Lehigh Football Nation

(Photo Credit: Bob Cornell/Colgate Athletics) Before the season even started, Colgate senior RB Nate Eachus had to have looked at this home game at Andy Kerr stadium and thought it would be his best opportunity to put on a show. The preseason Patriot League favorite for the Payton award didn't say anything about - he's too humble for that - but you have to believe he knew that the national TV coverage on CBS Sports Network, and Colgate's traditional place in the Patriot League hunt, gave him a chance to show off his skills on a national level. He did have a pretty good day in his final game against Lehigh, with a gutty performance befitting the Hazelton, PA native. But it ended up paling in comparison to the guy doing the same job on the other sideline.

It wasn't supposed to be like this for the Raiders. Before the 2011 football season got started, it was easy to circle October 29th on the calendar and say, "This will be a big game on the Patriot League schedule." And CBS College Sports, too, agreed, making it one of their two nationally televised games on the year. Somewhere along the way, though, the Raider season jumped off the tracks. And now, with two conference losses and their chances at the Patriot League title basically having evaporated, Colgate is now playing to get back to .500, protect a perfect 3-0 record in "their house," Andy Kerr Stadium, and finish out the year strong. There would be no better way for the Raiders to do that than to upend a Top Ten team - and a pretty good rival, at that - in Hamilton this weekend.

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

It's been a bye week when I've been thinking a lot about Jack. And that's thanks to the latest member of the Lehigh football team, second grader  Jack Knudson . Jack is an incredibly inspirational kid from nearly Salisbury Township who hasn't let anything keep him down, or kept him from pursuing his dreams. And a few weeks ago, members of the Lehigh football team added Jack as their newest member. Stories don't get much better than this.