A Sea Of Red

After reading Jon Manson's article ranking Liberty's 2023 opponents, I had a little fun digging. Using his order of ranking, here is what I found: (Yes, I'm a data guy in addition to a football fan...)

UMASS
2022 Record 1-11 / 2021 Record 1-11 / 2020 Record 0-4 / Last 3 Years 2-26
2022 Overall Score: UMass 150 / Opponents 373
On3 Info: NLI Signees 6 / Trans. Out 3 / Trans. In 6
Transfers in From: Arizona (3) / Miami, App. St., NIU (1 each)
Note: New UMass HC was Arizona DC

BOWLING GREEN
2022 Record 6-7 / 2021 Record 4-8 / 2020 Record 0-5 / Last 3 Years 10-20
2022 Overall Score: BGU 305 / Opponents 423
On3 Info: NLI Signees 13 / Trans. Out 9 / Trans. In 2
Transfers in From: Arizona St. (3) / Valparaiso (1)
Note: Lost Quick Lane Bowl

SAM HOUSTON STATE
2022 Record 5-4 / 2021 Record 11-1 / 2020 Record 10-0 / Last 3 Years 26-5
2022 Overall Score: SHSU 165 / Opponents 187
On3 Info: NLI Signees 22 / Trans. Out 2 / Trans. In 4
Transfers in From: Wash. St., Utah St., New Mexico, Georgia St. (1 each)
Note: SHSU moved to FBS in 2022

LOUISIANA TECH
2022 Record 3-9 / 2021 Record 3-9 / 2020 Record 5-5 / Last 3 Years 11-23
2022 Overall Score: LA.Tech 348 / Opponents 455
On3 Info: NLI Signees 17 / Trans. Out 14 / Trans. In 4
Transfers in From: Miami (OH), Iowa St., Cal Poly, Akron (1 each)

MIDDLE TENNESSEE
2022 Record 8-5 / 2021 Record 7-6 / 2020 Record 3-6 / Last 3 Years 18-17
2022 Overall Score: Mid.Tn. 375 / Opponents 360
On3 Info: NLI Signees 10 / Trans. Out 6 / Trans. In 3
Transfers in From: Oregon, USF, NIU (1 each)
Note: Won Hawai’i Bowl

NEW MEXICO STATE
2022 Record 7-6 / 2021 Record 2-10 / 2020 Record 1-1 / Last 3 Years 10-17
2022 Overall Score: New Mx. St. 331 / Opponents 311
On3 Info: NLI Signees 25 / Trans. Out 3 / Trans. In 4
Transfers in From: Arizona, Texas A&M, Boise St., Eastern Ill. (1 each)
Note: Won Quick Lane Bowl

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
2022 Record 4-8 / 2021 Record 1-11 / 2020 Record 0-5 / Last 3 Years 5-24
2022 Overall Score: FIU 224 / Opponents 447
On3 Info: NLI Signees 16 / Trans. Out 11 / Trans. In 8
Transfers in From: Bryant (2) / Miami, So. Dakota, No. Colorado, Memphis, Gard. Webb, Louisville (1 each)
Note: Recruiting class #2 in C-USA

UTEP
2022 Record 5-7 / 2021 Record 7-6 / 2020 Record 3-5 / Last 3 Years 15-18
2022 Overall Score: UTEP 293 / Opponents 324
On3 Info: NLI Signees 15 / Trans. Out 4 / Trans. In 2
Transfers in From: Kilgore JC (2)
Note: Signing class consists of 2 Freshman, the rest are JUCOs

OLD DOMINION
2022 Record 3-9 / 2021 Record 6-7 / 2020 Record 0-0 / Last 3 Years 9-16
2022 Overall Score: ODU 234 / Opponents 319
On3 Info: NLI Signees 14 / Trans. Out 10 / Trans. In 2
Transfers in From: UNC, Fordham
Note: ODU hired new OC/QB, OL, CB coaches

BUFFALO
2022 Record 7-6 / 2021 Record 4-8 / 2020 Record 6-1 / Last 3 Years 17-15
2022 Overall Score: Buffalo 371 / Opponents 347
On3 Info: NLI Signees 20 / Trans. Out 24 / Trans. In 20
Transfers in From: Rutgers (2) / Vanderbilt, Nebraska, East Central, W. Carolina, So. Utah, Minnesota, Cincinnati, New Mx. St., NC State, San Diego St., VMI, Arizona, UConn, Notre Dame, Louisville, Florida, Boston Coll., Dartmouth (1 each)
Note: Won Camellia Bowl; Recruiting class #1 in MAC

JACKSONVILLE STATE
2022 Record 9-2 / 2021 Record 5-6 / 2020 Record 10-3 / Last 3 Years 24-11
2022 Overall Score: Jax.St. 398 / Opponents 252
On3 Info: NLI Signees 13 / Trans. Out 9 / Trans. In 2
Transfers in From: Arizona, ULM (1 each)
Note: 5-0 record in A-SUN

WESTERN KENTUCKY
2022 Record 9-5 / 2021 Record 9-5 / 2020 Record 5-7 / Last 3 Years 23-17
2022 Overall Score: WKU 510 / Opponents 328
On3 Info: NLI Signees 5 / Trans. Out 16 / Trans. In 4
Transfers in From: Cincinnati, Texas, Nebraska, Illinois (1 each)
Note: Won C-USA championship (2nd straight); Won New Orleans Bowl

LIBERTY
2022 Record 8-5 / 2021 Record 8-5 / 2020 Record 10-1 / Last 3 Years 26-11
2022 Overall Score: LU 358 / Opponents 320
On3 Info: NLI Signees 14 / Trans. Out 14 / Trans. In 7
(**Trans. Out actually is 12 as Hunter & Sings are still on their list)
Transfers in From: West Virginia (2), Wake Forest, Arkansas, Southern Miss, South Carolina, Louisiana (1 each)
Note: New HC in Jamey Chadwell; LU signing class ranked highest in program history

Yay, GREAT job on the research!

For comparison purposes, could you also list the LU numbers so we can see how we rate against the the C-USA teams? Thanks in advance for your help!

Found some forums for future conference opponents:

Kennesaw St- https://ksuowlhowl.flarum.cloud/

FIU- N/A

JSU- https://jaxstate.freeforums.net/

Liberty- https://forums.aseaofred.com/forums/

Louisiana Tech- http://latechbbb.com/

MTSU- https://middletennessee.forums.rivals.c ... roundup.6/

NMSU- https://247sports.com/college/new-mexic ... gh-103615/

SHSU- http://katfans.com/katsforum/

UTEP- https://utep.forums.rivals.com/forums/minerdigs.10/

WKU- https://247sports.com/college/western-kentucky/board/

Got these from a CUSA message board: https://csnbbs.com/thread-947542.html

Cider Jim wrote: ↑January 15th, 2023, 5:44 am Yay, GREAT job on the research!

For comparison purposes, could you also list the LU numbers so we can see how we rate against the the C-USA teams? Thanks in advance for your help!

Also added to original post above...

LIBERTY
2022 Record 8-5 / 2021 Record 8-5 / 2020 Record 10-1 / Last 3 Years 26-11
2022 Overall Score: LU 358 / Opponents 320
On3 Info: NLI Signees 14 / Trans. Out 14 / Trans. In 7
(**Trans. Out actually is 12 as Hunter & Sings are still on their list)
Transfers in From: West Virginia (2), Wake Forest, Arkansas, Southern Miss, South Carolina, Louisiana (1 each)
Note: New HC in Jamey Chadwell; LU signing class ranked highest in program history

https://www.aseaofred.com/espns-preseas ... ked-no-85/

https://www.espn.com/college-football/i ... every-team

Espn came out with their preseason SP+ ratings. We are ranked 87th which would place us 2nd in CUSA behind WKU (85). The 11 other teams on our schedule is ranked worse than us. This could be our weakest schedule since our first FBS season when we had 2 FCS schools and played NMSU twice. The only game we likely won't be favored is @WKU and as of right now itll be a tossup. I think we'll get upset a couple times but hopefully we get double digit wins including the conference championship game.

All the preseason Conf predictions I've seen have us finishing 3rd or 4th. WKU, Louisiana Tech, UTEP/Liberty.

Just too many unknowns with this years LU squad. I see our O taking some time to get up to speed but being more consistent than last years team in the end. Its our D that has some major holes to fill.

jmclaughlin wrote: ↑July 13th, 2023, 11:19 am Just too many unknowns with this years LU squad. I see our O taking some time to get up to speed but being more consistent than last years team in the end. Its our D that has some major holes to fill.

This argument could extend to the conference as a whole; too many unknowns for preseason predictions to carry much weight. Nevertheless, there are some interesting opinions floating around:

• ESPN($): Liberty #2 (WKU #1) - Asks the rather annoying question "How long will it take Jamey Chadwell to build Coastal Carolina north?"

• Athlon: Liberty #2 (WKU #1) - Predicts a LU -v- WKU title game. Cites both LU and WKU's defenses as unknowns with significant turnover, but gives credit to WKU for returning Austin Reed at QB

• College Football News: Liberty #2 (WKU #1) - Cites consistency at QB for WKU and calls Liberty one of the "weirdest teams of 2022"

• USA Today: WKU as favorite to win conference, UTEP as "Dark Horse," LU as "Strong Contender"

• Betting Odds: Liberty #2 (WKU #1) - Similar odds across DraftKings, Caesars, FanDuel, BetMGM, etc.

CUSA stadium rankings

https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/sport ... 415393007/

Am I missing something, or is LU the only stadium they didn’t include a photo of?

BlueBlood wrote: ↑July 18th, 2023, 2:56 pm Am I missing something, or is LU the only stadium they didn’t include a photo of?

That's the first thing I noticed. Of course, if you read the article, it says that the Bill BEAT the Sunbowl in an online stadium survey, so the El Paso Times has to be a little bitter about that.

El Paso doesn't have a lot to be proud of, but they view their stadium as a cathedral. I was there once for a Sun Bowl game in 1984 (Tennessee vs. Maryland), and they were literally giving tickets away so the stadium wouldn't look so empty on national TV.

BlueBlood wrote: ↑July 18th, 2023, 2:56 pm Am I missing something, or is LU the only stadium they didn’t include a photo of?

LOL. Quite bitter it appears.