[BJWilliams]

Having had a couple days to mull over things, I would love to see LU go 10-1 this year. If they go 9-2 but get the autobid I'll be happy with that. anything less would be a disappointment, especially with how far this team has come in the last 5 years

[Stevev]

We should go at least 9-2 but I am thinking that between JMU and Ball State we could get a split. There might be another team on our schedule that could come up out of no where and beat us (like Presby did 2 years ago) but not sure who. Might be Stony Brook.

[SumItUp]

If we are in the playoffs, I will not be disappointed.

[NG33]

If we are in the playoffs, I will not be disappointed.

+1

We've had some good teams these past 3 years with some pretty impressive records. Still, what will mark this season as a "better" year than past is if we finally make the playoffs.

[BJWilliams]

This is season could be divided into three "sub-seasons" the way I see it. The first season is that first five game stretch (St Fran, @Robert Morris, @ Ball State, @ JMU, Savannah State) out of conference. The second is the six game conference slate. The playoffs naturally would be the third. If we can take care of St Fran, RMU and SSU like we are supposed to, we can conceivably split BSU and JMU and be in great shape going into conference play. Once there we need to avoid that slip up game like we have had the last two seasons (@ Presbyterian in 2008, @ SBU in 2009). If we can have a run like we did through conference in 2007, that should not be an issue. Then we can worry about how we'd do in the show because we actually got there.

[rueful]

If we are in the playoffs, I will not be disappointed.

+1

We've had some good teams these past 3 years with some pretty impressive records. Still, what will mark this season as a "better" year than past is if we finally make the playoffs.

if we make the playoffs, ill be ecstatic just like everyone else, dont get me wrong, but if were 8-3 but won the conference so thats why were in, i wouldnt consider this a great year or even good year. I want to make the playoffs and do it convincingly, to the point that say we do lose to stony brook, the rest of our season was so good we get an at large. then it would be a great year for me

[LUaddict]

http://www.collegesportingnews.com/cont ... yoff-Berth

Published on 04-13-2010 04:21 PM

This is the year that the Big South gets a crack at the post-season as the league acquires automatic qualifier status with the expansion of the FCS playoffs.

So, the 21 conference games bring added significance this year. From the first Big South game on Oct. 2 (Presbyterian College at VMI) to the final three on Nov. 20, it will be fun to see what develops. Stony Brook and Liberty finished at the top of the Big South in 2009. Will their game in Lynchburg on Nov. 20 decide the playoff team? Or will another Big South squad go on a run and capture the berth?

We’re still a long way from all of that. For now, let’s just examine the 2010 Big South football slate.

Key Games on the Way to the Conference Title/Automatic Bid
All conference games are important, but – as of early April – these games appear to be the biggest to watch.
Oct. 9 – Liberty at Charleston Southern
Oct. 23 – Stony Brook at Coastal Carolina
Oct. 30 – Coastal Carolina at Gardner-Webb, Charleston Southern at Stony Brook
Nov. 6 – Gardner-Webb at Liberty
Nov. 20 – Stony Brook at Liberty

Best opportunity to upset an FBS team
Liberty at Ball State on Sept. 11 – This isn’t the Ball State team that went undefeated a couple seasons back. The Flames played well at West Virginia last season and should carry a stout team into this road game.

Toughest nonconference, non-FBS games
Tie, Coastal Carolina and Gardner-Webb – The Chanticleers have home dates against Georgia Southern and Delaware State in between road games at a pair of CAA teams – at Towson and at Richmond. The Runnin’ Bulldogs, meanwhile, open at home versus Division II Brevard but later host Western Carolina and then travel to Texas to play Sam Houston State. They also play Old Dominion – a tough second-year team – at home.

Big South vs. SoCon
There are four contests, this year, and three are home games for the Big South.
Sept. 11 – Wofford at Charleston Southern
Sept. 18 – Georgia Southern at Coastal Carolina, Western Carolina at Gardner-Webb, and Presbyterian College at The Citadel

Big South vs. the CAA
League teams play against Colonial Athletic squads five times. There are the two Coastal Carolina games – at Towson on Sept. 11 and at Richmond on Oct. 2. Liberty travels to James Madison on Sept. 25, Stony Brook hosts Massachusetts on Sept. 25, and VMI plays at William & Mary on Sept. 11.

Interesting nonconference, FCS match-ups
I like the rematch of Liberty and James Madison in Harrisonburg on Sept. 25. The Dukes won in Lynchburg last year.

Interesting nonconference, FBS match-ups
There are several games – 10, in fact – to choose from, but I find Presbyterian College at Clemson on Sept. 11 the most interesting. These teams haven’t played in a long, long time, but it’s the renewal of one of those old series from long ago when there weren’t so many distinctions between levels and you played teams a short bus ride or train trip away.

By the way, the Blue Hose are one of three Big South teams taking a double dip into the FBS pool. A week before the Clemson game, PC travels to Wake Forest. Charleston Southern travels to Hawaii and Kentucky while VMI plays at Virginia and at Army.

Longest road-trip
Charleston Southern at Hawaii on Sept. 25 – The Bucs’ game on the islands covers, well, a long distance. It’s the second time in four seasons Charleston Southern has ventured to Hawaii for a game.

The team that will be most tired on Nov. 20
Everybody has an open date pretty much in the middle of the season, so all Big South teams should be on relatively equal footing entering the last week.

Saving on gas
Presbyterian College should save a little money on travel this season. The Blue Hose get Liberty and Stony Brook at home, so their longest conference road trip is to Lexington, Va., to play VMI. Their other conference trips are to Charleston and the short ride to Boiling Springs, N.C. Out of conference, the trip to Winston-Salem for the season opener is not bad, and the game at Clemson a week later is less than two hours away.

Slim schedule
On Oct. 9, there will be only two games involving Big South teams: Charleston Southern plays at Liberty and Stony Brook hosts VMI. Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian College all have the week off.

The Big South Conference schedule, week-by-week:

Sept. 2
Presbyterian College at Wake Forest

Sept. 4
Brevard at Gardner-Webb
Coastal Carolina at West Virginia
Lock Haven at VMI
North Greenville at Charleston Southern
St. Francis, PA at Liberty
Stony Brook at South Florida

Sept. 11
Wofford at Charleston Southern
Coastal Carolina at Towson
Gardner-Webb at Akron
Liberty at Ball State
Presbyterian College at Clemson
American International at Stony Brook
VMI at William & Mary

Sept. 18
Georgia Southern at Coastal Carolina
Liberty at Robert Morris
Mars Hill at Charleston Southern
Presbyterian College at The Citadel
Stony Brook at Brown
Western Carolina at Gardner-Webb
Open Date: VMI

Sept. 25
Charleston Southern at Hawaii
Delaware State at Coastal Carolina
Gardner-Webb at Sam Houston State
Liberty at James Madison
Massachusetts at Stony Brook
North Greenville at Presbyterian College
VMI at Virginia

Oct. 2
Coastal Carolina at Richmond
Gardner-Webb at Old Dominion
Presbyterian College at VMI #
Savannah State at Liberty
Open date: Charleston Southern, Stony Brook

Oct. 9
Liberty at Charleston Southern #
VMI at Stony Brook #
Open date: Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian College

Oct. 16
Coastal Carolina at Presbyterian College #
Gardner-Webb at Charleston Southern #
Liberty at VMI #
Stony Brook at Lafayette

Oct. 23
Presbyterian College at Gardner-Webb #
Stony Brook at Coastal Carolina #
VMI at Charleston Southern #
Open date: Liberty

Oct. 30
Charleston Southern at Stony Brook #
Coastal Carolina at Gardner-Webb #
Liberty at Presbyterian College #
VMI at Army

Nov. 6
Charleston Southern at Kentucky
Coastal Carolina at VMI #
Gardner-Webb at Liberty #
Stony Brook at Presbyterian College #

Nov. 13
Gardner-Webb at Stony Brook #
Liberty at Coastal Carolina #
Presbyterian College at Charleston Southern #
VMI at Old Dominion

Nov. 20
Charleston Southern at Coastal Carolina #
Old Dominion at Presbyterian College
Stony Brook at Liberty #
VMI at Gardner-Webb #

[krh44]

Athlons also had Matt Bevins as first team All american

[Rooster Cogburn]

Athlons also had Matt Bevins as first team All american

[jcmanson]

Stony Brook 2009 was NOT a slip up game. If we lose to them this year, it will NOT be a slip up game.

[Rooster Cogburn]

We should have better chances here!

[jcmanson]

AGS:

1. Villanova (81) 2344
2. Montana (7) 2106
3. Appalachian St. (2) 1965
4. William & Mary (3) 1909
5. Southern Illinois (1) 1825
6. New Hampshire 1644
7. Elon 1578
8. Richmond 1414
9. South Dakota St. 1359
10. South Carolina St. 1352
11. Stephen F. Austin 1218
12. Northern Iowa 1028
13. McNeese St. 1011
14. Eastern Washington 1002
15. Delaware 885
16. James Madison 871
17. Jacksonville St. 720
18. Weber St. 639
19. Liberty 582
20. Furman 491
21. Eastern Illinois 480
22. Montana St. 377
23. Cal Poly 319
24. Pennsylvania 277
25. Holy Cross 262


Others receiving votes (minimum of 5 votes): Prairie View A&M (43), Texas St. (41), Northern Arizona (36), Massachusetts (31), Maine (30), Colgate (25), Wofford (22), Eastern Kentucky (20), Lafayette (19), UC Davis (17), Chattanooga (15), Illinois St. (15), Florida A&M (14), Georgia Southern (14), North Dakota St. (13), Central Arkansas (11), Youngstown St. (11), Harvard (10), Lehigh (10), Stony Brook (10), Southeastern Louisiana (9), Albany (8), Grambling St. (7), Dayton (5), Missouri St. (5)

[LUnpretty11]

Maine isn't ranked in the top 25. That makes me happy

[Keenan]

I'm voting in the AGS Poll this year. Here was my Top25 which was like throwing darts. I wish we didn't have any polls until week #3, but we're always going to have them.

#1 Villanova
#2 William & Mary
#3 Southern Illinois
#4 Elon
#5 Appalachian State
#6 Richmond
#7 Montana
#8 Eastern Washington
#9 James Madison
#10 New Hampshire
#11 South Carolina State
#12 Liberty
#13 Delaware
#14 South Dakota State
#15 Northern Iowa
#16 Jacksonville State
#17 Furman
#18 Maine
#19 McNeese State
#20 Weber State
#21 Montana State
#22 Eastern Illinois
#23 Georgia Southern
#24 Youngstown State
#25 Stony Brook

[Rooster Cogburn]

and I'M the homer?

[jcmanson]

I had us at 15 and SBU at 20

[BJWilliams]

I had LU at 15 as well but I had SBU at 23. Preseason polls are pretty much like throwing darts at a dartboard. I wasnt surprised that LU was around 20 though when everything shook out. This is my third year voting in the AGS poll and you can tell who the real homers are on there

[rueful]

Preseason polls are pretty much like throwing darts at a dartboard.

oh

[jcmanson]

Sporting news:
1. Villanova
2. Montana
3. Appalachian State
4. Southern Illinois
5. Richmond
6. Stephen F. Austin
7. South Dakota State
8. James Madison
9. Elon
10. New Hampshire
11. Prairie View A&M
12. Montana State
13. William & Mary
14. Holy Cross
15. South Carolina State
16. Illinois State
17. Samford
18. Delaware
19. Eastern Kentucky
20 Colgate
21. Eastern Washington
22. Wofford
23. Penn
24. Cal Poly
25. Northern Iowa

[thepostman]

I had Maine at #1....

[kuntryboimike]

Sporting news:
1. Villanova
2. Montana
3. Appalachian State
4. Southern Illinois
5. Richmond
6. Stephen F. Austin
7. South Dakota State
8. James Madison
9. Elon
10. New Hampshire
11. Prairie View A&M
12. Montana State
13. William & Mary
14. Holy Cross
15. South Carolina State
16. Illinois State
17. Samford
18. Delaware
19. Eastern Kentucky
20 Colgate
21. Eastern Washington
22. Wofford
23. Penn
24. Cal Poly
25. Northern Iowa

libery not ranked? have to disagree withthis poll

[Hold My Own]

Odd....there are posts missing in this thread

[jcmanson]

Phil Steele:

1. William & Mary
2. Appalachian St
3. Villanova
4. Montana
5. Northern Iowa
6. Elon
7. Southern Illinois
8. James Madison
9. Northern Arizona
10. McNeese St
11. Wofford
12. SF Austin
13. Illinois St
14. Cal Poly
15. Delaware
16. Weber St
17. Richmond
18. South Dakota St
19. Eastern Illinois
20. Montana St
21. South Carolina St
22. Jacksonville St
23. Colgate
24. Penn
25. Liberty