Grant White

Assessing College Football's Top Teams and Pretenders 2024

The Liberty Flames ran through the competition last year (literally) en route to a perfect regular season and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. While the Oregon Ducks doused the Flames in the New Year&#8217;s Six festivities, it propelled Liberty to heights never before seen. Now, with their core offensive pieces still intact and an entire nation paying attention, it begs the question: what could the Flames possibly do as an encore?
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<h2>Liberty Flames Preview</h2>
2022 Record: 13-1 (8-0); CUSA Finish: 1st 
AP Poll: N/A | Coaches Poll: N/A | PFF: N/A | SP+: No. 48 
Head Coach: Jamey Chadwell: 13-1 (8-0) | 2nd Season | Overall: 111-58 
Co-Offensive Coordinator: Willy Korn (2nd Year), Newland Isaac (2nd Year) 
Co-Defensive Coordinator: Skylor Magee (2nd Year), Kyle Krantz (2nd Year)
<h2>Liberty Flames Futures Odds (FanDuel)</h2>
National Championship Odds: +50000 | CFB Playoff Odds: +440 
CUSA Championship Odds: -195 
Regular Season Wins: OVER 10.5 -138 | UNDER 10.5 +112
<h2>Liberty Preview: Why You Should Be Bullish</h2>
Liberty&#8217;s unrelenting offensive attack remains largely intact following last year&#8217;s bull run to the Fiesta Bowl. The return of <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cfb/players/kaidon-salter/25462">Kaidon Salter</a> and <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cfb/players/quinton-cooley/25488">Quinton Cooley</a> gives fans plenty to get excited about again in 2024. Last season, dual-threat signal-caller Salter threw for 2,876 yards and 32 scores, adding 1,089 yards on the ground with 12 more touchdowns. Those numbers look terrific in a vacuum, but that&#8217;s also without considering Salter&#8217;s efficiency. The then-sophomore quarterback completed 61.0% of his passes for 9.9 yards per pass attempt while giving up just six interceptions. Those metrics yielded an 83.7 QBR, the ninth-best in the country. Moreover, that&#8217;s without considering Cooley&#8217;s 1,401 rushing yards or 16 touchdowns. With both players back for their junior and senior years, Liberty&#8217;s offensive output could ratchet even higher this season.
<h2>Liberty Preview: Why You Should Be Bearish</h2>
The Flames lost several integral players, leaving big question marks on both sides of the ball. Top pass-catcher <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cfb/players/cj-daniels/51318">CJ Daniels</a> departed via the transfer portal, signing with the LSU Tigers. While the team landed <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cfb/players/elijah-canion/63347">Elijah Canion</a> and <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cfb/players/julian-gray/16977">Julian Gray</a> via the transfer portal, neither player has proven their ability to replace Daniels&#8217; production. The losses on defense were even more significant, with standout defenders Tyren Dupree and Brandon Bishop exhausting their eligibility. Treylor Jackson and <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cfb/players/eldric-griffin/25474">Eldric Grifin</a> have big shoes to fill and limited experience to draw on to step in without the Flames missing a beat.
<h2>Liberty Breakout Player: WR Treon Sibley, Senior</h2>
Liberty&#8217;s best chance of maintaining the status quo on offense comes from extracting maximum value from <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cfb/players/treon-sibley/25487">Treon Sibley</a>. Thankfully, the senior wide receiver has demonstrated game-changing ability when called upon. Sibley was the second-leading pass-catcher on the Flames last season, hauling in 23 passes for 467 yards. He&#8217;s got breakaway speed but also has the frame to handle intermediate routes and contact from defenders. At 20.3 yards per catch, it&#8217;s easy to see how Sibley could become the next Flames sensation in 2024.
<h2>Liberty X-Factor: STAR Quinton Reese, Senior</h2>
A natural consequence of playing with the lead is defending against the pass. The Flames were tested last year, giving up 244.8 passing yards per game, ranking fourth-last in the Conference USA. The departure of Dupree and Bishop exacerbates those concerns, leaving it up to Safety/STAR defender <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/cfb/players/quinton-reese/25493">Quinton Reese</a> to step up and fill the gap at both levels. Reese finished the year with the fourth-most tackles on defense, contributing one pass deflection, one forced fumble, and two interceptions. Still, he must amplify that production to keep Liberty&#8217;s defense afloat. 
<h2>Liberty Schedule Analysis</h2>
As was the case last year, the Flames have a cakewalk of a schedule in 2024. The CUSA remains an inferior conference, even by Group of 5 standards. Further, Liberty has filled its non-conference quota with underwhelming competition. The reigning CUSA champs open the campaign against FCS foes, the Campbell Fighting Camels. They follow that up with a tilt versus perennial bottom-feeders the New Mexico State Aggies, embarking on their foray into conference play. Their lone test comes against the Appalachian State Mountaineers in Week 5, using a bye week in advance to prepare for the non-conference battle. That could be the only matchup between Liberty and another perfect regular season.
<h2>Liberty Prediction: OVER/UNDER 10.5 Wins</h2>
As you can infer from the betting price, the smart play is taking the Flames to eclipse 10.5 wins again in 2024. Liberty won&#8217;t face a sincere challenge from others within the CUSA, but a road game against the Mountaineers could prevent them from running the table. Factoring that game as a loss still affords bettors wiggle room to cash the over, with hedging opportunities later in the season. But the part nobody wants to talk about is that it still won&#8217;t be enough to get Liberty into the College Football Playoff. The Flames are without a playoff-caliber opponent on their schedule, making it impossible to rationalize their inclusion in the 12-team field. Look no further than last year&#8217;s dismantling in the Fiesta Bowl as evidence that this program has a long way to go before it can be considered a true contender. Nevertheless, Liberty should easily defend its crown as the top team in the CUSA.
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<h2>Liberty Preseason Pick</h2>
OVER 10.5 (-138 @ FanDuel Sportsbook)
<h2>Liberty Best Bets</h2>
Over 10.5 Wins (-138), CUSA Champions (-195)
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The Liberty Flames shocked the college football world last year, parlaying a perfect regular season into a Fiesta Bowl berth. What can Liberty do for an

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