College football season is officially on the horizon, and that means it’s time for our annual sit-down with the man who puts out the definitive bible of the gridiron. We welcomed our long-time friend Phil Steele back to The Starting Lineup to chop it up about everything from national championship contenders to our very own local squads here in Southwest Missouri.

Rebuilding for Coach Casey Woods and the Missouri State Bears

We kicked things off right in our own backyard with the Missouri State Bears. The Bears are headed into Conference USA under debut head coach Casey Woods, and Phil didn’t sugarcoat the paper reality: it looks like a rebuilding year. With star quarterback Jacob Clark gone, the Bears are turning to Henry Belin and Skyler Locklear. Combined with losing running back Shomari Lawrence, their top wide receiver, and 11 of their top 15 defensive tacklers, the roster has seen massive turnover. On top of that, Missouri State faces the second-toughest schedule in the conference. However, Phil noted that after talking directly with Coach Woods, there is plenty of optimism in the building to outperform expectations.

SEC Outlook: Mizzou’s Defensive Hurdle and the Arkansas Reset

Moving over to the region’s top D1 programs, we got Phil’s take on the Mizzou Tigers and Arkansas Razorbacks. For Mizzou, Phil thinks quarterback Austin Simmons can match or exceed last year’s stats. If running back Ahmad Hardy is near 100%, pairing him with Jamal Roberts gives Mizzou one of the premier backfields in the country. The catch? Mizzou returns just two of their top 15 defenders from last year and faces a brutal back-half schedule featuring Ole Miss, Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma. Over in Fayetteville, Arkansas is undergoing a massive overhaul under Ryan Silverfield, bringing in over 40 transfers. Phil warns that this heavy portal reliance usually spells a long rebuilding year for the Hogs.

Notre Dame Vaults to Number One

When it came time to look at the national top 10, Phil threw a massive curveball by naming Notre Dame as his number-one team in the country for 2026. Backed by a veteran defense that might be the nation’s best and an experienced quarterback in CJ Carr, Marcus Freeman’s squad is playing with a “leave no doubt” chip on their shoulder. Phil rounded out his top four with Georgia at number two, Ohio State at three, and Texas at four.

Tracking Former Bears and Local Ties

We couldn’t let Phil go without asking about former Missouri State Bears head coach Ryan Beard, who is now leading Coastal Carolina. Phil sees a rebuilding road ahead for Coastal, noting they only return five offensive starters and face a schedule where they could be underdogs in eight games. Yet, in true Coach Beard fashion, he’s confident—especially in a defensive line he absolutely loves.