Patriot League Upset Watch

[LUHawker]

I think there is a good chance for a few upsets this season in the PL.

Pick one "upset" win and "upset" loss per team. Here are mine:

Win Loss
Bucknell: Colgate (The Bison always seem to give the Raiders trouble) Duquense
Colgate Richmond (Raiders were a CAA-killer in playoffs) Bucknell
Fordham Navy (Only possible upset win on the sked) Yale
GTown Princeton Marist
HC Dartmouth (tempted to pick UNH, but not away) Lafayette
LC Delaware G'Town
Lehigh Villanova Monmouth

[Sader87]

Not sure Dartmouth is that big of an "upset win" for HC. Game is at Fitton, Dartmouth lost some weapons to graduation etc. Actually, if there's one Ivy that Gilmore has mostly gotten the bettah of during his tenure, it's been Dartmouth. This will be the 79th meeting between these two fine institutions, with the series at a 37-37-4 standstill.

http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/h/holy_cross/opponents_records.php?teamid=868

[RedFlash]

I think there is a good chance for a few upsets this season in the PL.

Pick one "upset" win and "upset" loss per team. Here are mine:

Win Loss
Bucknell: Colgate (The Bison always seem to give the Raiders trouble) Duquense


You realize that Duquesne beat Bucknell 26-7 last season at Bucknell. With a strong nucleus returning for the Dukes, including their QB and NEC Defensive POY Christian ****z, and the game being played in Pittsburgh, the upset will be if Bucknell wins this game.

[TheValleyRaider]

Colgate Richmond (Raiders were a CAA-killer in playoffs) Bucknell


Bucknell isn't a bad choice, but HC is also a plausible option. The last 3 with the Crusaders have been close (even last year we trailed heading into the 4th). We get them back-to-back in our schedule, at Bucknell then HC at home with a bye week in between. What makes them both tricky is they're sandwiched between the trips to Lehigh and Fordham. Pitfalls all around.

As for an upset win, it depends on how you characterize Yale. We've lost 3 straight, though nearly had them last year. I think that's a more likely win than Richmond (though I'd take Syracuse over both them :D)

[Go...gate]

Not sure Dartmouth is that big of an "upset win" for HC. Game is at Fitton, Dartmouth lost some weapons to graduation etc. Actually, if there's one Ivy that Gilmore has mostly gotten the bettah of during his tenure, it's been Dartmouth. This will be the 79th meeting between these two fine institutions, with the series at a 37-37-4 standstill.

http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/h/holy_cross/opponents_records.php?teamid=868

That is a fine old series.

[Go...gate]

Bucknell isn't a bad choice, but HC is also a plausible option. The last 3 with the Crusaders have been close (even last year we trailed heading into the 4th). We get them back-to-back in our schedule, at Bucknell then HC at home with a bye week in between. What makes them both tricky is they're sandwiched between the trips to Lehigh and Fordham. Pitfalls all around.

As for an upset win, it depends on how you characterize Yale. We've lost 3 straight, though nearly had them last year. I think that's a more likely win than Richmond (though I'd take Syracuse over both them :D)

We have always had trouble with Yale. Any win over the Bulldogs is cause for celebration.

[ngineer]

PL very balanced this year. Not too many "upsets" within the PL, except if Hoyas bite some butts. I can see a number of PL wins against "bigger" programs in OOC games.

[Gangtackle11]

Now that the Patriot is fully engaged in scholarship football it makes this Wildcat fan a bit more concerned.

The 'Cats will return home from a their opener vs. a talented & more importantly extremely physical Pitt team to face Lehigh on 9-10. I have too many "Friends" that would make my life miserable if Lehigh came out the Main Line with a win.

I believe the Lehigh game will be a game that defines the type of season for Villanova. A loss would signal a long last season for Coach Talley in all likelihood.

[DFW HOYA]

It's really difficult at this point to give Georgetown any "upset" possibility, given the severe losses on offense which graduated their starting QB, leading rusher, and leading receiver. Losing to either Davidson or Marist would be a very bad sign and the lack of experience will be tested through a run of Harvard, Princeton, Lehigh, and Fordham, who are a combined 12-2 against the Hoyas since 2011.

The game at Fordham is as close to a predicted loss as the PL gets. Scholarships notwithstanding, Georgetown's last win in the Bronx was Nov. 2, 1974.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Now that the Patriot is fully engaged in scholarship football it makes this Wildcat fan a bit more concerned.

The 'Cats will return home from a their opener vs. a talented & more importantly extremely physical Pitt team to face Lehigh on 9-10. I have too many "Friends" that would make my life miserable if Lehigh came out the Main Line with a win.

I believe the Lehigh game will be a game that defines the type of season for Villanova. A loss would signal a long last season for Coach Talley in all likelihood.

Not if Lehigh turns out to be good which is very much possible. Likewise, should UNH lose to Holy Cross or Richmond falls to Colgate. The PL will likely be getting a few more CAA scalps moving forward than they have recently.

[Fordham]

Now that the Patriot is fully engaged in scholarship football it makes this Wildcat fan a bit more concerned.

The 'Cats will return home from a their opener vs. a talented & more importantly extremely physical Pitt team to face Lehigh on 9-10. I have too many "Friends" that would make my life miserable if Lehigh came out the Main Line with a win.

I believe the Lehigh game will be a game that defines the type of season for Villanova. A loss would signal a long last season for Coach Talley in all likelihood.
I think you guys are in trouble. Very rough game to come off of and then turn around and play a tough opponent the following week. I'm picking Lehigh

[bgsmitty43]

It's really difficult at this point to give Georgetown any "upset" possibility, given the severe losses on offense which graduated their starting QB, leading rusher, and leading receiver. Losing to either Davidson or Marist would be a very bad sign and the lack of experience will be tested through a run of Harvard, Princeton, Lehigh, and Fordham, who are a combined 12-2 against the Hoyas since 2011.

The game at Fordham is as close to a predicted loss as the PL gets. Scholarships notwithstanding, Georgetown's last win in the Bronx was Nov. 2, 1974.

I agree with you. If Georgetown can win the first two games, I think we can go on to a 5 or 6 win season, which would be an improvement. My hope is that by 2018 we could contend for PL title given the young, inexperienced players this year. I think there is hope, even given no scholarships. I think the coaching staff tries to recruit good talent that can qualify for financial aid that covers most if not all their tuition, fees, etc. How fast GU grows up as a team this year will reflect their record.

[DFW HOYA]

I agree with you. If Georgetown can win the first two games, I think we can go on to a 5 or 6 win season, which would be an improvement. My hope is that by 2018 we could contend for PL title given the young, inexperienced players this year. I think there is hope, even given no scholarships. I think the coaching staff tries to recruit good talent that can qualify for financial aid that covers most if not all their tuition, fees, etc. How fast GU grows up as a team this year will reflect their record.

The staff recruits "good" talent but the last "great' talent to enroll at GU was probably in the early 1990's.

I think Georgetown needs to consider a creative alternative to scholarships that the PL leadership wouldn't automatically dismiss and that the Ivies wouldn't distance themselves as a result. Otherwise, they'd have to schedule home-and-away with Davidson and Marist in the same season, seeing as they are the only schools GU can regularly schedule outside the Ivy anymore.

That's sad on a lot of different levels.

[RichH2]

The staff recruits "good" talent but the last "great' talent to enroll at GU was probably in the early 1990's.

I think Georgetown needs to consider a creative alternative to scholarships that the PL leadership wouldn't automatically dismiss and that the Ivies wouldn't distance themselves as a result. Otherwise, they'd have to schedule home-and-away with Davidson and Marist in the same season, seeing as they are the only schools GU can regularly schedule outside the Ivy anymore.

That's sad on a lot of different levels.
Its not that GU doesn't get very good players, just not enough. Depth is your issue is numbers and funding. If Barnes is shaky would not be shocked to see a frosh QB.

[Gangtackle11]

I think you guys are in trouble. Very rough game to come off of and then turn around and play a tough opponent the following week. I'm picking Lehigh

We shall see. Just hope Nova comes out of Pitt game healthy. I saw Lehigh last year @ Princeton. I think it will be a good game, but Nova has more athletes (especially defensively) on the field. That fact & home field advantage in Talley's last season tells me Nova by 10-14 points.

I know Lehigh travels well. See u on the 10th! 6pm start.

[Go Green]

Not sure Dartmouth is that big of an "upset win" for HC. Game is at Fitton, Dartmouth lost some weapons to graduation etc. Actually, if there's one Ivy that Gilmore has mostly gotten the bettah of during his tenure, it's been Dartmouth. This will be the 79th meeting between these two fine institutions, with the series at a 37-37-4 standstill.

http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/h/holy_cross/opponents_records.php?teamid=868

That 2013 loss was painful. I thought Dartmouth was the better team. Whether Puljas was starting because of an injury or because Gilmore thought he was ready--I can't remember. But it was clear that we couldn't stop him in the second half.