Ivy League - Week 3

[YaleFootballFan]

Ivy League - Week 3

Saturday, October 4th
DARTMOUTH at PENN, 12 Noon (CN8)
Holy Cross at YALE, 12:30 pm
CORNELL at Lehigh, 12:30 pm
BROWN at Rhode Island, 1:00 pm (NESN)
HARVARD at Lafayette, 1:00 pm
PRINCETON at COLUMBIA, 1:30 pm

GAME OF THE WEEK - Harvard at Lafayette - The Leopards are coming off an impressive win over Penn while Harvard looks to bounce back from its loss at Brown. Could be an entertaining afternoon at Fisher Field.

DUD OF THE WEEK - Brown at Rhode Island. Bragging rights in the Ocean State, but both teams are headed in opposite directions.

PREDICTIONS - Last week I went 3-3 (overall now 11-3 on the year). This week my picks are Penn, Yale, Lehigh, Brown, Harvard, Princeton

[Ivytalk]

Ivy League - Week 3

Saturday, October 4th
DARTMOUTH at PENN, 12 Noon (CN8)
Holy Cross at YALE, 12:30 pm
CORNELL at Lehigh, 12:30 pm
BROWN at Rhode Island, 1:00 pm (NESN)
HARVARD at Lafayette, 1:00 pm
PRINCETON at COLUMBIA, 1:30 pm

GAME OF THE WEEK - Harvard at Lafayette - The Leopards are coming off an impressive win over Penn while Harvard looks to bounce back from its loss at Brown. Could be an entertaining afternoon at Fisher Field.

DUD OF THE WEEK - Brown at Rhode Island. Bragging rights in the Ocean State, but both teams are headed in opposite directions.

PREDICTIONS - Last week I went 3-3 (overall now 11-3 on the year). This week my picks are Penn, Yale, Lehigh, Brown, Harvard, Princeton

Penn
Yale
Lehigh
Brown
Lafayette xeekx xbawlingx xsmhx
Princeton

[brownbear]

Penn by 14
Yale by 7
Cornell by 3
Brown by 3
Lafayette by 4
Princeton by 17

[brownbear]

Brown will win the Governor's Cup!

12108

[Ivytalk]

Brown will win the Governor's Cup!

12108

"mmm, ram chops!":p

[Ivytalk]

bulldog or YFF: What's up with Mike McLeod? I was just on the Yale site, and it said that he hasn't cracked 100 yards in a game yet this year. Is he hurt? I know he had foot problems in the past.

[EdubAlum]

My sister graduated from Columbia a few years ago, i've been following their football team a little bit since then. Why exactly do they always suck so bad relative to their other ivy brothers? Bad recruiting? Nobody wants to live in NYC?

[Bogus Megapardus]

My sister graduated from Columbia a few years ago, i've been following their football team a little bit since then. Why exactly do they always suck so bad relative to their other ivy brothers? Bad recruiting? Nobody wants to live in NYC?

After a new AD was brought in (the former AD despised football, I am told) the Lions have been much more competitive. But their field is in an awkward location, and Columbia students, by and large, don't seem very interested in going there. It is much eaiser to see them play at at someone else's place - like Fisher Field, for instance.

I remember a stretch a few years back where Columbia lost something like 25 straight. They are much better now.

[Franks Tanks]

After a new AD was brought in (the former AD despised football, I am told) the Lions have been much more competitive. But their field is in an awkward location, and Columbia students, by and large, don't seem very interested in going there. It is much eaiser to see them play at at someone else's place - like Fisher Field, for instance.

I remember a stretch a few years back where Columbia lost something like 25 straight. They are much better now.

It was 44 in a row. Like you said the filed is about 150 blocks from campus through NYC traffic. Also a culture of perpetual losing and underfunding is hard to break.

[carney2]

My sister graduated from Columbia a few years ago, i've been following their football team a little bit since then. Why exactly do they always suck so bad relative to their other ivy brothers? Bad recruiting? Nobody wants to live in NYC?

This "problem" appears to be unfixable, and for all the reasons already stated - and more. I'll add that the kind of student who is attracted to Columbia probably did not attend football games at his/her high school and is not about to begin when they arrive on "campus." To call Columbia football low profile is an understatement. To say that they get little support does not begin to tell the story.

Each new coach brings with him a hope of revival. The current coach, Norries Wilson, had even me believing for a short while. He inherited a serviceable QB (the most important guy on almost any college football team) and rearranged the schedule in his first year to play some teams that even Columbia could beat. I believe he went 5-5, which would normally earn him a bronze statue at Columbia. Then, I finally saw them up close and personal in his second year (he still had the QB). Ugh!! Barring an administrative change where the new University President is a football nut who is willing to make a pact with the devil, there does not appear to be much hope for the powder blue. This is a classic case of a culture of losing overwhelming everything. I will go so far as to say that they should probably drop football, but they probably have a sense of obligation to the Ivy League that keeps them moving onward, but seldom upward.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

After a new AD was brought in (the former AD despised football, I am told) the Lions have been much more competitive. But their field is in an awkward location, and Columbia students, by and large, don't seem very interested in going there. It is much eaiser to see them play at at someone else's place - like Fisher Field, for instance.

I remember a stretch a few years back where Columbia lost something like 25 straight. They are much better now.

How does an AD despise football? Isn't that career suicide? Or at the very minimum, severely limit your career options?

[EdubAlum]

This "problem" appears to be unfixable, and for all the reasons already stated - and more. I'll add that the kind of student who is attracted to Columbia probably did not attend football games at his/her high school and is not about to begin when they arrive on "campus." To call Columbia football low profile is an understatement. To say that they get little support does not begin to tell the story.

Each new coach brings with him a hope of revival. The current coach, Norries Wilson, had even me believing for a short while. He inherited a serviceable QB (the most important guy on almost any college football team) and rearranged the schedule in his first year to play some teams that even Columbia could beat. I believe he went 5-5, which would normally earn him a bronze statue at Columbia. Then, I finally saw them up close and personal in his second year (he still had the QB). Ugh!! Barring an administrative change where the new University President is a football nut who is willing to make a pact with the devil, there does not appear to be much hope for the powder blue. This is a classic case of a culture of losing overwhelming everything. I will go so far as to say that they should probably drop football, but they probably have a sense of obligation to the Ivy League that keeps them moving onward, but seldom upward.

that all makes sense, just seems like there would be enough academic qualifiers in the country for guys that play football and also would love a free education at any IVY school. Oh well, i hope they win at least a few games this year!

[Bogus Megapardus]

that all makes sense, just seems like there would be enough academic qualifiers in the country for guys that play football and also would love a free education at any IVY school. Oh well, i hope they win at least a few games this year!

It doesn't exactly work that way in the Ivory Towers . . . .

[Go...gate]

Notwithstanding all the talk about Columbia football, they usually have enough to give Princeton a good game and often beat them (they beat PU, after all to break the 44-game losing skein in 1988). I think the Lions will break through this Saturday as well and cage the Tigers.

[bulldog10jw]

bulldog or YFF: What's up with Mike McLeod? I was just on the Yale site, and it said that he hasn't cracked 100 yards in a game yet this year. Is he hurt? I know he had foot problems in the past.

Combination, IMO, of bad luck and coaches studying the Harvard film from last year. Everybody is stacking the line of scrimmage and Mike just has not had any breakaway runs. He has also had a few 20+ yard runs called back on penalties.

However, that is 3 straight games under 100 yards and Yale has lost two of them. Until the QB's can open it up(against teams not named Georgetown) and make teams respect the pass, Yale and Mike may have problems.

[bulldog10jw]

Notwithstanding all the talk about Columbia football, they usually have enough to give Princeton a good game and often beat them (they beat PU, after all to break the 44-game losing skein in 1988). I think the Lions will break through this Saturday as well and cage the Tigers.

Yale lost 4 straight games to Columbia in the '90's. That is probably the low point in Yale Football History. xsmhx

[elcid96]

It was 44 in a row. Like you said the filed is about 150 blocks from campus through NYC traffic. Also a culture of perpetual losing and underfunding is hard to break.

150 Blocks? No wonder no one goes to the game.

[Bogus Megapardus]

I will go so far as to say that they should probably drop football, but they probably have a sense of obligation to the Ivy League that keeps them moving onward, but seldom upward.

Harvard, Penn and Yale field first rate, competitive programs year after year; all three are in dense urban settings and each institution attracts similar student profiles. Columbia's field, which is tucked behind Columbia Presbyterian Hospital as I recall, is a long way from Morningside Heights, but campus shuttles and NYC subways will get a student there, if he or she is motivated. Other competitive schools (e.g. Brown, and Lehigh) have fields that are not exactly "on campus" and have decent student turnout.

I spent some post-graduate time at Columbia, and I can tell you that "apathy" is not the correct description. The students are proactively anti-athletic (wrestling and swimming seem to be exceptions), even though there is still an undergraduate physical education requirement (mostly swimming and running) and the student fitness center is well-populated.

I agree that the fervent, anti-sport attitude at Columbia might be something that cannot be overcome, even though the University has the considerable resources to do so.

Let's remember that "Ivy League" is a term used to describe an intercollegiate football conference - nothing more. If Columbia drops football, does it effectively cease to be an "Ivy League" institution?

[bonarae]

I'll take it this way:

Penn by 15
Yale by 3 (close, I should say)
Lehigh by 10
Brown by 18
Lafayette by 14 (sorry, Crimson, not your day xsmhx )
Princeton by 13

[bulldog10jw]

bulldog or YFF: What's up with Mike McLeod? I was just on the Yale site, and it said that he hasn't cracked 100 yards in a game yet this year. Is he hurt? I know he had foot problems in the past.


Some more info, IT.

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008/10/04/sports/doc48e760874a2ee344159655.txt

Last year heading into the Holy Cross game, the undefeated Bulldogs had lost yardage on four plays in the first two games of the season. Already this season, Yale has had 19 plays stopped behind the line of scrimmage and more than 40 percent of the offensive plays have resulted either in no gain or negative yards. The struggles of the running game were camouflaged in the opening win over Georgetown because Yale had so much success throwing the ball in a 40-point victory. However, the Bulldogs’ inability to run the ball in last week’s loss at Cornell could not be disguised.

[Ivytalk]

Some more info, IT.

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008/10/04/sports/doc48e760874a2ee344159655.txt

Last year heading into the Holy Cross game, the undefeated Bulldogs had lost yardage on four plays in the first two games of the season. Already this season, Yale has had 19 plays stopped behind the line of scrimmage and more than 40 percent of the offensive plays have resulted either in no gain or negative yards. The struggles of the running game were camouflaged in the opening win over Georgetown because Yale had so much success throwing the ball in a 40-point victory. However, the Bulldogs’ inability to run the ball in last week’s loss at Cornell could not be disguised.

O-line issues? Good luck against HC today!xthumbsupx

[otto4pres]

xcoffeex

[bulldog10jw]

O-line issues? Good luck against HC today!xthumbsupx

Luck is what did it. xnodx

[Ivytalk]

xcoffeex

Enjoy it while it lasts, Otto. The New York A&M gang is going down in Cambridge next week. Big time.xnodx

[bulldog10jw]

Enjoy it while it lasts, Otto. The New York A&M gang is going down in Cambridge next week. Big time.xnodx

I bet NESN is sorry they are televising Yale-Dartmouth rather than Cornell -Harvard.

[brownbear]

I bet NESN is sorry they are televising Yale-Dartmouth rather than Cornell -Harvard.

NESN did the Brown-URI game today, not the Yale-HC or Cornell-Lehigh games that were much closer.

[bulldog10jw]

NESN did the Brown-URI game today, not the Yale-HC or Cornell-Lehigh games that were much closer.

Well, they would not do Cornell-Lehigh since neither team is from New England.

[brownbear]

Well, they would not do Cornell-Lehigh since neither team is from New England.

Good point, they still could have done Yale-HC, which seems to have been a good game, and done Harvard-Cornell next week instead.

[bulldog10jw]

Good point, they still could have done Yale-HC, which seems to have been a good game, and done Harvard-Cornell next week instead.

Cale stations like NESN, YES, and VS pick the games they are doing before the season starts. I don't know why they don't decide one or two weeks ahead of time and pick the most significant game based on that particular stations criteria.

[bulldog10jw]

Cornell wins on last play of the game against Lehigh.

Link to video (announcers were not very excited) ;)

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3642432/10034116