Predicting the Patriot League

[carney2]

1. LEHIGH - King of the mountain until someone knocks them off. Not nearly as good as the national polls will portray them. Expect a League loss somewhere along the way.

2. HOLY CROSS - Probably the best of the rest, but still only a 6 or 7 win team.

3. FORDHAM - New coach + transfers + 4 years of scholarships = a breakout season. I don't know what that means, but I expect 6 or 7 wins.

4. GEORGETOWN - This is the golden era of Hoya football in the Patriot League. That's true and it's depressing. Lots of lettermen but not lots of talent.

5. LAFAYETTE - Problems, they have problems. A few positive answers, especially in the OL, and this could play out better than expected.

6. COLGATE - Pretty much the same Biddle team we've seen for years: no defense, but alas, no Eachus. It's the no defense thing that moves them down this list. You have to stop someone sooner or later.

7. BUCKNELL - Some say that the Susan revolution has begun. I don't. If there's hope here, it isn't obvious.

Your turn.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

1. Lehigh - Overall, more talented than last year, Colvin will be either 1st or 2nd team all league
2. Holy Cross - The most consistent team in the league over the last 7 years...still seem to lack skill guys on offense
3. Georgetown - experience alone should win them games
4. Lafayette - dangerous but still weak in the trenches
5. Fordham - improved yes, but it's all relative when you were 1-10
6. Colgate - some good pieces here and there...overall, the talent drop off in Hamilton is alarming
7. Bucknell - going to struggle big time

[DFW HOYA]

1. This is the golden era of Hoya football in the Patriot League. That's true and it's depressing.

Depressing for whom?

[Sader87]

In sort of a last minute fashion for a paper for Fr Lapamarda SJ history class:

1. HC: due to break through after so many 2nd place finishes...QB a ?

2. Lehigh: title will probably come down to the Engineers trip to Fitton.

3. Colgate: no real concrete reason, just see them bouncing back.

4. Georgetown: They've learned how to win but won't sneak up on anybody.

5. Lafayette: Sleeper team...but for now fifth.

6. Fordham: Will be improved but still a ways to go.

7. Bucknell: more people will be following fall hoop practice in Lewisberg.

[superman7515]

More importantly, how will this all affect the CAA?

[Sader87]

More importantly, how will this all affect the CAA?

In ways you haven't even conceived of yet.....

[RichH2]

1. LU a slight favorite. Lots of talent but also numerous holes.
2. HC solid both O and D. Not very athletic but decent size.
3. FU wild card new qb stud and athletes everwhere. New staff should help.
4. Hoya could be 2but wont surprise this yd
5. LC Better very good qb but inconsistent. OL? D? No speed at rb ,little at wr
6. Gate very good qb. No D or OL.
7. BU building too small inconsistent qb.

[Sader87]

Whither Fordham Rich??? Must be a Lehigh Valley thing...

[RichH2]

87 a hunch. Prior staff lousy but recruited well. FU has lots of good players, if this new transfer qb is amywhere near as good as his rep, they will score , D last few yrs was the worst I have ever seen. If new staff can make thsm even mediocre Rams will be in the mix. Idont see much disparity from 1-4.

[Sader87]

You know what? I thought you forgot/didn't include Fordham....it looks like you forgot Colgate. Somehere, Marc van eeGhan is crying.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I'll say it again: Folks have very much drank the kool-aid that "Bucknell isn't better than Lafayette, we just had a bad day!" last October, and severely underrating this team. I don't know if they're better than Lehigh or Georgetown, but they're better than people are giving them credit for.

Note I said Georgetown, who seems to get rated at No. 4 "just because".

[RichH2]

Another senior moment. Thanks.

[RichH2]

Oops. Another senior moment. Thanks.

[alvinkayak6]

1. Lehigh
2. Holy Cross
3. Georgetown
4. Lafayette
5. Colgate
6. Fordham
7. Bucknell

Bulls on Birds. Bears on Bison.

[Pard4Life]

I'll say it again: Folks have very much drank the kool-aid that "Bucknell isn't better than Lafayette, we just had a bad day!" last October, and severely underrating this team. I don't know if they're better than Lehigh or Georgetown, but they're better than people are giving them credit for.

Until Bucknell beats Lehigh for the first time since, like, 1997, keep holding your breath.

Bucknell isn't better than Lafayette.

[Pard4Life]

This is going to be a weird season... it just feels that way.

[Go...gate]

1. Lehigh
2. Georgetown
3. Holy Cross
4. Fordham
5. Lafayette
6. Colgate
7. Bucknell

[carney2]

With lots of rocks yet unturned and lots of voices yet to be heard we seem to have

- Agreement that Lehigh is top dog until someone steals their MilkBone.
- LFN is a lone wolf in not seeing Bucknell dragging anchor.
- No uniformity of opinions on Fordham and Georgetown.
- Generally, the "insiders" think less of Colgate than do the national media and "outsiders."

Anything else strike you?

[RichH2]

Surprisingly, Pards seem to be under anyone's consideration. Shoop will put up big numbers. Wil he limit mistakes. An Ol. If Tavani can put afew pieces together LC could challenge . Altho I guess could be said for almost all in PL. Pards will be better. IMHO FU could be scary. Altho if HC doesn't find a D they will just be entertaining.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

You know which team I am having the biggest trouble handicapping of all? Lafayette. I have to believe that they will show up this year in November vs. Lehigh, but they have as many questions or more than any of the other teams. Folks seem to think the last two years were aberrations and this year, the lumps they took will pay dividends. But I honestly don't know. I'm having a real hard time seeing who the offensive weapons are going to be on this team, and if this "O" line can give Shoop enough protection. They're one loss to Princeton away from the wheels falling off - which, IMO, is a must-win for this program.

I know I'm the lone wolf on Bucknell, and yes, they graduated two great defensive linemen, but I think people are missing the overall picture. People have been saying that Susan will turn things around, just give him time. And it seems to me like this year or next, it's time, and with a bunch of good players that have been doing things "Joe's way", it could very well be this year. Again, I'm not sure they can catch Lehigh or G'Town, but it's not out of the realm of possibility to me that it could happen.

It's amazing to me how people continue to devalue Georgetown on so many levels. Bucknell's win over them isn't "quality" because they're Georgetown. Lafayette should have beaten Georgetown, but they only have themselves to blame. Georgetown's second-place finish is more indicative of the poor quality of the league, not the Hoyas.

When will it end? At some point, people will have to realize that Georgetown is a pretty good team. Why is Holy Cross everyone's darling to knock off Lehigh, yet these same people conveniently forget that the Hoyas have beaten them two years running? More importantly, who else seems best situated to knock them out? Colgate? Folks seem to think rebuilding year. Lafayette? A whole lot of questions. Bucknell? Nobody gives them much of a chance. Fordham? Scholarships would seem to give them an edge, but they were worse than all the other PL teams last year.

[RichH2]

For FU , coaching. Massella nice guy bad HC. Each tean has holes, who fills them best will be key gut LU has great staff and talent and will wim

[Sader87]

For FU , coaching. Massella nice guy bad HC. Each tean has holes, who fills them best will be key gut LU has great staff and talent and will wim

Do they have an English department at Lehigh?

[RichH2]

Oops, typing on phone and not well. See I deleted some words and a whole sentence.

[Sader87]

Just bustin' on a rainy Cape Cod Saturday.

[LUHawker]

You know which team I am having the biggest trouble handicapping of all? Lafayette. I have to believe that they will show up this year in November vs. Lehigh, but they have as many questions or more than any of the other teams. Folks seem to think the last two years were aberrations and this year, the lumps they took will pay dividends. But I honestly don't know. I'm having a real hard time seeing who the offensive weapons are going to be on this team, and if this "O" line can give Shoop enough protection. They're one loss to Princeton away from the wheels falling off - which, IMO, is a must-win for this program.

I know I'm the lone wolf on Bucknell, and yes, they graduated two great defensive linemen, but I think people are missing the overall picture. People have been saying that Susan will turn things around, just give him time. And it seems to me like this year or next, it's time, and with a bunch of good players that have been doing things "Joe's way", it could very well be this year. Again, I'm not sure they can catch Lehigh or G'Town, but it's not out of the realm of possibility to me that it could happen.

It's amazing to me how people continue to devalue Georgetown on so many levels. Bucknell's win over them isn't "quality" because they're Georgetown. Lafayette should have beaten Georgetown, but they only have themselves to blame. Georgetown's second-place finish is more indicative of the poor quality of the league, not the Hoyas.

When will it end? At some point, people will have to realize that Georgetown is a pretty good team. Why is Holy Cross everyone's darling to knock off Lehigh, yet these same people conveniently forget that the Hoyas have beaten them two years running? More importantly, who else seems best situated to knock them out? Colgate? Folks seem to think rebuilding year. Lafayette? A whole lot of questions. Bucknell? Nobody gives them much of a chance. Fordham? Scholarships would seem to give them an edge, but they were worse than all the other PL teams last year.

I understand why you think Bucknell might be improving, but suggesting, even remotely, that they might catch a Lehigh or HC this year requires a very big leap of faith. I think Lehigh's dominance will continue this yer again. While Lum was a huge loss, Colvin has real talent that might not be fully appreciated. Furthermore, Lehigh gets Barket back, whose absence at the end of last year was overlooked, particularly against NDSU. I see nothing from Lafayette to make me think they turn it around this year. I think Fordham will be the biggest turnaround surprise this year. I didn't see much of them last year but they have talent, but no discipline. I expect that to change this year. Colgate in big trouble. HC solid but difficult schedule. Also no apparent star (at least to my casual observations). GTown solid but underpowered.

Lehigh has been a different team since Cecchini arrived. That being said, Andy Coen has done a good job of recruiting, even during the softer early seasons. I think LU has done a very good job of building a program that "re-loads" not "re-builds", similar to what TG has done at HC.

[carney2]

You know which team I am having the biggest trouble handicapping of all? Lafayette. I have to believe that they will show up this year in November vs. Lehigh, but they have as many questions or more than any of the other teams. Folks seem to think the last two years were aberrations and this year, the lumps they took will pay dividends. But I honestly don't know. I'm having a real hard time seeing who the offensive weapons are going to be on this team, and if this "O" line can give Shoop enough protection. They're one loss to Princeton away from the wheels falling off - which, IMO, is a must-win for this program.

I know I'm the lone wolf on Bucknell, and yes, they graduated two great defensive linemen, but I think people are missing the overall picture. People have been saying that Susan will turn things around, just give him time. And it seems to me like this year or next, it's time, and with a bunch of good players that have been doing things "Joe's way", it could very well be this year. Again, I'm not sure they can catch Lehigh or G'Town, but it's not out of the realm of possibility to me that it could happen.

It's amazing to me how people continue to devalue Georgetown on so many levels. Bucknell's win over them isn't "quality" because they're Georgetown. Lafayette should have beaten Georgetown, but they only have themselves to blame. Georgetown's second-place finish is more indicative of the poor quality of the league, not the Hoyas.

When will it end? At some point, people will have to realize that Georgetown is a pretty good team. Why is Holy Cross everyone's darling to knock off Lehigh, yet these same people conveniently forget that the Hoyas have beaten them two years running? More importantly, who else seems best situated to knock them out? Colgate? Folks seem to think rebuilding year. Lafayette? A whole lot of questions. Bucknell? Nobody gives them much of a chance. Fordham? Scholarships would seem to give them an edge, but they were worse than all the other PL teams last year.

Lafayette is a year away.

Joe Susan won't be blocking and tackling. The product of years of mediocre recruiting will.

Holy Cross will beat Lehigh only if all the stars align.

Fordham will have all of that vim and vigor that you are looking for in Lewisburg.

Georgetown has experience and...and...

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Fordham will have all of that vim and vigor that you are looking for in Lewisburg.

I'm not sure. Do you think last year's 1-10 team was a super-talented team that was undercoached? And do you think a first-time head coach at the D-I level is going to change things overnight? Personally, I have my doubts. Granted, the cupboard is hardly as bare as Joe Susan's first year at Bucknell, but I don't see an instant turnaround to 7-4, either.

[carney2]

I'm not sure. Do you think last year's 1-10 team was a super-talented team that was undercoached? And do you think a first-time head coach at the D-I level is going to change things overnight? Personally, I have my doubts. Granted, the cupboard is hardly as bare as Joe Susan's first year at Bucknell, but I don't see an instant turnaround to 7-4, either.

So what's a "turnaround" when you go 1-10? 4 wins? 5? 6? Look at their schedule. All of those are possible. As is 7.

[RichH2]

IMHO, FU could win 5 or 6. To me that is big. BU has some nice skills but no depth and little size. . Will scare a few but no way to move up. Beating the drum for Hoyas is nice but they wont surprise anyone this year. Lost a lot dont see they can replace that talent.

[Go...gate]

Colgate has to get back to the point where they can re-load every year. I think there was a lot simmering under the surface with the scholarship debate (got my Colgate Scene magazine this week and there is a particularly rabid anti-scholarship tome in the Letters to the Editor) and the departure of our Athletic Director. It may be a while before Colgate is a power in the conference again.

[CFBfan]

Colgate has to get back to the point where they can re-load every year. I think there was a lot simmering under the surface with the scholarship debate (got my Colgate Scene magazine this week and there is a particularly rabid anti-scholarship tome in the Letters to the Editor) and the departure of our Athletic Director. It may be a while before Colgate is a power in the conference again.

why is there such disdain for scholarships at Colgate???

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

why is there such disdain for scholarships at Colgate???

I'm very interested to hear his response as well. I thought all indications pointed to Colgate being one of the biggest advocates of schollies.

Colgate is an interesting school imo. They've been extremely successful under Bidddle despite its location and lack of any real fan support. The Raiders, imo, don't have the athletes that some of the other schools get and are much more reliant upon a system.

[RichH2]

TSN and CSM blog from USATODAY pick LU to.win . Latter picks LU at #13.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I thought College Sports Madness had a pretty good breakdown. My only gripe is the comment regarding Spadola's production. The big plays will still be there plus he'll get more rushing opportunities this year imo.

[TheValleyRaider]

why is there such disdain for scholarships at Colgate???

There's plenty of support for it from the alumni and administration (allegedly Colgate was one of the biggest pro-scholarship schools in the League). What we also have is a vocal anti-football minority that is using a Colgate forum (the alumni magazine) to express their disdain for scholarships and the like. While it is disappointing, I wouldn't read too much into it. If this person had the ability to affect a real change in the school's policy, they wouldn't need to be writing it in a letter-to-the-editor in the Scene


Colgate is an interesting school imo. They've been extremely successful under Bidddle despite its location and lack of any real fan support. The Raiders, imo, don't have the athletes that some of the other schools get and are much more reliant upon a system.

We've generally done well in getting athletes, though that has slipped the last couple of years. Could just be a general downturn, though Biddle has always suggested that with scholarships "we could have a pretty good team," suggesting the lack of them has hurt us in ways not readily visible except to those very much on the inside. We recruit in talented states like Florida and New Jersey, plus Pennsylvania, Ohio, and some kids from California

As for this season, I'm not totally convinced we were quite as bad as the 5-6 record indicated. This is not to say we could have won the League (we're definitely not there), but I think getting HC and Georgetown at home this year will help. Tough slate early suggests to me that we're looking at 8 wins in the most optimistic vision, but probably closer to 5 or 6. Without projecting the standings, I see Lehigh at the top, Bucknell at the bottom, and a great muddled mess in between. Fordham is probably the only one I would be surprised to see in 2nd, and I suspect HC won't finish 6th, though when you're in the mix like that, who knows?

[Pard4Life]

LFN, things do not evolve in linear fashion most of the time. Bucknell will take a step back before moving forward. Lafayette went from 2-8 to 7-5 and from 5-6 to 8-4 early last decade. If the pieces and attitude are there, plus some luck, anything can happen. Lafayette has the pieces, we just need the attitude and some luck. We are not championship caliber just yet but not a two win disaster either.

Princeton is a curse game so don't look too far into that game. If we transfered the entire LSU squad for that game our odds of losing would still be greater.

[DFW HOYA]

Beating the drum for Hoyas is nice but they wont surprise anyone this year. Lost a lot dont see they can replace that talent.

Returning 17 starters...

[carney2]

Princeton is a curse game so don't look too far into that game. If we transfered the entire LSU squad for that game our odds of losing would still be greater.

Correctisimo. The make or break game for the Pards this year is @ Bucknell on 9/22. A win doesn't mean all that much, but a loss pretty much points the season to the dumpster.

[RichH2]

Returning 17 starters...
I stand corrected. I had 13. Probably another of my senior moments.

[DFW HOYA]

Not specifically to Rich's point, but I think there are a lot of pained responses in this thread to picking Georgetown in the top two (or even three), if only becuase it raises this question, "if they're picked up there, what does that say about us?"

I've written before that Georgetown is to the PL what DePaul is to the Big East--a regional outlier, an unknown to many fans, a large school that doesn't always fit the culture of the core schools, and a school that didn't spend up to the level of others, with predictable results. But if DePaul started sitting atop the Big East standings, is that a sign of DePaul's ascendancy, or problems for the Big East? When Cincinnati played Louisville for the men's basketball final, New York writers lamented that Syracuse or UConn or even St John's wasn't there, because they're supposed to be there.

The PL culture assumes some sort of top four rotating among Lehigh, Colgate, HC, and Lafayette, ideally with the Leh/Laf game to decide the title. Bucknell is perceived to be a step behind and if it finishes down there, no one seems too worked up. Fordham is a wildcard and has no strict place in the tiers. Geogetown is assumed to reside with Bucknell, because they're supposed to be there. So if Georgetown and Bucknell start knocking teams off, and I think Bucknell is eminently capable of doing some damage this year, is that the sign of a better PL, or do some worry that the PL would lose its relevance if perceived underperformers like Georgetown or Bucknell are winning and Colgate and Holy Cross are not?

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Not specifically to Rich's point, but I think there are a lot of pained responses in this thread to picking Georgetown in the top two (or even three), if only becuase it raises this question, "if they're picked up there, what does that say about us?"

I've written before that Georgetown is to the PL what DePaul is to the Big East--a regional outlier, an unknown to many fans, a large school that doesn't always fit the culture of the core schools, and a school that didn't spend up to the level of others, with predictable results. But if DePaul started sitting atop the Big East standings, is that a sign of DePaul's ascendancy, or problems for the Big East? When Cincinnati played Louisville for the men's basketball final, New York writers lamented that Syracuse or UConn or even St John's wasn't there, because they're supposed to be there.

The PL culture assumes some sort of top four rotating among Lehigh, Colgate, HC, and Lafayette, ideally with the Leh/Laf game to decide the title. Bucknell is perceived to be a step behind and if it finishes down there, no one seems too worked up. Fordham is a wildcard and has no strict place in the tiers. Geogetown is assumed to reside with Bucknell, because they're supposed to be there. So if Georgetown and Bucknell start knocking teams off, and I think Bucknell is eminently capable of doing some damage this year, is that the sign of a better PL, or do some worry that the football of the early 1970's would return to the Lehigh Valley?

I would argue that a competitive league is good for everyone, even if college football is traditionally stratified.

I agree with what you say to some extent. It would basically be the same thing if Mississippi State went 11-0 in the SEC. I bet most would argue that it had to be down year for the league because the Bulldogs couldn't possibly be that good.

With that said, people assume it will be a combination of Lehigh, HC, Colgate and Lafayette because that's the way it's been for 25 years. Bucknell has 1 league title and Fordham has 2.

[Pard4Life]

I have nothing against Georgetown, but playing on a practice field that has a practice field name with less than adequate high school seating impairs my ability to treat them seriously as a football team. You lose the perception game. Even if you went 10-1 I'd have a hard time taking Georgetown seriously.

[DFW HOYA]

I have nothing against Georgetown, but playing on a practice field that has a practice field name with less than adequate high school seating impairs my ability to treat them seriously as a football team. You lose the perception game. Even if you went 10-1 I'd have a hard time taking Georgetown seriously.

However poor it is, and it is, it was a step up (figuratively, not literally) from this place:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4767521241_f5dde918a8.jpg

[Fordham]

DFW, I agree with you about people being nervous about what it says about the PL if teams like Bucknell and Gtown end up 1 & 2 or at least in the mix for the title.

Where I disagree is with regard to people being suspect of Gtown because of they're outside of the core 4. Imo it's strictly about brand and the Gtown brand in the Pl since the 90's has made everyone view your successes as anomalies or shortcoming of their own team v. Gtown having turned the corner. Win this year and things will change dramatically imo but you'll still need to make sure any step back you take isn't for too long.

[Go...gate]

why is there such disdain for scholarships at Colgate???

There is hard-core disdain for scholarships among a number of faculty and some alumni. These are the same idiots that have tried mightily to steer us into Division III over the past thirty years. What was a positive in this situation is that our President listened to common sense and re-affirmed Colgate's historically full commitment to Division I.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Not specifically to Rich's point, but I think there are a lot of pained responses in this thread to picking Georgetown in the top two (or even three), if only becuase it raises this question, "if they're picked up there, what does that say about us?"

I've written before that Georgetown is to the PL what DePaul is to the Big East--a regional outlier, an unknown to many fans, a large school that doesn't always fit the culture of the core schools, and a school that didn't spend up to the level of others, with predictable results. But if DePaul started sitting atop the Big East standings, is that a sign of DePaul's ascendancy, or problems for the Big East? When Cincinnati played Louisville for the men's basketball final, New York writers lamented that Syracuse or UConn or even St John's wasn't there, because they're supposed to be there.

The PL culture assumes some sort of top four rotating among Lehigh, Colgate, HC, and Lafayette, ideally with the Leh/Laf game to decide the title. Bucknell is perceived to be a step behind and if it finishes down there, no one seems too worked up. Fordham is a wildcard and has no strict place in the tiers. Geogetown is assumed to reside with Bucknell, because they're supposed to be there. So if Georgetown and Bucknell start knocking teams off, and I think Bucknell is eminently capable of doing some damage this year, is that the sign of a better PL, or do some worry that the PL would lose its relevance if perceived underperformers like Georgetown or Bucknell are winning and Colgate and Holy Cross are not?

I pretty much agree with what you've said, and I'll add one more point. Somewhere out there, there is this thought that "scholarships" make schools invincible - a thought that probably should have been roundly disproven by a 1-10 Fordham last year, but for some reason has not. Bucknell and Georgetown have been branded the "almost-non-scholarship" schools, rightly or wrongly, and thus branded uncompetitive for no reason whatsoever. Forget the fact that Bucknell was 6-5. Forget the reason the Hoyas were one win away from the FCS playoffs. They can't be competitive, because they don't have scholarships, that's how the fallacy goes.

You could take this further. Lehigh and Colgate had great teams because - wink, wink - they weren't really "non-scholarship", but really were scholarship schools masquerading as non-scholarship. HC only starting doing well because they used to think non-scholarship, but really are now a scholarship school. Same with Lafayette - despite the anti-scholarship words of no larger authority than the president himself, Leopards assure us that the really are scholarship schools - and were, during their "glory years" beating Lehigh four straight years.

As much as we try to pull scholarships out of the discussion, they remain.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

TSN is buying Bucknell a little too.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/news/news.aspx?id=4522425

[BucBisonAtLarge]

This is an interesting year to 'buy Bucknell'. There are six road games, with Marist the only game where the Bison might enter as a favorite. The other five away--Delaware, Harvard, Lehigh, Georgetown and Holy Cross-- are the toughest part of the schedule and represent why a repeat of 6-5 would be a major triumph for Coach Susan. The bottom of the foregoing conference power ranking is coming to Lewisburg(Lafayette, Fordham, Colgate), with Cornell and Bryant (NEC#2? this year) rounding out the home schedule. That is why 6-5 is possible.

OK, LFN is a crank and keep taking the Bison lightly. No one here saw last year's 6-5 coming. Duquesne and Georgetown sat home from the 2011 playoffs with 9-2 and 8-3 records respectively, with losses in Lewisburg hung 'round their necks.

[jdb037]

The Bucknell offense is not ready. Susan has not been scared to tell it how it really is in the few releases from camp. Offensive line appears to be getting manhandled and while I do believe the first week bye will help, I don't see this group being able to hold off many PL defenses as the season progresses. A 6-5 year this year and I'd say next year is a serious year to watch for the Bison in the top 2-3

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I can't see Lafayette finishing last. They have talent at the skill positions as well as some speed on defense. IF they were to post another 3-8/4-7 type season Tavani's job future has to be seriously considered im. The facilities, location, school, etc are too good not be competitive on a yearly basis. I understand the financial aid deal but you still should be better within the league.

[carney2]

I can't see Lafayette finishing last. They have talent at the skill positions as well as some speed on defense. IF they were to post another 3-8/4-7 type season Tavani's job future has to be seriously considered im. The facilities, location, school, etc are too good not be competitive on a yearly basis. I understand the financial aid deal but you still should be better within the league.

"Tavani's job future" is cast in stone. He will retire on his terms and using his timing. Take it to the bank.

As for finishing last, there is currently a poll running on the Lafayette forum, "How Many Wins?" At his moment the average response has them around 6. Considering, in my opinion, that they will only win 2, maybe 3, OOC games, that gives them 3 or 4 League wins. That would be better than last place. Word from preseason practice is that the defense is beginning to take shape. The be all and end all for this team is now, as it has been for a few years, the offensive line. The pipeline is filling with huge offensive linemen whose resumes indicate that they will be players. Whether they are players this year or next is the question.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

CSJ'S, aka LFN's take on the PL

http://www.college-sports-journal.com/index.php/ncaa-division-i-sports/fcs-football/253-patriot-league-preview

[Fordham]

"Tavani's job future" is cast in stone. He will retire on his terms and using his timing. Take it to the bank.

As for finishing last, there is currently a poll running on the Lafayette forum, "How Many Wins?" At his moment the average response has them around 6. Considering, in my opinion, that they will only win 2, maybe 3, OOC games, that gives them 3 or 4 League wins. That would be better than last place. Word from preseason practice is that the defense is beginning to take shape. The be all and end all for this team is now, as it has been for a few years, the offensive line. The pipeline is filling with huge offensive linemen whose resumes indicate that they will be players. Whether they are players this year or next is the question.

What year did Heffner leave?

[Sader87]

Watson is not completely untested at QB. He actually played a fair amount in 2010, sharing the duties as Taggart was somewhat banged up that year. Here's the HC official preseason synopsis from a couple weeks back:

http://goholycross.com/sports/m-footbl/2012-13/releases/20120726cur70w

[carney2]

What year did Heffner leave?

Bob Heffner, the former assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Leopards, left College Hill for Northwestern of the Big Ten in the spring of 2009. I see where you are going with this and will append my own commentary:

The 2009 team, with QB Rob Curley playing at a very high level, was one of the better Lafayette teams of the decade. A late season loss to Holy Cross and Dominic Randolph took all the starch out of the team and they then lost the finale to Lehigh. This was the year that "Lafayette won the Ivy League."

After 2009 the program went in the toilet. How much of that is due to Heffner's departure remains to be seen. His successor as OL coach, Stan Clayton, has not been able to piece together an OL that is worth the name. In his defense however, it must be pointed out that at about this time the ever anti-athletic Lafayette administration reduced football equivalencies by 25-30%*. The cupboard - particularly the OL portion of the cupboard, which requires a lot of bodies - went bare. Restocking the shelves is still a priority and many of the new additions with potential are only freshmen and sophomores.

*It can be argued that Heffner left because of this. At the same time the offensive coordinator, Mike Faragalli, also left. We'll never know.