It’s all in the title this week. For Liberty, the football playoffs start now. All of the games this season, all of the blowout victories, and all of the emotional heart breakers have just been tune ups for October 19th, and the start of Big South play. While we all relish the victories and agonize over the defeats, the only surefire games that matter for the Flames start this weekend, on Homecoming against the #4 team in the country. And if you haven’t been paying attention, that also happens to be the Flames’ biggest rival, Coastal Carolina.
Senior Kevin Fogg will help lead the Flames on Homecoming Saturday.
As has been discussed quite a bit, the home team has dominated this series, and the winner will be the overwhelming favorite to take the Big South Championship and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs. That automatic bid is the only route to the playoffs for Liberty this season, having started the season 3-3. If the Flames were slightly more fortunate and had come into this game 6-0 or 5-1, there may have been some room for error against the Chanticleers. However, that isn’t the case, and every game from this point forward is a de facto elimination game. If Liberty loses tomorrow, their remaining schedule is essentially a series of exhibitions against primarily lesser opponents. Should the Flames win, they will still likely need to be perfect against four other Big South teams to take home the title.
There is pressure associated with such a moment, but here is the good news; this is a winnable game against an opponent Liberty knows well. It’s a game against an opponent Liberty hasn’t just beaten, but dominated at home. None of the internal doubts that may lurk when the Flames take the field against an Old Dominion or James Madison should exist when Liberty straps on the their helmets against Coastal. Their ranking doesn’t matter. This is Homecoming, they are Liberty, and this is Coastal Carolina at Williams Stadium. Winning isn’t just possible, it is what Liberty does in this situation.
The Chanticleers have the luxury of being able to lose this game. Should their only loss come to Liberty, Coastal will almost definitely receive an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs. That’s good news for you if you are reading this Coastal fan. Should this game go like almost all of the others for you at Williams Stadium, the ride home should be easier knowing that the playoffs are still in reach. The Flames won’t have that luxury. They are playing for their season tomorrow. Expect them to play like it. Tomorrow is a big day for the season, and for the program. I hope Flames Nation is ready. I know Coach Gill and the players are. To borrow a phrase from an old coach…expect to win.
