You can take your "accurate" rankings and shove'em

Who's rocking the accurate pre-season Penn State rankings, bitches? Me! On January 10, I threw out my early pre-season top 25 for 2008. Where did I put Penn State? Why, No. 10. The chance that was just a lucky guess is slim, and that No. 10 ranking was validated this week by Mr. Pre-season Football himself--Phil Steele.

You're probably sick of my apparent love fest with Steele, but I'm not alone. When you find a magazine that accurately predicts college football the way Steele's does, bring it to me and I'll buy you a drink. But that's not why I'm here gloating today. Sure it's a small, petty reason to get excited. But when I rank Penn State No. 10 in ZN's January 10 pre-season rankings, only to find out Steele has them in the same exact spot, I take pride in that.

"I doubt anyone else will have the Lions in their Top 10 but this is a talented team and I may have had them higher had their best defensive player (LB Sean Lee) not been lost in the spring," Steele wrote in his 2008 College Football Preview.

Ah'hem, but I believe there's a particular top 10 which absolutely has Penn State. I'm allowed to get full of myself here and there. Right now, it is here AND there.

"10. Penn State, 9-4 (17) – NO, I’m not being biased. If you do your research, this Lions team loses only three starters," I wrote in ZN's rankings.

A lucky shot, you say. Well, lucky or not, it was spot on. And even though the loss of Sean Lee had a lot to do with Steele's ranking--ZN's ranking was out before Lee's injury--it still gives me some thrill to think my predictions aren't making me sound like a whack job. I'm done now.

I'm going to have my summer pre-season rankings out today, so check back this afternoon to find out where the teams have moved. Hint: PSU doesn't go anywhere. Also tomorrow: Big Ten Bloggers all-conference picks. And Monday: First Look: Syracuse Orange(men), with a special guest appearance by 'Cuse blogger Brian, of Orange 44.