Quinn Epperly
Princeton remains completely in the driver's seat with three weeks to go in the season, thanks to a Penn loss.
And boy, do the Tigers make consistently winning anything but boring.
QB Quinn Epperly continued his very clear march to the Bushnell Cup with an amazing performance against Cornell. He completed his first 29 passes and finished 32 of 35 for 325 passing with three TD passes. He also ran for three TD's in the 53-20 win over the Big Red. The Tigers had 38 1st downs!
Getting back to Penn, the Quakers played their worst game in probably a couple of decades in a 27-0 loss at Brown. QB Ryan Becker had three INT's. But the bad play by Penn should not overshadow Bear speedster John Spooney's historic day. The RB had more than 200 yards rushing by halftime, thanks to two 90+ yard TD runs. He finished with 232 yards on the ground.
Is Penn finished? If Billy Ragone comes back, the Quakers still have a good chance to make a run for 2nd place. But I suspect the game this coming Saturday against Princeton will not be a great one for Al Bagnoli and crew no matter who's starting at QB. But don't forget, Penn has deceptively come back from bad games like this before.
In the thriller of the weekend, Harvard did it again: eking out a win over a Dartmouth team that once again came oh so close to victory. The 24-21 Crimson victory keeps Harvard in the hunt and basically eliminates the Big Green. Question: can Buddy Teevens keep his job if his team does any worse than 2-1 over the final three games? I would argue he should keep his position, but what do I know?
IVY POWER RANKINGS
1. Princeton
2. Harvard
3. Penn
4. Dartmouth
5. Brown
6. Yale
7. Cornell
8. Columbia
29 comments:
If Dartmouth wins out, Teevens is fine. If they go 2-1, probably depends on whether Dartmouth lost the game on yet another missed FG. If he goes 1-2 or worse, he's probably gone.
I'm going to limit my comments on this blog from now on to solely these "around the league" posts, since anything else I say about Princeton seems to be taken personally as an insult by parents of Columbia players (who are not the target audience of my comments). So until next week, all I'll say is that the Tigers are fun to watch, the Princeton Band must be exhausted and freezing (they play after every first down and play from -inside- a wading pool/fountain on campus after every win), and I sure hope we don't choke against our ever-bitter friends from down the Turnpike this weekend. (The Penn halftime show often features a stuffed tiger and a chainsaw).
Meanwhile, Harvard is showing some cracks - it's not likely, but it is possible that the Lions could catch them and wreak some vengeance for their tough season. Beat Harvard!
If you think that we are going to be in the market for a new coach, then hope that there is no other turnover in the league after the season. That is to say, hope that Buddy runs the table, that Bags doesn't pack it in, that Reno wins another game, that Phil keeps job, etc. You will want a clear field, assuming of course that Bollinger, Campbell et al. come to their senses and first fire the AD. It would be a travesty to allow DM to hire the next coach.
being less familiar with the Ivies it just occurred to me that is there a chance that our yelling and creaming and buttons may have an impact on an INCOMING new coach? "if the university is firing AD's and HC's because a blog got hot I don't know if I want to be there...
now my answer would be...then he's the wrong guy I guess. but I'm really just asking your thought on it. rock and hard place either way.
It would be best if the University would simply be compelled to field a competitive team which starts at the top...
as a parent of one of the Freshman I've heard only that the coaches simply blame the kids for EVERYTHING. and the kids are taking that to heart. they bear as much responsibility for what happens on the field-no doubt-But what example is that of leadership? Mine, I am sure like others, turned down D1 opportunities to PAY (no fin aid)to play here because he truly values the Ivy education and wanted both challenges in the classroom and on the field and bought everything the coaches were selling. Now he's part of the problem? that's the new recruiting tag line for 2014 we need YOU because THOSE guys aren't any good...I get it JR and SR I get it...
Parent above, you make many good points, however, I don't think our problem will turn a new coach off. First of all the money is inviting and my belief about coaches is they want to show you "their stuff". In their minds they will forget about our past, they want to prove how much better they will be than the guys before them.
I think a new coach would consider yelling and cheering at the Harvard game in much the same way the troops received Theon's rallying cries in Game of Thrones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mDaIsz-iU8
Give these kids a break please. We haven't even played yet and you are being negative. Geez
This season has had so many numerous things happen to one team that it is hard for me to put all of the blame on the coach. Just when you think something else can't happen,it does. Your negativity Jake and your gang of thugs have in my opinion hurt this team and the prospects for next year with your constant belittling of the staff and players. I don't know who in their right mind would want to come here and work with you everyday saying the things you say. It is obvious that you disagree with the choice that was made two years ago ,and have complained since then on this blog. You and your thugs are willing to sabotage this program for your own agendas to get rid of the AD and the coach and get who you wanted. If I am the president ,I would keep them in spite of you.
Parent of currant player
I don't think Jake has ever belittled a player.
Parent of current player,
How can it be good for your son to lose 53-12 every week? This team is too underweight to compete. It is poorly prepared and it does not appear that the best players are always on the field. The alumni on this board want the best for the players. Some parents seem to feel criticism of the program amounts to belittlement of their sons' efforts. It doesn't. A lot of us have seen this movie before and stand with Jake in believing that if the University is going to field a football team and demand
year-round commitment from the players, it owes them an honest effort at trying to win.
We don't have that. Our coach has made puzzling decisions about the size of the line, playing underclassmen at the expense of merit, and refusing to adjust game plans that have yielded the worst team in Columbia history. He should be accountable for his decisions.
This mess is not the players' faults, but if someone doesn't raise a voice that humiliating 85 students for 10 weeks in the fall is unacceptable, it will keep happening. Trust me on that. I've been watching games for 30 years. The Administration does not care about football and won't do anything except under duress. And you know what, duress is unpleasant. Jake reminds the administration that not everyone is okay with incompetence.
Dartmouth needs new blood at head coach. Penn doesn't have the guns to mount a stake for a championship.
Roar Lion
1. My son says he is in the best shape of his life and feels stronger then he ever has when he has played
2. My son says they are very prepared each week. They watch hours of film. Are you now a football coach and can tell when players are prepared or not? I like to think I know but…
3. How do you know who are the best players on the field? Just because you like Johnny football ,doesn't make him the best player at that particular position.
4.size of line.. you can only be so big without being fat..goes back to my son saying he has never felt so strong in his playing.
5.merit of upper classmen playing? When did being an upper classman give you the right to start over an underclassman if you are not playing to your potential and that person is? That is what happens in high school. get over it!
6.Adjusting the game plan? Are you again a football coach who spends hours evaluating the other team?
Look, as a parent I can appreciate all of you experts thinking you know more then the coaches. We sent our son to play for Coach Mangurian. He knows football and knows what he has to accomplish here at Columbia. You guys have not made it easy for him at all. The history of Columbia Football is horrible and I know the coach came here to try and change it. Now it may take longer then he thought but given all of the things that have happened this year, I am going to give him a pass this year and hopefully he will bring the wins next year. At least he is not giving up on the players and is staying positive with the kids. I know this is not what you wanted to hear and will try to tear it a part but it is the truth. So belittle me and whoever agrees with me , I really don't care.
signed parent of currant player who cares about our son and the sport he loves.
It was nice to see CU's greatest, Sid Luckman, mentioned again in the national press, when eagles' Nick Foles threw 7 TDs to join handful of others who've matched his original feat. Sid did it when QBs threw only one-fourth as much as they do now.
The bittersweet part was that NCAA and NFL Hall of Famer Luckman's era was almost the last gasp of Lion glory. He arrived right after Columbia won the 1934 Rose Bowl and after graduation the legendary George Halas of the ChicagoBears grabbed him to install the T-formation in the NFL.In his second pro year he won the NFL championship 73-0 over the Redskins, and quickly added three more NFL titles. In those days the
Lions played Stanford, Penn State, Ohio State, Georgia,Syracuse. Now we get drubbed by Monmouth.
Luckman left CU in 1939. Football departed not long after.
Parent of a current Player, my son is a starter on the team. I have a feeling your son is not an upperclassman. I have never read anything that Jake has printed degrading a player. Never. He may not give a player high praise if he had a bad game , but everyone does that. He never has singled anyone out. I do t think Jake pretends to be a coach either, but you have to understand as I do Jake and his readers have seen many many more years of loosing than you and I. Quite frankly, I am pretty upset with what has happened to our Lions this year. Sorry but I know how hard my son works and I find it hard to say " hey, win some, loose some"! It is much worse than that.II know we are in agreement when I say we have 3 games left . All we can do is support our sons and hope , just hope we can come out with a win.
All college players are the strongest they have ever been. Always and forever. That's a given. There are juniors and seniors on this team, or previously on this team, who are better football players than who the staff has put out there. I'm not gun no go into details, but this is glaringly obvious to the players on the team. The parent above does not want to accept these facts and is displaying an expected defense mechanism when staring into a 4 yr 250,000 dollar investment into this mess. The coaches recruits got preferential treatment with discipline, privileges and opportunities to play. This is not opinion. The players would freely admit this but for fear of repercussion. I too believe the coach wants to win, he just hasn't given the team an opportunity to do so. He has a lot to learn about leadership, team building and motivation.
Rich Forzani '66C
Very well said comments here. The emotion is evident, and that is truly gratifying. I sense that many commenters are parents, and your feelings are understandable. This is not a political situation. It's a historical opportunity to break the mold of continuous losing, which has unfortunately been our hallmark for decades.
For those of you who bought into PM's pitch, it's OK. Every coach does that. And I personally think he only owns 25% of this year's debacle. What others think is their opinion, which I respect.
But what the parents do NOT understand, unless they are alums who played for CU, is that this institution has ALWAYS placed sports on the back burner, giving known mediocrities the AD job. And all I'm saying here, along with Jake and others, is that it is finally, after 57 years of this garbage, time for a sweeping change.
Understand, we appreciate and respect the sweat, effort, pain and dedication your kids are giving. I did that myself. I know. What we want, what ALL of us want, is to have your kids see a winning season before they graduate. We are rooting for them.
Don't drink the Kool Aid. A change in admin is not a condemnation of your kids, it's not disloyalty; it's an affirmation of their potential.
Jake,
Has the independent observer strategy still an option?
GP
Rich,
Break down the other 75 pct for us!!
To the parent chastising the board for thinking they know more than the coach - it is an interesting point. It also demonstrates Pete's coaching style of putting it on the players. Whether they lose by a slim margin or lose very badly then it's on them. He has yet to take any responsibility at all - at least publicly - for the team's lack of success. If you listen to what he says in the press conferences dating back to last season, he itemizes like a checklist all of the mistakes they made on the field. Not a single word of putting anything on his own shoulders or that of his staff.
You know what that is called? ARROGANCE and it is a misguided arrogance at that.
He coaches them according to a script he understands from his years of experience. The point made on this forum over and over again is that coaching style does not work. It's a bad fit. That is why Pete is a failure as a head coach at CU. Maybe there are good assistant coaches on staff - maybe - but doing it Pete's way does not do justice to the student athletes at all.
Of course a player is going to be in better shape than he was as a teenager. He's in his physical prime and working out to play football! These kids have never been exposed to upper level football so of course they are going to think the film study and whatever else is the right way to do it. Look at Pete's resume in the NFL. He's been there, done that. The problem is his methods do not translate to the collegiate game and certainly not at CU.
Rich Forzani '66C
May be simplistic, but I figure PM has one personally recruited class on the field; the frosh. So aside from personality and coaching issues which I will not address due to lack of my own insight, I figure he still hasn't had a full chance to show his stuff. This is not support or condemnation, just my opinion.
My primary contention is upper level/long term management.
The product PM is fielding every week is beyond embarrassing, that is on him. I don't know the man as he has made zero attempt to reach out to past players but know several friends who played for him at Cornell and they said he would be a disaster from day 1.
To the parent who is thrilled about the strength of his son ,PM, playing time etc, that is the old " getting comfortable with losing" mantra that we have all become too familiar with the last 30 years. Be disgraced with what is happening here and want to make changes for the betterment of your son and the program. The real test will be how many of these kids return next year after their first year of being humiliated every Saturday. We started with 40 plus recruits, 7 of us made it all 4 years in the mid- late 80's and we won a few games. He needs to go, let's make it happen. The buttons are an awful idea btw....
New coach or old coach, we the concerned friends or the CU sports programs must take an active role in the recruiting process.
Please send names, stats, etc. to coaching staff of standout HS players from around the country. In 2/3 years with the right kids even head coach Jake could win the Ivy title.
GP
Murphy has to be held accountable. Will she?
Parent:
Glad your son is having a good experience despite the results on the field. Speaking only for myself, I believe the athletic department owes more to the players who are dedicating so much time to the sport than to field a team that is hugely below the competitive level of the Ivy League.
If you are correct and the players are well-prepared, physically strong and trusting in their coaches, and the coaches are playing the best players they have, then this means we are being unfair to Mangurian and Murphy. Perhaps our record-setting loss margins are simply an accurate reflection of our team's ability level.
If that is true, the alumni should stop complaining about the coaches and start asking why we have a football team at all. I don't believe it serves alma mater to field teams in any sport that are unable to compete at the Ivy League level, but especially in football where more students are involved and where weaker players get hurt playing against stronger players.
Things have come to a sorry pass in this whole messy matter when someone actually cites his "role" (a rather minor one, it seems) in the Columbia riots and building occupations which which were part of the general nonsense of the 60's. Even if that role may have involved punching out a few lefties. (Now, however, if he'd slugged the appallingly self-righteous and obnoxious David Shapiro, say, or Ted Gold, yes, even as I'd thank him for doing so it'd still remain non-germane to this matter...)
Really, that's no way to count coup or establish one's CU football supporter bona fides.
So no, no button for me, thank you very much.And can we at least see some enthusiasm for men's basketball, which opens at home but a few hours after the Harvard games end? That some posters here have also dumped on the basketball program seems to suggest to me that this whole matter is being "used" by some as a mere excuse for unfocused anger. Forgive me if the word "troll" thus comes to mind.
It all reminds me of those torch-tossing peasant mobs which almost magically form up near the end of those old Universal Frankenstein-Wolfman movies. But then, so did those very stupid and nasty "protests" which beset CU in '68. And to probably similarly hollow effect.
Columbia needs better football players and, yep, coaching. That's not quite the same as wearing a button which goes after Dianne Murphy and her staff. And as at least one or two others have noted here, this is not going to at all help next season's recruiting. Which makes me wonder how long the "button buyers," if they got their foot-stamping way, would be prepared to give the next coach for football success.
I'm also still waiting for Jake to give some numerical sense of how large this "movement" actually is to date, given that it seems centered on this site.
I would love to see Pete try and assemble a staff, recruit and compete at a DI program. I am willing to bet the farm it would be same results.
Jake, I would ask that you think long and hard on what your purpose is for this blog. This has gone way beyond the simple dissemination of information. Are you a friend or foe of this program? I think we all know you are a friend and do want the best, but some on the outside looking in can question your intentions by you providing a format for those sometimes vile comments from others. So please rethink this blog. Granted most of your blogs and your comments are informative however turning a blind eye to what goes on beyond your work and allowing the poisonous comments to be posted for anyone to read, surely, hopefully doesn't fall in line with your purpose! I would guess that the majority of your readers would still read your thoughts, so please consider doing away with allowing comments from outsiders. I think the Big Green blog is information only. PLEASE consider this revision!!!!
All those that agree please second this motion and if need be inundate all future comment sections with "I second that"!
Signed,
Players Parent and one that wants to find some wins.
Rich Forzani '66C
Still trying to understand/comprehend the logic behind this frantic opposition to expressing legitimate concerns.
Do you not see by now that the CU administration has historically turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the plaints of its athletic needs? How can anyone look at the record and actually believe there is a true desire or even ability for change/improvement. I mean, if that is not a basic "given", then we can't have a dialogue.
Perhaps the proud and hopeful parents of current players (and I mean that respectfully) just aren't aware of how long this has persisted. Well, here's the deal; expect 3 more years of the same if your kid grads on time. UNLESS something changes.
Laugh if you want to at buttons. It's a quick, inexpensive way to visibly express rejection of the status quo, and hopefully get some visibility from the admin. Certainly emails and letters over the past few years haven't accomplished anything. So would some really clever person out there offer up their brilliant alternative idea? We're listening.
In the meantime, here's what's going to happen. I'm going to be supporting the squad this weekend and not supporting the AD. I'll be wearing the "BUTTON". If you agree, I'll have one for you. If you don't, then I'll listen to your alternative solution, and you won't have to wear the "BUTTON"
They aren't a solution; just one possible and hopeful small means to an end. If that upsets some of you as much as it sounds like, maybe there are deeper problems in play than we realize. Quite frankly, I think it's a pretty innocuous action, so why don't you just get over it.
Jake time to move Yale to #5
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