Editor's note: This article was adapted from Phil Steele's college football preview magazine, which is available here.

Most preseason predictions lean toward a top two of Alabama and Clemson for 2016.

I'm impressed by both of those teams and have both in my top five. But my preseason top 40 is not the best 40 teams in order; it's a ranking based on the totality of the circumstances that I feel each team will face in 2016 -- schedule of strength, experience edges, etc.

Here's how I think 2016 will play out.