By Todd Porter (CantonRep.com) –
On paper, the thin kind that’s easily ripped, crumpled and thrown away, the 2008 football season shapes up to be another history maker in Columbus. Of course if magazine predictions hold true, the rest of the country will be tired of seeing Ohio State play in the national title game.

The first of the college football preseason magazines arrived in the mail Thursday, and Phil Steele loves Ohio State.

So much so, the magazine picked the Buckeyes to play Florida in the national title game in Miami in January. Steele isn’t alone in loving OSU.

Athlon’s preseason top 25 has Ohio State No. 2, behind Florida. Both magazines picked the same teams among its top four. Oklahoma is third and USC fourth.

The next four teams in both magazines’ rankings includes the same four teams: Georgia, West Virginia, Clemson and Missouri. Athlon’s top 10 included LSU and Auburn. Steele’s top 10 added South Florida and Penn State.

Lindy’s preseason rankings have the Buckeyes third behind No. 1 Georgia and Southern Cal. OSU and USC will face off Sept. 13 in California.

A year ago, the Buckeyes were a top 10 preseason afterthought. But Ohio State played for, and lost, its second straight national title.

Preseason magazines are just a gauge, a very early one at that. Much of the information on newsstands now was put together at least a month ago.

That Sept. 13 game at USC may be a national title semifinal contest, Lindy’s said. The magazine said even if the Buckeyes lose, they could get to the national title game a third year in a row.

“In the Charmin-soft Big Ten, Jim Tressel is building a dynasty,” Lindy’s wrote. “Even if his team loses early to USC, it can run the table and get to a third straight title game.”

Stassen.com, a Web site that has tracked preseason magazine accuracy, gave Athlon the highest score for preseason accuracy last year. Lindy’s was second and The Sporting News was third. The Sporting News’ magazine will be available later this month. Phil Steele was the most accurate the year before. Since 1993, when stassen.com started tracking, Lindy’s is the leader.

Using all three of the released magazines and Surefire Scouting’s preseason rankings, Ohio State tops the compilation. Florida is second, USC No. 3, Oklahoma fourth and No. 5 is Georgia.

In Steele’s magazine it says of Ohio State, “The Buckeyes did not really expect to get to the title game last year where their young team lost to a veteran LSU squad, which was playing in its own backyard. After two straight BCS Championship game losses, OSU could get (its) atonement this year. …”

Steele may have left a name off his Heisman Trophy list of candidates for 2008. He picked Buckeye running back Beanie Wells second, listed quarterback Todd Boeckman among “contenders” and Alex Boone a “dark horse.” There was no mention of linebacker James Laurinatis, who is seen by many as the team’s second-best Heisman candidate.

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