Top Team in PL History

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Right now the 2003 Colgate team is leading the '87 HC team. I'm not sure I agree with that.

http://www.patriotleague.org/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111411aaa.html

[Pard4Life]

My rank:

1987 Holy Cross
2003 Colgate
2000 Lehigh
1998 Lehigh
1988 Lafayette
2002 Fordham
1991 Holy Cross
2009 Holy Cross
2008 Colgate
2010 Lehigh

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

My rank:

1987 Holy Cross
2003 Colgate
2000 Lehigh
1998 Lehigh
1988 Lafayette
2002 Fordham
1991 Holy Cross
2009 Holy Cross
2008 Colgate
2010 Lehigh

I think '04/'05 Lafayette and '99/'01 Lehigh would have hammered '08 Colgate.

The '99 Lehigh team is an interesting one if you look at their schedule. They were extremely dominant but had a couple of head scratching games.

[Pard4Life]

I would have voted 2001 Lehigh up there as well. Our 2005 team would have handled 2008 Colgate, but we always defy logic when playing them. 2005 Colgate would have beaten 2008 Colgate.

Lafayette 2008 is underrated: Tavani screwed around with the QBs and we had that heartbreaker vs HC. We went into #14 Liberty, who has the longest win streak in the nation at home, and whipped 'em on Homecoming. If Curley does not get KO'd on an illegal spear by CU that season turns out differently.

No Bucknell 1996???

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

If I were to rank the Top 5 Lehigh teams of the PL era i would go...

1. '98 Lehigh
2. '00 Lehigh
3. '01 Lehigh
4. '99 Lehigh
5. '91 Lehigh

This years team has the potential to join this group. I think the '04 team was better than last years squad. The '05 and '03 teams were pretty good as well but had their share of bad luck. The '03 team absolutely deserved to make the playoffs.

[ngineer]

Lotsa hair splitting in this one. Can't really argue with anything I've read. "toupe"...

[Franks Tanks]

I think '04/'05 Lafayette and '99/'01 Lehigh would have hammered '08 Colgate.

The '99 Lehigh team is an interesting one if you look at their schedule. They were extremely dominant but had a couple of head scratching games.

I think the 08 Colgate team is the worst of the recent entries. They got crushed in the playoffs, albeit against a very good team, but they are not in the conversation. 02 Fordham would be 2nd to last IMO.

I would take the 98 or 99 Lehigh teams as the best due to Stanbaugh. Later teams may have been more talented in other areas, but in a game when the chips are down I would bet on Phil. 03 Colgate was very good, but the 87 saders probably take the cake here.

[Pard4Life]

2002 Fordham was pretty good... three-headed monster Eakin, Dudley and the RB I can't remember. Their only losses were to Villanova in the playoffs, Lehigh on a FG, and Columbia really early.

I'd put 2007 Fordham over 2008 Colgate.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

2002 Fordham was pretty good... three-headed monster Eakin, Dudley and the RB I can't remember. Their only losses were to Villanova in the playoffs, Lehigh on a FG, and Columbia really early.

I'd put 2007 Fordham over 2008 Colgate.

Kirwin Watson, and they were an awfully good team, too. And I agree about the 2007 Fordham team... talent-wise, they were on par with the others - had they not had a couple brain freezes that year, we'd be talking about them in the same tones as 2002's Ram team.

[RichH2]

I think the 08 Colgate team is the worst of the recent entries. They got crushed in the playoffs, albeit against a very good team, but they are not in the conversation. 02 Fordham would be 2nd to last IMO.

I would take the 98 or 99 Lehigh teams as the best due to Stanbaugh. Later teams may have been more talented in other areas, but in a game when the chips are down I would bet on Phil. 03 Colgate was very good, but the 87 saders probably take the cake here.

Yup what he said

[bluehenbillk]

OK, maybe a naive question but why wasn't the '87 Holy Cross team in the playoffs?

[Franks Tanks]

OK, maybe a naive question but why wasn't the '87 Holy Cross team in the playoffs?

The PL did not alllow teams to participate in the playoffs at the time. I believe the ban ended in 97.

[RichH2]

OK, maybe a naive question but why wasn't the '87 Holy Cross team in the playoffs?

If I'm not mistaken ,PL did not allow post season yet

[The Historian]

The '87 Holy Cross team had an offense that was so good and efficient that it did not attempt a field goal until its final game of the year. It finished the season ranked number one in DI-AA and would have been the favorite to win the NCAA title. I think they won their closets game in the PL by 40 points. They are clearly the best ever PL team.

[LehighU11]

My rank:
2009 Holy Cross


From seeing them play both Lehigh and Lafayette that year, I'd don't think that the '09 HC team should be in consideration. They barely got by both teams. Other than Dominic Randolph, they weren't all that impressive. Any team that loses to Bucknell and Brown, and trails Georgetown for three quarters shouldn't be on a top 10 list, in my opinion. Their loss to eventual champs Villanova in the first round was a good showing for the league, though.

[Pard4Life]

From seeing them play both Lehigh and Lafayette that year, I'd don't think that the '09 HC team should be in consideration. They barely got by both teams. Other than Dominic Randolph, they weren't all that impressive. Any team that loses to Bucknell and Brown, and trails Georgetown for three quarters shouldn't be on a top 10 list, in my opinion. Their loss to eventual champs Villanova in the first round was a good showing for the league, though.

Yes you're right... forgot about the Bucknell loss and Lafayette more or less tied them.

[Sader87]

Fairly obvious what squad I think was the PL's strongest I should think.

Gordie's Senior year, and 3rd in Heisman voting, but in all honesty they would have been nearly as good without Lockbaum. Just an incredibly strong team on both sides of the ball...a tragedy that they didn't get to play BC that season (series ended after the '86 game). Really not a "PL team" though as they were a full scholarship squad.

I agree that the '09 HC team wasn't "great"....I've argued on our board that the '08 team was actually a little stronger.

The '86 and '89 HC squads were very strong as well....much better (imo) than many of the squads in this poll.

[colorless raider]

I would have voted 2001 Lehigh up there as well. Our 2005 team would have handled 2008 Colgate, but we always defy logic when playing them. 2005 Colgate would have beaten 2008 Colgate.

Lafayette 2008 is underrated: Tavani screwed around with the QBs and we had that heartbreaker vs HC. We went into #14 Liberty, who has the longest win streak in the nation at home, and whipped 'em on Homecoming. If Curley does not get KO'd on an illegal spear by CU that season turns out differently.

No Bucknell 1996???

Here have some cheese.

[Go...gate]

Top 3, IMO:

Holy Cross 1987
Colgate 2003
Lehigh 1998

[hawkineer]

D
and, if it was one of the teams considered, what would it take this year's Lehigh team to be in the top 5?

make it to the semi-finals? Probably
make it to the Championship game?Definitely
win it all? Obviously
none of the above?

[Engineer86]

I think the 08 Colgate team is the worst of the recent entries. They got crushed in the playoffs, albeit against a very good team, but they are not in the conversation. 02 Fordham would be 2nd to last IMO.

I would take the 98 or 99 Lehigh teams as the best due to Stanbaugh. Later teams may have been more talented in other areas, but in a game when the chips are down I would bet on Phil. 03 Colgate was very good, but the 87 saders probably take the cake here.

I still cringe thinking about 1st and goal from the 9 down 6 under a minute at UMass and several hoorible fade passes. Stambaugh was great, but what might have been.

Colgate 2003 has to be tops given their playoff run.

[Bogus Megapardus]

I can't imagine any team other than 1987 Holy Cross as the best PL team ever.