Liberty's College Football Playoff aspirations came to a sudden halt after a shocking 27-24 defeat to Kennesaw State, a team that had been winless going into the game, on Wednesday night.
The Flames, who were heavy favorites, entered the matchup with hopes of an undefeated season that could propel them into the conversation for the College Football Playoff. However, those dreams were shattered when Kennesaw State, a 26.5-point underdog, pulled off an upset on Wednesday night.
Kennesaw State, in their first season at the FBS level, had struggled throughout the year, making this their first victory in 11 attempts against top-tier college football programs. Liberty started strong with an early touchdown, but once Kennesaw State tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter, the momentum shifted in favor of the Owls.
They secured the lead in the third quarter with a six-yard touchdown run by Qua Ashley, and Austin Welch added two key field goals in the fourth quarter to extend their advantage.
In the closing moments of the game, Liberty had a fleeting chance to pull off a miraculous win. With only six seconds remaining and no timeouts, Kaidon Salter’s pass sailed out of bounds as time appeared to expire.
Kennesaw State fans stormed the field, celebrating their unexpected victory. However, a review showed that one second was still left on the clock, forcing the field to be cleared for one final play. Despite the brief reprieve, Liberty couldn’t capitalize, and the game ended in a historic upset.
This loss marks a significant blow for Liberty, which had gone 13-0 last season, securing a spot in the Fiesta Bowl. While they were outclassed by Oregon in that game, the Flames still held out hope for a run at the College Football Playoff in 2024.
Yet, playing in Conference USA, their chances of making it to the expanded 12-team playoff were already slim with the only chance being to grab that spot reserved for one Group of 5 team. Now, with this defeat, Liberty would need a series of upsets and other results to even be considered for postseason contention.
As far as the race for the Group of 5 is concerned, it really comes down to three for the time being: Boise State, Army, and Navy. All three are ranked in the AP Top-25 and it will be interesting to see how things unfold. Boise State already has one loss, but it's to No. 1-ranked Oregon. Navy will battle Notre Dame this weekend as Army is slated to host Air Force.