Patriot League Pick 'em - Week 12

[carney2]

Johnny Carson’s Carnac the Magnificent would end his act by saying “I have in my hand the final envelope.” The audience would then erupt in prompted cheers to indicate that they were glad the act was ending. Bearing that in mind,

I present below the final slate of games for this historically bad (atrocious, abominable, mediocre, dreadful, horrid, sorry, rotten, pitiful, incompetent, painful, crappy, awful, terrible, lousy, deplorable, unspeakable …) season of Patriot League football.

[I now pause for the cheers. Take as long as you like.]

LAFAYETTE @ LEHIGH (Number 153)
COLGATE @ GEORGETOWN
BUCKNELL @ FORDHAM

Bye: Holy Cross (Season Finished)

Game of the Week: Lafayette @ Lehigh. It’s tradition. It’s a legitimate “I hate ‘em” rivalry. The stands will be packed. It will be watched across the country and, I believe, in some foreign countries on special TV hookups. Thousands and thousands actually care who wins this game. It’s the Patriot League’s version of a bowl game. I now defy you to tell me one thing – anything – about either of those other games that distinguishes it from a high school scrimmage in early August. Go ahead … I’m waiting.

I’m bringing this up for the 5^th, 6^th, 10^th, … 20^th time: How is it that a confederation of old and respected eastern colleges and universities, each with a storied athletic program, has only one traditional game to hype on the final Saturday of the football season? We can’t find even one other matchup to throw out there as something special? That bunch in Center Valley needs to pull their heads out of their butts.

[bonarae]

Clearly, the Patriot has been overshadowed by our FCS brethren south of the Potomac and west of the Alleghenies, especially in social media and in forums like this one.

Lehigh
Colgate
Fordham

[Lehigh'98]

Colgate Bucknell and HC Fordham should be final game each year. Colgate- Lehigh week prior.

[LehighU11]

Agreed. My guess is that rather than creating another attractive rivalry game, the PL instead avoids slighting Colgate or critical associate member Fordham with a bye or one of the 2 teams that could care less about fielding a competitive team every year. This is one of the problems of a 7 team league with 2 associate members.

Holy Cross vs. Colgate would be natural, given that they are 2 of the top 4 most storied football programs in the League. I'd prefer that over HC vs. Fordham, another worthy matchup, since Colgate should not face Bucknell, Georgetown, or the resurgent BYE to finish the season every year.

My ideal week 12:
Lehigh vs. Lafayette
Colgate vs. Holy Cross
Fordham vs. Georgetown
Bucknell ends the season early to focus basketball. You know, the sport that matters in Lewisburg.

[RichH2]

Agreed. My guess is that rather than creating another attractive rivalry game, the PL instead avoids slighting Colgate or critical associate member Fordham with a bye or one of the 2 teams that could care less about fielding a competitive team every year. This is one of the problems of a 7 team league with 2 associate members.

Holy Cross vs. Colgate would be natural, given that they are 2 of the top 4 most storied football programs in the League. I'd prefer that over HC vs. Fordham, another worthy matchup, since Colgate should not face Bucknell, Georgetown, or the resurgent BYE to finish the season every year.

My ideal week 12:
Lehigh vs. Lafayette
Colgate vs. Holy Cross
Fordham vs. Georgetown
Bucknell ends the season early to focus basketball. You know, the sport that matters in Lewisburg.

Like it .

[Sader87]

Colgate-HC makes more sense historically but I think HC-Fordham makes more sense institutionally and logistically.

We sort of make light of this issue to a degree but it really has hurt HC football (and others in the PL) in not having a "rivalry game"....HC has now been without one for ovah 30 years since the BC series ended in 1986....every season since then, in one way, shape or form has just sort of ended in a "poof" (like it did today) against a different school every year most years.

[carney2]

Colgate-HC makes more sense historically

The brain dead schedule makers think so much of this matchup that it's been scheduled for Saturday, September 1st next season.

Which brings up a critical question that no one has addressed: is there a central scheduling body for the League, or is everyone on their own?

[RichH2]

The brain dead schedule makers think so much of this matchup that it's been scheduled for Saturday, September 1st next season.

Which brings up a critical question that no one has addressed: is there a central scheduling body for the League, or is everyone on their own?

Center Valley does the PL schedules.

[ngineer]

The brain dead schedule makers think so much of this matchup that it's been scheduled for Saturday, September 1st next season.

Which brings up a critical question that no one has addressed: is there a central scheduling body for the League, or is everyone on their own?

I believe the PL tries to set up their schedule a few years in advance, but by having the schools submit any existing contracts with OOC teams in order to work around if not clear the first five weeks of the season.

[RichH2]

Up to your ADs to press the issue with Center Valley.