[bigsmooth]

this surprised me a bit.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/college/wb/225108

[Chris Lang]

He's been sort of hinting at that during the Big South conference calls and the Tuesday media sessions ... And I see his point. Liberty's biggest problem last year was the bad loss. If LU gets to 9-2 this year, there won't be a bad loss on the schedule. So I can see why he would think it's a lock if the Flames get there.

Then again, this committee never fails to exclude 8-3 teams from the power conferences, and I don't think they would take a 9-2 Liberty over an 8-3 Eastern Washington or Montana State or an 8-3 Northern Iowa.

[jcmanson]

If we win out, we'll get in. I'm almost convinced of it. We should have gotten in last year. The last two teams we play [Stony Brook and Gardner-Webb] are the teams with the two highest RPIs in our league.

[flamesfan30]

didn't expect him to say that, but I sure hope he's right.

[ToTheLeft]

Rocco has coachspeak down. He's got a motive behind this, wether it's motivation for the team or a message to those in charge of the playoffs... or something I/we haven't thought of.

[SumItUp]

So You Can Get On With Your Lives..............Hopefully you understand that we ARENT making the playoffs this year.

You guys are just going to get your hopes up again only to whine and complain that we were screwed on selection Sunday.

Before the season, there was only two possible ways for us to get in the playoffs:

a) Beat West Virginia, lose one game. This didn't happen.

b) Beat JMU, lose to WVU, and have JMU as a playoff team. This didn't happen.

Those were our only two options. You can say there's a chance all you want but there's also a chance the sky turns purple by 5pm today. We have about as good of a chance to make the playoffs as the sky turning HPU purple.

Playoffs are not happening this year.

Liberty will NOT make the playoffs.

If we win out, we'll get in.

Coach Rocco is the only person I know that has made the statement that Liberty will be in the playoffs if they win out. I added the other definitive statements to refresh some memories. I'm not buying plane tickets yet, but I am keeping my weekends free just in case it happens. If there is a definitive statement that I want to believe, I'll listen to Coach.

[jcmanson]

So You Can Get On With Your Lives..............Hopefully you understand that we ARENT making the playoffs this year.

You guys are just going to get your hopes up again only to whine and complain that we were screwed on selection Sunday.

Before the season, there was only two possible ways for us to get in the playoffs:

a) Beat West Virginia, lose one game. This didn't happen.

b) Beat JMU, lose to WVU, and have JMU as a playoff team. This didn't happen.

Those were our only two options. You can say there's a chance all you want but there's also a chance the sky turns purple by 5pm today. We have about as good of a chance to make the playoffs as the sky turning HPU purple.

Playoffs are not happening this year.

Liberty will NOT make the playoffs.

If we win out, we'll get in.

Coach Rocco is the only person I know that has made the statement that Liberty will be in the playoffs if they win out. I added the other definitive statements to refresh some memories. I'm not buying plane tickets yet, but I am keeping my weekends free just in case it happens. If there is a definitive statement that I want to believe, I'll listen to Coach.

[coolhandluke]

I like his confidence. And when you think about it... 10-2 last year with a horrible loss to Presby as the reason we didn't get in. 9-2 this year with our only FCS loss coming to a good CAA team. Statistically we should get in, but I know they will find a way to keep us out again this year...

[SuperJon]

I'm making plans for the week of Thanksgiving. If I have to cancel them, so be it, but right now, without other teams losing, we can win out and still be left out.

[Chris Lang]

If you get to 8-3 in the four power leagues -- Big Sky, CAA, MVC, SoCon -- you're a lock. An absolute lock. Liberty will not beat out an 8-3 team from one of these leagues. I'll have a little more on the blog in a bit about this, but Jon's right, winning out is simply not going to be enough.

[jcmanson]

If you get to 8-3 in the four power leagues -- Big Sky, CAA, MVC, SoCon -- you're a lock. An absolute lock. Liberty will not beat out an 8-3 team from one of these leagues. I'll have a little more on the blog in a bit about this, but Jon's right, winning out is simply not going to be enough.

Yeah but who’s going to get to 8-3?
William & Mary.
Villanova.
New Hampshire.
Southern Illinois.
App State.
Northern Iowa.
McNeese St.

Great, that’s 7.

Weber St can only finish at 7-4, and that’s questionable.
Northern Arizona/Eastern Washington only one of these teams can get to 8-3 since they play each other, and it’s conceivable that neither gets to 8-3.
Montana St has to win out including beating Montana to reach 8-3.
UMass and Delaware can only finish 7-4.

I like the chances of there not being another 8-3 team from one of those conferences. Now, I wouldn’t be completely shocked if the committee took a 7-4 team over us.

[Sivart]

I wouldn't put money on it, but crazier things have happened... 2004 ALCS, the Music City Miracle, the Immaculate Reception, and the 1980 US Hockey Team... but at least Rocco has hope!

[ToTheLeft]

These "8-3" teams aren't all 8-3. A lot will be 7-3 or 7-2 with a sub DI win. EWU is in the boat, among others. Something to consider, when you think back to why Maine got in over W and M.... one more DI win...

[Chris Lang]

Weber State is the dangerous one. Weber's 7-4 resume will look a lot like Liberty's 9-2 resume, and Weber will have a much tougher strength of schedule thanks to its Big Sky slate.

[ToTheLeft]

Hoping they lose to Cal Poly, just to put the nail in that coffin...

[Libertine]

Something to consider, when you think back to why Maine got in over W and M.... one more DI win...

IONA!!! It was I-freaking-ONA!!!

[ToTheLeft]

Yup. But that was the official reason. That should give us hope, even just a little hope, that winning means something to the committee...

[Rooster Cogburn]

Yes, the playoff quote is interesting. I can't believe some of you are questioning Mr. Rocco. If he says so, then I'm with him.

The comment that really interested me was:

"Mike will be a two-year starter for me at quarterback," Rocco said.

Discuss!

[dp24]

I have been saying for awhile that I believe if (still a big if) we win out, we will be playing either Richmond or Villanova first round depending on how the next couple of weeks go. I agree with Coach Rocco that this year more people are noticing Liberty across the nation, as evidenced by the coaches poll. We won't move much in the GPI this week but over the next two weeks we will continue to move up.

And I will continue to say, our loss last year versus Presby doomed any chances we had for a playoff spot no matter what we did to Elon. If we finish 9-2, we won't have any bad losses...I think the time has come, similar as it did for Coastal a few years ago, that we will go to the playoffs this year.....

[prototype]

I agree with Superjon - I think we knew what we had to do and it just didn't happen. The teams a good team, but Liberty has never had the benefit of doubt from the committee. I think winning out is a big enough goal this year - GWU ans SB on the road will be tough...

[Rooster Cogburn]

Turns out that Coach Rocco was just quoting Dennis Carter from yesterday.

If the Flames can run the table and win out, including those two big road games to finish the season, the Flames could be making their first trip to the playoffs in school history.

[Schfourteenteen]

If we make the playoffs I wont be there. I've had plans set for a LONG time.

[JK37]

He's got a motive behind this

Coaches have a reason for EVERYthing they do!

[ToTheLeft]

He's got a motive behind this

Coaches have a reason for EVERYthing they do!

I realize how vague my point sounds, but what jk says is what I meant. This is all a part of his plan, his scheme, his plot for how he wants the season to end. Coaches don't do many, if any, things in vain, but I think this comment in particular has a specific reasoning behind it... something to do with the team, the NCAA, or someone else getting a hold of it and reading it and it affecting them somehow to the benefit of the team.

Or just to give the fans something to chew on.

[Champion]

A tough call, but one thing to consider. After LU beat an acknowledged very bad Presby team they made a rather massive jump in the polls. If they win out... (emphasis on the word "IF") ... they would probably be pushing the top ten or possibly even in the top ten. That alone would make excluding them from the playoffs a little difficult to defend. How do you tell a top ten team that they don't make the playoffs? Granted, that's an "IF" and probably a long shot, but still .....