Will Alabama win it all again this year?

College football guru Phil Steele doesn’t think so. However, he does have the Crimson Tide making it to the College Football Playoff.

Steele recently joined the Klahr and Company podcast on ESPN Denver for a preseason college football show, and Steele was asked about his Playoff picks. Future SEC program Oklahoma is Steele’s pick to win it all in 2021.

Aside from Alabama and Oklahoma, Steele has Clemson and Ohio State also reaching the Playoff.

“Well, the Final Four I really went out on a limb this year,” Steele said on the podcast. “I mean, Alabama out of the SEC. I’ve got Clemson out of the ACC. How about Ohio State out of the Big Ten. And I’ve got Oklahoma out of the Big 12.

“I actually like Oklahoma [to win it all] this year. I think when you look at the big four, the other three teams Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, all had some significant losses to the NFL draft. All of them lost their quarterback, and when you look at Oklahoma they’re a team that’s got a veteran quarterback. And what have we seen under Lincoln Riley when he has a veteran quarterback? Two Heisman trophies and one quarterback that was a Heisman finalist. So you know they’re going to be potent on offense. They’ve got Kennedy Brooks, Eric Gray, Marcus Major at running back, a loaded receiving corps — which I rate No. 2 in the country — and my No. 1 rated offensive line in the country.”

Although Steele didn’t mention them, but another team to watch is the Georgia Bulldogs. Returning an experienced quarterback and star power on both defense and offense, Kirby Smart’s club may be poised to make a Playoff run.

Will any dark horse programs make the Playoff this year, or will Steele be proven right?