Anything and everything about Liberty Flames football. Your comments on games, recruiting and the direction of the program as we move into new era.

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By ASOR Forums Admin
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#630144
The season is fast approaching! Manson and the rest of the ASOR team of ramped up their coverage.


WHAT I SAW, WHAT I LEARNED, WHAT I THINK, WHAT I HEARD, WHAT I KNOW AFTER WATCHING THREE LIBERTY PRACTICES

For the first time since March 2020, Hugh Freeze let us media types watch portions of practice over the first week of fall camp, culminating with Saturday’s Fan Appreciation Day. In total, nearly three hours of practice and an additional two hours at Fan Appreciation Day of Liberty football was consumed in person over the past week. This doesn’t include the several other hours of interviews conducted over the past week. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

POSITION PREVIEW: QUARTERBACKS

Never before has Liberty entered a college football season with a player getting the preseason hype that Malik Willis has been getting. Every time you turn around, the Liberty quarterback is being featured in another article or by another analyst. He’s been given odds as a dark horse Heisman candidate and is being looked at as a likely first round draft pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Willis’ presence alone on Liberty’s roster will have more eyes tuned into Flames’ football this year than ever before. Before the season is over, it would be surprising if every NFL team hasn’t stepped foot on Liberty’s campus to watch Malik in person.

Behind Willis, the Flames have five freshmen that are mostly unproven yet talented. Johnathan Bennett is the only exception as he is entering his third season with the Flames and has a solid grasp on the offense under head coach Hugh Freeze. CLICK HERE FOR MORE
By olldflame
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#630150
ballcoach15 wrote: August 16th, 2021, 8:49 am I just hope the team doesn't spend too much time, reading the "Watch Lists"
No reason to pretend they aren't there. Reading them takes a few seconds. Then you say "Oh, that's cool" and go on about your business. All indications are that is exactly how Malik and Durrell are handling this.
By tyndal23
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#630221
IF Louisiana beats TX and TX is a two loss team, UAB beats GA and wins conference and GA is a 2 loss team and Syracuse is an 8 win team with an upset over Clemson or UNC and Army is a 1 loss team and Ole Miss upsets Bama and is a 3 or less loss team....and we have style points rest of the games, sure why not top 10? Ha!
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By LUOrange
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#630229
cruzan_flame13 wrote: August 17th, 2021, 6:43 pm Coming from a podcast with Baylor fans/supporters:

Good grief. If we run the table we'll be Top 25 for Pete's sake. I'd think we'd make the CFP Top 25 too. Win a bowl game vs a P5 and finish 13-0, I could possibly see Top 10.
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By alabama24
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#630230
I don’t think it would have to be that convoluted. In this crazy hypothetical situation, if Liberty runs the table and Ole Miss only has one loss… we’d likely be#10.
By tyndal23
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#630233
alabama24 wrote: August 17th, 2021, 9:48 pm
LUOrange wrote: August 17th, 2021, 9:45 pm Good grief. If we run the table we'll be Top 25 for Pete's sake.
He misspoke. He meant top 10.
Yes he did misspeak on Sic Em 365. Big difference in top 25 and top 10. Cinci getting early love ( conspiracy since they play ND early and voters want to make ND look as good as possible - write a letter BallCoach ). LU won’t make it to top 10 with just a win over Ole Miss and undefeated season, our opponents have to have decent SOS. ( last year killed us with our opponents SOS ). I am not real worried about going undefeated, but the August “what if” game passes the time...
Ill flame liked this
By tyndal23
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#630249
badger74 wrote: August 18th, 2021, 8:50 am Offense no bueno. Players only meeting. Focus??
Love it and especially the fact Malik was the one who called the meeting. Really like hearing how good the D is performing at all levels and pushing the O hard. These guys are lock step in their interviews and very Bama like about outside noise, work ethic etc, and it comes off believable and not just “ speak”.
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By alabama24
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#630251
tyndal23 wrote: August 17th, 2021, 11:47 pm LU won’t make it to top 10 with just a win over Ole Miss and undefeated season, our opponents have to have decent SOS. ( last year killed us with our opponents SOS ).
I will always have to preface this: We are not beating Ole Miss.

You are wrong, however. <If> we were undefeated at the end of the season, we would have beaten Ole Miss AND some other ranked team in a bowl game. When you look through the final polls and see teams like Cincinnati, Houston, UCF... they sometimes do end up in the top 10 with losses. You will not find an undefeated team outside of the top 10.
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By tyndal23
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#630259
alabama24 wrote: August 18th, 2021, 10:10 am
tyndal23 wrote: August 17th, 2021, 11:47 pm LU won’t make it to top 10 with just a win over Ole Miss and undefeated season, our opponents have to have decent SOS. ( last year killed us with our opponents SOS ).
I will always have to preface this: We are not beating Ole Miss.

You are wrong, however. <If> we were undefeated at the end of the season, we would have beaten Ole Miss AND some other ranked team in a bowl game. When you look through the final polls and see teams like Cincinnati, Houston, UCF... they sometimes do end up in the top 10 with losses. You will not find an undefeated team outside of the top 10.
I love data, show me....
By tyndal23
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#630261
tyndal23 wrote: August 18th, 2021, 12:12 pm
alabama24 wrote: August 18th, 2021, 10:10 am
tyndal23 wrote: August 17th, 2021, 11:47 pm LU won’t make it to top 10 with just a win over Ole Miss and undefeated season, our opponents have to have decent SOS. ( last year killed us with our opponents SOS ).
I will always have to preface this: We are not beating Ole Miss.

You are wrong, however. <If> we were undefeated at the end of the season, we would have beaten Ole Miss AND some other ranked team in a bowl game. When you look through the final polls and see teams like Cincinnati, Houston, UCF... they sometimes do end up in the top 10 with losses. You will not find an undefeated team outside of the top 10.
I love data, show me....
I will save you a little time...
https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/colle ... ive-teams/
By paradox
Registration Days Posts
#630300
We will need a healthy Willis & Johnson in order to secure any of these 2021 goals. Moving forward, Freeze will have his work cut out for him post-Malik. Top 25s is a nice target. But, the massive leadership void will be challenging.
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By alabama24
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#630316
tyndal23 wrote: August 18th, 2021, 12:21 pm
tyndal23 wrote: August 18th, 2021, 12:12 pm
alabama24 wrote: August 18th, 2021, 10:10 am

I will always have to preface this: We are not beating Ole Miss.

You are wrong, however. <If> we were undefeated at the end of the season, we would have beaten Ole Miss AND some other ranked team in a bowl game. When you look through the final polls and see teams like Cincinnati, Houston, UCF... they sometimes do end up in the top 10 with losses. You will not find an undefeated team outside of the top 10.
I love data, show me....
I will save you a little time...
https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/colle ... ive-teams/
What was that supposed to show? The only undefeated team did end up in the top 10.
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By tyndal23
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#630320
alabama24 wrote: August 19th, 2021, 8:42 pm
tyndal23 wrote: August 18th, 2021, 12:21 pm
tyndal23 wrote: August 18th, 2021, 12:12 pm

I love data, show me....
I will save you a little time...
https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/colle ... ive-teams/
What was that supposed to show? The only undefeated team did end up in the top 10.
And what was their SOS rating? LU is starting at 125. SOS even more important for the poll that actually means something, the CFP - Western MI highest in that poll was 17 ( before their bowl loss ) undefeated, conference champs and 2 P5 wins.
By tyndal23
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#630322
tyndal23 wrote: August 19th, 2021, 9:31 pm
alabama24 wrote: August 19th, 2021, 8:42 pm
tyndal23 wrote: August 18th, 2021, 12:21 pm

I will save you a little time...
https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/colle ... ive-teams/
What was that supposed to show? The only undefeated team did end up in the top 10.
And what was their SOS rating? LU is starting at 125. SOS even more important for the poll that actually means something, the CFP - Western MI highest in that poll was 17 ( before their bowl loss ) undefeated, conference champs and 2 P5 wins.
OK- I will concede - If LU wins a bowl game after undefeated regular season this year they most likely will be ranked top 10 by AP or Coaches Poll. Most likely Won’t be in the CFP poll prior to bowl.
https://www.yardbarker.com/college_foot ... 32#slide_1
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By alabama24
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#630323
tyndal23 wrote: August 19th, 2021, 9:31 pm And what was their SOS rating? LU is starting at 125. SOS even more important for the poll that actually means something, the CFP - Western MI highest in that poll was 17 ( before their bowl loss ) undefeated, conference champs and 2 P5 wins.
1. I’m talking about the AP poll.
2. Western MI did beat 2 P5 teams. So what? One team had 3 wins; the other had 7 wins and a LOSS to an FCS team.
3. Western MI hit #12, not #7
4. Liberty is starting with 36 votes. Western Michigan didn’t have any until week 4 (6); 5 (14); 6 (76)
5. Western Michigan “ran through one of the nation’s worst schedules” (from your article)
6. Liberty would have also played two P5 schools, but the difference is that one will likely be ranked (or at least receive votes). And the Rajun Cajuns likely will be too.
By tyndal23
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#630324
Right, I already conceded - scroll up. However, WMU SOS was in the 60’s we are starting at 125. BUT, I think Army,UAB,Louisiana, will average 9 wins between them and Syracuse gets 4-6, and Troy and N Texas get to .500 and our SOS ends up much higher than last year ( and my original post that we need our opponents to perform to get us in top 10). I agree IF WMU had won their bowl game they would have bumped to 10 or better from12. Tulane is next best example back in BCS era when they beat BYU in a bowl ( about the category of opponent we would play in a bowl ) and they ended up in top 10. BUT I will give you that we end up top 10 regardless of SOS in AP. Nice work on the research/ data ( take notes PH and JK ). Once/if 12 team playoffs start, it is all about Playoff Committee Ranking which is much more stringent on SOS.
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By alabama24
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#630327
The AP poll is one thing; the playoffs are another altogether. When the committee has to decide on FOUR teams, they can be more generous with certain teams who WILL NOT be in the playoffs. For the record: I do believe the changes in the SEC do put into question the momentum for a 12 team playoff. For example: The SEC may go to four pods and expect four teams in automatically. There may end up more movement towards an 8 team playoff or a 4+2 before this is over.
By tyndal23
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#630334
I disagree. 12 teams mean more $ and opportunity for everyone. The pushback will be Non SEC Conferences trying to limit how many teams from 1 conference (SEC) are allowed in playoff and that may be what triggers the breakaway Super League. If Conference Commissioners try and force the SEC in to something that doesn’t make sense, they will in effect be committing Conference suicide - SEC just says hey we are taking our top teams and inviting your best teams to the Amazon Prime Football League, rest of you can hang out in the NCAA and do what you want. Better odds that SEC will beat each other up and only get 2-3 vs 4 most years. Regardless, Still guaranteed a PAC 12 team is in and better chance of 2 getting in vs getting completely left out like they have been. Also, reversing course and freezing out G5 brings in lawsuits,Congress and a Commissioner. NCAA thin ( agreement ) to self regulate is very weak right now and Congress chomping at the bit to regulate and require 30% of your team be gender neutral, no white male refs or coaches, no displays of toxic masculinity during the game, no animal mascots or nicknames,booster shots weekly and all $ proceeds distributed equally among all colleges regardless if they have a football team ( unless they are private and religious institutions - they get nothing ).
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