Liberty vs. Oregon: Here's why the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl could be the best game of the new year

“Three thousand years ago … a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a stone and a sling, and ever since then, the names David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David’s victory was improbable and miraculous. He shouldn’t have won. Or should he have?” — Malcolm Gladwell, “David and Goliath”

Have you considered the possibility that the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl between the No. 23 Liberty Flames and No. 8 Oregon Ducks could be the best college football game of 2024?

“Hey, if I offered you today, the opportunity to buy a ticket to that Boise State-Oklahoma game, would you do it?” Fiesta Bowl executive director and CEO Erik Moses said in a recent phone conversation.

The 43-42 Boise State win in 2007 turned college football upside down. It’s been more than 15 years and people still talk about it.

This season’s game, Jan. 1 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, sets up similarly.

“We all know we’re the underdog,” Liberty coach Jamey Chadwell said in a recent phone interview, “and David and Goliath is the underdog story.”

The Oregon Ducks (11-2, 8-1 Pac-12) are as big of a giant as you’ll find this bowl season.

Heisman finalist at quarterback in Bo Nix? Check.

NFL-bound blur of a running back in Bucky Irving? Check.

Massive chip on their shoulder from being a play away from competing for a national title? Check.

Given all that, it’s almost a surprise that Oregon is only favored by 17 ½ .

'They're dang good'

“They’re a touchdown away from playing for a national championship,” Chadwell said. “They’re dang good. We know that. And so, yes, we are an underdog, but our team has confidence because of what we’ve been through and overcome to get to this point.”

This is the part where Liberty’s standing as a Christian university comes into play. (And no, not because it’ll take a prayer and a miracle for them to win.)

The story of David and Goliath goes like this: A pair of armies faced off, and rather than engaging in mutually devastating open combat, they agreed to send out one warrior each to settle things. On one side was Goliath, nearly 7 feet tall, covered in heavy armor, carrying a javelin, a spear and a sword. On the other side was a teenager in a tunic, holding a shepherd’s staff.

“Am I a dog that you should come to me with sticks?” Goliath yelled.

Then David sprinted right at him and used a sling to hit Goliath between the eyes with a rock travelling the speed of a bullet.

New York Times bestselling author and podcaster Malcolm Gladwell makes the case in his book “David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants” that the lumbering Goliath never stood a chance because he didn’t know what hit him.

This is the part where Jamey Chadwell’s standing as one of the most innovative coaches in the nation comes into play.

The Flames (13-0, 8-0 Conference USA) run a spread option, which is hilarious to consider. It’s like the best of the old Green Bay Packers Wing T and the Houston Oilers Run-and-Shoot.

Frankly, I’m shocked the football universe hasn’t collapsed under the weight of this paradox, but I’m not surprised that it works. It’s almost impossible to prepare for.

Oregon has to deal with a dual-threat quarterback, Kaidon Salter, who threw for 2,750 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 in leading an offense that averaged more than 51 points per game.

'You get a litte extra time'

Don’t expect the Ducks to quack under the pressure. Oregon players and coaches know that they’re Goliath; they should also know that Goliath lost and use that as motivation to get ready.

“The thing about bowl prep is you get a little extra time,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said recently.

Aside from that, the Ducks had the Pac-12’s best defense, allowing just 17.3 points per game.

“They’re a really talented team that runs the ball extremely well,” Lanning said. “Their quarterback is really elusive, he creates big plays, explosive plays. They’re really successful. There’s a reason they’re undefeated.”

See what I mean?

A Heisman finalist in Bo Nix.

An offense that averages 50 points a game with Liberty.

A David and Goliath matchup in a bowl game with a history of giving upstart programs a chance to show they belong.

Have you considered the possibility that this will be the best game of the new year?

Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Liberty vs. Oregon could be classic David vs. Goliath in Fiesta Bowl