SEC could set a record in this year's preseason AP Top 25

For two decades, Phil Steele has prided himself on being college football’s most accurate preseason prognosticator.

It’s safe to say he expects the Associated Press preseason Top 25 to be SEC-heavy this fall.

Steele includes nine SEC teams in his latest projection which would set a modern poll record for number of ranked teams from one conference in a preseason poll. Last August, eight SEC teams were ranked in the preseason AP Top 25, but only six were featured in the final AP poll after bowl season.

Texas A&M is the only Western Division squad that won’t be ranked in the preseason according to Steele, but the Aggies are in the ‘receiving votes’ category.

Phil Steele’s 2015 preseason AP Top 25 projection

1. Ohio State
2. TCU
3. Alabama
4. Baylor
5. Oregon
6. Michigan State
7. USC
8. Florida State
9. Auburn
10. Georgia
11. UCLA
12. Ole Miss
13. Notre Dame
14. LSU
15. Clemson
16. Arizona State
17. Georgia Tech
18. Wisconsin
19. Mizzou
20. Arkansas
21. Mississippi State
22. Oklahoma
23. Boise State
24. Tennessee
25. Stanford

Just missed the cut: Texas A&M, Utah, Arizona