Patriot League Preview - The Sports Network

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Patriot - Playoff prospects look encouraging

By Matt Dougherty, I-AA Football Editor

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - It’s no secret that I was not the biggest advocate for the last two Patriot League teams that earned at-large berths.

Lehigh’s profile seemed to fall behind Cal Poly in 2004, and Youngstown State had a better case for the final playoff spot than Lafayette did a year ago. But the Patriot League squads received the bid, and proved they belonged by playing the eventual national champion tough.

I’m not sure how I’ll feel about potential at-large teams from the Patriot League come November 19th of this year, but I can just about guarantee that at least one, and maybe two, teams will be in prime position to earn one of the coveted eight at-large bids. By playing schedules that include all I-AA opponents, the league’s teams are bucking the national trend and putting themselves in position to rack up the Division I wins that the playoff selection committee covets. When potential contenders from power conferences like the Gateway, Southland, Southern and Big Sky are earning paychecks from I- A opponents or beating up on lower-tier teams, the Patriot League teams will be facing winnable games to have a chance to add to their Division I victory total.

That’s good news for the conference’s squads, namely Colgate, Lafayette and Lehigh. All three have their challenges on the schedule, with Colgate playing Massachusetts, Lafayette taking on Penn and Harvard and Lehigh facing the Crimson and Villanova. But every non-conference game provides a realistic shot at a win, and the trio has an excellent chance to post a perfect record against the rest of the Patriot League.

After four consecutive seasons of sending just one team to the postseason, the Patriot League has joined the company of the top I-AA conferences by notching multiple playoff berths in each of the last two seasons. With three very good programs and playoff-friendly schedules filled with I-AA opponents, that trend could continue in 2006 and beyond.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=/cfoot2/news/AGN4034667.htm

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

[TexasTerror]

. By playing schedules that include all I-AA opponents, the league’s teams are bucking the national trend and putting themselves in position to rack up the Division I wins that the playoff selection committee covets.

That's what I like to see. I-AA teams playing all I-AA. Granted, the I-A games are needed in this day and age, but avoiding sub-Div I games and limiting to one I-A game keeps things in order for teams to really be duking it out for I-AA playoff bids instead of potentially eliminating ones' self for all intensive purposes in the OOC with games against I-As and sub-Div Is leaving you with just a conference title as means to get in...

[Pard4Life]

I love the emphasis on playing "all I-AA opponenets".

[LUHawker]

I love the emphasis on playing "all I-AA opponenets".

A few years ago, Lehigh had been playing a I-A game (Buffalo in '02 and UConn in '03), but after the playoff snubbing in '03, which included a loss to I-A UConn and losses to undefeateds Colgate and Penn, I think Lehigh's AD saw the writing on the wall and shifted to all I-AA games. While I'd love a match-up with Army or Rutgers, I think all I-AA games maximizes a team's chance to make the playoffs as an at-large. See, the PL guys are smart. :smiley_wi

[Pard4Life]

A few years ago, Lehigh had been playing a I-A game (Buffalo in '02 and UConn in '03), but after the playoff snubbing in '03, which included a loss to I-A UConn and losses to undefeateds Colgate and Penn, I think Lehigh's AD saw the writing on the wall and shifted to all I-AA games. While I'd love a match-up with Army or Rutgers, I think all I-AA games maximizes a team's chance to make the playoffs as an at-large. See, the PL guys are smart. :smiley_wi

No doubt... I would not be surprised if the YSU contingency does not comprehend that you can't play Slippery Rock and get a playoff invite without winning the Gateway at 8-3.

If Lehigh had an Ivy on that date and won, then they should have gotten in. And if they had a victory over an A10 that weekend, well then that's a no-brainer... those Penn and Colgate losses were close right?

[LUHawker]

No doubt... I would not be surprised if the YSU contingency does not comprehend that you can't play Slippery Rock and get a playoff invite without winning the Gateway at 8-3.

If Lehigh had an Ivy on that date and won, then they should have gotten in. And if they had a victory over an A10 that weekend, well then that's a no-brainer... those Penn and Colgate losses were close right?


Those losses were very close. LU lost at home to Penn after being up but a lightning delay changed the complexion of the game. LU lost at Colgate in a tigthly-contested game that saw Lehigh up for a good portion of the game.

Still, your comments about an Ivy or A-10 win instead of a UConn loss are right on. That selection snub said to us, I-A losses don't count as much as I-AA wins, even if it was a close loss.

[Pard4Life]

Those losses were very close. LU lost at home to Penn after being up but a lightning delay changed the complexion of the game. LU lost at Colgate in a tigthly-contested game that saw Lehigh up for a good portion of the game.

Still, your comments about an Ivy or A-10 win instead of a UConn loss are right on. That selection snub said to us, I-A losses don't count as much as I-AA wins, even if it was a close loss.

With that said, would a win over I-A Buffalo look better than a win over an undefeated Harvard or Penn squad, or even a one-two loss H-P squad?

[LUHawker]

With that said, would a win over I-A Buffalo look better than a win over an undefeated Harvard or Penn squad, or even a one-two loss H-P squad?

No, I don't think so, but it wouldn't look worse either.

[colgate13]

I think it does look better. Just MHO of course. Any I-A win will look better than pretty much any I-AA win, especially against the Ivy with their lack of playoff participation.

[colgate13]

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

Throw G'Town in at 5 and push everyone else down, and you've got 13's picks.:rotateh: