Crystal Ball Gazing: 2006 and beyond...

[colgate13]

I've had these random thoughts floating around in my head, so I thought I'd put them down and have some fun with it. Here are some predictions for 2006 and a few that are 2006 and beyond...

1. Lehigh hires Harvard OC Dave Checcini.
2. Georgetown hires a surprisingly good I-A assistant.
3. CCSU hires Mike Sewak.
4. The NEC in general has a great recruiting class and, for a beyond prediction, leapfrogs the OVC and maybe even the PL (more on that in a sec) in GPI ranking within 5 years. We see an NEC playoff team by then end of this decade.
5. More beyond: The PL, responding to internal pressure from some schools and external pressure by conferences like the NEC, approves scholarships.
6. Beyond that: The Ivy approves an 11th game as a feeble attempt to keep up with the PL.
7. The decade closes out with the CAA breaking up.
8. The Colgate/Towson games of 2007 and 2008 will be between two top 10 ranked teams.
9. The 2006 I-AA champion will be a team that has never won it before.
10. I pass 7,000 posts and get to join ralph, 89Hen and Cap'n Cat in the land of those that get to name themselves.

[mainejeff]

You can definitely plan on #7 happening.

[colgate13]

You can definitely plan on #7 happening.

The only one I was planning on was #10... but #7 seems like at least a 50/50 bet!

[carney2]

I've had these random thoughts floating around in my head, so I thought I'd put them down and have some fun with it. Here are some predictions for 2006 and a few that are 2006 and beyond...

1. Lehigh hires Harvard OC Dave Checcini.
2. Georgetown hires a surprisingly good I-A assistant.
3. CCSU hires Mike Sewak.
4. The NEC in general has a great recruiting class and, for a beyond prediction, leapfrogs the OVC and maybe even the PL (more on that in a sec) in GPI ranking within 5 years. We see an NEC playoff team by then end of this decade.
5. More beyond: The PL, responding to internal pressure from some schools and external pressure by conferences like the NEC, approves scholarships.
6. Beyond that: The Ivy approves an 11th game as a feeble attempt to keep up with the PL.
7. The decade closes out with the CAA breaking up.
8. The Colgate/Towson games of 2007 and 2008 will be between two top 10 ranked teams.
9. The 2006 I-AA champion will be a team that has never won it before.
10. I pass 7,000 posts and get to join ralph, 89Hen and Cap'n Cat in the land of those that get to name themselves.

PLEEZ, say it aint so! Lehigh and Holy Cross would go blindly into that good night. Colgate would give it some thought - briefly - and then follow along. Bucknell - too close to call. Fordham - well, who knows and, maybe, who cares. (They are not really in the Patriot League anyway, and always seem to have one foot out the door.) I don't see Georgetown doing it and you can take this to the bank - Lafayette would take their ball and leave.

[Go...gate]

The CAA prediction is intriuging; it would not surprise me to see it break up before decade's end, with a re-alignment of NE CAA, MAAC and NEC college FB programs. Can't see PL FB scholarships unless the whole league agrees, and the issue won't even be considered until Lafayette does something about the issue.

[Pard4Life]

I've had these random thoughts floating around in my head, so I thought I'd put them down and have some fun with it. Here are some predictions for 2006 and a few that are 2006 and beyond...

1. Lehigh hires Harvard OC Dave Checcini.
2. Georgetown hires a surprisingly good I-A assistant.
3. CCSU hires Mike Sewak.
4. The NEC in general has a great recruiting class and, for a beyond prediction, leapfrogs the OVC and maybe even the PL (more on that in a sec) in GPI ranking within 5 years. We see an NEC playoff team by then end of this decade.
5. More beyond: The PL, responding to internal pressure from some schools and external pressure by conferences like the NEC, approves scholarships.
6. Beyond that: The Ivy approves an 11th game as a feeble attempt to keep up with the PL.
7. The decade closes out with the CAA breaking up.
8. The Colgate/Towson games of 2007 and 2008 will be between two top 10 ranked teams.
9. The 2006 I-AA champion will be a team that has never won it before.
10. I pass 7,000 posts and get to join ralph, 89Hen and Cap'n Cat in the land of those that get to name themselves.

1,2,3... all plausible, Gerogetwon is up and coming
4. NEC does have potential... schools in the Northeast around top talent and other I-AA programs. Easy distance within Ivy, PL, A-10 schools. NEC in the playoffs? Do you mean auto-bid, or at-large? If auto-bid, then an at large is lost and don't we open the 'expand the playoffs' can of worms? An NEC playoff team by 2015 is more feesible than 2010.
5. This will more than likely happen within 10years.. or the PL dies.. Lafayette MUST approve bball scholarships!
6. Ivy at 11 games? Sorry, but I don't agree.. they will never change their ways.
7. CAA breaking up? I don't get this arguement even though it's been metioned alot on here.. It's successful, powerful, profitable (i'm guessing), why end a good thing?
8. TBA.. Colgate has potential
9. Sure why not
10. What's the over/under date?

Once again, could someone explain the low-down on the CAA (A-10) breakup... where would those teams go? PL?? I know Richmond thought about it.

[DFW HOYA]

The line of thought about a CAA breakup is that the CAA schools will have enough members by the end of the decade (with new programs at ODU and possibly Georgia State) for a self-contained league, while the old Yankee Conference members (Maine, UNH, UMass, URI) could connect with Albany and Stony Brook for a more regional conference.

The problem with the PL as a schoalrship league is that as many as three PL schools either won't (or can't) commit to a full 63 grants + an additional 63 for Title IX. The PL leadership is not going to jeopardize its auto-bid by going below six schools, nor pick up academically dissimilar state schools to fill the gap.

As to the Ivy going to 11, why not? They played only nine games until 1979 and then moved to 10. They banned freshmen from playing for decades, and then changed. Change is difficult, but not impossible.

[ngineer]

How about an 8th PL member for football? Monmouth, Duquense, an A-10 spin off? By 2007 ?

[Fordham]

The problem with the PL as a schoalrship league is that as many as three PL schools either won't (or can't) commit to a full 63 grants + an additional 63 for Title IX. The PL leadership is not going to jeopardize its auto-bid by going below six schools, nor pick up academically dissimilar state schools to fill the gap.


Pretty compelling case for not dissolving the PL but can anyone see a scenario, as absurd as it sounds, where some schools are scholly and some aren't?

[Pard4Life]

Pretty compelling case for not dissolving the PL but can anyone see a scenario, as absurd as it sounds, where some schools are scholly and some aren't?

Yup, it's called the Patriot League right now, and it's a disaster. Lafayette can't compete evenly w/o scholarships in basketball... American dominates in most non-revenue sports. Their volleyball team lost their first ever PL game this year.. EVER.. after being in the PL for five years. They dominate field hockey, and some other sports.

In short, the half scholly-need-based league for football would likely be a disaster too.

[Pard4Life]

How about an 8th PL member for football? Monmouth, Duquense, an A-10 spin off? By 2007 ?

That's what I've been thinking.. throw-in Marist too... I wouldn't mind seeing them in the PL. Duquesne would be good for football since they have been traditionally strong. Monmouth too the past two seasons.

Some PL posters have mentioned this.

[Pard4Life]

The line of thought about a CAA breakup is that the CAA schools will have enough members by the end of the decade (with new programs at ODU and possibly Georgia State) for a self-contained league, while the old Yankee Conference members (Maine, UNH, UMass, URI) could connect with Albany and Stony Brook for a more regional conference.

The problem with the PL as a schoalrship league is that as many as three PL schools either won't (or can't) commit to a full 63 grants + an additional 63 for Title IX. The PL leadership is not going to jeopardize its auto-bid by going below six schools, nor pick up academically dissimilar state schools to fill the gap.

As to the Ivy going to 11, why not? They played only nine games until 1979 and then moved to 10. They banned freshmen from playing for decades, and then changed. Change is difficult, but not impossible.

Thanks for the explanation. Ironically their size and power is too strong for their own good. I agree, that conference would be too huge. Downsize and add the schollie NEC teams... or perhaps HC, Fordham, Colgate if the PL ever breaks apart?? I really hope it doesn't though. Thinking about Lafayette giving football scholies just blows my mind right now.

As for the Ivies at 11 games, I am still skeptical. That extra game would force them to start the season before their schools are in session (I think). If they go to 11.. why not the playoffs. The commitee should just extend one of the teams an invite and see if one just says "forget this postseason ban... we're going to the playoffs." Of course I'm dreaming but I don't know how realistic that could be. Could a member take unilateral action and drag the rest of the league along? That's kinda what happened with PL and bball schollies... except HC forced the issue to a vote and got its way.

[Pard4Life]

The line of thought about a CAA breakup is that the CAA schools will have enough members by the end of the decade (with new programs at ODU and possibly Georgia State) for a self-contained league, while the old Yankee Conference members (Maine, UNH, UMass, URI) could connect with Albany and Stony Brook for a more regional conference.

The problem with the PL as a schoalrship league is that as many as three PL schools either won't (or can't) commit to a full 63 grants + an additional 63 for Title IX. The PL leadership is not going to jeopardize its auto-bid by going below six schools, nor pick up academically dissimilar state schools to fill the gap.

As to the Ivy going to 11, why not? They played only nine games until 1979 and then moved to 10. They banned freshmen from playing for decades, and then changed. Change is difficult, but not impossible.

Thanks for the explanation. I can see how the league ironically could get too big for its own good. A split definetely seems logical. Grabbing NEC schollie schools for a regional conference could work. As could HC, Fordham, Colgate if the PL has a football scholarship divorce. But I really hope not, I am quite content with the PL.

I am still skeptical about the Ivy going 11. That would mean they would ahve to start the season the week before school opens (I think). I'm not sure that would be so ameanable.

I really wish the NCAA committe would extend an Ivy school a bid, and the school would just say "forget this non-playoff crap, we're going to the playoffs." Of course I am dreaming, but I wonder how realisitc that could be. Could the league block unilateral action by a member, such as blocking playoff participation? I can see a league blocking a memer in I-A, but is there power at this level for that to occur? Action by one Ivy could just tumble the playoff absence.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

4. The NEC in general has a great recruiting class and, for a beyond prediction, leapfrogs the OVC and maybe even the PL (more on that in a sec) in GPI ranking within 5 years. We see an NEC playoff team by then end of this decade.

If this indeed happens, I think you'll see something else:

24 playoff teams.

[blukeys]

How about an 8th PL member for football? Monmouth, Duquense, an A-10 spin off? By 2007 ?


anybody in mind like maybe a private school in the Philly area???? :rolleyes:

[Pard4Life]

anybody in mind like maybe a private school in the Philly area???? :rolleyes:

Villanova? Or is this just a Delaware fan wanthing them to be gone?

[colgate13]

Wow - I'm excited this thread got some play! To answer some points:


Lehigh and Holy Cross would go blindly into that good night. Colgate would give it some thought - briefly - and then follow along.

Colgate ain't following and Holy Cross ain't leading. The leader will be Colgate, and remember where you heard it when Lafayette is on board early too; perhaps second in line with Colgate. The Colgate and Lafayette presidents are going to (and already are) get very cozy soon AND, Colgate's president heads the PL presidents council very soon. This issue will not die. The biggest obstacle will be Holy Cross. Their president is steadfastly against it.


4. NEC does have potential... schools in the Northeast around top talent and other I-AA programs. Easy distance within Ivy, PL, A-10 schools. NEC in the playoffs? Do you mean auto-bid, or at-large? If auto-bid, then an at large is lost and don't we open the 'expand the playoffs' can of worms? An NEC playoff team by 2015 is more feesible than 2010.

At large, and not in an expanded playoff. NEC teams are already winning some recruiting battles against Ivy and PL teams now that they can offer scholarships, and they will only be increasing their number. Schools like Albany, Monmouth and Stony Brook (and CCSU if they can get a good coach) will get pretty good fairly quick.


6. Ivy at 11 games? Sorry, but I don't agree.. they will never change their ways.

As mentioned earlier, they used to have 9 games. They also used to ban freshman from playing. They don't like to change, but will if their backs are against the wall. They will never do everything they need to do, but this will be a small token to show their coaches, fans and players that they 'care'.


How about an 8th PL member for football? Monmouth, Duquense, an A-10 spin off? By 2007 ?

Now that the NEC is scholarship, you can leave NEC teams off the list. The CAA has to break up for Richmond or Villanova to be a possibility, and only with scholarships as an option. MAAC teams maybe - but they need to commit more resources.


The problem with the PL as a schoalrship league is that as many as three PL schools either won't (or can't) commit to a full 63 grants + an additional 63 for Title IX. The PL leadership is not going to jeopardize its auto-bid by going below six schools, nor pick up academically dissimilar state schools to fill the gap.


It doesn't work as simply as that. Schools like Colgate are already spending a lot on football and on women's sports. Title IX is not a huge concern for us. You have to keep in mind that PL schools ARE spending athletically related aid. We're just using different criteria to determine who gets it.

More importantly though, a lift of the scholarship ban does not mean that: a) all schools have to go to the full 63 limit and b) a school has to go at all. The PL precedent is already there in basketball with LC holding out and every other sport with Colgate and American offering scholarships but no one else.

Finally, a decision will not be made to force schools to do anything. Allowing scholarships actually makes the league healthier IMO because it opens up the potential pool of members immensely. I think it is more precarious of a position to try and hold on to the last vestiges of nonscholarship schools and remain competitive in I-AA. Outside of the Ivy League, there are only a handful of schools to associate with.

Serious question: the PL lifts the scholarship ban in football. 3 PL schools go right away. G'Town doesn't want to go (which I don't necessarily believe by the way). Where do they park their football program if they are unhappy? The only nonscholarship options would be the MAAC and the PFL. Would the Hoyas really go back to the MAAC? That would be a huge blow to the program to return to that conference as it currently stands.

[OL FU]

. The Colgate/Towson games of 2007 and 2008 will be between two top 10 ranked teams.

I guess that means you will have at least one other top ten team on your 2008 schedule. :D

[colgate13]

I guess that means you will have at least one other top ten team on your 2008 schedule. :D

No one will be surprised to see that team ranked that high! Hence, I left them off... ;)

[OL FU]

No one will be surprised to see that team ranked that high! Hence, I left them off... ;)

Well it may be a surprise depending on when the games are scheduled.
We also have UD and VaTech(I think). Assuming those and the Colgate game are early in the year, we could be hanging on by our finger nails going into the SoCon :eek:

Of Course for what it is worth, that would be the year that a lot of our top rated recruting class from last year will be seniors or juniors ( if redshirted).

[GannonFan]

Well it may be a surprise depending on when the games are scheduled.
We also have UD and VaTech(I think). Assuming those and the Colgate game are early in the year, we could be hanging on by our finger nails going into the SoCon :eek:

Of Course for what it is worth, that would be the year that a lot of our top rated recruting class from last year will be seniors or juniors ( if redshirted).

2008 and 2009 are also 12 game season years (based on calendar) so playing up a little bit in scheduling may not be the end of the world - you have that extra game to get the 7th DI win.

[blukeys]

Villanova? Or is this just a Delaware fan wanthing them to be gone?


Doesn't matter where Nova is conference wise. The game will still be on the schedule.

[Pard4Life]

2008 and 2009 are also 12 game season years (based on calendar) so playing up a little bit in scheduling may not be the end of the world - you have that extra game to get the 7th DI win.

Maybe we could get YSU on the schedule those years.. or an A-10, or Yankee, or whatever it will be called by then. I liked 2002 when we had 12 games.

[Pard4Life]

Serious question: the PL lifts the scholarship ban in football. 3 PL schools go right away. G'Town doesn't want to go (which I don't necessarily believe by the way). Where do they park their football program if they are unhappy? The only nonscholarship options would be the MAAC and the PFL. Would the Hoyas really go back to the MAAC? That would be a huge blow to the program to return to that conference as it currently stands.

I'm assuming those three would be Colgate, Lehigh, Lafayette (based upon what you said about Lafayette going schollie). Bucknell and Fordham should follow no problem... HC, probably.. considering their program's history I doubt they would want to downgrade and be horrible again.

Georgetown to the MAAC? That would seem logical, but what about the discussions about the MAAC breaking down or weakening? Marist, Duquesne have been mentioned as potential PL candidates and wanna-be schollie schools. If those two leave, that would shrink the conference to three teams. Siena, St. Johns, and Fairfield have all dropped football. That leaves you with Iona, LaSalle, St. Peters. Those other teams would likely drop football or go NEC. Of course that is major speculation. The Pioneer would be the choice then, but wouldn't that just make that massive field upgrade pointless? And traveling in the Pioneer would be expensive... San Diego every two years?.. nice, but ouch for a program that doesnt seem like they want to spend. Georgetown to the Big South? I'm not sure if they give schollies though. Georgetown should just vote yes on football schollies when it comes around eventually. They belong in the PL and they seemingly don't have many other options.

But that brings up another note.. is the MAAC dead? or will die.. within 5 seasons? I say Marist, Duquesne should split into the PL and NEC. The other three? PL, NEC, A-10 even?? But I don't know if they support football.

[DFW HOYA]

Georgetown to the MAAC? That would seem logical...

No, not really. The MAAC is a dead end right now.

[carney2]

Colgate ain't following and Holy Cross ain't leading. The leader will be Colgate, and remember where you heard it when Lafayette is on board early too; perhaps second in line with Colgate. The Colgate and Lafayette presidents are going to (and already are) get very cozy soon AND, Colgate's president heads the PL presidents council very soon. This issue will not die. The biggest obstacle will be Holy Cross. Their president is steadfastly against it.


Really? I have come to rely on your opinions, Mr. 13, but in this case - well, not so much. Perhaps 'gate is gung ho to join the play for pay crowd, and I'll give you that one because you know better than I about the goings on up there in Iceland, NY. As for Lafayette, I don't ever see it happening. They will eventually and grudgingly cave on the basketball issue. Rather than that being the "crack in the wall," I see it as a "line in the sand." I don't care if Presidents Weiss and Chopp are caught holding hands at a faculty tea, I just can't imagine it.

It all comes down to opinions and perception though, doesn't it?

[Fordham]

carney, the scenario laid out by 13 would have most other PL schools going scholly, NO increase in budget (just given out in schollys v. need based aid) and your hoops team (per your last message) going scholly ...

what would the rationale be for not joining the other PL schools for fball?

[carney2]

carney, the scenario laid out by 13 would have most other PL schools going scholly, NO increase in budget (just given out in schollys v. need based aid) and your hoops team (per your last message) going scholly ...

what would the rationale be for not joining the other PL schools for fball?

Paraphrasing, but in your words: what is the rationale for not joining the other PL schools for basketball? There are only two potential arguments that hold any water at all: money (not a big deal for basketball where, combined (men's and women's) we'd be talking about 4 - 8 per year); and academics (with a graduation rate for men's and women's basketball of 55% over the past 4 years or so, this one isn't working either). There ya go, but they've done it anyway. There are apparently a lot of people on the Board of Trustees and in other high placed positions that see D-I in general, and athletic grants in particular, as contrary to their view of the "student athlete" or more precisely, the Lafayette student athlete. Arthur Rothkopf was the 2,000 pound gorilla on this issue. Maybe things will soften now that he's gone. Maybe.

The basketball commitment pales in comparison to what would be required for football. If they won't buy the Kiddie Meal - or only buy it reluctantly and with a gun to their collective heads - I don't see them springing for the super sized Big Mac with fries.

[colgate13]

carney - you're focusing too much on the money side of things. You have to realize that Lafayette is already spending the money, they are just putting this hurdle in the way of recruiting by saying that a student has to 'qualify' for it before getting it.

EACH YEAR Lafayette is giving out the equivalent of somewhere between 10-15 scholarships, but doing it as 'need-based' awards of all grant funds. All that has to happen is for Lafayette to remove that hurdle of a need based requirement and instead say, give 10-15 scholarships per year to whoever is the best athlete. Tie some realistic academic requirements to awarding them (like the average SAT or GPA of the recruiting class going up a realistic amount) and you've killed two birds with one stone. Also, since you're getting more of a blue chip for your money instead of a possible project that was passed up, you can perhaps shrink the size of each class by a few players. Another win since those football players are replaced with plain old students. It is a win-win-win scenario. The ONLY obstacle is philosphical, which is bunk IMO at Lafayette because you already award merit scholarships for academics.

Listen, what I'm saying is probably 50/50 solid info and speculation. Maybe LC won't come on board. I'm betting they will, and they won't be just in hoops. Everything I hear about Weiss is he's cut from Chopp's mold; that means good things for LC IMO.

[colgate13]

Here are some predictions for 2006...

1. Lehigh hires Harvard OC Dave Checcini.


That's 0-1! :(:oxazzx:)

[carney2]

Listen, what I'm saying is probably 50/50 solid info and speculation. Maybe LC won't come on board. I'm betting they will, and they won't be just in hoops. Everything I hear about Weiss is he's cut from Chopp's mold; that means good things for LC IMO.

Here's hopin' because here are a few of the things that I have grown desperately tired of:

Undersized but feisty basketball teams.
Losing to Colgate
Losing to Penn
Losing to Princeton
Losing to Yale
Losing to Harvard

[Go...gate]

You may want to amend that list. LC is doing a lot better the last 5-6 years against the Tigers! :hyped:

[OL FU]

Doesn't matter where Nova is conference wise. The game will still be on the schedule.

And then UD could call it a real ooc game instead of one of those in and outta conference games.

[Pard4Life]

EACH YEAR Lafayette is giving out the equivalent of somewhere between 10-15 scholarships, but doing it as 'need-based' awards of all grant funds. All that has to happen is for Lafayette to remove that hurdle of a need based requirement and instead say, give 10-15 scholarships per year to whoever is the best athlete. Tie some realistic academic requirements to awarding them (like the average SAT or GPA of the recruiting class going up a realistic amount) and you've killed two birds with one stone. Also, since you're getting more of a blue chip for your money instead of a possible project that was passed up, you can perhaps shrink the size of each class by a few players. Another win since those football players are replaced with plain old students. It is a win-win-win scenario. The ONLY obstacle is philosphical, which is bunk IMO at Lafayette because you already award merit scholarships for academics.

This sounds familiar.... this mirrors essentially the exact plan of Lafayette's present basketball debacle... convert the need-based to merit-based, make the scholarships contingent upon SAT, GPA, and academic marks at Lafayette. We are giving the equivelent need-based aid NOW then what we would for merit-schollies...

And I sincerely hope Weiss and Chopp are holding hands.

[Pard4Life]

Here's hopin' because here are a few of the things that I have grown desperately tired of:

Undersized but feisty basketball teams.
Losing to Colgate
Losing to Penn
Losing to Princeton
Losing to Yale
Losing to Harvard

I'm guessing these teams listed are for football.... but we don't play Yale in anything. Only 6 times in football.

[Pard4Life]

No, not really. The MAAC is a dead end right now.

Yeah I know, that's what my post was about.

Since you seem to be in the know Colgate 13, what is this league's future, as well as the teams? Marist and Duquesne won't drop football and will likely move... does anyone know anything about Iona, St. Peter's, LaSalle?

[colgate13]

Yeah I know, that's what my post was about.

Since you seem to be in the know Colgate 13, what is this league's future, as well as the teams? Marist and Duquesne won't drop football and will likely move... does anyone know anything about Iona, St. Peter's, LaSalle?

I might have some nice sources, but if I had that answer, I think I'd have a job in the PL offices!

My personal opinion only: the PL will tread water for the next 2-3 years before having scholarships and more options. Any MAAC team looking for a safe harbour in the PL better commit some serious resources to football before even asking.

Again, IMO, this league's future exists as a blend of Ivy and A-10/CAA - a conference full of William and Marys or Furmans if you will. That's where we will stand out from the Ivys and where we will be able to compete best with the 'power' conferences of I-AA.

[Lafayette71]

How about an 8th PL member for football? Monmouth, Duquense, an A-10 spin off? By 2007 ?


Dusquense would be an interesting choice for the Patriot League. Academically they fit the mold, they make sense geographically, and I think they'd be competitive. They usually have a pretty tough group that would be better served playing better league competition.

[colgate13]

Dusquense would be an interesting choice for the Patriot League. Academically they fit the mold, they make sense geographically, and I think they'd be competitive. They usually have a pretty tough group that would be better served playing better league competition.

I disagree with the bolded statement, and with the larger sentiment.

Academically, they are ranked in the third tier of National Universities for USN&WR. 25/75 percent SAT is 1020-1210 with an acceptance rate of 85%.

By comparison, the PL has three football teams that are in the National Universities ranking, Georgetown, Lehigh and Fordham and all are in the first tier.

-Georgetown is ranked 23, with an SAT range of 1280-1470 and a 22% accept rate
-Lehigh is ranked 32, with an SAT range of 1240-1380 and a 38% accept rate
-Fordham is ranked 68, with an SAT range of 1090-1290 and a 50% accept rate.

Duquesnse is closest to Fordham in terms of academics, but IMO, they are still quite a bit of ways away from even being mentioned in the same sentence academically.

In a larger sense, Duquesne has to commit more resources to football and facilities to even sniff the PL.

[carney2]

I'm guessing these teams listed are for football.... but we don't play Yale in anything. Only 6 times in football.

You guess right. What caused Yale to be included on my list is the foul taste that we denizens of row 43 (or whatever) still have from the 1991 Yale game. The home team pushed the Eli up and down the field for 60 minutes and still lost by 10. It was the game that drove home the point to us that "Ya know, Lafayette just doesn't beat these teams (Ivys) - ever." It isn't voodoo. It isn't "the curse of the Bambino." It isn't anything but a freakin' fact. As Yogi would say, "You can look it up."

In any event, until Frank - and the program - beats the Ivys CONSISTENTLY, then they can't do it. It's as simple as that. Don't tell me about "new team; new year." It is a fact of Lafayette football history. I'll even go so high up on my personal soapbox as to say that anything less than 5 - 0 vs. the Ivys in 2006 is same old, same old to me. I might settle for 4 - 1, but it smells more like 2 - 3 to me.

Do I adequately express my DECADES of consistent (that word again) frustration on this matter?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

You guess right. What caused Yale to be included on my list is the foul taste that we denizens of row 43 (or whatever) still have from the 1991 Yale game. The home team pushed the Eli up and down the field for 60 minutes and still lost by 10. It was the game that drove home the point to us that "Ya know, Lafayette just doesn't beat these teams (Ivys) - ever." It isn't voodoo. It isn't "the curse of the Bambino." It isn't anything but a freakin' fact. As Yogi would say, "You can look it up."

In any event, until Frank - and the program - beats the Ivys CONSISTENTLY, then they can't do it. It's as simple as that. Don't tell me about "new team; new year." It is a fact of Lafayette football history. I'll even go so high up on my personal soapbox as to say that anything less than 5 - 0 vs. the Ivys in 2006 is same old, same old to me. I might settle for 4 - 1, but it smells more like 2 - 3 to me.

Do I adequately express my DECADES of consistent (that word again) frustration on this matter?

I was at the Princeton/Lafayette game this year, and I believe the ghosts are out in force to thwart the 'Pards against the Ivies. Lafayette was the better team on the day, but the Tigers made a Jay McCareins interception return for TD hold up as they won 23-21.

In my I-AA.org piece (http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=72427) I said:


I kept on thinking of one thing in this victory: ghosts. Coach Hughes attrubuted the win to having "the big guy upstairs on their side, and blessed by the 5 big [offensive linemen] on our side too", but I attrubute it to the ghosts. To take nothing away from the Tigers' great effort as Princeton takes a 35-4-3 series lead on the Leopards, it was also easy to see some helping hands from the ghosts of the past. How else could the Lafayette meltdown which resulted in a key FG be explained? Brendan Circle's "catch" that magically put the Tigers in FG range? Eight straight rushes at the end of the game that seemed like they were straight out of Princeton's 1903 playbook? (In 1903, Princeton won the national championship, and also beat Lafayette 11-0.)

[carney2]

I was at the Princeton/Lafayette game this year, and I believe the ghosts are out in force to thwart the 'Pards against the Ivies. Lafayette was the better team on the day, but the Tigers made a Jay McCareins interception return for TD hold up as they won 23-21.

The "ghosts" actually got themselves inside Tavani's head for this one. He started Maurer even though, after suffering a nagging injury the previous week vs. Richmond, he couldn't run and he couldn't throw. By the time Frank recognized the error of his ways, the home team was so far down that "up" had become an insurmountable mountain. In 2004 vs. Princeton it was the Flood Bowl when Princeton demanded that the team fight its way out of Easton when the Delaware was flooded and nothing could move, and play the game "or else." After taking all day to make what would normally be a 75 minute trip, the team layed a huge egg.

As Gilda Radnor's Roseann Rosannadanna character used to say on Saturday Night Live - and a phrase that certainly applies to Lafayette vs. the Ivys - "It's always something."

[Pard4Life]

I don't agree with ghosts on this one too. Princeton ran the same darn play to get into range for that deciding FG. I think it was inside draw through the left tackle. It was a furious comeback but we let PU convert on EVERY third down that GW FG drive. I'll attribute a wacky play/ending to ghosts. And if you think I mean that Colgate INT.. nope... we blew that too.. fumbling at the one, and 2 other times in the red zone, and three straight possessions to start the game.

[carney2]

I don't agree with ghosts on this one too. Princeton ran the same darn play to get into range for that deciding FG. I think it was inside draw through the left tackle. It was a furious comeback but we let PU convert on EVERY third down that GW FG drive. I'll attribute a wacky play/ending to ghosts. And if you think I mean that Colgate INT.. nope... we blew that too.. fumbling at the one, and 2 other times in the red zone, and three straight possessions to start the game.

I repeat: "It's ALWAYS something." And the beat goes on, and on, and...

Furthermore, if the game had not been allowed to degenerate to Princeton 20, Lafayette 0 at the half, that field goal would have been meaningless. That's where the game was lost - in the 1st half when Maurer was gimping around, unable to run and unable to put anything on his throws - not on that field goal.

[MarkCCU]

I've had these random thoughts floating around in my head, so I thought I'd put them down and have some fun with it. Here are some predictions for 2006 and a few that are 2006 and beyond...

1. Lehigh hires Harvard OC Dave Checcini.
2. Georgetown hires a surprisingly good I-A assistant.
3. CCSU hires Mike Sewak.
4. The NEC in general has a great recruiting class and, for a beyond prediction, leapfrogs the OVC and maybe even the PL (more on that in a sec) in GPI ranking within 5 years. We see an NEC playoff team by then end of this decade.
5. More beyond: The PL, responding to internal pressure from some schools and external pressure by conferences like the NEC, approves scholarships.
6. Beyond that: The Ivy approves an 11th game as a feeble attempt to keep up with the PL.
7. The decade closes out with the CAA breaking up.
8. The Colgate/Towson games of 2007 and 2008 will be between two top 10 ranked teams.
9. The 2006 I-AA champion will be a team that has never won it before.
10. I pass 7,000 posts and get to join ralph, 89Hen and Cap'n Cat in the land of those that get to name themselves.

#7 AND #10 def. I'll be an optimist and say yes to #9, i like to live dangerously ;)

[FU97]

Well it may be a surprise depending on when the games are scheduled.
We also have UD and VaTech(I think). Assuming those and the Colgate game are early in the year, we could be hanging on by our finger nails going into the SoCon :eek:

Of Course for what it is worth, that would be the year that a lot of our top rated recruting class from last year will be seniors or juniors ( if redshirted).

VT (away), Delaware (Home) then Colgate (away) in successive weeks during September. I imagine we'll schedule a patsy for the week before VT.

Assuming no injuries/surprises, that season could be Sorrells first as starting QB.