Patriot League - Week 9

[carney2]

And then there were two.

GEORGETOWN @ LEHIGH

COLGATE @ LAFAYETTE

HOLY CROSS @ BUCKNELL

FORDHAM @ Marist

[breezy]

More fearless prognostications.

GEORGETOWN @ LEHIGH. Lehigh looked terrible against Holy Cross while Georgetown pulled out a squeaker over Bucknell. Lehigh should rebound enough to pull off the victory. LEHIGH.

COLGATE @ LAFAYETTE. Colgate pulled a surprise win over Towson while Lafayette was upset by Fordham. Unlike Lehigh, Lafayette is still in the hunt for the PL title, but Colgate may be on the upswing. COLGATE.

HOLY CROSS @ BUCKNELL. The Bucknell running game may test the HC defense, but the offense should score enough to win. HOLY CROSS.

FORDHAM @ Marist. Easy game for the Rams. FORDHAM.

[carney2]

GEORGETOWN @ LEHIGH - A get well card for the South Mountain train wreck? It is with a trembling and unsteady hand that I hit these six keys: Lehigh

COLGATE @ LAFAYETTE - A real tough decision: Colgate played well last week; Lafayette was buried. The Colgate QB had a decent game; the Lafayette QB is an INT machine - when he can get the ball over the linemen. Colgate has Jordan Scott; Lafayette tries repeatedly to force a 175 lb. tailback between the tackles. Colgate is one of the 8 teams that Lafayette historically does not beat. I'll flip a coin. Colgate

HOLY CROSS @ BUCKNELL - Check the scoreboard wiring at Christy Mathewson. Holy Cross

FORDHAM @ Marist - The Rams have earned a week off. Fordham

This is very painful - Ken_Z was right. Check my eBay listing for a "like new" set of wheels.

[colorless raider]

My picks:

Colgate
Lehigh
Holy Cross
Fordham

If Lehigh loses, watch out...

[Fordham]

Georgetown
Holy Cross
Fordham
Colgate

[jdb037]

Lehigh over Georgetown - Georgetown can scare you with their passing attack, but Lehigh has enough to beat them

Colgate over Lafayette - Big week for Jordan Scott

Holy Cross over Bucknell - If we can't stop Georgetown's passing, we wont be able to stop the Crusaders passing either. And even if we make it close (which we wont), we will just screw it up with another nice squib kick to their 41 yard line. Glad my parents will be coming up for this gem of a game.

Fordham over Marist - Marist is awful

[DC 'gater]

Colgate
HC
Fordham
Georgetown

[LBPop]

Oh no, it's Monday and I'm already nervous. Two of six of you have picked the Hoyas. I am just too superstitious. xeekx

[TheValleyRaider]

Georgetown at Lehigh Lehigh Hawks too talented, pull enough together to beat overmatched Hoyas. Whether it lasts is another question entirely

Colgate at Lafayette Colgate Okay, this is partially because I'm a homer. However, the Leopards have traditionally struggled against Colgate and the Ivies, and have shown little to change that this year. Plus, I'm banking on the Raiders feeling good and hungry after shutting down Towson last week

Holy Cross at Bucknell Holy Cross Crusaders do their part to set up League Game of the Year by throwing all over Bison. Basketball cannot come soon enough in Lewisburg, but they may be willing to wait a bit longer in Worcester this year

Fordham at Marist Fordham Rams on a roll, and this year's Patriot League whipping boy isn't going to be the one that stops them. A short trip up the Hudson in more ways than one

[DFW HOYA]

Colgate at Lafayette: Statistically speaking, it's a coin toss. Three reasons I'll opt for the Leopards: 1) each of LC's losses were close and they won't lose three homes games this year, 2) the Red Raiders may struggle to get yards on the Leopard rush defense, and 3) Lafayette's schedule ends with HC and Lehigh and they need this win now.

Holy Cross at Bucknell. If Georgetown can put up 240 yards on the Bison, Holy Cross might double that.

Fordham at Marist: Third straight road game for the Maroon, a week away from Holy Cross, a night game...all potential landmines against a Marist team that has already played five road games but is traditionally tougher at home. Fordham should win, but it could be closer than you might think.

Georgetown at Lehigh: Has this suddenly become a "must win" for Lehigh? Engineers have outscored Hoyas 115-14 in two prior meetings at the Goodman campus, and LU has been held under 40 points just once in the last seven years in this series. Without a better pass defense from the Hoyas, Lehigh should be favored again.

[ngineer]

The 'gate seems to be swinging back with some momentum and Lafayette's offense is in a quandry with their qb--might they go with Curley (and leave Moe and Larry in the locker room)? Should be a good tight game. But last year aside, 'pards have traditionally had trouble with the Raiders and I think that will continue. Colgate 24-17.

Holy Cross could make a wrong turn at Lewisburg and end up behind bars. I think this game could be one of those 'traps' with the 'big one' on the horizon. Still, even if looking ahead, I think the Crusaders will still be Sing-Singing all the way home. Holy Cross 38-21.

Fordham gets a week off in the PL's favorite cathouse. Rams at the Foxes has a little risque overtone, but I don't see the Jesuits getting defrocked.
Fordham 35-14.

Lehigh enters uncharted territory. Not since 1997 have the Mountain Hawks been out of the hunt this early. How they react to last week's debacle is anyone's guess, but it will go a long way toward seeing how the rest of the season will be played out. Coen should be able to get his team's attention that they can still end up 7-4, which would be a considerable accomplishment in light of the recent past and in view of the teams yet on the horizon. We will find out what they are made of. Adversity does not build character, it reveals it. That said, I have to believe that the Brown & White will play with pride and return some sunshine to South Mountain. Lehigh 31-14.

[BobbyMo]

Lafayette
Holy Cross
Forham
Lehigh

[LeopardFan04]

Lafayette
Holy Cross
Forham
Lehigh

[Fordham]

Fordham gets a week off in the PL's favorite cathouse. Rams at the Foxes has a little risque overtone, but I don't see the Jesuits getting defrocked.



xwhistlex xwhistlex xwhistlex xbowx xbowx xbowx xnodx xnodx

that there is some nice wordsmithing, ng. good (and funny) stuff.

[LBPop]

xwhistlex xwhistlex xwhistlex xbowx xbowx xbowx xnodx xnodx

that there is some nice wordsmithing, ng. good (and funny) stuff.

Ditto...nice work for a former Engineer. I actually laughed out loud. By the way, the forecast currently calls for rain on Saturday. How does the Goodman field handle that? While driving up in the rain doesn't thrill me, I am kind of looking forward to an old fashioned mud bowl. It doesn't happen too often anymore with all these plastic fields. xnodx

[carney2]

At the risk of once again infuriating the AGS powers that be, I just have to share this with you.

Some hours after submitting my Top 25 selections for this week's AGS poll I received a message from the administrators or whomever. It was congenial, pleasant and non-threatening. They merely wanted to point out what they thought were the errors of my ways and, I guess, in some unstated way caution me against homerism. They pointed out three - and only three - picks of mine that they felt might be in error, or at least had not been given sufficient reflection. The three picks were

Yale in the top 10 (I have them at 5)
Holy Cross in the top 20 (I have them at 14)
Fordham in the top 25 (I have them at 20)

It seems to me that the railing against "eastern bias" that frequently gets expressed on this board should be replaced by recognition of an institutionalized bias in favor of the large state universities that have neither the resources nor intestinal fortitude to go play with their big brothers on a regular basis.

Now, please, no laughter as I and my gimpy knee climb down from this soapbox.

[ngineer]

At the risk of once again infuriating the AGS powers that be, I just have to share this with you.

Some hours after submitting my Top 25 selections for this week's AGS poll I received a message from the administrators or whomever. It was congenial, pleasant and non-threatening. They merely wanted to point out what they thought were the errors of my ways and, I guess, in some unstated way caution me against homerism. They pointed out three - and only three - picks of mine that they felt might be in error, or at least had not been given sufficient reflection. The three picks were

Yale in the top 10
Holy Cross in the top 20
Fordham in the top 25.

It seems to me that the railing against "eastern bias" that frequently gets expressed on this board should be replaced by recognition of an institutionalized bias in favor of the large state universities that have neither the resources nor intestinal fortitude to go play with their big brothers on a regular basis.

Now, please, no laughter as I and my gimpy knee climb down from this soapbox.

Somewhat surprised since your placements were not far off from mine. I think I had Yale around 12, HC around 22 and FU around 25. As long as there is consistency, I don't see a problem. LIke the umpires call. Some call 'em on the plate, others barely grazing the corner; but as long as they're consistent..

[ngineer]

Ditto...nice work for a former Engineer. I actually laughed out loud. By the way, the forecast currently calls for rain on Saturday. How does the Goodman field handle that? While driving up in the rain doesn't thrill me, I am kind of looking forward to an old fashioned mud bowl. It doesn't happen too often anymore with all these plastic fields. xnodx

Thanks..every now and then the 'juices' flow. As for Gooman, the forecast currently calls for 'scattered showers' so I don't know how heavy it will be. They do cover the field with a couple large tarps, though they don't keep all moisture away. The game against Holy Cross had indications of wetness from the heavy rain the day before with some players slipping, but not big mud bowl. The field has a pretty good crown and drains fairly well.

[TheValleyRaider]

Somewhat surprised since your placements were not far off from mine. I think I had Yale around 12, HC around 22 and FU around 25. As long as there is consistency, I don't see a problem. LIke the umpires call. Some call 'em on the plate, others barely grazing the corner; but as long as they're consistent..

Yeah, that's right about where I had them, although I have Fordham at 26, which might be a big part of it for my ballot. xtwocentsx

[LeopardFan04]

At the risk of once again infuriating the AGS powers that be, I just have to share this with you.

Some hours after submitting my Top 25 selections for this week's AGS poll I received a message from the administrators or whomever. It was congenial, pleasant and non-threatening. They merely wanted to point out what they thought were the errors of my ways and, I guess, in some unstated way caution me against homerism. They pointed out three - and only three - picks of mine that they felt might be in error, or at least had not been given sufficient reflection. The three picks were

Yale in the top 10 (I have them at 5)
Holy Cross in the top 20 (I have them at 14)
Fordham in the top 25 (I have them at 20)

It seems to me that the railing against "eastern bias" that frequently gets expressed on this board should be replaced by recognition of an institutionalized bias in favor of the large state universities that have neither the resources nor intestinal fortitude to go play with their big brothers on a regular basis.

Now, please, no laughter as I and my gimpy knee climb down from this soapbox.



I have Yale at 8 this week, but have Fordham/Holy Cross "just out"...

[VT Wildcat Fan53]

GEORGETOWN @ LEHIGH. Lehigh 55, GU 7. The Hoyas have their 1 win on the season. They can now kick back and finish up at 1-10. xnonox

COLGATE @ LAFAYETTE. Colgate 24, Lafayette 21. Raiders pull off mini-upset on the road in Easton. 'Gate's defense wins it at the end.

HOLY CROSS @ BUCKNELL. Holy Cross 38, Bucknell 7. Crusaders stay on pace for PL auto-bid vs struggling Bison.

FORDHAM @ MARIST. Fordham 52, Marist 14. Rams & their hard-working coaching staff keep pace with The Cross vs overmatched Marist. Cinderella season continues for Fordham heading in to late season showdown with HC. xthumbsupx

[jdb037]

Basketball season finally came to Lewisburg tonight and how sweet it was to forget about the dreadful season our football team is having.

[hc12]

lehigh 35 GU 14
colgate 28 lafayette 20 ?'s surround this team from Easton.
Fordham35 marist 10
HC48 Bucknell 20 Gilmore will not let this be a trap game.The D has to stop the run, if this happens it will be a long day for lewisburg bunch.Air randolph will try for another 375 yard day.Gilmores has the boys just thinking of one game at a time.

[LehighFan11]

Lehigh
Lafayette
Fordham
Holy Cross

[crusader11]

Lehigh
Colgate
Fordham
Holy Cross

[Rjm7272]

Lehigh over Georgetown
Colgate over Lafayette
Holy Cross over Bucknell
Fordham over Marist

[ColgateTD]

Lehigh
Fordham
Holy Cross
COLGATE

[PeacockRaider]

GEORGETOWN @ LEHIGH...I only live 20 min from Goodman and last Sat I could of sworn I heard chants of FIRE COEN outside my door. He better not lose this one..LU 28-7

COLGATE @ LAFAYETTE...Last week I picked Towson and Colgate won... Leopards BIG, Looking forward to seeing the new stadium

HOLY CROSS @ BUCKNELL...Randolph and Co invade Lewisburg and on a mission HC 38-10

FORDHAM @ Marist...Nice new stadium with no league to play in, a win here and the PL may be calling, but don't count on it. Rams 31-7

[bison137]

Lehigh
Lafayette
Holy Cross
Fordham

[carney2]

In the latest weekly post in The Lounge, Go...gate asked if the League has experienced an up tick in our performance vs. OOC this year. Last year was a complete disaster so there was nowhere to go but up. Results:

vs. all OOC (including Ivy and playoff games):
2005 16-21 (43%)
2006 13-23 (36%)
2007* 16-17 (48%)

vs. Ivy League:
2005 6-11 (35%)
2006 4-14 (22%)
2007 9-9 (50%) Percentage calculation provided for the benefit of philosophy majors

vs. OOC (excluding Ivy):
2005 10-10 (50%) Again, for the philosophy majors
2006 9-9 (50%) Philosophy majors need a lot of help with arithmetic
2007* 7-8 (47%)

*Not complete. Still OOC games to be played.

[TheValleyRaider]

In the latest weekly post in The Lounge, Go...gate asked if the League has experienced an up tick in our performance vs. OOC this year. Last year was a complete disaster so there was nowhere to go but up. Results:

vs. all OOC (including Ivy and playoff games):
2005 16-21 (43%)
2006 13-23 (36%)
2007* 16-17 (48%)

vs. Ivy League:
2005 6-11 (35%)
2006 4-14 (22%)
2007 9-9 (50%) Percentage calculation provided for the benefit of philosophy majors

vs. OOC (excluding Ivy):
2005 10-10 (50%) Again, for the philosophy majors
2006 9-9 (50%) Philosophy majors need a lot of help with arithmetic
2007 7-8 (47%)

*Not complete. Still OOC games to be played.

Those remaining OOC games are:
Fordham at Marist
Georgetown at Marist

Without jumping too far ahead, I feel pretty good about our chances of getting over the 50% hump for this season xtwocentsx

[Ken_Z]

after a rushed last minute submission last week, i am back on schedule and more appropriately prioritizing PL posting over work.

GEORGETOWN 24 @ LEHIGH 27: Lehigh engineers a win (i hate puns) over the Hoyas, but this is nowhere near enough to stem the meltdown their fans are having.

COLGATE 21 @ LAFAYETTE 31: Halloween is almost here and i am really excited. i have my carney costume all ready and eagerly anticipate the terror in young children's eyes when they see such a scary sight. having submitted this pick, i now feel 100% mentally in character.

HOLY CROSS 112 @ BUCKNELL 14: all the electricity in Pennsylvania and testing of the scoreboard wiring by our fine electrical engineers cannot overcome the fact that there are not enough digits on it to report the damage the HC offense could do to us.

FORDHAM 42 @ Marist 10: so far Fordham has kicked butt in the PL and stuggled ooc. this should not be the case this week. if Marist wins, then we should annex them into the PL immediately.


carney, still waiting for your PM to talk hoops recruiting (my drool cup overuns with knowledge and insights i can share)

[carney2]

Those remaining OOC games are:
Fordham at Marist
Georgetown at Marist

And a playoff game or (hopefully) more.

[carney2]

Kid Konsensus has three comments this week:

1. It's a no nonsense week, with people registering their picks and moving on.

2. There is a serious waning of interest from the Lafayette and Lehigh crowds. I wonder why(?).

3. It's voting day in Cook County, IL. All of the "ballots" are virtually the same.

Your Picks:

LEHIGH over GEORGETOWN
COLGATE over LAFAYETTE
HOLY CROSS over BUCKNELL
FORDHAM over Marist

[CrusaderBob]

What the "L" happened to all the predictions?
All the L's just disappeared.
Did all 'Ehigh and 'Affayette fans just quit?
DFW, Ken_Z, and others haven't packed it in just because they aren't in contention for a PL title.

Over? Do all the "L" fans think the season is over? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
"L" no!
And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough...

... the tough get goin'! Who's with me?

What the "L" happened to the 'Ehigh and 'Affayette fans I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? "Ooh, we're afraid to pick, Bob, becuase we're not in it anymore. Well just ki$$ my ass from now on! I'm not gonna take this. Not me!
LET'S DO IT!

'Ehigh
'Affayette
Fordham
Holy Cross

[Ivytalk]

Kid Konsensus has three comments this week:

1. It's a no nonsense week, with people registering their picks and moving on.

2. There is a serious waning of interest from the Lafayette and Lehigh crowds. I wonder why(?).

3. It's voting day in Cook County, IL. All of the "ballots" are virtually the same.

Your Picks:

LEHIGH over GEORGETOWN
COLGATE over LAFAYETTE
HOLY CROSS over BUCKNELL
FORDHAM over Marist

I agree with Jackie Gleason's sidekick here!:p

[LBPop]

What the "L" happened to all the predictions?
All the L's just disappeared.
Did all 'Ehigh and 'Affayette fans just quit?
DFW, Ken_Z, and others haven't packed it in just because they aren't in contention for a PL title.

Over? Do all the "L" fans think the season is over? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
"L" no!
And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough...

... the tough get goin'! Who's with me?

What the "L" happened to the 'Ehigh and 'Affayette fans I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? "Ooh, we're afraid to pick, Bob, becuase we're not in it anymore. Well just ki$$ my ass from now on! I'm not gonna take this. Not me!
LET'S DO IT!

'Ehigh
'Affayette
Fordham
Holy Cross

I'm sitting at my desk at work and I'm 'Aughing out loud. xlolx

[Lafayette71]

I have recuperated from last weekends disappointment at least well enough to make some feeble predicitons.

Lehigh-Georgetown. I looked for the Hawks to bounce back last week. I was wrong. Georgetown got a W on the board, and to quote Lloyd Christmas, "I didn't even see it coming". I can't even pick football games with no spreads. I'll take Lehigh but who knows what the mindset of this team is right now.

Holy Cross-Bucknell. Holy Crossmarches on to the showdown with Fordham.

Fordham-Marsit. Ditto for Fordham

Colgate at Lafayette. At least everyone was impressed with the facilities. Even the Jumbotron Volume issues were overshadowed by what was exposed last Saturday. This team is not the one that has won a share of the title for three years running. On the other side of the Coin Colgate has maybe the best OOC win of the season for the PL. I think the front seven of Lafayette can slow down Colgate's ground game, but I'd expect the visitors to open things up a bit and test the middle of the field in the passing game. If they can hurt the Pards down the field, it could open things up for the running game. I think this will come down to how the Pards offense responds.

Homer pick-Lafayette 24 Colgate 17

[RAMS83]

LEHIGH 24 -20
COLGATE 20- 17
HOLY CROSS 37-17
FORDHAM 35 - 14

[Andy]

The "L"s have been awaiting announcements regarding their respective QB situations, of course.

HC--don't the Bison pull one upset every year?
Lehigh
Lafayette--getting healthy....but why, after the back-up QB's performance last week, would they return to the senior?
Fordham

[Engineer91]

LEHIGH - it feels like there is no result in this game which would be great news

COLGATE - looks like Colgate is just warming up as it is cooling down up north

HOLY CROSS
FORDHAM

[Pard 82]

LEHIGH

LAFAYETTE

HOLY CROSS

FORDHAM

[65 Pard]

Lafayette
Holy Cross
Fordham
Georgetown

Pards win, but only if Curley is Leopard QB ....otherwise it's Colgate.

Sorry for that little complication, Carney....just make a game time adjustment.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Lehigh 27 Georgetown 6- If Lehigh loses this game then Coen should get his walking papers before he enters the locker room. There is no way Lehigh is less talented. As long as they're prepared Lehigh will win.

Holy Cross 37 Bucknell 17- Holy Cross is playing the best football in the league right now while the Bison just lost to Georgetown. HC easily.

Fordham 38 Marist 7- This game should not be close. The Rams are playing good football right now, good enough to pound Marist.

Colgate 24 Lafayette 13- Colgate won a suprising game over Towson while Lafayette got beat worse, "than the final score would indicate" against Fordham. The Raiders will repay the 'Pards fot their beat down in Hamilton last year.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I just barely beat the deadline by two hours... Of course I had picked everything except Fordham/Marist, so it wasn't exactly difficult :)

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com

[ngineer]

Only surprises were the scores. I expected us to rebound against Georgetown, but not to the degree we did. Not complaining. Nice to see us get a ground game rejuvenated.
Not surprised by Colgate beating Lafayette, but the score was interesting. I expected us much lower scoring game. Interested in both Raider and 'Pard observations.
Holy Cross and Fordham have now set a very interesting table for next Saturday. I predict a Jesuit victory.xnodx

[TheValleyRaider]

Not surprised by Colgate beating Lafayette, but the score was interesting. I expected us much lower scoring game. Interested in both Raider and 'Pard observations.

Colgate mistakes allowed Lafayette to take control early. Roughing the Kicker, Roughing the Passer, and an Interception returned to the 12 all turned into Leopard TDs. Raiders took control in the 2nd half, but also missed 2 2-pt. conversions, and so lead 29-21 late. Lafayette got the ball, drove quickly down the field for the TD, but missed the 2, making it 29-27. The final TD was Colgate taking the onside kick back for a TD.

So in other words:
-quick Lafayette burst for the early lead, 21-10 at the half
-methodical 3rd and most of 4th quarter for Colgate, 29-21
-wild last couple of minutes, final of 36-27

Points really can come in bunches with football

[DFW HOYA]

There seems to be an unwritten rule in PL circles that no matter how poor Georgetown's showing is in games, announcers don't discuss it.

I noted, therefore, a brief moment of candor among the SE2 announcers covering the Lehigh-Georgetown game. The lead announcer (Mike Zambelli) noted that, though down 21-0 after one and undersized on defense, Georgetown is a young team, then noted to himself out loud that every time GU comes to Lehigh, he seems to say the same thing.

The analyst then blurted out that "if you're a young team every year, usually you're not that good a program" and started to ask why more upperclassmen weren't staying in the program, but they veered off the subject.

What they didn't mention was that Lehigh's O-line had a 44 pound advantage. And you wonder why there is a disparity every year.

(FWIW, Marist has a 15 pound advantage for week 10.)

[ngineer]

There seems to be an unwritten rule in PL circles that no matter how poor Georgetown's showing is in games, announcers don't discuss it.

I noted, therefore, a brief moment of candor among the SE2 announcers covering the Lehigh-Georgetown game. The lead announcer (Mike Zambelli) noted that, though down 21-0 after one and undersized on defense, Georgetown is a young team, then noted to himself out loud that every time GU comes to Lehigh, he seems to say the same thing.

The analyst then blurted out that "if you're a young team every year, usually you're not that good a program". They then droppped the topic.

What they didn't mention was that Lehigh's O-line had a 44 pound advantage. And you wonder why there is a disparity every year.

FWIW, Marist has a 15 pound advantage for week 10.

If your kids keep their heads up and look forward, they should beat Marist. They were very bad early in the season against Lafayette, and the scores over the season don't seem to indicate that they've gotten much better. We're looking for you guys to get the PL's OOC record a little closer to that .500 level. xthumbsupx

[DFW HOYA]

If your kids keep their heads up and look forward, they should beat Marist. They were very bad early in the season against Lafayette, and the scores over the season don't seem to indicate that they've gotten much better.

Well, that's the concern, consternation, grumbling, whatever you want to call it--how does this team get better? Ultimately it's recruiting but it's a tough sell right now with what they have to offer.

[carney2]

Week 9 results are posted in The Lounge.

[justballn21]

recruiting is put heavily on how well the coaches can sell. The now seniors at holy cross were recruited into a program that had just gone 1-10, but now are contributing big time to a program on the rise. It all depends.