More from Phil Steele...

No secret here, I love Phil Steele.  His football preview is the best available....remember when you used to get your Street and Smith's and you'd go to your favorite team and you'd have 50 words about BG and most of it was about a guy who transferred four months before?  Not Phil.  Dude is on top of it....his magazine is JAM-PACKED with information....and I highly recommend that you grab a copy.

He likes our Falcons this year.  BG has the elements he looks for in a team...namely, experience (BG is 5th in the nation in experience) and an experienced QB that he projects to be #6 in the MAC, which is pretty fair.  He puts us first in the East, #2 in the MAC, #45 in the nation and #63 in the power poll, that is schedule agnostic.

He believes we will have the #115 ranked schedule.

In terms of the position category, he has us ranked #1 or #2 at all the defensive positions and #3 on the Oline.  The trouble areas are RB (#9) and WR (#6).  Special teams are #3.

I think these are all pretty fair.  I think the defense will be really good again.  Having said that, I think that the difference between a good year and great year for the team is going to come on offense.  The team finally has experience and ability up front but question marks at the skill positions.

Steele feels that Schilz will be back to his sophomore numbers, which accounts for him being up to #6 in the MAC.  At RB, he notes that Samuel is a question mark as is Givens.  If they are both back and productive I don't think we are #9 and it would make a huge difference.  He looks for the WRs to get better with experience.

So here's the thing.  You really worry about RB.  BG at times last year was one-dimensional and if the team can't run the ball, they will be un-dimensional.  With Samuel and Givens, with Hopgood and Martin back from injury, you could be pretty deep.  Otherwise, you start to dip into the four true freshman who came in.  Either way, it is vital for BG to have a solid running game and it is a question mark right now.

WR is similar.  Gehrig Dieter is petitioning to play, that would help a lot.  BG's receivers have to get better.  There is talent but they need to be open.

With all that--a line, a running game, and WRs, I think Schilz can be productive at QB. However, without those elements--especially on the ground--and we're going to need shutouts from the defense to win.

Anyway, mostly in BG we have a culture of high expectations for the first time in years.  I think that last time anyone thought BG was going to win a division was in the early Brandon years.  If we have to beat out OU we have them at home to end the year...he's expecting Buffalo to surprise, Kent to fall back and Miami, Akron and UMass to struggle.

I think Coach Clawson has done a great job rebuilding the wreckage and getting us where we are today.  Now, we need to see him take us one more level and win a MAC title.  People will be expecting big things.