9 SEC teams ranked in Phil Steele’s preseason top 40

Who needs a preseason top 25 when you can rank the top 40?

College football analyst Phil Steele’s magazine hit the shelves recently, and it’s essentially the encyclopedia of your football needs. I encourage you to pick one up.

RELATED: Steele projects how the preseason AP 25 will look

Anyway, Steele ranked the preseason top 40 teams, and nine SEC teams were included. Four SEC teams were also included in the top 10, with Alabama pacing the conference at No. 2 in the country. Do you think Steele has faith in Jacob Coker? Georgia, Auburn and South Carolina are all top 10 teams, according to Steele.

Steele also says Mizzou is the country’s 41st best team and one that just ‘missed the cut’.

Look at Florida squeaking in at No. 24! Here’s a look at Steele’s preseason top 40:

1. Florida State

2. Alabama

3. Ohio State

4. Oklahoma

5. UCLA

6. Oregon

7. Georgia

8. Baylor

9. Auburn

10. South Carolina

11. Michigan State

12. USC

13. Wisconsin

14. TCU

15. LSU

16. Ole Miss

17. Notre Dame

18. UNC

19. Marshall

20. Stanford

21. UCF

22. Boise State

23. Clemson

24. Florida

25. Texas

26. Louisville

27. Northwestern

28. Washington

29. Virginia Tech

30. Michigan

31. Houston

32. Iowa

33. Nebraska

34. Mississippi State

35. Maryland

36. Oregon State

37. Miami

38. BYU

39. Texas A&M

40. Cincinnati

Photo Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports