Top 10 Picks and Sleepers

[ToTheLeft]

I agree that LU is really the Boise State of the FCS. I think the win over Elon was like Boise State getting whatever it's first decent win (Not Oklahoma, obviously) was. It showed that we can compete with someone at the national level, someone in the playoff mix. Then we got beat by JMU, and showed we're not "There" yet. Then we lost to Stony Brook, which proves were not "there" yet. I have a fear that, if we beat Ball State, we'll think we're "there".

We won't be nationally respected until we go to the Rock or Bridgeforth (I think that's what it's called, I'm rusty) or whatever Bill and Mary's stadium is called and win a playoff game, or at least COMPETE.

Liberty HAS to win their conference and a playoff game to get respect nationally this year.

Pretty sure that's what I said, yeah.

[AppStateAlumQC]

Liberty HAS to win their conference and a playoff game to get respect nationally this year.

Pretty sure that's what I said, yeah.

"Competing" in a playoff game won't get you anywhere except an early off-season

[ToTheLeft]

Pretty sure that's what I said, yeah.

"Competing" in a playoff game won't get you anywhere except an early off-season

I think you say that, but SC State got a lot of respect from competing with App.

And I was referring to specifically competing against the schools I mentioned. If we play SC State or Elon or something and we don't win, I agree with you.

[jcmanson]

If we make the playoffs this year we'll be in the new opening round. We'll host and win that game. Then go on the road against one of the national seeds.

[ToTheLeft]

If we make the playoffs this year we'll be in the new opening round. We'll host and win that game. Then go on the road against one of the national seeds.

I forgot about that...

yeah, I guess it all depends on who we play, then.

[LUnpretty11]

There are definitely a lot of question marks hovering around this years LU team, that is for sure. But this team has a lot more depth already, especially on the defensive side of the ball, than many people realize. Definitely see this years team as a big time sleeper, and JMU had better come to play after they get thumped in Blacksburg (and better hope for no injuries). LU isn't going to easily forget losing the home game and will do anything/everything they can to repay the favor. Speed, defense, depth, and Mike Brown will definitely raise a lot of eyebrows from across the nation this year. Don't be surprised if LU has a successful 10 win season. Only way we don't is if we beat ourselves in a stupid lousy conference game, which we have shown to be our weakness in the past couple years (or game we should win --- Presby '08). Rocco will make sure those kind of loses won't happen again, so W&M or APP or whoever else... be ready for the second round of the playoffs. It's going to be fun to watch.

[BearIt]

I agree that LU is really the Boise State of the FCS. I think the win over Elon was like Boise State getting whatever it's first decent win (Not Oklahoma, obviously) was. It showed that we can compete with someone at the national level, someone in the playoff mix. Then we got beat by JMU, and showed we're not "There" yet. Then we lost to Stony Brook, which proves were not "there" yet. I have a fear that, if we beat Ball State, we'll think we're "there".
We won't be nationally respected until we go to the Rock or Bridgeforth (I think that's what it's called, I'm rusty) or whatever Bill and Mary's stadium is called and win a playoff game, or at least COMPETE.

Your win over Elon would be like Boise State's win over Oregon State. It's not much of a splash on the national stage. Liberty needs start beating the top teams in the power conferences before people will really consider them a Boise State of the FCS. Beat JMU and win a playoff game this season then the FCS world will start respecting you. Until then you are a team dominating a conference that any bottom feeder from the CAA, BSC, Southern, or MVC would dominate.

[89Hen]

Liberty will be a National Title contender in 2011

I'm repeating myself, but define "contender".

[bandl]

Liberty will be a National Title contender in 2011

I'm repeating myself, but define "contender".

Liberty will be trying their darndest.

[LynchburgFlamesFan]

There is no doubt that weak scheduling in the past has harmed us. Even when we did schedule a good team, we didn't perform very well. I remember watching us lose to W&M in 2006 because our kicker couldn't make a fg that game. Then, we went to their place and lost on a bad call. This is our first schedule in a long time that is all FCS, with one FBS school. I believe this will be a good indicator of what next year holds from us. The only issue I can see us running into is schools not scheduling us because we are no longer a weaker program.

[jcmanson]

Liberty will be a National Title contender in 2011

I'm repeating myself, but define "contender".

A top 10 team all year. Making at least the quarterfinals. 10-1 or 11-0 in regular season which includes NC State and JMU.

[jcmanson]

There are definitely a lot of question marks hovering around this years LU team, that is for sure.

I'm sorry, but I completely disagree. We have fewer question marks than we've ever had. We will have even fewer going into next year as well.

[kuntryboimike]

There are definitely a lot of question marks hovering around this years LU team, that is for sure.

I'm sorry, but I completely disagree. We have fewer question marks than we've ever had. We will have even fewer going into next year as well.

we DID have a lot of question marks but as summer and training camp progressed there were fewer and fewer. I think LU is set for the year I CANT WAIT!!!!

[CatMom]

There is no doubt that weak scheduling in the past has harmed us. Even when we did schedule a good team, we didn't perform very well. I remember watching us lose to W&M in 2006 because our kicker couldn't make a fg that game. Then, we went to their place and lost on a bad call. This is our first schedule in a long time that is all FCS, with one FBS school. I believe this will be a good indicator of what next year holds from us. The only issue I can see us running into is schools not scheduling us because we are no longer a weaker program.

italicized quote
please....I could complain we lost to SELA last year because our PK missed several PAT's and a fg
I could also complain we only lost to McNeese by 3 - for the same reason
Still LOST!
bolded quote
I think if you think this you're a little delusional.

Beat JMU and win a playoff game this season then the FCS world will start respecting you. Until then you are a team dominating a conference that any bottom feeder from the CAA, BSC, Southern, or MVC would dominate.

This isn't necessarily true either. We beat GSU and CalPoly and were a stupid coaching decision shy of possibly being in the NC game and it hasn't changed perception of TXST in the FCS world yet.

And before you say "well, they've had football a lot longer." Think again. TXST really hasn't had a football program worth spit for decades.

[CatMom]

PS (to above post) if you will note, because we have no returning QB, but the bulk of our starters return and we have added depth and experience everywhere else, we are getting no consideration or placement by any pre-season...anything. Not even on a forum.

SFA gets love because of Moses (who has never beaten TXST) and McNeese, because they are usually always good and have the history to back it up

Liberty folks, it will take more than one good season at full FCS/conference scheduling and 1 playoff run....believe me, I know.

[slulionsfan]

please....I could complain we lost to SELA last year because our PK missed several PAT's and a fg
I could also complain we only lost to McNeese by 3 - for the same reason
Still LOST!

For the record, we missed a PAT and a FG as well in that game...fortunately for us, your guy missed one more PAT than our guy.

[CatMom]

please....I could complain we lost to SELA last year because our PK missed several PAT's and a fg
I could also complain we only lost to McNeese by 3 - for the same reason
Still LOST!

For the record, we missed a PAT and a FG as well in that game...fortunately for us, your guy missed one more PAT than our guy.

yeah, and he's back and still missing in practice

[LynchburgFlamesFan]

CatMom,

If you read my post, I said it was our own fault we weren't getting respect. If we had beaten the good teams we scheduled in the past, then respect wouldn't be an issue. What I meant by the last part of my post is it's getting harder to schedule good FCS teams in our area, hence why we are playing St. Francis and Robert Morris. Hopefully our game at JMU will show we are capable of hanging with bigger programs.

[happyappy99]

I don't understand the big deal with Ball State. They aren't that impressive.

[bandl]

Oh, for fuck's sake. Here's the real reason UT-smaller school doesn't garnish much respect these days.

Since their playoff run in 2005, they've gone 24-21.
2009 - 7-4
2008 - 8-4 (first round playoff loss)
2007 - 4-7
2006 - 5-6

[clenz]

Oh, for fuck's sake. Here's the real reason UT-smaller school doesn't garnish much respect these days.

Since their playoff run in 2005, they've gone 24-21.
2009 - 7-4
2008 - 8-4 (first round playoff loss)
2007 - 4-7
2006 - 5-6

I didn't want to be the one to say it...so to you I say THANK YOU

[SpeedkingATL]

I'm not going to comment on the top 10 as I prefer to see some game results but I will comment on sleepers from the conference that I know best, the SoCon.

I believe that Furman, UTC, and Wofford could all be positioned for a playoff run. The primary questions are:

Will Furman's defense be able to stop anyone?
Will Samford be able to score enough points, even with Evans in the backfield?
Can Wofford stay healthy enough to compete for a playoff spot?

I would be truly surprised if either ASU or Elon didn't make the expanded playoffs but with much improvement expected in the SoCon nothing will be a given this year.

[clenz]

I'm not going to comment on the top 10 as I prefer to see some game results but I will comment on sleepers from the conference that I know best, the SoCon.

I believe that Furman, UTC, and Wofford could all be positioned for a playoff run. The primary questions are:

Will Furman's defense be able to stop anyone?
Will Samford be able to score enough points, even with Evans in the backfield?
Can Wofford stay healthy enough to compete for a playoff spot?

I would be truly surprised if either ASU or Elon didn't make the expanded playoffs but with much improvement expected in the SoCon nothing will be a given this year.

I keep hearing really good things about Chatty, and I want to buy into it...I really do. Can you give me a reason to buy into it though? I don't know much about them. Could they be a legit top 20 team?

[clenz]

Oh, for fuck's sake. Here's the real reason UT-smaller school doesn't garnish much respect these days.

Since their playoff run in 2005, they've gone 24-21.
2009 - 7-4
2008 - 8-4 (first round playoff loss)
2007 - 4-7
2006 - 5-6

To build off of this....

Texas State has TWO conference championships since 1984 (the year Tx St went D1), 2005 and 2008. The 2008 title came with an 8-4 regular season record. I will tell you the same thing EVERYONE tells NDSU, what you did in NAIA and D2 i nthe 70's and 80's doesn't mean shit.

Tx States best records since going D1

11-3 - 2005
8-5 - 2008
7-4 - 1984, 1991, 2000, 2009
6-5 - 1990

That means in the 26 seasons since Tx St. went D1 they have a total of SEVEN winning seasons. Oh, and looking at points given up in a season, the 18 seasons in which Tx St. has allowed the most points have all been in the D1 era, the less than a handful of seasons that make the top scored in a season have been during the D1 era.


Now, since 2000 Tx St. has been improved, but still only ONE 10+ win season. The second best season in Tx St. D1 history is considered a BAD season for teams like Montana, ASU, UD, UNI, etc...

[Skjellyfetti]

I keep hearing really good things about Chatty, and I want to buy into it...I really do. Can you give me a reason to buy into it though? I don't know much about them. Could they be a legit top 20 team?

They have one of the best top quarterbacks in the SoCon... possibly the best.

4/5 offensive linemen return... their running game was their weak link last year... too one dimensional. should be better this year.

Defense is really strong. Russ Heusman was the defensive coordinator for Richmond during their title run.

I don't know if they're top-20 team yet, though. I'd probably have them right on the edge of top-25 atm.