Huge Patriot League Implication Week

[ngineer]

October 20 is shaping up to be a pivitol day in the lives of the perennial power brokers of the Patriot League. Fordham, now 3-0, travels to Lafayette (defending co-champ over the last three years) to challenge for supremacy. Meanwhile, just 12 miles away, Holy Cross Also undefeated in the League plays at Goodman Stadium where Lehigh, also a perennial member of the old "Big Three", will have its back to the wall having already lost to Fordham. A loss for the Mountain Hawks, and their shot at another PL championship is virtually nil (absent some ridiculous, though mathematically possible, multiple team team tie at 4-2).
Pre-season, most figured Holy Cross to be the most likely 'newcomer' to challenge the long-time leaders, while most figured Fordham was at least another year away. That may still be borne out, however, at the moment that good ol' boy named "parity" has chosen to camp out in the Patriot for awhile; and while those of us who have been living at the top in recent years like the view, it does make for a much more lively neighborhood as the donneybrooks are about to begin.
I'll be pulling for my Brown and White, hoping that the long lost offense gets back off the sidetrack and starts steaming forward again. From Lehigh's perspective, each game is now a playoff game.

[Tribe4SF]

Will be interesting to see who emerges from next weekend. Also interesting that the league is again struggling with its OOC games. Only Holy Cross has yet to take a big hit to its pedigree, but also has not established itself as a top 25 team.

[bulldog10jw]

Will be interesting to see who emerges from next weekend. Also interesting that the league is again struggling with its OOC games. Only Holy Cross has yet to take a big hit to its pedigree, but also has not established itself as a top 25 team.

Yale 38 HC 17

[Fordham]

Definitely fun and pretty novel for Fordham fans to be getting ready for a huge in-league contest more than 1/2 way through the season. Kudos, by the way, to a never-say-die Georgetown team, who kept me listening to the audio from our entire game instead of listening to either the Lehigh or Lafayette games, both of which I was flipping between on TV.

Speaking of the Lafayette game, they look like a great team to me that just had a QB who had a bad day. We are going to have a heckuva time with their Oline. The D looked very tough as well. I'm hoping to rearrange things for this weekend so I can make the trip to idyllic Easton - maybe I'll grab a beer or three with some AGS'ers. We'd better come to play, though, or else this could get ugly fast.

[JMU2K_DukeDawg]

Yale won, but Yale is a good enough team that I wouldn't consider the loss a "big hit to their pedigree"

Yes, the week will tell us much more about the potential auto bid coming out of the PL. My guess is Lafayette will take care of business and Holy Cross will win on the road. I think that would put Lafayette in the driver's seat. You PL experts can verify.

[carney2]

Yale won, but Yale is a good enough team that I wouldn't consider the loss a "big hit to their pedigree"

Yes, the week will tell us much more about the potential auto bid coming out of the PL. My guess is Lafayette will take care of business and Holy Cross will win on the road. I think that would put Lafayette in the driver's seat. You PL experts can verify.

If there's an "expert," he has yet to emerge. Still, as I said in another post, I believe that this will be settled on November 10th when Lafayette travels to Worcester.

[downbythebeach]

I went to the Fordham, Gtown game....at the end of the game the hoyas could do no wrong...i seriously thought the would tie it up....too bad the rb fell on that 4th and inches without even being touched....good game both teams though.....

[DFW HOYA]

I went to the Fordham, Gtown game....at the end of the game the hoyas could do no wrong...i seriously thought the would tie it up....too bad the rb fell on that 4th and inches without even being touched....good game both teams though.....

He did not fall. Thanks to the poor play call, he was dutifully stopped at the line.

[TheValleyRaider]

Don't forget the implications of the big Towson-Colgate game. The Tigers are still searching for their first Patriot League win, and getting it in Hamilton would doom the Raiders' slim chances at a title























:p :p :p :p

[crusader11]

Towson is no longer in the Patriot league, so while this is a good game to see where both teams stand, it really has no meaning on conference standing. Even if Colgate lost, it would not matter to their standing in the Patriot league.

[Franks Tanks]

Towson is no longer in the Patriot league, so while this is a good game to see where both teams stand, it really has no meaning on conference standing. Even if Colgate lost, it would not matter to their standing in the Patriot league.

Valley Raider was just joking

[crusader11]

O xnodx

[TheValleyRaider]

O xnodx

It happens xthumbsupx

If anything, it makes for a nice-looking schedule this week if they were still in, what with a full slate of conference games. Nice how it worked out that way xnodx

[appfan2008]

should be a fun weekend up there in pennsylvania... cant wait to find out the scores after asu gsu

[hc12]

October 20 is shaping up to be a pivitol day in the lives of the perennial power brokers of the Patriot League. Fordham, now 3-0, travels to Lafayette (defending co-champ over the last three years) to challenge for supremacy. Meanwhile, just 12 miles away, Holy Cross Also undefeated in the League plays at Goodman Stadium where Lehigh, also a perennial member of the old "Big Three", will have its back to the wall having already lost to Fordham. A loss for the Mountain Hawks, and their shot at another PL championship is virtually nil (absent some ridiculous, though mathematically possible, multiple team team tie at 4-2).
Pre-season, most figured Holy Cross to be the most likely 'newcomer' to challenge the long-time leaders, while most figured Fordham was at least another year away. That may still be borne out, however, at the moment that good ol' boy named "parity" has chosen to camp out in the Patriot for awhile; and while those of us who have been living at the top in recent years like the view, it does make for a much more lively neighborhood as the donneybrooks are about to begin.
I'll be pulling for my Brown and White, hoping that the long lost offense gets back off the sidetrack and starts steaming forward again. From Lehigh's perspective, each game is now a playoff game.

ngineer, multiple teams at 4-2 could happen.This week we find out who are the pretenders and who are the contenders.The pl is heating up,and every team is feeling the heat.To quote bill parcells"when you don't know that you don't know,it's a lot different than when you do know that you don't know."xconfusedx = pl champion!

[ngineer]

Towson is no longer in the Patriot league, so while this is a good game to see where both teams stand, it really has no meaning on conference standing. Even if Colgate lost, it would not matter to their standing in the Patriot league.


You obviously missed the sarcasm of the post.Towson struggled mightily while in the Patriot and never beat Colgate in league play.

[ngineer]

ngineer, multiple teams at 4-2 could happen.This week we find out who are the pretenders and who are the contenders.The pl is heating up,and every team is feeling the heat.To quote bill parcells"when you don't know that you don't know,it's a lot different than when you do know that you don't know."xconfusedx = pl champion!

Otherwise known as "ignorance is bliss."...;)

[TheValleyRaider]

You obviously missed the sarcasm of the post.Towson struggled mightily while in the Patriot and never beat Colgate in league play.

I wasn't even going that far. But hey, nothing I said in that statement was false, right? xsmiley_wix

[Tribe4SF]

You obviously missed the sarcasm of the post.Towson struggled mightily while in the Patriot and never beat Colgate in league play.


It will be an interesting game. Towson has not lost an OOC game since joining the A-10/CAA, and my guess is that streak will continue.

[ngineer]

Early prognostications are calling for thunderstorms on Saturday...I think the last three games between Holy Cross and Lehigh have been played in either steady rain or hurricane (2005). I would think percipitation would be more of assist to Lehigh in slowing down the passing game (we have a grass field).

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Early prognostications are calling for thunderstorms on Saturday...I think the last three games between Holy Cross and Lehigh have been played in either steady rain or hurricane (2005). I would think percipitation would be more of assist to Lehigh in slowing down the passing game (we have a grass field).

Proving conclusively that if you're planning to go to Lehigh/Holy Cross, throw out the weather reports - just count on rain! ;)

There are at least three meetings between Lehigh and Holy Cross that were played in rainstorms: 2002 (where P Kyle Keating, our 4th string QB, ended up playing at QB), 2005 and 2006. Anyone remember the others since 2000? That would be hilarious if all were in rainstorms.

[TheValleyRaider]

It will be an interesting game. Towson has not lost an OOC game since joining the A-10/CAA, and my guess is that streak will continue.

Towson's OOC opponents since joining the A-10:

2004
Elon 3-8
Cornell 4-6
Bowie State D-II

2005
Morgan State 2-9
Lock Haven D-II
Liberty 1-10

2006
Morgan State 5-6
Elon 5-6
Liberty 6-5

2007
CCSU 4-2
Morgan State 3-4

We're hardly talking Murderers' Row here xpeacex

[letsgopards04]

Saturday is big. It is also Homecoming at Lafayette. If Dipaola throws 4 INTs or has to throw 40 passes, Fordham will have a great shot at the win. He is throwing too many picks. I hope Frankie T runs the ball over and over and pounds out a big win at home in front of the alumni. All in all I think it will be a good game which I am excited to see in person.

[Doc QB]

LFN, two other rain games from my era come to mind: In 1992, we played up there, near Halloween, and it had steady, misty rain en route to a HC win; the following year at Goodman, the Engineers pulled a big W en route to conference title.

[LBPop]

I went to the Fordham, Gtown game....at the end of the game the hoyas could do no wrong...i seriously thought the would tie it up.

Thanks for the kind words; despite the final score I must admit it was nice to still be excited late in the fourth quarter. It's so hard to be a fan, but I cannot imagine how difficult it is for these kids to keep practicing, working out, getting treatment for injuries and sitting in meetings. But that's what makes me even prouder of LBKid and his teammates. They were 0-6, outweighed on both lines, essentially out of the PL race (now they are officially done), and yet they scared the hell out of Fordham. They deserve to sing the Alma Mater after a game at least once this season...especially the seniors.xsmileyclapx

[colorless raider]

Thanks for the kind words; despite the final score I must admit it was nice to still be excited late in the fourth quarter. It's so hard to be a fan, but I cannot imagine how difficult it is for these kids to keep practicing, working out, getting treatment for injuries and sitting in meetings. But that's what makes me even prouder of LBKid and his teammates. They were 0-6, outweighed on both lines, essentially out of the PL race (now they are officially done), and yet they scared the hell out of Fordham. They deserve to sing the Alma Mater after a game at least once this season...especially the seniors.xsmileyclapx

I agree...but don't let it be us!xnonox