From the beacon of news that is Pat Forde's Twitter page:
(Steele's) gusto picks: Ole Miss #6, Notre Dame #7, Cal #9, Boise State #12, Rutgers #16.
Phil Steele's 2009 preview magazine arrived in Forde's mailbox over the weekend, which kind of makes me wonder what my mailman was doing all weekend ... probably reading my Phil Steele preview magazine, that's what.
Steele was dead right about the Broncos last fall when he was one of only a few writers to pick Boise State to win the WAC (I would rather not mention his All-WAC picks). Every year, his magazine is one of college football's most anticipated - his magazine, and Graham Watson's All-Nevada preview.
The Broncos being at No. 12 matches the ranking that Athlon Sports' annual preview gave Boise State just last week. Now if BSU can only nab the 12th spot in the Walgreen's 2009 football preview/Sunday mailer, they'll have nailed the trifecta.
But the Phil Steele news was not rosy for all non-BCS teams. As Forde reports,
Teams Phil is picking for major backslides from '08: Cincinnati and Missouri out of Top 50; Utah and Texas Tech out of Top 40.
With Utah in the 40s and no mention of TCU to be found, it appears that Phil Steele is implying what I am constantly inferring: Boise State is BCS bound in 2009.
I am awaiting confirmation from my mailman on whether or not this is the case.