Daily Blog - Tuesday June 9th

Today is the official on sale date for my 2009 College Football Magazine!!! If you do not already have a copy, head out to the bookstores and newsstands today. The magazine is available nationwide at Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble, WaldenBooks, Borders, Hastings, Media Play, Target, Books-A-Million, Kmart and Circle K. There are other locations where we shipped to, so check the magazine section at stores near you.

A few months ago I gave you all of the toughest schedules using the NCAA method of determining toughest schedules which is last year’s record. This method has some major flaws which I have pointed out in my Toughest Schedule article on pages 317 and 318 of the magazine over the past few years. I was very proud to be the first to determine those percentages as we put it up two days after the last schedule was finalized.

Today I give you the actual toughest schedules for each of this year’s teams. A couple of quick examples is that in my toughest schedule ranking LSU, which was 8-5 last year and is a Top 10 team, is graded by their 2009 power rating and not last year’s 8-5 record. Using the NCAA method a team like Utah that was 13-0 last year but has just 12 returning starters is graded as a much tougher opponent due to last year’s record. Also a IAA (or FCS) team with a winning record from last year is graded to be a much tougher opponent than a team such as Illinois which was 5-7 last year, but is a team I think will be in a Jan bowl. Also Michigan is a legitimate bowl squad this year but you only get credit for playing a weak 3-9 team using last year’s record.I go much more in depth in this year’s magazine article but here is the PHIL STEELE’S 2009 TOUGHEST SCHEDULE:

1
South Carolina
31
Missouri
61
Iowa St
91
Southern Miss
2
Florida St
32
Indiana
62
NC State
92
Fresno St
3
Oklahoma
33
Purdue
63
Kansas St
93
Louisiana Tech
4
Mississippi St
34
Florida
64
East Carolina
94
Nevada
5
Minnesota
35
Nebraska
65
San Jose St
95
E Michigan
6
Arkansas
36
Notre Dame
66
USF
96
New Mexico St
7
Georgia
37
Wake Forest
67
UAB
97
C Michigan
8
Virginia Tech
38
UCLA
68
Alabama
98
WKU
9
Tennessee
39
Ohio St
69
Rice
99
Toledo
10
Michigan St
40
Texas
70
Cincinnati
100
Hawaii
11
Oregon
41
Texas A&M
71
BYU
101
Louisiana
12
Miami, Fl
42
Illinois
72
Penn St
102
San Diego St
13
Virginia
43
Connecticut
73
New Mexico
103
ULM
14
Oklahoma St
44
Wyoming
74
UNLV
104
Temple
15
Auburn
45
Clemson
75
FlU
105
North Texas
16
Washington
46
Colorado
76
Tulane
106
Rutgers
17
USC
47
Boston College
77
Mississippi
107
Idaho
18
Baylor
48
Arizona St
78
Colorado St
108
Arkansas St
19
Texas Tech
49
Louisville
79
Houston
109
Troy
20
Washington St
50
North Carolina
80
Utah St
110
Buffalo
21
LSU
51
California
81
Utah
111
Middle Tenn
22
Stanford
52
Kentucky
82
UTEP
112
N Illinois
23
Vanderbilt
53
Wisconsin
83
Bowling Green
113
Akron
24
Arizona
54
Pittsburgh
84
Marshall
114
W Michigan
25
Maryland
55
Oregon St
85
Northwestern
115
Ball St
26
Kansas
56
UCF
86
Miami, Oh
116
Florida Atlantic
27
Georgia Tech
57
Memphis
87
Navy
117
Boise St
28
Iowa
58
Duke
88
TCU
118
Army
29
Michigan
59
West Virginia
89
Air Force
119
Ohio
30
Syracuse
60
Tulsa
90
SMU
120
Kent St

86 Days until the start of football!