A Sea Of Red

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College Sporting News 2012 FCS Preseason Top 25

1. North Dakota State
2. Sam Houston State
3. Georgia Southern
4. Montana State
5. James Madison
6. Appalachian State
7. Towson
8. Old Dominion
9. Northern Iowa
10. Montana
11. Lehigh
12. Eastern Washington
13. Delaware
14. New Hampshire
15. Wofford
16. Stony Brook
17. Youngstown State
18. Illinois State
19. Maine
20. Eastern Kentucky
21. Central Arkansas
22. Indiana State
23. Liberty
24. Murray State
25. Stephen F. Austin

Others receiving votes: Bethune-Cookman, Harvard, Chattanooga, Grambling State, Norfolk State, Southern Illinois, Villanova, Jacksonville State.

We're playing 3 teams ranked in the preseason (Montana, Lehigh, and Stony Brook) and 1 other (Norfolk State) that is receiving votes. Throw in Wake Forest, and this has to be close to the toughest schedule we've played as a program.

You're both correct but we have Norfolk State, Lehigh and SB at home. Also, I think Norfolk State and Lehigh are both overrated and probably just ranked that high based on last season's success.

bradyfan wrote:You're both correct but we have Norfolk State, Lehigh and SB at home. Also, I think Norfolk State and Lehigh are both overrated and probably just ranked that high based on last season's success.

Stony Brook may be underrated.

Also true

I'm not sure who can STOP masonette.

I'm a little surprised Liberty is in the top 25 right now. How can anyone try to rank a team with a new system, staff, and key players. I think Stony Brook could be under rated as well. That being said, last year I was all about preseason polls and couldn't wait for them to come out. This year I realize preseason polls are more for guessing and entertainment than anything. Just so I don't disappoint any of you who remember how I was last year let me throw out my KBM thought process. We've got most of these ranked teams at home and I don't think Liberty is going to let anyone come in and get a win at Williams Stadium. This will set us up nicely in the top 15 until we have our typical, "what the heck" conference game, which would put us back in 20-25. Hopefully we've seen the end of those types of games with Turner Gill taking over.

Rooster Cogburn wrote:I'm not sure who can STOP masonette.

As I stated in previous posts. Maysonnet is the least of our worries. They have the two best quarterbacks in the conference, a lot of starters returning from last year and the leading rusher in the Big Ten last year (transfer from Iowa) to throw at us.

LibertyVeteran wrote:This will set us up nicely in the top 15 until we have our typical, "what the heck" conference game, which would put us back in 20-25. Hopefully we've seen the end of those types of games with Turner Gill taking over.

I think most of those "what the heck" games are over. From what I've seen and heard about Gill, he seems to be much more disciplined than Rocco. I don't have any inside information outside of my friend who plays on the team. However, I think Rocco didn't really care what happened outside of recruiting and on the field. Gill seems to provide much more discipline which I think will result in us preventing the Presby's or Gardner Webb games from the past.

Chippy wrote:

Rooster Cogburn wrote:I'm not sure who can STOP masonette.

As I stated in previous posts. Maysonnet is the least of our worries. They have the two best quarterbacks in the conference, a lot of starters returning from last year and the leading rusher in the Big Ten last year (transfer from Iowa) to throw at us.

1. Coulter isnt there anymore...he graduated
2. Coker is good but Im not quaking in my boots like you are about it. Coker isnt some unstoppable force who just because he had a Hawkeye on his helmet last year is all of a sudden everyone is gonna fall down in front of him and he rushes for 2000 yards and 30 touchdowns (Im intentionally using extra gaudy numbers btw)
3. Stony Brook comes to us this year and they are our last home game...our LAST home game...if this was out first conference game, yeah Id be a bit worried too, but unless you have zero faith that we will have had a chance to gel as a team by the time November rolls around, to quote a radio personality familiar to the membership of this board, "that's a you problem". A lot can happen between August and November. God forbid anything bad happens of course but Im just saying that you are sounding an awful lot like youre giving up before we've even taken a snap of practice Chippy.

So what? Liberty almost lost both of its last two home games last year, to teams that are far inferior to Stony Brook.

BJWilliams wrote:

Chippy wrote:

Rooster Cogburn wrote:I'm not sure who can STOP masonette.

As I stated in previous posts. Maysonnet is the least of our worries. They have the two best quarterbacks in the conference, a lot of starters returning from last year and the leading rusher in the Big Ten last year (transfer from Iowa) to throw at us.

1. Coulter isnt there anymore...he graduated
2. Coker is good but Im not quaking in my boots like you are about it. Coker isnt some unstoppable force who just because he had a Hawkeye on his helmet last year is all of a sudden everyone is gonna fall down in front of him and he rushes for 2000 yards and 30 touchdowns (Im intentionally using extra gaudy numbers btw)
3. Stony Brook comes to us this year and they are our last home game...our LAST home game...if this was out first conference game, yeah Id be a bit worried too, but unless you have zero faith that we will have had a chance to gel as a team by the time November rolls around, to quote a radio personality familiar to the membership of this board, "that's a you problem". A lot can happen between August and November. God forbid anything bad happens of course but Im just saying that you are sounding an awful lot like youre giving up before we've even taken a snap of practice Chippy.

On the contrary, I'm not giving up. I'm as hopeful as any of LU fans but just pointing out the reality of a very good SB team. They will provide a big test for an untested team. That's all I'm saying.

I havent forgotten that. We did almost lose both of those games, but in the end we still came out on top. As I said, a lot can happen between August and November. Course that is true of us just as it is everyone else. We could be 9-0 (not likely), 8-1, 7-2, even 1-8 or 0-9 by the time that game rolls around. My point is that Stony Brook isnt unstoppable.Do they have things going for them? They certainly do. Does it automatically mean they win? On paper maybe...but let's all be glad that football games arent decided on paper.

Also, I dont think we can call them untested by the 9th game of the season.

BJWilliams wrote: 1. Coulter isnt there anymore...he graduated
2. Coker is good but Im not quaking in my boots like you are about it. Coker isnt some unstoppable force who just because he had a Hawkeye on his helmet last year is all of a sudden everyone is gonna fall down in front of him and he rushes for 2000 yards and 30 touchdowns (Im intentionally using extra gaudy numbers btw)

Rashad Jennings says hello

Wow. BJ just got chastised by his mentor. In public.

I think we'll have to wait on our resident scribe for that one....oh wait a minute beej.....

Chris Lang wrote:So what? Liberty almost lost both of its last two home games last year, to teams that are far inferior to Stony Brook.

You think if we win 3 of the first 4 games will still get a playoff chance even if we lose to say stoney b and maybe some other random crap game?

Certainly. But I think the chances of this team winning three of the first four games is close to nil. But, as they say, that's why they play the games. On paper, LU will only be favorites in the home games, and against Lehigh, only a slight fave at that.

I can Honestly say I have no idea where we deserve to be in the rankings. We have some really good talent on our team this year, but we have a brand new coaching staff (and a head coach that doesnt have the best record) but i am optimistic! I am Proud of the Flames for holding strong in the rankings!

Chris Lang wrote:Certainly. But I think the chances of this team winning three of the first four games is close to nil. But, as they say, that's why they play the games. On paper, LU will only be favorites in the home games, and against Lehigh, only a slight fave at that.

I think we can all agree (homer or not) that the chances of us starting that way are slim at best. 2-2 seems like a more plausible scenario at this point.

Oh and as a side note, when we play Concord on Family weekend, I guess we can finally answer the question of who was right...ballcoach or our coach

I don't think 3-1 is completely out of the question for our first four games. When you see all the stuff developing in Montana, I think that becomes a very winnable game. Also, you know Gill is going into that game hungry for early success. I would take a hungry coach over a locker room problem any day. See Ohio State last year, USC a few years ago and Penn State now. Locker room problems kill teams. With Norfolk State and Lehigh at home, I think 3-1 is very possible.

"I would take a hungry coach over a locker room problem any day. See Ohio State last year, USC a few years ago and Penn State now"

COME ON MAN.. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PULL A REFERANCE ABOUT PENN STATE AND TRY TO PARALLEL THAT COMMPARISONTO A HUNGRY LU COACH ??? NOT EVEN REMOTELY SIMILARE...DO YOU WORK FOR CNN?? LOL

CJBrady- there is NO WAY you can equate Penn St to anything about being 'hungry'. They are still trying to figure out what's going on and what the future holds. Our coach left and our players are not being recruited by other schools. And you were doing so well.....

You both realize the Penn State, USC and Ohio State references are concerning Montana's "locker room" problem? Gill being hungry was not being equated to Penn State. Not sure how you two mixed that up.

Penn State's 'locker room problem' had nothing to do with the players.