THE College Football Preview Magazine

The college football preview magazines are out in full force as fans get ready for the season in about 6-8 weeks. There seems a variety of options similar to the different colors of the rainbow. I remember the old days when Street and Smith was nearly the only preview magazine produced.

One magazine that has made lots of noise in recent years is Phil Steele’s preview. Although I don’t usually buy a preview magazine, I decided this season I would check Steele’s out.

Steele consistently markets his magazine as the best. On the cover alone, Steele boasts big time. He writes: “The book the expects cannot do without” or “The most accurate preseason magazine the last 14 years” or “Jampacked with information.”

The book is thick with 344 pages and plenty of color photos and graphics. Steele devotes two pages to every Division I football team. He slices and dices each team. He is big on trends including seasonal trends from even 3-4 years ago. Steele’s book also provides plenty of lists. One thing is definitely true: there is lots of information.

But now for the downside. There is so much information stuck into a page that it makes it difficult to read. The print is small and it seems to run together. Your eyes are crying for some good old white space (for a break) and there is none. Because Steele is saving space, he also uses abbreviations in the written text. This is another non-friendly reader problem.

With all that said, I hope to become a team player and acquaint myself well with the book. I plan to use it for my blog.

Have you purchased a college football preview book? Which one do you enjoy? What do you think of Steele’s effort?