas A&M

I buy into everyone of his picks for the Big 12 South. Right now, Texas is the class of the south with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State right there. Depending on what happens in the Red River Rivalry, the Halloween night game with Texas @ Oklahoma State could shake everything up in the division. Another 3-way tie in 2009? Oh God, I hope so.

The Big 12 North, on the other hand, is a bit of a surprise to say the least. Nebraska and Kansas are the two favorites in almost every poll I’ve seen so far. Evidently, Phil isn’t buying into the Kansas defense. To sit them down at 4 behind Colorado and Kansas State with 17 starters back is very surprising. If Kansas State finds a capable quarterback between either Carson Coffman or Daniel Thomas (j.c. transfer), then their offense is going to be very talented to go along with a defense that has only one weak spot at corner. Colorado’s offense will be greatly improved in 2009 with all but one starter back. No bowl game for Missouri? I love Phil Steele.