By Bert Leeson

11/28/2023

An unblemished record has the Flames in an unprecedented spot as Liberty moved up to No. 24 in the latest College Football Playoff Rankings.

Last week, the Flames cracked the College Football Playoff Ranking top 25 poll for the first time in program history at No. 25.

Following a 42-28 win at UTEP on Saturday, which completed the program’s first-ever unbeaten regular season at 12-0, Liberty moved up one spot in the second-to-last College Football Playoff Rankings.

The penultimate rankings of the 2023 season were released earlier this evening on ESPN. Following this weekend’s conference championship games, the final College Football Playoff Rankings will be released on the CFP Selection Show on ESPN this upcoming Sunday afternoon.

For the second-straight week, Liberty was one of two Group of Five teams in the latest College Football Playoff Rankings. Tulane was listed two spots higher than Liberty at No. 22.

Following the conclusion of the 2023 season, the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the country will receive an invitation to a New Year’s Six bowl game.

Both Liberty and Tulane host their respective conference championship games this weekend. The Flames (12-0, 8-0 CUSA) host New Mexico State (10-3, 7-1 CUSA) in the CUSA Football Championship on Friday evening at Williams Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Williams Stadium.

Tulane (11-1, 8-0 AAC) will host SMU (10-2, 8-0 AAC) at Yulman Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the American Athletic Conference Championship game. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

Liberty is the third Conference USA team to be ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings. Former conference members UTSA (2021 and 2022) and Marshall (2014 and 2020) have been ranked in the CFP rankings. Marshall had the highest CFP ranking in CUSA history at No. 21 during Week 13 and Week 14 of the 2020 season.

COURTESY LIBERTY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS