History Of BYU Football Predictions From Phil Steele
Jul 18, 2025, 11:50 AM
Looking back at the history of Phil Steele predictions for BYU football. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah – In the dog days of summer, the Phil Steele College Football Preview is a nice reminder of how close we are to the upcoming season.
Steele has published a preseason magazine since 1995. If you know, it’s the book the experts cannot do without.
Volume 31 of the @philsteele042 College Football Preview. The season is almost here. 🏈 📚
Chase Roberts is the fifth BYU football player to grace the cover of Phil Steele. pic.twitter.com/qwrBbcteyK
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) June 28, 2025
Steele holds the distinction of being the most accurate magazine over the last 30 years, but how has he fared in his predictions for BYU football?
Here’s a history of how Steele has fared in his BYU football picks.
Complete history of how Phil Steele ranks BYU football in his Preseason Top 40
Each year, Steele publishes his own Top 40 rankings, which extend to an additional 20 teams, forming a top 60. The highest preseason ranking BYU has received was in 2009, when they were placed at No. 15, and they exceeded that expectation by finishing 12th in the AP Top 25.
The biggest miss from Steele on BYU was in 2017, when he ranked the Cougars No. 27 and they finished with a 4-9 record.
Kalani Sitake era (2016-PRESENT)
- 2025: Not Ranked
- 2024: Not Ranked | Finished: 13th
- 2023: Not Ranked
- 2022: No. 26
- 2021: No. 50 | Finished: No. 19
- 2020: No. 52 | Finished: No. 11
- 2019: No. 38
- 2018: Not Ranked
- 2017: No. 27
- 2016: No. 45
Bronco Mendenhall era (2005-2015)
- 2015: Not Ranked
- 2014: No. 38
- 2013: No. 37
- 2012: No. 35
- 2011: No. 29
- 2010: No. 51
- 2009: No. 15 | Finished: No. 12
- 2008: No. 17 | Finished: No. 25
- 2007: No. 34 | Finished: No. 14
- 2006: Not Ranked | Finished: No. 16
- 2005: No. 43
Gary Crowton era (2001-2004)
- 2004: Not Ranked
- 2003: Not Ranked
- 2002: No. 38
- 2001: Not Ranked | Finished: No. 25
LaVell Edwards era (1995-2000)
- 2000: Not Ranked
- 1999: No. 27
- 1998: No. 34
- 1997: No. 24
- 1996: No. 28 | Finished: No. 5
- 1995: Not Ranked
Phil Steele’s history of Power Poll rankings for BYU football
- 2025: No. 40
- 2024: No. 73
- 2023: No. 57
- 2022: No. 13
- 2021: No. 38
- 2020: No. 47
- 2019: No. 37
- 2018: No. 78
- 2017: No. 33
- 2016: No. 43
- 2015: No. 44
- 2014: No. 35
- 2013: No. 34
- 2012: No. 33
- 2011: No. 27
- 2010: No. 44
- 2009: No. 22
- 2008: No. 18
- 2007: No. 36
- 2006: No. 48
- 2005: No. 56
- 2004: No. 55
Conference predictions for BYU football from Phil Steele over the years
Since Phil Steele launched his publication in 1995, BYU football has been part of four different affiliations.
Big 12 era (2023-Present)
- 2025: Tied-7th
- 2024: 14th | Finished: Tied-1st
- 2023: 11th | Finished: Tied-11th
Independent era (2011-2022)
- 2022: 2nd | Finished: Tied-2nd
- 2021: 3rd | Finished: 2nd
- 2020: 3rd | Finished: 1st
- 2019: 3rd | Finished: 3rd
- 2018: Tied-3rd | Finished: 3rd
- 2017: 2nd | Finished: 4th
- 2016: 2nd | Finished: 1st
- 2015: 2nd | Finished: 2nd
- 2014: 2nd | Finished: Tied-1st
- 2013: 2nd | Finished: 3rd
- 2012: 2nd | Finished: Tied-2nd
- 2011: 2nd | Finished: 1st
Mountain West era (1999-2010)
- 2010: 3rd | Finished: Tied-3rd
- 2009: 1st | Finished: 2nd
- 2008: Tied-2nd | Finished: 3rd
- 2007: 2nd | Finished: 1st
- 2006: 3rd | Finished: 1st
- 2005: Tied-3rd | Finished: Tied-2nd
- 2004: 2nd | Finished: 3rd
- 2003: 3rd | Finished: Tied-4th
- 2002: 3rd | Finished: 7th
- 2001: 4th | Finished: 1st
- 2000: 2nd | Finished: Tied-3rd
- 1999: 1st | Finished: Tied-1st
WAC era (1995-1998)
- 1998: 2nd (Pacific Division) | Finished: 1st (Pacific)
- 1997: 1st (Mountain Division) | Finished: 5th (Mountain)
- 1996: 1st (Mountain Division) | Finished: 1st
- 1995: 5th | Finished: Tied-1st
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
