Big Day for the Big South - Power Rankings after Week 2

[Redwyn]

Is anyone else stunned by how well the Big South is performing this season? While our bottom is like any other conference's bottom...our top tier is expanding and doing quite well....

Gardner Webb defeats FBS Akron in OT
Liberty takes down FBS Ball State
Stony Brook nukes D2 AIC (Hofstra replacement game)
Coastal Carolina takes Towson to a ridiculous OT
Charleston Southern puts up a fight vs. Wofford
Presbyterian puts up points vs Clemson, decent show two weeks in a row vs. FBS
VMI is reported to have fielded a full team and attended on time vs. W&M

Power Rankings -
1. Liberty - A good show against JMU would seal the deal for Liberty regardless of conference outcome.
2. Gardner-Webb - HUH? Wow...I can't wait for SBU to play Buffalo. This team is for real...
3. Stony Brook - AIC score due to several DNPs due to injury precautions. Games vs. Brown and U Mass will be better prognostication of season outcome.
4. Coastal Carolina - Came out swinging. Hopefully wins down the road as a result
5. Charleston Southern - Nice rebound after borderline game vs. sub-FCS.
6. VMI - ....Losses like that happen. Thing is, can you rebound?
7. Presbyterian - They fought against two FBS team. Nothing to hang your heads about being 0-2 after those two weeks. Can see the moving up the charts in the next few weeks now that they're against proper competition.

[Redwyn]

Figure I'd give this a bump as all the other posters get online

[elcid83]

GW played a really good tough game against an Akron team that looked like they were playing their 2nd game under a new football coach. Buffalo is a much more mature and significant team compared to Akron. If SB beats Buffalo, that will be a very significant win.

Go Runnin' Bulldogs!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs661.snc4/60104_1458865185618_1053041569_31103979_8044335_n. jpg

[ToTheLeft]

Just got back in from the game. Wow.

What a win, what a game, what a day for the Big South. Let's go Seawolves! Beat Buffalo, and we'll officially own the MAC.

[Redwyn]

Just got back in from the game. Wow.

What a win, what a game, what a day for the Big South. Let's go Seawolves! Beat Buffalo, and we'll officially own the MAC.

It'll be a much tougher game. Buffalo isn't the doormat it used to be. I'm banking more on beating Army in two years than Buffalo.

Regardless, there's NO ONE who can say the Big South is unworthy of a playoff bid after these wins...Congrats Liberty and Gardner-Webb!

[kicker]

proud of g-dub & liberty; cc gave valient effort . good luck to all big south schools next. keep on winning, boys!

[kicker]

forgot to mention csu. gave wofford all they could handle

[kdinva]

Power Rankings -
1. Liberty - A good show against JMU would seal the deal for Liberty regardless of conference outcome.
2. Gardner-Webb - HUH? Wow...I can't wait for SBU to play Buffalo. This team is for real...
3. Stony Brook - AIC score due to several DNPs due to injury precautions. Games vs. Brown and U Mass will be better prognostication of season outcome.
4. Coastal Carolina - Came out swinging. Hopefully wins down the road as a result
5. Charleston Southern - Nice rebound after borderline game vs. sub-FCS.
6. VMI - ....Losses like that happen. Thing is, can you rebound?
7. Presbyterian - They fought against two FBS team. Nothing to hang your heads about being 0-2 after those two weeks. Can see the moving up the charts in the next few weeks now that they're against proper competition.

1) Liberty
2) Gard-Webb
3) Stony Brook
4) CCU
5) CSU
6) Presby.
11) VMI

again, VMI with a confident and good week of prep.........they blow the whistle in Williamsburg, and it's the old "deer in the headlights" attitude.xsmhx Presby. would beat us if we played tomorrow.

[4th and What?]

Regardless, there's NO ONE who can say the Big South is unworthy of a playoff bid after these wins...Congrats Liberty and Gardner-Webb!

But can they land 2....or dare I say 3 bids with the expanded playoffs? I love the OOC schedule you guys have this year with Liberty going to JMU, and SB hosting UMass and going to Brown. If either team wins their CAA game they should be a lock. G-W should be able to handle the rest of their OOC, the only test being @Sam Houston. Can G-W get an at large without winning one of the games @Stony Brook or @Liberty?

Way too early for this talk, but working on my weekly rankings so trying to look at all this stuff.

[Redwyn]

But can they land 2....or dare I say 3 bids with the expanded playoffs? I love the OOC schedule you guys have this year with Liberty going to JMU, and SB hosting UMass and going to Brown. If either team wins their CAA game they should be a lock. G-W should be able to handle the rest of their OOC, the only test being @Sam Houston. Can G-W get an at large without winning one of the games @Stony Brook or @Liberty?

Way too early for this talk, but working on my weekly rankings so trying to look at all this stuff.

I think it's far too optimistic to think 3 bids. Top 2 may be an option provided CAA games go well...

[BJuice]

Putting up a fight against another FCS team is no longer a satisfying feeling for coaches, players, and fans of the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. Buccaneers' Nation went into yesterday expecting to win.

Yesterday's loss in Charleston was and still is very disappointing. The Buccaneers were in position to and played well enough to win. A loss, after that performance, is completely unacceptable.

There was one point in the game that completely changed the outcome. It was a crticial drive for the Buccaneers. It was a drive in which they needed to control the ball, move the ball, eat the clock, and execute.

The Score...23-20 Charleston Southern
Time of Game...9:17 to go in the 4th Quarter
Field Position...CSU 27 yard line
Result...3 plays and out. 3 pass plays. 3 incomplete passes.
Punt...31 yards.
Resulting Field Position for Wofford...Wofford 42 yard line
Time of Possession for CSU on the critical drive...:21. That is 21 seconds, folks!!!

Then, of course, Wofford goes on to score to score the game clinching touchdown with an 8-play, 58-yard drive, eating 2:57 on the clock.

I just have one question for which I will probably never get an answer. When we were running pretty effectively all day, why do we try three consecutive pass plays on such a critical drive? Ultimately the blame falls on the players for not executing, but I just don't think three pass plays are what we needed right there.

Postgame quotes, Charleston Southern Head Coach Jay Mills...


"We’re past the point of moral victories in this program. There’s no such thing. We expect to compete nationally with anybody that plays against us at the Division I FCS level. I think we showed that; at the same point in time, it’s just unacceptable for us to come up short. We really expected to win this game, we expected to win it all the way. We have a chance to have an outstanding football team. We have a chance to compete on par with anyone else on the rest of our schedule at the FCS level. I’m looking forward to seeing our guys respond, rebound, and collect and pull together and get it done.

A couple more first downs in the fourth quarter, and the defense stays off the field. It was a game that was closely contested. It could have been won by either side. I really felt, going into the fourth quarter, that we had them where we wanted them, and then we let them off the ropes.

We’re taking the program from a level of where it used to be, “We’re trying to get a win. We’re trying to get a winning season.” Now we’re trying to compete with the best nationally, and we’re close. We’re going to keep pushing and one of these times we’re going to be able to get it done. It’s going to come sooner rather than later.

You had two excellent teams, you had a very good representative of the SoCon and a very good representative of the Big South Conference. They were teams that were equal as far as toughness, discipline, and instinct. We haven’t lost anything with regard to opportunity to compete for postseason play. That’s what this team has had on their minds from the beginning.

[SumItUp]

At this point in the season, there is very little difference between #2 and #5. Could the Big South get an at-large playoff selection this year?

Power Rankings
1. Liberty - The Flames look focused on winning the Big South title and playing multiple weeks in the playoffs.
2. Charleston Southern - Coach Mills has done so much with so little. This team should not be overlooked by anyone in the conference.
3. Gardner-Webb - The bulldogs will ride the confidence from their victory over Akron and overachieve this year.
4. Stony Brook - After beating Liberty to finish the '09 season, the Sea Wolves expect to compete for the Big South Championship in '10. They will.
5. Coastal Carolina - Coastal is either on the way back to prominence or there may be a new staff at the beach next year. It's too early make the call.
6. Presbyterian - The Blue Hose will win two conference games. One of them will be a shocker.
7. VMI - This will be a disappointing transition season for the Cadets.