Phil Steele: The man, the myth, the legend

If you're going to pick up one preseason magazine, I beg you to choose Phil Steele's 2008 College Football Preview. Steele has the definitive pre-season mags that are the most accurate and stocked full of information every single year. I picked the mag up today with Colt McCoy on the cover since I live in Texas. It felt like waking up on Christmas and opening a present going in to that Barnes & Noble and grabbing this year's college football bible. This one:

Now on to the stuff pertaining to Northern. Phil believes that with 20 starters returning that we will once again bowl eligibility, effectively making Jerry Kill look like a genius. NIU can definitely be one of the surprise teams in the MAC this year.

Positional Rankings for NIU Players
Justin Anderson - #54 RB
Jon Brost - #45 T
Larry English - #26 DE
Tim McCarthy - #44 ILB
Alex Kube - #34 SS

2008's Most Improved Teams
Factored in are the -17 turnovers (#3 in the nation) and the 3 net close losses that we had last year. Not to the mention the 38 starts we lost last year from players injured or suspended (#6 in the nation)

NIU - #3

Phil Steele's 2008 All-MAC
1st Team: RB Justin Anderson & DE Larry English
2nd Team: G Jason Onyebuagu, T Jon Brost, DT Craig Rusch, LB Tim McCarthy & SS Alex Kube
3rd Team: WR Matt Simon & FS Bradley Pruitt
4th Team: TE Reed Cunningham, DT Alex Krutsch
HM: WR Britt Davis & P Andy Dittbenner

MAC West Projection
1. CMU
2. WMU
3. Ball St
4. NIU
5. Toledo
6. EMU

MAC East
1. Bowling Green
2. Miami OH
3. Kent St
4. Buffalo
6. Ohio
6. Akron

NIU's MAC Unit Rankings
QB RB REC OL DL LB DB ST CH
NIU 9 3 6 2 2 4 7 12 11

NIU 2008 Recruit PS Rankings
OL Logan Pegram - #168
DL Adam Coleman - #164
LB Kevin Sabock - #160
RB Meco Brown - #202
DL Brian Lawson - #256
DB Kiaree Daniels - #461 JC
LB Darnell Bolding - #461 JC
QB Brandon Rogers - #212
WR Chase Mejia - #320
DL Maurice Coon - #430
TE Dan Edem - #132
WR Tommy Davis - #391 RB
DB Jody VanLaanen - #456
DL Jason Schepler - #464
DL Bristan Kelley - #180 TE

MAC Conference Recruiting Rankings (Finally someone doesn't have us last!)
1. Miami OH
2. Temple
3. Toledo
4. Ohio
5. W Michigan
6. C Michigan
7. Ball St
8. Akron
9. N Illinois
10. Kent St
11. Buffalo
12. Bowling Green
13. E Michigan

Team Experience Rankings
9. BGSU
10. NIU
15. WMU
19. Ohio
23. Temple
40. Akron
56. Ball St
62. Buffalo
62. Kent St
94. EMU
99. CMU
104. Miami OH
108. Toledo

Power Poll Rankings
57. Western Michigan
59. Central Michigan
63. Ball St.
72. Bowling Green
76. Miami OH
79. N Illinois
82. Kent St
84. Temple
90. Toledo
92. Buffalo
104. Eastern Michigan
110. Ohio
111. Akron

2008's Toughest Schedules
72. Ohio
75. Toledo
79. Buffalo
83. C Michigan
87. Northern Illinois
91. E Michigan
93. Temple
96. Akron
101. Bowling Green
105. Miami OH
106. W Michigan
111. Kent St
112. Ball St

That was just a smidgen of the information available in Phil Steele's preview. Go pick it up. You will be satisfied if you do.