Steele and Athlon Conference Projection Picks 2023

    I bought two college football magazines for 2023. Both have opinions and projections who will do well. Athlon picks bowl games, while I think Phil Steele has not. Unless it is hidden in there somewhere. Lots of pages, that is for sure.

    I will compare their selections for conference winners. First, the best conferences, according to Steele. Athlon next to it. 

    1. SEC                1. SEC

    2. Big-10            2. Big-10

    3. ACC               3. PAC-12

    4. Big-12            4. Big-12

    5. CUSA             5. ACC

    6. PAC-12           6. SBC

    7. AAC                7. AAC

    8. MW                 8.MW

    9. MAC               9. MAC

    10. SBC              10. C-USA

    11. IND              (11.) IND

        Phil Steele likes the Atlantic Coast Conference better than the PAC-12 by three ranks, and even likes them more than the Big-12 (one above). We shall see. I think Florida State, Clemson, and UNC have some things to do with that. I trust Steele's assessments more than anyone, but he can wrong. Athlon like the Sun Belt Conference a lot more than Steele, who basically in their place has Conference USA. Those conferences are flipped in their estimations. Let's go one by one.

    SEC picks for 2023: 

Steele: Georgia in the East and Alabama in the West.

Athlon: Georgia in the East and Alabama in the West.

    Big-10 picks for 2023:

Steele: Michigan in the East and Wisconsin in the West.

Athlon: Michigan in the East and Wisconsin in the West.

    ACC picks for 2023: 

Steele: Clemson (no longer two divisions?)

Athlon: Florida State (seems no longer bifurcated)

   Big-12 picks for 2023:

 Steele: Texas

Athlon: Texas

    Conference USA picks for 2023:

Steele: Western Kentucky

Athlon: Western Kentucky

    PAC-12 picks for 2023:

 Steele: USC

 Athlon: USC

    American Athletic Conference picks for 2023:

  Steele: U-Texas-San Antonio

  Athlon: Tulane 

    Mountain West picks for 2023:

   Steele: Boise State

   Athlon: Boise State

    Mid-American Athletic picks for 2023:

    Steele: Ohio in the East and Toledo in the West

    Athlon: Miami in the East and Toledo in the West

    Sun Belt picks for 2023:

    Steele: Appalachian State in the East and South Alabama in the West

    Athlon: Coastal Carolina in the East and South Alabama in the West

    Independent picks for 2023:

    Steele: Notre Dame

    Athlon: Notre Dame

    As I mentioned, I generally go with Phil Steele over Athlon Sports. As I totally wanted Georgia to dethrone Alabama in 2021 SEC and national championship, and it happened, and then Georgia did it again last year (culminating last January 2023). I would love to see any other team topple them both, which could mean LSU or Florida, but I would prefer Texas A&M or another underdog. The Aggies that crashed and burned last year. 

    No matter what happens at the top of the conferences, I hope that Brigham Young and Indiana exceed expectations. Both are not picked to go to bowls, but I think (or hope) that both can become eligible to do so. BYU has better chances, but who knows? The Hoosiers do have some talented personnel. 

    I hope to see them play the Terrapins in a month. That game and a couple like it should determine the post season, something they have been far from in 202,  and a few close games (like Maryland) in 2022 from doing.