Any Patsy League People Out There

[carney2]

I have been more than a little bothered over the past month or so by this year's comparative lack of interest - at least, lack of postings - by Patriot League supporters. Yunz guys (that's Pittsburghese for those of you who don't recognize it) have been all over this board for the past few years and have achieved a reputation as first class hijackers. Not this year. Where are you? What's up?

Don't get me wrong, there's some stuff here. Burton, for instance, tells us more than we ever wanted to know about the Squawks. Stay tuned for his week ending report on how many times Sedale Threatt had his spikes cleaned during this week's persistent rains. I'm losing sleep over that one.

In an attempt to shake things up, I'm suggesting that we pick the first week's games involving PL teams. Not a particularly difficult task for these six games (Lehigh has a "bye"), so it shouldn't take you long. Here's the first effort:

Albany @ Colgate: ALBANY. There is a suspicion, even among the faithful, that the Raiders would lose to anyone - even a poor NAIA team - in week 1. Albany is not a poor NAIA team.

Holy Cross @ Massachusetts: UMASS. "What drunk scheduled this mismatch?" (That's a quote from Joe Paterno, referring to the first game in the revised Penn State - Temple series back in the 70s. He had to take an intentional safety in the final minute to escape with his life in that first game.)

Fordham @ Rhode Island: RHODE ISLAND. The Rams don't need to be looking at a CAA team - even Rhode Island - at this point in their development.

Marist @ Lafayette: LAFAYETTE. The final scrimmage of the preseason.

Georgetown @ Stony Brook: STONY BROOK. The Hoyas will be in over their heads for most of the year. No exception here.

Bucknell @ Duquesne: BUCKNELL. A tough call, so I flipped a coin and it came up "homer."

A bad start to the PL OOC campaign.

[Seahawks Fan]

I agree Duquesne will probably give Bucknell a good fight, and the Great Danes should win their game.

[Seawolf97]

I think Carney's predictions are just about right- The Seawolves get an early win as does Albany xthumbsupx

[TheValleyRaider]

Albany @ Colgate: Colgate Our fears are usually (always) born out in these circumstances, but if picking Colgate in Week 1 is wrong, I don't want to be right :)

Holy Cross @ Massachusetts: UMass UMass returns plenty from last year's runner-up team, but is also replacing some key parts. A Crusader win would not surprise here.

Fordham @ Rhode Island: Fordham Just a feeling, really. Nothing to base that on. Just a feeling.

Marist @ Lafayette: Lafayette Someday I wouldn't mind seeing Marist in the PL, but that day is not today.

Georgetown @ Stony Brook: Stony Brook FULL DISCLOSURE: My girlfriend is starting grad school at SB, so I have to be nice. Not that she actually cares, but it's the thought that counts, right? xwhistlex

Bucknell @ Duquesne: Bucknell I'm thinking a good year for the Bison is coming. Well, good enough to beat a decent Duquesne side, at least.

So a 4-2 week from the League. I'll go out on a limb here and predict that one of the League's CAA opponents will be upset this weekend.

Football is upon us! Let's Go 'Gate! Let's Go Patriot League! xhurrayx xbowx xhurrayx xbowx xhurrayx

[hc12]

carney, i do'nt think it will be a slam dunk for umass,even though they have schollies and 100 trasnsfer players from d1 programs,gilmore will have his team ready.this will be a measuring stick for hc,this team is ready for a break out season.do'nt be surprise if it is a close game, hc has a great core of players returning,plus a qb that knows the offense.prediction 28-21,even though hc loses they know they can play with anybody in the pl,they will go on a big run in the league. go saders.explain your major fcs ruler.

[carney2]

explain your major fcs ruler.

A hearty welcome to yet another 'sader. A few short months ago we had none - or close to it. Now they seem to be crawling out of the woodwork. A winner/perceived winner will do that, I guess. It will be a treat to have some interested, if not insider, opinions on HC football this year.

Anyway, the title near your avatar, such as "Major FCS Ruler" is assigned by this website based on your number of posts. It means nothing more than that and, to the best of my knowledge, one has no control over what appears in that space.

[DFW HOYA]

Carney hasn't penciled the Hoyas in for 0-11 yet...but at least give him a week or two. :(

Two things to watch for this season, both of which rely on depth:

1. Quarterback. The #2, #3, and #4 QB's are gone from 2006, forcing Georgetown to move a FB into the backup QB slot behind Matt Bassuener, himself a converted DB. The Hoyas have not been able to rely on a single QB through a season in its PL tenure, so if you haven't heard of 5-11, 205 lb. Robert Lane, you may by season's end.

2. Offensive line. One returning lineman, weighing 240 lbs. That's a big concern given a run-oriented game with few receiving options in recent years.

P.S. Make sure to catch next Friday's Washington Post for the first (and perhaps only) Georgetown article of the season. No reporter appears to be assigned this season.

[DFW HOYA]

Carney hasn't penciled the Hoyas in for 0-11 yet...but at least give him a week or two. :(

Two things to watch for this season, both of which rely on depth:

1. Quarterback. The #2, #3, and #4 QB's are gone from 2006, forcing Georgetown to move a FB into the backup QB slot behind Matt bassuener, himself a converted DB. The Hoyas have not been able to rely on a single QB through an entire season in its PL tenure, so if you haven't heard of 5-11, 205 lb. Robert Lane, you may by season's end.

2. Offensive line. One returning lineman, weighing 240 lbs. That's a big concern given a run-oriented game with few receiving options in recent years.

P.S. Make sure to catch next Friday's Washington Post for the first (and perhaps only) Georgetown article of the season. No reporter appears to be assigned this season.

[Go...gate]

Not ready to make my picks just yet.

[colorless raider]

I am backing the picks of the Valley Raider. Fordham is better and I hope the Raiders are over the first game blues. Go Gate!!

[carney2]

Carney hasn't penciled the Hoyas in for 0-11 yet...but at least give him a week or two. :(

The Hoyas will beat Marist. You can take that to the bank. Beyond that, it will be week to week and something of a struggle. Here's hoping that after the 2nd game Kelly breaks out his lucky shamrock and surprises and amazes us all.

[hc12]

thanks carney for the welcome,hope all players have a safe year,go patriot league, go saders.

[TheValleyRaider]

thanks carney for the welcome,hope all players have a safe year,go patriot league, go saders.

Enough of this friendly stuff, let's see some picks :p xnodx

[breezy]

Good job, Carney. I too have noticed some lack of enthusiasm among the PL faithful on this board.

Before making my picks, I have a question for you PL supporters -- will any PL teams have streaming video of their home games this year? I was hoping the PL would have video as it did for basketball last year, but I have seen or heard nothing.

Now, on to the picks.


Albany @ Colgate: ALBANY. Colgate will make this close, but Albany will be good this year.

Holy Cross @ Massachusetts: UMASS. I'll be rooting for HC and I think this will be a real battle. HC can win if it can get some turnovers (as against Army in 2002). If not, scholarships and transfers will be too much to overcome.

Fordham @ Rhode Island: THE RAMS. If I'm wrong, the Rams will win. (Seriously, the New England Rams have the better chance.)

Marist @ Lafayette: LAFAYETTE. May be closer than people might think. Lafayette always seems to start out slow.

Georgetown @ Stony Brook: GEORGETOWN. Enthusiastic coach may be enough to spring an upset here.

Bucknell @ Duquesne: DUQUESNE. Probably a close game and the Bison could win.

Only one week to go.

Carney -- Are we going to do this every week? Will you be keeping score?

[TheValleyRaider]

Colgate has live video of its home games, but its on a subscription basis. I believe it's either per month or full year.

[Pard4Life]

It's quiet because everyone is busy, or they are taking the fact that the PL was trumped by the Ivy and the league champion and playoff participant had a .500 record too literally. (for me I am busy.. to hell with the Ivies)

I am cautiously optimisitc for the Leopards this season. My questions and stance have remained the same since the spring. The only noticeable improvement in my mind has been quarterback. Curley and DiPoala seem to be adjusting to the system in practice nicely, but who knows how they will preform in real games... the Pard publicity machine can only be taken literally to a point...

I still am unsure about RB.. TBD

Still have questions about the secondary. Aside from the QB/RB situation, this is the biggest area that will determine our success. We will only be .500 (or worse) if our DBs get hung out to dry or are overmatched.

LBs... solid
DL... solid
OL... solid
special teams... no real worries, I think Rodriguez will be a good kicker and Yankovich has a great punter behind him if he boots 15-yarders again...
WRs... awesome if we can get them the ball

The attitude radiating from camp seems to be outstanding.

But I don't know how it will turn out.. like I said before, the Pards are not your typical football team... you know how teams have spectacular or dream seasons? Well... Lafayette is usually "start out well.. some mid-season crisis... lose a few... turn it around and beat Lehigh".. never a mechanized blitz of Ws... but heck that's why it's fun.. I'd rather have that than 10-1 and lone loss to Lehigh..

I still can't buy into Mr. Treattless' hype.. I am more worried about HC's Randolph..

Lafayette, HC, and Lehigh should be the class of the league.. Colgate TBD..

[Pard4Life]

And oh... did I mention they Pards are having FIREWORKS after the Marist game... jeez.. we go from splinter in the as_ bleachers to fireworks in two seasons... xrotatehx

[DFW HOYA]

we go from splinter in the as_ bleachers to fireworks in two seasons... xrotatehx

Those bleachers follow in week 2.

[carney2]

Carney -- Are we going to do this every week? Will you be keeping score?

Every week? Why not. Keeping score? Seems ridiculous at this point. We only have 3 full six game predictions to this point.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

I'll make my predictions later in the week but i feel like i'm the only one who thinks Holy Cross is going to get killed against Umass. Umass is just way too physical for the Crusaders to deal with. That combined with HC's lack of depth at certain positions adds up to a pretty ugly score. I feel something in the 40-17 range.

[Fordham]

PL always starts slow:

Albany
UMASS
URI
Laffy
Duques
Stony Brook

Slow start, good improvement as the season progresses and an '08 we can all be proud of.

[travelinman67]

I'll make my predictions later in the week but i feel like i'm the only one who thinks Holy Cross is going to get killed against Umass. Umass is just way too physical for the Crusaders to deal with. That combined with HC's lack of depth at certain positions adds up to a pretty ugly score. I feel something in the 40-17 range.

Good. I'm not the only one. xcoffeex

[dpd]

Albany by 1
UMass by 17
URI by 20
Lafayette by 17
Georgetown by 1
Bucknell by 6
Prognostication for All D1 Week One Games (http://dpdsdogs.com/ncaa/prog01.htm)

[carney2]

i feel like i'm the only one who thinks Holy Cross is going to get killed against Umass.

And I quote (myself):

Holy Cross @ Massachusetts: UMASS. "What drunk scheduled this mismatch?"

[UAalum72]

umass,even though they have schollies and 100 trasnsfer players from d1 programs,
If you're going to hang out on this forum, be prepared to be taken to task for saying anything that implies that our programs are not Division I, or that Division I consists only of Football Bowl Subdivision (the former Division I-A Subdivision) teams.

[hc12]

well hofstrafan what your prediction, give me a score.

[hc12]

uaalum72 so your telling me that d1aa athletes compare to d1a players.In that case why does the pl play the big ten!,size the speed and the strenght, is totally crank up a notch.Does that make our players in d1aa not as talented no,but the physical part of the game is miles apart.Lets see albany play penn st.,why are not on their schedule?

[LBPop]

I have been more than a little bothered over the past month or so by this year's comparative lack of interest - at least, lack of postings - by Patriot League supporters.

I must agree with a previous post. I think the PL faithful have taken a bit of a hit with their recent OOC record. I say "they" rather than "we" because Hoya fans are used to getting kicked around. Here are my uneducated guesses:

Albany catches Colgate looking ahead and slips by them by 3 points

I think Holy Cross is a bit overrated and will score just enough to keep the scoreboard from getting ugly. UMass by 14

In my three years of observation, I think Fordham has had more talent than their performances have shown. I suspect that is changing, but not enough to handle RI. Rhode Island by 13

Lafayette's physical superiority will wear down Marist. A game bunch of Red Foxes will find that the joke is on them. Pards by 17

The Hoyas have beaten Stony Brook twice in a row. Both times Georgetown was very fortunate. I don't believe in the law of averages (if I did, I would be picking the Hoyas to win every game xlolx), but I do believe in talent, depth, quality transfers and scholarships. My beloved Hoyas visit a beautiful stadium on Long Island and get whipped by 14 points. xbawlingx

Duquesne always seems to have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to playing PL teams. With all pre-season to prepare for the Bucknell offense, I think they steal one here. Duquesne by 3.

Well, there it is. As the saying goes, "Often wrong, but never in doubt". I will be spending my weekend near the Hamptons (I can't afford to get too close to that area) and rooting for Georgetown. I hope these Hoyas can finally surprise me. Regardless, it's sure nice to be thinking about "next Saturday" again. Have a great week, everyone. xthumbsupx

[carney2]

A game bunch of Red Foxes will find that the joke is on them.

I had to read this twice. You really stretched for this, didn't you?xlolx xbowx

[LUHawker]

There does seem to be less hype about the season this year from PLers, but there was a lot of off-season discussion surrounding schollies and the like. With that out of the way, here are my week 1 picks:

Colgate over Albany - after seeing Albany surprise Lehigh and up-end Delaware, Biddle's squad won't be overlooking SUNY-Albany.

UMass over HC- Come on now, people. Who, with a straight face, really thinks this thing will be close? Not me. NC runner-up versus one-trick pony HC (Randolph is the trickster), says a lopsided UMass win.

Rhody over Fordham - Rhody is not a stellar CAA squad, but Fordham isn't a stellar PL squad. They're young and Masella hasn't installed his system fully yet. Rhody by a couple of scores.

Lafayette over Marist - Marist gave LC a run for their money a couple of years ago and could do it here as well, but LC should be able to wear down the Red Foxes. Still, if you had to ask me for one upset potential, this is it, and its not because I'm a Lehigh guy.

Bucknell over Duquense - The Dukes took it to Bucknell recently, so BU won't be caught sleeping.

Stony Brook over G'Town, but in a close one. Georgetown let's folks know they won't roll over and die, but they don't have the horses and it will still be a long season (again).

[carney2]

Carney -- Are we going to do this every week? Will you be keeping score?

Perhaps we are on the verge of a critical mass here so, as breezy suggests, let's make this a weekly event and "keep score." At this point we have 10 "entrants." If you think that you are "in," verify against this list of the entrants to date:

carney2
TheValleyRaider
colorless raider (piggybacked on TVR)
breezy
Fordham
dpd
LBPop
Seawolf97 (piggybacked on carney2)
LFN (An involuntary participant, but he's going to post his picks somewhere so I am holding his feet to the fire.)
LUHawker

We need some rules, so here goes:

1. I will post the standings and begin the new picks for each week on the preceding Sunday or Monday. Each week will be a new thread.

2. To be an eligible ballot, all games involving Patriot League teams for that week must be selected. You cannot bail out on a game that you don't like or predict a tie.

3. You can only miss two weeks during the twelve week season and remain in the pool. That's it, "pool." This shall be named The Patsy Pool.

4. Standings will be calculated as Total Correct / Total Selected.

5. The voting deadline is midnight Friday, Eastern. Ballots submitted after that are invalid.

6. Predictions of scores and other game details are useless information, but go nuts. It's all for fun.

Can you think of anything else? There are lots of people unheard from. Spread the word.

[kardplayer]

I agree entirely with Carney this week...

Albany @ Colgate: ALBANY. Albany comes out a year stronger and opens with another PL victory on Labor Day weekend.

Holy Cross @ Massachusetts: UMASS. Can Holy Cross beat a CAA team? Absolutely. Can they beat a good CAA team? I think so. Can they beat THIS CAA team that was in the finals last year? Absolutely not.

Fordham @ Rhode Island: RHODE ISLAND. I've seen nothing from the Fordham program in years.

Marist @ Lafayette: LAFAYETTE. This would be a horrendous loss if it goes the other way.

Georgetown @ Stony Brook: STONY BROOK. See Fordham statement above and combine it with the Albany "year stronger" comment.

Bucknell @ Duquesne: BUCKNELL. Bucknell has won 3 in a row in this series - by 3 at home last year, by 10 on the road in '04 and one TD back in '03. I'm going for the fourpeat here, in a squeaker

[kardplayer]

3. You can only miss two weeks during the twelve week season and remain in the pool. That's it, "pool." This shall be named The Patsy Pool.


For branding purposes, can we call it something else besides "Patsy"? Makes it hard to defend the strength of our league when we ourselves call it "Patsy"...

[bison137]

[QUOTE=LUHawker;625630].

Bucknell over Duquense - The Dukes took it to Bucknell recently, so BU won't be caught sleeping.

QUOTE]


Last Bison loss to Duquesne was in 2002, so if anything keeps the Bison from sleeping it won't be the players remembering losing to the Dukes. BU has beaten Duquesne the past three meetings, including the opener last year, and I'm scared to death of this one. Duquesne returns virtually their entire team, including a great QB and an even better wide receiver. Last year's game was a shootout, where neither team could stop the other.

[UAalum72]

uaalum72 so your telling me that d1aa athletes compare to d1a players.
Didn't compare players or talent at all. Just pointing out to a newcomer to the board that some people here are fanatical on this point. You said UMass had 'd1 transfers' - technically correct, but so would a transfer from Albany be a 'd1 transfer'. FCS football is Division I. FBS football is Division I. If you mean FCS or Division I-A, say so. The whole point of changing I-A and I-AA to FBS and FCS is to emphasize that we're all Division I.

Check the Divvy Award thread stuck to the top of this forum to see what I mean.

[Seawolf97]

Sounds Good - count me in!

[NYHOYA]

Albany @ Colgate: Colgate-I like Colgate this year they have two of the leagues best players in Scott and Galihugh, I think they win a close one.

Holy Cross @ UMASS: UMASS- HC takes a beating.

Fordham @ RI: RI- I think Fordham should be improved this year and will keep this game competetive but end up losing by a few scores.

Marist @ Lafayette: Lafayette- Laf wins by 3 TDs.

Gtown @ Stony Brook: Gtown- Is this a homer pick? Maybe, but whats wrong with that? Gtown wins by a touchdown.

Bucknell @ Duquesne: Bucknell- Duquesne is a good team and could easily win here, but I say BU by two scores.

[bison137]

28-3 ive been to two HC games to see my neighbor play you might have herd of him Steve Silva, one hell of a back, but the D sucked, duquene threw all over them, and Colgate ran all over them. umass will have the twos in by the middle of the 3rd.



The games you saw came in a year when HC was 3-8 and gave up an average of over 40 points per game to its Patriot League opponents. The Crusaders may well lose to UMass but judging them by their performance three years ago, when they had an entirely different roster and were far less successful than they were last year, is not relevant.

[LUHawker]

[QUOTE=LUHawker;625630].

Bucknell over Duquense - The Dukes took it to Bucknell recently, so BU won't be caught sleeping.

QUOTE]


Last Bison loss to Duquesne was in 2002, so if anything keeps the Bison from sleeping it won't be the players remembering losing to the Dukes. BU has beaten Duquesne the past three meetings, including the opener last year, and I'm scared to death of this one. Duquesne returns virtually their entire team, including a great QB and an even better wide receiver. Last year's game was a shootout, where neither team could stop the other.

Sadly, the only one I remembered was the loss. :(

[carney2]

Albany @ Colgate: Colgate-I like Colgate this year they have two of the leagues best players in Scott and Galihugh, I think they win a close one.

Holy Cross @ UMASS: UMASS- HC takes a beating.

Fordham @ RI: RI- I think Fordham should be improved this year and will keep this game competetive but end up losing by a few scores.

Marist @ Lafayette: Lafayette- Laf wins by 3 TDs.

Gtown @ Stony Brook: Gtown- Is this a homer pick? Maybe, but whats wrong with that? Gtown wins by a touchdown.

Bucknell @ Duquesne: Bucknell- Duquesne is a good team and could easily win here, but I say BU by two scores.

Another Hoya. This is great - Hoyas and 'saders coming from all directions. As for the hi-lited comment, what's wrong with a homer pick is that if it isn't wise (and I'm not saying that this one is or isn't), it will affect your ranking. No big deal, I guess, but The Patsy Poll can ultimately be subtitled "Hammer the Homer."

[hc12]

colgate wins by 7
rhode island by 10
umass by 7
stony brook by 14
lafayette by 17
duquesne by 3

[Pard4Life]

You hi-jack the weekly pick'em from the Patriot League voy board?

[carney2]

You hi-jack the weekly pick'em from the Patriot League voy board?

As I said in an earlier post on this thread, PLers are A-1 hijackers. Of course, hijacking yourself creates something of a moral dilemma. Then again, any group that includes Lehigh people really has difficulty with the high road.

Summary: We're here; have a beer. You in?

[Pard 82]

Albany @ Colgate: COLGATE
Holy Cross @ Massachusetts: UMASS
Fordham @ Rhode Island: URI
Marist @ Lafayette: LAFAYETTE
Georgetown @ Stony Brook: GEORGETOWN
Bucknell @ Duquesne: BUCKNELL

[ngineer]

Been busy and about (aboot for you Canadians)..but here are my selections for week 1, though I wish all my PL bretheran a 'W':

Colgate has their typical opening game issues and drops to Albany 21-17.

Holy Cross hangs around and shows UMass their for real, but UMass' depth takes over, 42-24.

Lafayatte plays conservatively as they work whoever their QB will be into sync, but White says, "Hurt, who?" Marist could be more 'fired up' than you think by christening the first night game. 'pards 31-17.

Georgetown shows they're for real and stuns Stony Brook, 20-17.

Bucknell's wishbone/spread/whatever you call it controls the Dukes, 24-14.

BTW, Groller of the Morning Call picked Georgetown to finish FIFTH this year ahead of Bucknell and Fordham...;)

[LeopardFan04]

Colgate
UMass
Rhode Island
Lafayette
Stony Brook
Bucknell

[Andy]

Colgate by 10
UMASS by 35
Lafayette 31-0
GT by 6
URI by 10
BU by 17

[KAUMASS]

Here is a CAA Opinion...

Albany @ Colgate: Albany by 3
Holy Cross @ Massachusetts: UMASS by 13
Fordham @ Rhode Island: URI by 10
Marist @ Lafayette: LAFAYETTE by 14
Georgetown @ Stony Brook: StonyBrook by 10
Bucknell @ Duquesne: BUCKNELL by 7.

Albany has quietly gotten stronger over the years and came out with a major statement beating Delaware last year. Colgate is always pesky, and can field a strong team any given year that can play with anyone. Awesome game for the first of the year. Slight edge to Albany for beating Delaware @ Delaware last year.

UMass will have the respect of any PL team. Holy Cross looks much improved. Big offensive line and good QB. UMass's depth should be the key in the second half, but HC will give UMass a game.

Rhode Island has been a middle of the road to bottom feeder of the CAA the last few years. They do not carry 63 scholarships, but Fordham will not have enough firepower.

Lafayette is always tough and has proven they can hang with anyone in the FCS the last few years. I would be surprised if Marist gives them much of a game.

Stony Brook took a few poundings last year by CAA teams, but came back and had some nice wins. Another team that has quietly gotton better each year. SB beat UAlbany, and UAlbany beat Delaware last year. Stony Brook has too much for G'Town.

Bucknell has been down the last few years, but should win here.

Good luck to all teams..

[Brad82]

Rhody by 3 TD's..

[Brad82]

Rhody by 3 td's..

[65 Pard]

UMass wins by 14
Rhody by 7
Pards by 10
All other PL teams win by less than 8 points

[Pards Rule]

And oh... did I mention they Pards are having FIREWORKS after the Marist game... jeez.. we go from splinter in the as_ bleachers to fireworks in two seasons... xrotatehx

For those of you who don't know, the fireworks will light up nice as this is a night game - Lafayette's first in Easton!! I will be there!!

[carney2]

For branding purposes, can we call it something else besides "Patsy"? Makes it hard to defend the strength of our league when we ourselves call it "Patsy"...

I like it so much that i will probably use it - barring a ground swell of objections, of course. In my opinion, the League will gain respect from FCS when/if they begin to beeat OOCs and win some playoff games. Nothing less will do.

[carney2]

Been busy and about (aboot for you Canadians)..but here are my selections for week 1, though I wish all my PL bretheran a 'W':

Colgate has their typical opening game issues and drops to Albany 21-17.

Holy Cross hangs around and shows UMass their for real, but UMass' depth takes over, 42-24.

Lafayatte plays conservatively as they work whoever their QB will be into sync, but White says, "Hurt, who?" Marist could be more 'fired up' than you think by christening the first night game. 'pards 31-17.

Georgetown shows they're for real and stuns Stony Brook, 20-17.

Bucknell's wishbone/spread/whatever you call it controls the Dukes, 24-14.

BTW, Groller of the Morning Call picked Georgetown to finish FIFTH this year ahead of Bucknell and Fordham...;)

ngineer, you forgot to pick the Fordham @ Rhode Island game. You have an invalid ballot without it.

[LBPop]

I had to read this twice. You really stretched for this, didn't you?xlolx xbowx

Yes, I decided to see if anyone out there was paying attention and old enough to know about Redd Foxx. I guess you qualified...thanks for doing this. It's great fun and it gives me a reason to listen even more carefully when scores are announced at the Georgetown games. xthumbsupx

[Lehigh Football Nation]

carney, will my "impartial" blog picks/column picks count for the pool?

I can assure you I won't be taking Fordham to beat URI.

[Lafalumni29]

Albany @ Colgate : Albany has arrived. Albany by 7
Holy Cross @ UMASS : Not good scheduling for a team that wants to contend for a PL title. Randolph is lucky to get out of there in one piece. UMASS by 17
Fordham @ URI : Fordham gives them a better game than most think. URI by 7
Marist @ Lafayette : The Bucknell team the Pards shut out in '06 ran for 400 yards on Marist last year. Although these games make me nervous, I think this is a blood bath in the making. Pards by 31. Yep, 31
GU @ Stony Brook: Stony Brook has arrived as well. The new Transfer U. 12 transfers this year alone.SBU by 17
BU @ Duquesne : Don't know much about Duquesne. BU by 7

[bison137]

[QUOTE=KAUMASS;625952]Bucknell has been down the last few years, but should win here.

QUOTE]

Reports of Bucknell being down have been exaagerated a bit. The team had one bad year (2005), when the top three QB's were all lost for most of the year in the first few games - 4 different starting QB's in the first four weeks. Other than that, the Bison have been fairly respectable the last few years:

2006: 3-3 PL (T4), 6-5 overall
2004: 4-2 PL (T3), 7-4 overall
2003: 4-3 PL (T3), 6-6 overall

I'd like to see better years but these results haven't been terrible.

[carney2]

carney, will my "impartial" blog picks/column picks count for the pool?

I can assure you I won't be taking Fordham to beat URI.

You were declared fair game in post no. 31. Each of these homers can now measure himself (any indication at all that there are any "herselfs" out there?) against the pro.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

You were declared fair game in post no. 31. Each of these homers can now measure himself (any indication at all that there are any "herselfs" out there?) against the pro.


LFN (An involuntary participant, but he's going to post his picks somewhere so I am holding his feet to the fire.)

Ah, OK! I'm sure you will find that my record will prove conclusively that anyone can do this, e.g., pick games and beat me. :D I do hope, however, my picks will be the most entertaining. xnodx

[Lafayette71]

Keeping track of Picks for these season? Excellent Idea. Plays right in to my gambling habit. By the end of the season I'll be batting .220.

Anyway, here goes,

Colgate-Take the home dog and the points. What do you mean no points?
Umass-Likely the class of the CAA again this year
URI in a closer than expected affair
Lafayette
Stony Brook
Bucknell ekes it out on the road.

Now, where's the number for gamblers anonymous? Or the bookie. Either one will do.

[njhoya2]

these picks can be taken to the proverbial bank
Colgate 24 Albany 17
Lafayette 38 Marist 13
Umass 31 Cross 17
Rhode Island 21 Fordham 14
drum roll please...... Georgetown 21 SB 20

[carney2]

these picks can be taken to the proverbial bank
Colgate 24 Albany 17
Lafayette 38 Marist 13
Umass 31 Cross 17
Rhode Island 21 Fordham 14
drum roll please...... Georgetown 21 SB 20

Another Hoya. Oh my gawd! With these new guys joining DFW and LB, I'm gonna need a berka to cover the bruises. Welcome new guy. Wishing you much luck beginning in week 3.

By the way, you left the Bucknell @ Duquesne game off your ballot. You need to pick all games involving PL teams to be valid.

[KAUMASS]

[QUOTE=KAUMASS;625952]Bucknell has been down the last few years, but should win here.

QUOTE]

Reports of Bucknell being down have been exaagerated a bit. The team had one bad year (2005), when the top three QB's were all lost for most of the year in the first few games - 4 different starting QB's in the first four weeks. Other than that, the Bison have been fairly respectable the last few years:

2006: 3-3 PL (T4), 6-5 overall
2004: 4-2 PL (T3), 7-4 overall
2003: 4-3 PL (T3), 6-6 overall

I'd like to see better years but these results haven't been terrible.

I would agree with your statement. My statement was more of a "general" statement and not meant to indicate Bucknell has been a "bad" team the last few years.

[RedSpartan]

My picks, complete with almost total lack of insight:

UMass over Holy Cross -- This could get ugly.

Rhode Island over Fordham -- Just a gut feeling. Could go either way.

Lafayette over Marist -- LC comes out strong this year.

Bucknell over Duquesne -- Bucknell won't overlook Dukes this time.

Stony Brook over Georgetown -- See RI v. Forham, above.

and of course...

Colgate over Albany -- Yes, we usually have problems with the first game. This year, however, will be different. More players stayed over the summer to work together than ever before (40 vs. 6 last year), and the team will have chemistry early. Biddle will have them chomping at the bit to prove the naysayers wrong. Go Gate!

[Engineer91]

Albany @ Colgate: ALBANY by 3
Holy Cross @ Massachusetts: UMASS by 18
Fordham @ Rhode Island: URI by 8
Marist @ Lafayette: LAFAYETTE by 14
Georgetown @ Stony Brook: STONY BROOK by 3
Bucknell @ Duquesne: BUCKNELL by 5

[Go...gate]

Colgate 22 Albany 20

UMass 35 Holy Cross 27

Fordham 28 URI 24

Lafayette 55 Marist 21

Stony Brook 20 Georgetown 16

Duquesne 23 Bucknell 17

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Colgate 24 Albany 14- Colgate just does enough to pull out a tough one over the Danes

Umass 45 Holy Cross 20- This one will be pretty ugly. No way HC has the horses to run with the Minutemen. HC has a few very good players but outside of that nowhere near enough to compete with the best from the CAA.

URI 35 Fordham 24- Interesting matchup between two bumbling teams. think the URI's option attack will be the difference.

Lafayette 38 Marist 6- Marist might hang around for a quarter or so but the Leopards should put the pedal down.

Stony Brook 21 Georgetown 13- Another long year begins for the Hoyas.

Bucknell 31 Duquesne 21- Bucknell is supposively an improved team this year although i don't completely buy it. With that said they should win this game.

[njhoya2]

Another Hoya. Oh my gawd! With these new guys joining DFW and LB, I'm gonna need a berka to cover the bruises. Welcome new guy. Wishing you much luck beginning in week 3.

By the way, you left the Bucknell @ Duquesne game off your ballot. You need to pick all games involving PL teams to be valid.

sorry about that
Bucknell 24 Duquesne 10

[TheValleyRaider]

Albany @ Colgate: Colgate Our fears are usually (always) born out in these circumstances, but if picking Colgate in Week 1 is wrong, I don't want to be right :)


I am backing the picks of the Valley Raider. Fordham is better and I hope the Raiders are over the first game blues. Go Gate!!


Colgate over Albany -- Yes, we usually have problems with the first game. This year, however, will be different. More players stayed over the summer to work together than ever before (40 vs. 6 last year), and the team will have chemistry early. Biddle will have them chomping at the bit to prove the naysayers wrong. Go Gate!



Colgate 22 Albany 20

This rampant homerism from Colgate fans, picking ourselves to win a game we know we should lose, really warms the cockles of my Maroon and White heart :)

Biddle's opening game record is 2-9. Those 2 were followed by 10 win seasons. We believe xnodx

Let's Go 'Gate!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Conspicuously absent if the biggest Colgate homer of all, colgate13...

Is he having a crisis of confidence in the Raiders?

xeyebrowx xeyebrowx xeyebrowx

[LBPop]

Another Hoya. Oh my gawd!

Hey Carney...we might not win a lot, but we don't hide. Go Hoyas! ;)

[Go...gate]

Conspicuously absent if the biggest Colgate homer of all, colgate13...

Is he having a crisis of confidence in the Raiders?

xeyebrowx xeyebrowx xeyebrowx

There is no such thing as a crisis of confidence in the Red Raiders.

[Seawolf97]

So here goes-

Albany at Colgate - Albany 20 Colgate 14 - Albany defense is the difference

Holy Cross at U Mass - Conservative UMass 44 HC 14
URI at Fordham - The Bronx Rams pull this off Fordham 24 URI 17
Marist at Lafayette - Lafayette 48 Marist 7
Duquesne at Bucknell - Bucknell defense too strong Bucknell 24 Dukes
14

Georgetown at Stonybrook- I expect good defense from both teams- Stonybrook has the weapons on offense- Stonybrook 28 Hoyas 14.:D

[dpd]

Carney2 tells me I need to state my school affiliation - I work for (and received a degree from) the University of Memphis and I bleed tiger blue, but I also got a degree from SIU (Carbondale) and watched many a game at McAndrews Stadium, so for all FCS forums my favorite team will be the mighty Southern Illinois Salukis (go dawgs!) -
If I need a patsy school for the purposes of this contest then the closest I can come is Rhodes College ("our ivy is in a league of its own") where I spent my undergraduate daze (Roll Lynx Roll) -
and if i really had to pick my favorite patriot league team i guess i would go with colgate

[TheValleyRaider]

Conspicuously absent if the biggest Colgate homer of all, colgate13...

Is he having a crisis of confidence in the Raiders?

xeyebrowx xeyebrowx xeyebrowx

Nah, he's just off pretending to have a real life xsmiley_wix

He'll be here with a pick soon enough xnodx

[TheValleyRaider]

and if i really had to pick my favorite patriot league team i guess i would go with colgate

Then prove yourself worthy. Cleanse thyself of thine own pick of this "Albany", and drink the Maroon "Gate"-erade. xnodx

[ngineer]

ngineer, you forgot to pick the Fordham @ Rhode Island game. You have an invalid ballot without it.

Ah, haste makes waste...Thanks for the reminder...As much as I would love to see the Rams win....;) ....I have to go with the OTHER Rams, though I think it will be close. URI-31 FU-27

[carney2]

Carney2 tells me I need to state my school affiliation - I work for (and received a degree from) the University of Memphis and I bleed tiger blue, but I also got a degree from SIU (Carbondale) and watched many a game at McAndrews Stadium, so for all FCS forums my favorite team will be the mighty Southern Illinois Salukis (go dawgs!) -
If I need a patsy school for the purposes of this contest then the closest I can come is Rhodes College ("our ivy is in a league of its own") where I spent my undergraduate daze (Roll Lynx Roll) -
and if i really had to pick my favorite patriot league team i guess i would go with colgate

OOC - and we will have an OOC category. (This will not only be individual. It will be school against school.) Sorry, for bugging you, dpd, but yours was the only "handle" that I did not recognize.

I'm begnning to understand how a traffic cop feels. We are, by the way, up to 26 entrants. Still a lot of numbers uncounted: 13, 94, 137

Not one ballot from Bucknell. Imagine if Landis taught his offense the crossover dribble and the defense to double down in the paint.

[Pard94]

carney, i do'nt think it will be a slam dunk for umass,even though they have schollies and 100 trasnsfer players from d1 programs,gilmore will have his team ready.this will be a measuring stick for hc,this team is ready for a break out season.do'nt be surprise if it is a close game, hc has a great core of players returning,plus a qb that knows the offense.prediction 28-21,even though hc loses they know they can play with anybody in the pl,they will go on a big run in the league. go saders.explain your major fcs ruler.

HC12 welcome to the board! Good to have a new PL'er out there...please post often! Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way. A UMASS victory is a slam dunk. No slight against Holy Cross. I just remember watching the Minutemen play Lafayette in the playoffs last year. I remember walking in and looking at the two teams within the first thirty seconds and thinking "uh oh". They were heads ans shoulders better than us.

I like Carney's other picks and pretty much agree with them. Finally we have arrived to the season! I'm looking for a blow out against Marist to send a message that the Leopards aren't starting slow this year. Who knows if it will happen but hope springs eternal! GO PARDS! GO PL!xthumbsupx

[JoltinJoe]

Ah, haste makes waste...Thanks for the reminder...As much as I would love to see the Rams win....;) ....I have to go with the OTHER Rams, though I think it will be close. URI-31 FU-27

We're going to win that game.

[carney2]

We're going to win that game.

Is this a Joe Willy Namath "guarantee?"

[carney2]

I like Carney's other picks and pretty much agree with them.

You're in. I'm ignoring the "pretty much" to make yours the 27th ballot.

[Lafayette71]

No love for Colgate on the NEC week 1 picks thread. I sticking with the 'gate. Now, get out there and make me look stoopid.

[Ruler 79]

Anytime UA is picked to win outright...they get beat. See Fordham last year. So Colgate may be in luck.

[DC 'gater]

Albany @ Colgate: Colgate 24 Albany 7: Jordan Scott 25 for 130, 2 Tds

Holy Cross @ Massachusetts: UMass 21 HC 17: Hope the saders wear them down

Fordham @ Rhode Island: Fordham 31 URI 21: Rams step up

Marist @ Lafayette: Lafayette 28 Marist 14: Close at half, pards grind it out in 2nd half

Georgetown @ Stony Brook: Stony Brook 17 G'town 14: just because

Bucknell @ Duquesne: Bucknell 28 Duquesne 27: Bison score late

[Ken_Z]

Not one ballot from Bucknell. Imagine if Landis taught his offense the crossover dribble and the defense to double down in the paint.


i was waiting for my old nemesis Mr. 13 to post his picks so i could choose the opposite in every game. and if the football team learns to play defense as well as our hoopsters, they'll win the league.

Albany 24 @ Colgate 14: as i recall even lowly Bucknell was able to beat Colgate

Holy Cross 27 @ Massachusetts 35: HC gets an early lead, but can't hold on. proclaimed as a huge moral victory for a team on the rise, five more new posters appear.

Fordham 41 @ Rhode Island 42: the wrong rams win this one

Marist 10 @ Lafayette 62: Lafayette fans become convinced they have the qb to take them all the way and the rest of us suffer through 1000+ posts telling us so. they learn they are wrong later in the season.

Georgetown 7 @ Stony Brook 28: number of Georgetown posters returns to 2

Bucknell 31 @ Duquesne 28: still need to learn to double down in the paint, but man that crossover dribble can't be stopped.

[Go...gate]

Carney2 tells me I need to state my school affiliation - I work for (and received a degree from) the University of Memphis and I bleed tiger blue, but I also got a degree from SIU (Carbondale) and watched many a game at McAndrews Stadium, so for all FCS forums my favorite team will be the mighty Southern Illinois Salukis (go dawgs!) -
If I need a patsy school for the purposes of this contest then the closest I can come is Rhodes College ("our ivy is in a league of its own") where I spent my undergraduate daze (Roll Lynx Roll) -
and if i really had to pick my favorite patriot league team i guess i would go with colgate

Clearly a poster of discriminating taste! :D

[Lehigh Football Nation]

i was waiting for my old nemesis Mr. 13 to post his picks so i could choose the opposite in every game. and if the football team learns to play defense as well as our hoopsters, they'll win the league.

Albany 24 @ Colgate 14: as i recall even lowly Bucknell was able to beat Colgate

Holy Cross 27 @ Massachusetts 35: HC gets an early lead, but can't hold on. proclaimed as a huge moral victory for a team on the rise, five more new posters appear.

Fordham 41 @ Rhode Island 42: the wrong rams win this one

Marist 10 @ Lafayette 62: Lafayette fans become convinced they have the qb to take them all the way and the rest of us suffer through 1000+ posts telling us so. they learn they are wrong later in the season.

Georgetown 7 @ Stony Brook 28: number of Georgetown posters returns to 2

Bucknell 31 @ Duquesne 28: still need to learn to double down in the paint, but man that crossover dribble can't be stopped.

xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

The inimitable Ken_Z, who shows me I truly need my game on if I'm to be more entertaining with my picks! xthumbsupx

xlmaox at the Lafayette prediction!!!

[PeacockRaider]

Id like to jump in on this pool if I may.

[email protected] reverses the trend of historically bad openers as the team has a chip on their shoulders from last year 24-14.

Fordham@Rhode Island... Home team prevails in the battle of the rams 36-17

[email protected] Dukes start of the last year of the MAAC doing the conference proud. 21-17

[email protected] get more than they want from this up and coming team, but the Red Foxes are not at that level yet. LC 28-7

Georgetown@Stony Brook...I have no idea but I'll go with the Seawolves 28-24

Holy [email protected] is tough, real tough. Minutemen 38-6.

[carney2]

Clearly a poster of discriminating taste! :D


...or a guy who has used your toothpaste.

[dpd]

i'm an ultra-brite man, but i do like the red raiders

[travelinman67]

i was waiting for my old nemesis Mr. 13 to post his picks so i could choose the opposite in every game. and if the football team learns to play defense as well as our hoopsters, they'll win the league.

Albany 24 @ Colgate 14: as i recall even lowly Bucknell was able to beat Colgate

Holy Cross 27 @ Massachusetts 35: HC gets an early lead, but can't hold on. proclaimed as a huge moral victory for a team on the rise, five more new posters appear.

Fordham 41 @ Rhode Island 42: the wrong rams win this one

Marist 10 @ Lafayette 62: Lafayette fans become convinced they have the qb to take them all the way and the rest of us suffer through 1000+ posts telling us so. they learn they are wrong later in the season.

Georgetown 7 @ Stony Brook 28: number of Georgetown posters returns to 2

Bucknell 31 @ Duquesne 28: still need to learn to double down in the paint, but man that crossover dribble can't be stopped.

xlolx xlolx xlolx

Boy am I glad the season's here. Thanks Z.xlolx xlolx

[carney2]

Marist 10 @ Lafayette 62: Lafayette fans become convinced they have the qb to take them all the way and the rest of us suffer through 1000+ posts telling us so. they learn they are wrong later in the season.


[email protected] get more than they want from this up and coming team, but the Red Foxes are not at that level yet. LC 28-7

I don't know which scenario scares me more. This is a no win situation. Pound the crap out of these guys and it's "So...that's what you should be doing." And, you look a lot better than you probably are. Let them hang around for a while and the worrying really starts.

I want to flash forward to the end of November and KNOW what happens. The suspense is killing me.

[LBPop]

number of Georgetown posters returns to 2


Hey 'Z', is that supposed to be a good thing? xrolleyesx

[bison137]

Not one ballot from Bucknell. Imagine if Landis taught his offense the crossover dribble and the defense to double down in the paint.


I see that KenZ has put the Bison on the board. I'm waiting for the final Vegas betting lines before I post my picks.

I see that the Bison 22-man starting lineup includes 13 sophs, which should be interesting. Most of them saw a lot of PT last year thankfully. Hoever, two sophs who started the whole season last year as freshmen - Sam Nana-Sinkham and Brigham Farrand - are off the depth chart at the moment, apparently still recovering from injuries.

I just found out, to my great surprise, that there are no Vegas lines on the PL, so I'll make my picks now:

Colgate by 3 over Albany - unlike KenZ I figure Colgate must be strong if they could stay within 3 points of the Bison

UMass by 14 over Holy Cross

Rhode Island by 10 over Fordham

Lafayette by 27 over Marist

STony Brook by 17 over Georgetown

Bucknell by 6 over Duquesne - The young Bison defense needs to do better than they did last year vs the Dukes. Duquesne returns their whole defensive front seven so we'll see if the young Bison O-line can open the type of holes that let the Bison rush for almost 400 yards last year.

BTW, I see that KenZ has picked the same score for this game as last year's result. Is that going to be a year-long strategy?

[JoltinJoe]

Is this a Joe Willy Namath "guarantee?"

Probably more like a Patrick Ewing guarantee.

[DFW HOYA]

Thoughs on the games, kicking off a season where most PL teams could fare very poorly out of conference.

Albany at Colgate: Albany is generally underrated and Colgate seems to start out slow as a matter of course: Great Danes 21, Red Raiders 10.

Holy Cross at Massachusetts: I like where the Crusaders are headed but it's tough to win the opener on the road. Minutemen 28, Crusaders 17.

Bucknell at Duquesne: I see a shootout here--both teams return strong offensive sets and the defenses have some holes that time and experience will fill. Duquesne saves their best for PL teams and here's my upset pick: Dukes 26, Bison 24.

Marist at Lafayette: No such upset here: Leopards 40, Red Foxes 6.

Fordham at Rhode Island: URI is going to surprise some folks this year--not a playoff bid, but a very competitive team. URI running game pulls this one out. CAA Rams 27, PL Rams 10.

Georgetown at Stony Brook: I have considerable concerns about an offensive line that returns only one sophomore from last season's group. SBU will carry 42 scholarships into the game, Georgetown a few less than that. Seawolves 27, Hoyas 10.

[Pard4Life]

i was waiting for my old nemesis Mr. 13 to post his picks so i could choose the opposite in every game. and if the football team learns to play defense as well as our hoopsters, they'll win the league.

Albany 24 @ Colgate 14: as i recall even lowly Bucknell was able to beat Colgate

Holy Cross 27 @ Massachusetts 35: HC gets an early lead, but can't hold on. proclaimed as a huge moral victory for a team on the rise, five more new posters appear.

Fordham 41 @ Rhode Island 42: the wrong rams win this one

Marist 10 @ Lafayette 62: Lafayette fans become convinced they have the qb to take them all the way and the rest of us suffer through 1000+ posts telling us so. they learn they are wrong later in the season.

Georgetown 7 @ Stony Brook 28: number of Georgetown posters returns to 2

Bucknell 31 @ Duquesne 28: still need to learn to double down in the paint, but man that crossover dribble can't be stopped.

I don't know where that idea come from... I am just hoping DiPaola can complete some passes and win some games..

..or I am taking Ken_Z too literally...

[Pard4Life]

Sure I am in carney...

Albany 24, Colgate 14
UMass 35, Holy Cross 21
Duquesne 28, Bucknell 27
Rhode Island 24, Fordham 10
Lafayette 35, Marist 10
Stony Brook 28, Georgetown 10

...and I just realized I have only PL win... brother.. xrolleyesx :(

[Andy]

I don't know where that idea come from... I am just hoping DiPaola can complete some passes and win some games..

..or I am taking Ken_Z too literally...

Agreed, that one's got me scratching my head as well.

Anyway, we'll get our first look at two QBs in the first half alone, maybe three in the game....and that'll be the pattern for the first several games as we get by with a strong D and a good running game.

Waiting for game notes, P4L. Katz, Leo starters? Is Mo a go?

[Ken_Z]

I want to flash forward to the end of November and KNOW what happens. The suspense is killing me.

i don't think you really want to know, but i keep giving you hints anyway :D

[Ken_Z]

BTW, I see that KenZ has picked the same score for this game as last year's result. Is that going to be a year-long strategy?


nope, unlike the basketball pickem, no superstitions drive my choices here. my strategy is simply to pick what feels right each week and hopefully simultaneously needle and entertain our PL bretheren with some commentary. i do have an occasional vision of something bigger that i will continuously hammer on until proven wrong:

last year: Bucknell over Colgate
this year: Lafayette's not all that (that's another hint)
future: Richmond becomes a member of the Patriot League

[carney2]

this year: Lafayette's not all that (that's another hint)

What you say, of course, is not inconceivable. I, for one, was very disappointed that none of the other 5 QB candidates seriously challenged senior Mike DiPaola in preseason. No one stepped up and "seized the moment" as Andy said in another forum. Perhaps all that is required is someone to "manage" the game (also someone else's words - I can't remember who) while this plays out. (More than that will be required against the Ivy big boys, however.) If so, there will be some "waste" of the wide receivers. That would be a shame. You really can't believe how good these guys are.


future: Richmond becomes a member of the Patriot League

Even after the flogging and public humiliation that the head Spider and his band of web spinning trustees went through recently over this exact same issue? Once burned, twice shy and all of that Ben Franklin stuff.

[Pard94]

i was waiting for my old nemesis Mr. 13 to post his picks so i could choose the opposite in every game. and if the football team learns to play defense as well as our hoopsters, they'll win the league.

Albany 24 @ Colgate 14: as i recall even lowly Bucknell was able to beat Colgate

Holy Cross 27 @ Massachusetts 35: HC gets an early lead, but can't hold on. proclaimed as a huge moral victory for a team on the rise, five more new posters appear.

Fordham 41 @ Rhode Island 42: the wrong rams win this one

Marist 10 @ Lafayette 62: Lafayette fans become convinced they have the qb to take them all the way and the rest of us suffer through 1000+ posts telling us so. they learn they are wrong later in the season.

Georgetown 7 @ Stony Brook 28: number of Georgetown posters returns to 2

Bucknell 31 @ Duquesne 28: still need to learn to double down in the paint, but man that crossover dribble can't be stopped.

I've probably been the least alarmed over the QB issue of all the Lafayette posters and the most I have dared hope for is that we have a QB that can go in there and not lose games until he gets his "sea legs" under him. Me thinks you may be projecting your fears in your posts Ken.

[Ken_Z]

Even after the flogging and public humiliation that the head Spider and his band of web spinning trustees went through recently over this exact same issue? Once burned, twice shy and all of that Ben Franklin stuff.


yes, even after all that. and it wouldn't be very interesting to only predict the easy stuff. i have visions of the future and i share them.

some of the Lafayettians are sounding a touch edgy. just opening day jitters i trust :)

[Go...gate]

Marist is a perfect opener for Lafayette and they should be able to get a lot of players into the game.

[ColgateTD]

Colgate 21, UAlbany 17 - new FieldTurf does wonders for 'Gate
UMASS 36, HC 14 - Minutemen too much..
Lafayette 36, Marist 10 - Red Foxes out foxed
Bucknell, 24, Dukes 21 - Stick to roundball
R.I. 31, Fordham 7 - Breeze off the Atlantic too much
Stony Brook 24, G'town 10 - Grass on LI too much for Hoyas

[DerHoya]

add another hoya to that list...

toothpaste versus a large breed of dogs - i'll go gate by 3

french general versus red foxes - laf walks by 14

big dumb animals versus a dog? - ill go dukes by 3

ram versus ram - ill go with rhode island's version by 10

revolutionary soldiers versus europeans on vacation - umass wins but below lines - by 14

make believe sea creatures versus the what's - homer pick hoyas by 7

[Pard4Life]

add another hoya to that list...

toothpaste versus a large breed of dogs - i'll go gate by 3

french general versus red foxes - laf walks by 14

big dumb animals versus a dog? - ill go dukes by 3

ram versus ram - ill go with rhode island's version by 10

revolutionary soldiers versus europeans on vacation - umass wins but below lines - by 14

make believe sea creatures versus the what's - homer pick hoyas by 7

I would label the European vactioners instead as "conquering Christians"

[carney2]

The Polls close at midnight.

Some up to the minute stats fer ya:

Number of ballots = 35
Bucknell = 2 The most Bucknell football fans to gather in one place since 3 guys piled into a Packard to drive to the 1935 Orange Bowl.
Colgate = 6 Mr. 13 is conspicuous by his absence.
Fordham = 1 There is a rumor out and about that our Fordham POd/BOd his fellow alums at a recent Ram gathering.
Georgetown = 5 That is not a typo. FIVE!
Holy Cross = 2 Even a suspected winner isn't upping the count.
Lafayette = 9 First in all things football.
Lehigh = 6 One of these guys picked the 'saders over UMass.
OOC = 4 The more the merrier

Kid Konsensus:
Colgate @ Albany: Colgate
Holy Cross @ Massachusetts: UMass
Fordham @ Rhode Island: Rhode Island
Marist @ Lafayette: Lafayette
Georgetown @ Stony Brook: Stony Brook
Bucknell @ Duquesne: Bucknell

[CrusaderBob]

In order to make well informed picks, one must wait until all the facts are in, trends have been studied, team quotes read, the match-ups have been disected and analyzed. We Crusaders will make no picks before their time.

Have done none of that, my time is now!

Albany @ Colgate: COLGATE

Fordham @ Rhode Island: RHODE ISLAND

Marist @ Lafayette: LAFAYETTE

Georgetown @ Stony Brook: STONY BROOK

Bucknell @ Duquesne: BUCKNELL

Holy Cross @ Massachusetts:

From the way some of you are talking Divine Intervention is needed for the Crusaders to prevail. Fortunately I have received Divine Inspiration in this pick. With apologies to the Old Testament:


And lo, Dominic put his hands under center and took from his center the football, aimed it at his receiver, then slung it and smote the Minutemen. And the ball sank into his receiver’s hands in the end zone, so that all the Minutemen fell upon their faces to the ground.
Holy Cross is the pick

[bison137]

Bucknell = 2 The most Bucknell football fans to gather in one place since 3 guys piled into a Packard to drive to the 1935 Orange Bowl.




It's funny how fans get cocky with a couple of winning years and a new stadium. :)

Even as recently as the 2003 and 2004 seasons, Bucknell outdrew Lafayette at home. BU attendance was higher for the 2001-02 period as well. And that's with BU in a metropolitan area of about 6500 people.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

It's funny how fans get cocky with a couple of winning years and a new stadium. :)

Even as recently as the 2003 and 2004 seasons, Bucknell outdrew Lafayette at home. BU attendance was higher for the 2001-02 period as well. And that's with BU in a metropolitan area of about 6500 people.

Is that including sheep and cows? xrotatehx xlolx xrotatehx

[Lafayette71]

Just think of how well the Bison could draw at home if there was parking for Amish Buggies.

[carney2]

TO: CrusaderBob -

Nicely done. Phrasing the absurd with humor may allow someone (not me) to overlook the fact that you have joined LFN in the land of the loonies.

TO: 137 -

If you're going to hang around with Ken_Z, you will need a suit of body armor - and a thicker skin.

[Franks Tanks]

Albany 24 Colgate 17 - I hate to make this prediction but the Danes are tuff

Mass 35 The Cross 10 - Mass is just too talented

Bucknell 31 Dukes 28 - I hope this one comes true

Rhody 28 Fordham 17 - Fordham still rebuilding

Stont Brook 28 Georgetown 10 - Its still Georgetown

Lafayette 38 Marist 7 - Lafayette is way more talented, but I think the Leopards offense will struggle a bit with new QB

[CrusaderBob]

TO: CrusaderBob -

Nicely done. Phrasing the absurd with humor may allow someone (not me) to overlook the fact that you have joined LFN in the land of the loonies.

TO: 137 -

If you're going to hang around with Ken_Z, you will need a suit of body armor - and a thicker skin.


Carney,

I ask you, If you can't be a wild-eyed optimistic fan before the first game of the season when can you be?? xlolx

As to LFN, I know he's not a Crusader fan, but I hereby offficially annoint him and honorary citizen of 'Sader Nation and therfore has all the rights endowed on 'Sader Nation citizens and can therefore be a wild-eyed optimist as well.

Finally to answer your question about the drunk that scheduled this mismatch, here's a quote from Tom Gilmore in this morning's Worcester Telegram


"We know we’re certainly the underdog in this game,” Gilmore said. “We know that, but I don’t have a problem knowing that and still scheduling this game. This is the direction we want our program to be — playing at the level UMass is playing week-in and week-out. If you want to get to that level, you have to start competing against these teams.”

I don't know if he was drunk when he scheduled it, but most of us fans appreciate that he did so, in the context of clearly articulated goals for the program, and that he isn't afraid of the challenge - either now or when he took the job 3+ years ago!

Go Cross!

[LBPop]

I think it's outstanding that HC is taking on UMass. Having two in-state, FCS teams with high profiles on your schedule has got to be a great thing for fan interest. I will be anxious to hear how the Crusaders play.

[Seawolf97]

I think it's outstanding that HC is taking on UMass. Having two in-state, FCS teams with high profiles on your schedule has got to be a great thing for fan interest. I will be anxious to hear how the Crusaders play.


I agree. We played UMass last year and did score in the first 3 minutes but that was it. Their coach was probably humane as we lost 48 to 7 but I think it helped our program this year. Who knows maybe we will egt them to play us Stonybrook some year.

[BobbyMo]

Albany v. Colgate = Albany

UMass v. HC = UMass

Bucknell v. Duq = Duq

RI v. Fordham = RI

SBU v. GTown = SBU

Lafayette v. Marist = Lafayette

Admit i do not know much about PL teams, but thought i would jump in on the fun with Albany, Duq, and SBU.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

As to LFN, I know he's not a Crusader fan, but I hereby offficially annoint him and honorary citizen of 'Sader Nation and therfore has all the rights endowed on 'Sader Nation citizens and can therefore be a wild-eyed optimist as well.

Go Cross!

Thanks! What perks does that entail? A lifelong subscription to the Holy Cross Basketball board and T-shirt saying "Big East Basketball, 1980"? :p