Friday Water Cooler: Patriot League and NEC football at a Crossroads?

My "Friday Water Cooler" discussions, when I've had them this year, have been notorious for being unplanned affairs, with the idea for the topic only coming together on Friday Morning.

And this Friday is no exception, thanks to an intriguing column in this morning's Asbury Park Press by Stephen Edelson.

In the article, Mr. Edelson, whose paper covers Monmouth Hawk athletics (the team which Lehigh opened with this year with a 49-24 victory), talked about the upcoming matchup between Monmouth and Colgate this weekend , of course - but also talked about the Patriot League and NEC being at a "crossroads".

Is he right?  (more)

Game Preview, Lehigh at Bucknell, 10/8/2011

(Photo Credit: The Williamsport Sun-Gazette)

"While 9-2 and a deep run in the playoffs might seem to be a bit unrealistic at this point," I wrote back in August," there's still a lot of bullishness that the Bison can re-find their winning ways in 2011 - and maybe, just maybe, beat a Top 25 team in Year Two of the Susan era."

Boy, was that ever right.

It's not just that the Bison already have three more wins than they had all of last season.  It's the toughness they've shown, the explosive offense they've displayed, and the disruptive force their defense has been.

All this means is that weekend's matchup with the Bison will hardly be the walkover that such games have been in the past.  (more)

Press Roundup, Yale vs. Lehigh

(Photo Credit: Leah Kulp/Brown & White Photo Staff via Express-Times)

Head coach Andy Coen posed with the Yank Townsend trophy, given to the winner of the Lehigh/Yale clash, after the win this weekend.

It was the first time that Lehigh had been allowed to keep the trophy in Bethlehem, since it was the first time that Lehigh had beaten Yale since 2005, the first year that the trophy was offered.

In fact, the good news has kept pouring in  for the Mountain Hawks since winning the trophy, as the team recently rejoined the Top Ten in the Sports Network and Coaches' Polls, and senior QB Chris Lum was also formally added to the Walter Payton Award watchlist, which is essentially the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy in FCS football.

Meanwhile, Yale head coach Tom Williams brought some... Febreze... into Yale's team meeting on Monday.  To see why, check out the Press Roundup below the flip.  (more)

My FCS Top 25, 10/3/2011

Below the flip, see my Top 25 for this week. (more)

Sunday Word: Inspiration

You probably didn't know this, but I once attempted to write movie reviews.

I mention this because this weekend "Sunday Word" is "inspiration", and in the past week I've seen a lot of references to the word as well, not only in this weekend's episode of The Office but also in the dopey movie Invictus, which I happened to catch this weekend.

Going back into my past as a "movie reviewer", I talk a bit about sports movies, "inspiration" - and a bit about the Ivy League and Patriot League as well.  (more)

Lehigh 37, Yale 7, Final

On Yale's first offensive drive of the game, Bulldog senior QB Patrick Witt was pressured in the pocket and hurried a pass, which floated right into the hands of junior CB Gabe Johnson.

He returned the ball four yards, where Yale sophomore TE Kyle Wittenauer made a pro-style tackle from behind, popping the ball out of Johnson's hands and into the belly of Yale's center.

It was that sort of turnover-filled dogfight that typefied the first half of this game, before Lehigh's offense and defensive units would take over the game in the second half and pull away for an extremely comfortable 37-7 win over the Eli.  (more)