Bowls projection
- Thread starter 1Tripoda
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I am hoping it will be 2 years in a row going to a bowl game, for UNLV football!
No doubt. I am expecting a better bowl game than the New Mexico Bowl
At least the New Mexico Bowl is an ESPN property (isn't it?) and there shouldn't be any issue like the old Barstool thing (AZ Bowl). Definitely hoping for better, though.
The fact they put Liberty in the playoffs says everything about the projections. Oregon beat them 45-6 in there bowl game, and they have a schedule that is full of teams that couldn't win a single game in the MWC.
Campbell (5-6) Lower Division
NM State 10-5 (lost to liberty for conf winner - game was tied going into the 4th) lost to Hawaii, blown out by Fresno State, won a close game verse NM
UTEP (3-9) lost by 17 to UNLV at home
East Carolina (2-10)
App State (9-5)
FIU (4-8)
Kennesaw St (3-6) Lower division
Jax State (9-4)
Middle Tenn (4-8)
UMass (3-9)
WKU (8-5)
Sam Houston (3-9)
I thought the same thing when I saw Liberty in there: With that weak-a$$ schedule, they could run the table and still be very much undeserving. The MW champ with one or two losses, would be more deserving.
Unlike Liberty, we have needed the "better" teams (normally it's higher up the chart than Houston or Kansas; see home and homes with UCLA) in home and homes for attendance, or buy games (see everyone else... Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Tennessee in years past) to keep out of the red financially.
Liberty benefits from being good for the level they were at in FCS (8 conference titles in Big South from 2007-2016 and a playoff appearance, then being "good" leading into an undefeated season in 2023). They are also in Lynchburg, VA.... that's football country as far as I'm concerned.
Liberty's boosters and fans have bought in, they have all kinds of money around that program, they can afford to play bad teams, knowing the support will be there. It would be majorly detrimental for that program to be in a better conference, given that CUSA is a bad conference just masquerading as having the best team in G5.
Also - I wonder how long they can hold Chadwell. Reportedly signed for $4 million/year... so money won't be the issue. To Liberty's benefit (like it was for Coastal before Chadwell left), Chadwell's alma mater is something called East Tennessee State. He ain't going back there. If his alma mater was Florida or something, he'd be there now.
Anyway. UNLV this or last year would be Liberty this or last year. Mark it
Just curious, and sorry for the double post, if Liberty finished 12+ wins and Chadwell got a new job, would Odom be in the mix for Liberty job and would he have interest? It's a weird thing cause it is definitely lateral. Considering it's a private school in a smaller community (metro over 250k), closer to the footprint of big time CFB where opponents, recruits, and expansion opportunities lie, I would have a little concern. But I think Odom would also consider holding for a "better" job. Liberty's coaching pool won't be the same as the historic big 12 or any SEC teams....
Oregon facing Liberty in the first round, would end up being one of Oregon's easier games on their schedule this coming season. Thats not how the playoffs are supposed to work, hopefully the comittee understands this too.
Isn't the primary booster for Liberty a TV preacher, or son of a TV preacher, or am I confusing schools?
Jerry Falwell started the University. When he died a few years ago his life insurance paid off all the Sports programs debt, built a football practice facility and added sky boxes to the stadium. It's not like they need attendance. Their stadium holds 25,000 and last year they averaged nearly 20,000 a game. They pull in fans even with a crappy home schedule. Their program has a boat load of $$.
I am not sure that 20,954 attendance, which is the firs time they have ever even broken 19K per game, exactly rolling in the fans. UNLV averaged 23,660, and is most likely looking at around 30K this next season, and has a much bigger upside. Either way it doesn't change the fact that Liberty played a very weak out of conference schedule that included Campbell (lower division), New Mexico State, UTEP, and East Carolina which was exposed when they got destroyed in a bowl game verse Oregon.
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