As we spoke about in this article from yesterday,  Phil Steele made his predictions on what the 2010 Preseason AP Top 10 would look like, with five other picks thrown in there.  Here was his list:

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Boise State
4. Oregon
5. Texas
6. TCU
7. Iowa
8. Florida
9. Nebraska
10. Virginia Tech
11. Georgia Tech
12. Wicsonsin
13. Oklahoma
14. Miami
15. LSU

Yesterday’s article talked about the hole that is in Iowa’s resume, that being a mostly inexperienced offensive line.  But the Hawkeyes return 14/15 starters, depending on how you view Allen Reisner who started for an injured Tony Moeaki last year.

If I were to rank the teams right now based on fewest holes, manageable schedules, talent, etc, it would look like this:

1. Ohio State
2. Boise State
3. Oregon
4. TCU

Each of those teams returns a ton of talent, the vast majority of their starters (Ohio State returns in the high teens, Boise 21 and Oregon 22, and each returns a starting quarterback) and I think they have the best chances of winning all of their games over any other teams in the nation. Boise State plays Virginia Tech on a neutral eastern seaboard field and travels to Oregon State, a team that will be a preseason Top 25 program. The Buckeyes have to travel to Madison and Iowa City and host another Top 25 team, the Miami Hurricanes, the second week of the season. TCU returns a ton of talent, too, and they don’t have the week in week out grind of most schools in BCS leagues. Again, my numbers above are not who I think are necessarily the ‘best looking’ teams heading into 2010, just the teams I think have the best chance to run the table next year, although Ohio State looks pretty darned good.

Here are some other teams Iowa will be vying with for a preseason Top 10 ranking and some pluses and minuses.

Alabama: Yes, the Tide returns nearly all of its offensive weapons for next year, including a starting quarterback that has never lost a game at any level and the Heisman Trophy winner. But they return just TWO starters on defense, a defense that was the best unit on any team in America last year on either side of the ball. The good news for them is that on the whole, the SEC looks like it will take a step or two backwards, as Florida reloads, Tennessee has some issues, LSU still has a quarterback situation to figure out and an anemic offense, Ole Miss lost its quarterback in Jevan Snead, etc. However, South Carolina is going to put up a lot of points, and last year was Georgia’s retooling year. That being said, Alabama would be the fifth team I would rank in my Top Ten.

Texas: Colt McCoy leaves Texas as the winningest quarterback in NCAA FBS history. His top receiver is gone and they return six starters on offense. As Steele noted, they lose four of their five top tacklers on defense, but return the other seven. They play at Nebraska and Oklahoma is at a neutral site.

Nebraska: Losing Suh is huge, figuratively and literally, for Nebraska. I have seen a few of their writers suggesting that the Huskers defense could be better next year. That is not going to happen, unless the Big 12 teams they play are all taking big steps backwards on offense. Suh was like having an extra defender on the field. Their defense should be good, but not nightmarishly good the way it was down the stretch last year. And their offense still has to prove quite a bit.

Florida: Tebow is gone, their top TE and WR are gone, most of the studs on defense are gone. This will not be a Top 10 team at the end of the year and if they are ranked preseason Top 10, it will be solely on name value.

Virginia Tech: This program won their final five games as Steele points out and they will have a veteran returning at quarterback. People forget they only lost three games last year. I could see this team winning the ACC, as Georgia Tech lost too much talent.

Wisconsin: The Badgers host the Buckeyes but play at Iowa. They return a ton, including a good quarterback that will get better, talent on both sides of the ball and the majority of their starters. I think they have a shot at a 10-2 regular season that would put them on the edge of the December Top 10. They won’t get this kind of respect in the preseason poll, however.

Oklahoma: This is another team that will be mentioned due to name value. They suffer a lot of losses, but their new quarterback got some experience last year, more than Sooner fans wanted to see. That being said, they don’t lose as much as they could have as a few players returned that might have gone pro. The Big 12 doesn’t look to be all that great, so perhaps they could play themselves into a Top 10 spot and they are my favorite to win the South.

Miami: Jacory Harris threw 17 interceptions last year, tied for the most in all of FBS (although Rick Stanzi had the most interceptions per passing attempts of full time FBS starters). The Canes started hot, navigating a murderous schedule…I think they could be more consistent this year, but they will lose at Ohio State in early September. They could have the juice to win the ACC, too.

LSU: I already talked about their quarterback situation. Typically, you expect them to play great defense but on the whole this team returns less than 10 starters, among the lowest total for any BCS conference team. Pressure will be on the Mad Hatter this year down on the bayou, and he might not be able to deliver.

We know about Iowa…and after studying the holes that these projected top tier teams have facing them, I would include Wisconsin, Virginia Tech and Iowa in the top ten…after that, it’s a crap shoot.

Given side by side comparisons, perhaps the Hawks are ‘deserving’ of the preseason accolades they will be getting when the magazines roll around in June.

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