Quote Originally Posted by Colgate Raider Redux View Post
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 sbout the challenge for Colgate in 2018: 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 part 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.
I think when it's all said and done Lehigh and Colgate will basically be 1A. and 1B. Lehigh gets Colgate at Goodman and have had the Raiders number this decade (6-2).

I think Lehigh's offense will be fine so long as Mayes's decision making/movement in the pocket improves. The one thing about Coen coach teams is good OL play. I have no major concerns about how that will shake out. Losing Pelletier and Casey will hurt. You can't sugarcoat the loss of a tandem this good. But, Lehigh has reloaded at WR (like EWU) before and there is experience being built this year. Having Brags and the rest of the RB will be a huge boost. Mayes really has to make the most of his senior season. To this point his Lehigh career has been Shafniskyesque.

It all comes down to the defense. Coen and the AD need to find a credible DC and rebuild the whole thing. This late season "improvement" is nothing but a mirage being perpetrated by terrible competition. This is year 5 of terrible defense so the insanity must end. Its handcuffed the program! This year's team would be 8-3/9-2 with a competent defense!

Either way, it's no shock that since the dust settled on the scholarship transition Colgate and Lehigh have once again re-emerged as the dominant programs in the PL. Both still need to raise their game on a national level. It starts by winning OOC games, 0-5 and 2-3 aren't going to cut it....

Lafayette will figure it out before too long. There's simply too much there to continue to suck year after year. 8 straight losing seasons? Holy ****!!!