Patriot League 2018 - way way way to early

[Colgate Raider Redux]

. Colgate will be good but until they win some meaningful OOC games their margin for error is extremely small. Like Lehigh, the Raiders graduate several key players (Holland, Afriyie, Paulish). Until there's major changes on defense Lehigh's ceiling will only be so high. Good PL program, irrelevant nationally....No preseason Top 25 team and no real threat on the national stage once again in 2018.

Colgate actually has almost the entire team coming back for the 2018 season. You're incorrect about Holland. He has a 5th medical year, along with starting O linemen Scott Hirschman and co-captain Max Harrtzman. Starting strong safety and co-captain Alec Wisniewski will also be returning for a medical 5th year. There are almost no 2017 starters that have to be replaced in 2018. Because of injuries during the year, the high number of experienced back-ups coming back is very unusual. In my 2018 season crystal ball, there are only one or two teams in the PL who are likely to give Colgate a tough game, assuming this team earnestly embraces the next logical steps between now and then..

I think you're correct that a big challenge for Colgate in 2018 is getting some meaningful O.O.C. wins: New Hampshire, Furman, Wm & Mary, Cornell and Army West Point. Freshman qb Breneman was cutting his eye teeth in the early season O.O.C. games, Buffalo, Furman, Richmond and Cornell. He was challenged in those games. And looked very much like the rookie that he is. Beneman has yet to prove himself against the Raider's O.O.C. competition. PL games were/are another story. Colgate went on to lose to L.U. by 3 points; but outscored its next 4 PL opponents 150-22. Some significant playmakers emerged, especially among the receivers and the 3-4 front D.L,-L.B. group of the D.. Breneman's progress after the O.O.C. games, along with the entire O, D and special teams was really impressive.

But, let's not kid ourselves....this was a very weak PL. And while we're in the reality zone, let's be frank about the Raider's long term objectives for its fb brand ....If Colgate is going to win the PL in 2018, without a couple of solid O.O.C. wins, it won't be very eventful. Colgate's annual approach to scheduling in the schollie age, though aggressive, is very deliberate and is designed to distinguish it in the FCS. It's designed to stretch a talented group of PL recruits into the next performance level just above the PL. That would manifest in the 2018 season by securing a higher than "normal PL seed" and getting an opponent it can beat in the FCS playoff. That might avoid the traditional "one-and-done" PL FCS tournament pattern. Ambitious?... yes. But doable for this group in 2018. Anything less in 2018 will be disappointing.