Week Four Picks

It was another mixed week for my picks as I went 2-0 straight up but only 1-1 against the spread.

That puts me at 5-2 straight up and 3-3 against the spread for the season.

But this week, the Ivy season finally begins and I at least get more games to work with.

So away we go...


Holy Cross +14 at Harvard

The Crimson will win this game, but the Crusaders have a history of playing Harvard close. I like Holy Cross to cover, Harvard to win.


Brown -14 1/2 at Georgetown

The Bears don't look great this year, but Coach Estes always has his guys ready for a new season. If Brown doesn't cover or somehow loses this game, it will be a very bad sign for Brown. \


Colgate -5 1/2 over Cornell

This game and the spread seems like a trap. Even a good Cornell team should be a bigger underdog at Colgate than this. Something's not right here, but I won't question it. Take Colgate and lay the points.


Jacksonville + 11 1/2 over Penn

I like the Quakers to win this game, but Penn has been starting slowly in recent years and I think the game will be closer than many think. Take the points.


Yale -2 1/2 over Lehigh 

Lehigh is poised for a down year after a long run of stellar seasons. Yale has been a fast starter-slow finisher team in recent years. I like the Elis to cover at home.

San Diego +23 1/2 over Princeton

I like the Tigers to win, but I think there will be a slight humbling of the Princeton machine for at least one week. This game will be decided by 14 to 17 points, but that's it.


CCSU +17 at Dartmouth

CCSU has been an inconsistent team so far, but I think playing an Ivy team in that team's home opener will inspire them to bring their "A" game. I think Dartmouth will pull away late for a 10-14 point win.


Monmouth + 2 1/2 at Duquesne

I think this Monmouth team could be very good this year. I like them to cover AND beat Duquesne.


Albany -7 1/2 at Rhode Island

I really don't think Rhode Island is very good. It will be a stretch for a low-scoring Albany team to cover on the road, but their offense has had a bye week to work out some of the kinks.

BREAKING: Columbia Two-Deeps Released/Betting Lines as Well

Here are the headlines from the game notes release:

(take some of this with a grain of salt as all two-deeps, especially Columbia's, are not always 100% forthcoming). 

1) WR Connor Nelligan is not on the two-deep at all. I assume his is still banged up from his injury in the scrimmage last week. But I have a STRONG feeling he will play on Saturday. But in his possible absence, Cameron Dunn, Scooter Hollis, and Ryan Flannery get the start in a three-WR set. Isaiah Gross does not appear on the two-deep either.

2) LB Vinny Pugliese is also not on the two-deep. Injuries are the reason. So that's two key seniors not playing Saturday. Sophomore Giamarco Rea gets the start in what would be Pugliese's spot. Max Keefe gets the start at one LB position over Kal Prince, who was expected to win that job.

3) Freshman Bewley Wales gets the start at LG. Kendall Pace, who is a sophomore despite the mistake in the notes, is the starter at LT. Three of the backups on the O-line are freshmen.

4) Kevin McCarthy gets the start over Brock Kenyon at FS.

5) Freshman Chris Shroer, the RB I think is the most promising on our roster, cracks the two-deep backing up Cameron Molina. 

6) Niko Padilla's supporting cast in the Front Four is Toba Akinleye, JD Hurt and Roy Schwartz. But of course, D-line players are shuttled in and out frequently, so in addition to the starters you have to mention Eric Stock, William Carson, freshman Lord Hyeamang, and freshman Dominic Perkovic.

7) Freshman Noah Zgrablich indeed gets the start at PK, sophomore Cameron Niziaklek starts at Punter.

8) Despite some great reports about freshman QB Anders Hill, junior Trevor McDonagh will back up Brett Nottingham.


IVY BETTING LINES

Fordham is slated as a 27 1/2 point favorite over Columbia.

Cornell is the only other Ivy underdog, by 4 1/2 points at Colgate.

Harvard is a 15 1/2 point favorite over Holy Cross at home Friday night.

Brown is a 16 1/2 point favorite over Georgetown in D.C.

Penn is a 12 1/2 point favorite over Jacksonville in Florida.

Yale and Lehigh are pick 'em at the Bowl.

Princeton is a 21 point favorite at San Diego.

And Dartmouth is an 18 1/2 point favorite at home against Central Connecticut State.

Here's what The Sports Network's Craig Haley has to say about the CU-Fordham game:

"No. 18 Fordham (2-1) at Columbia (0-0), 12:30 p.m. With struggling Ivy League member Columbia playing for the first time after going 0-10 last season, Fordham should score over 50 points for the third time this season. The nationally ranked Rams have won eight times in the 12 annual meetings since the two schools began playing for the Liberty Cup following 9/11."

You can read more from Haley here.

The Latest Insult

I’m trying to lay off the obvious failure that Pete Mangurian has been as our football head coach.

I really don’t feel like harping on it every day.

But then articles like this come out. 

The Columbia College Today piece about Mangurian is so filled with falsehoods and so insulting to common sense and the loyal fans that it’s impossible not to respond and respond loudly.

Note that there is no byline for this piece, which is understandable because I can't think of anyone who would be proud to be connected to this horrific piece of garbage. But for the record, Editor-in-Chief Alex Sachare '71 must take responsibility for it and surely he should be very ashamed. If he was pressured into it by the administration, I can sympathize but not empathize. Because after a few years of being pressured by the administration to put a happy face on things on my blog and on the football broadcasts, I finally resisted. Why doesn't Sachare have the same modicum of courage and decency? 

I don’t want to waste too much time on this, because the season is about to start and the results on the field will finally speak for themselves. But here are the main and most important rebuttal points to this piece of utter tripe.

And I make these rebuttals under protest, because having to do this is basically the same thing as having to rebut someone who says “2 plus 2 is 5.”

1)      The following quote is the most serious falsehood and must be addressed:

“We’ve established a standard and we hold the players and everybody involved in the program to that standard in academics, career development, football, personal development.”

Sorry, but the truth is the exact opposite of this. The Twitter scandal of 2013, the bar fight of 2014, and the cheating scandal of 2013-14 are all part of an avalanche of problems in the player standards/personal development area that previous coaches never saw to such extent all at once. To somehow insinuate that at least we’re winning off the field is a flat out lie.

2)      The quote below is a marked departure from something Mangurian said just a year ago. Compare and contrast:

“Everyone wants to talk about winning. I get it,” says Mangurian. “One of the greatest coaches in any sport ever was John Wooden [the legendary basketball coach at UCLA] and he never talked about winning. He talked about the process of getting there, what you had to do to win. If you do the things you have to do to get there, then you’ll win. That’s our philosophy.” –Pete Mangurian, September 2014

“"There is no “four-year plan”, there is a “win every game, every year, plan” that is reevaluated and refined before during and after every season. Team #123 and I will ultimately be judged by how many games we win. I’m all for that accountability, that is the way it should be." -Pete Mangurian, March 25, 2013

3)      And this one just made me laugh:

“The last thing that’s going to happen is we’re going to start winning like we should, but only because we’ve done all the other things up to that point correctly.”

That’s right, because God forbid we should start winning the wrong way. I guess it’s better that we keep losing.  Once again, the ghost of former CU coach Bob Naso has been resurrected. It was Naso who famously said in the early 1980’s that his first goal http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1982/9/17/losing-the-easy-way-pin-the/ was to make sure the Lions learned how to lose right.

This is comedy gold.

Or it would be if we weren’t talking about a multi-million dollar enterprise that also includes the efforts of our players, hopes and support from decades-long fans, and the financial sacrifice of parents whose kids don’t get athletic or need-based scholarships. 

Meanwhile, all through the summer and right on to today many of the other Ivy schools are sending their fans detailed profiles of their best players. 

What do Columbia fans get? 

Disgusting lies and propaganda that resembles Pravda in the days of the Soviet Unions starvation crises and failed 5-year plans. 

Harvard Two Deep Released/UPDATE: YALE AND PENN TOO!

Center Nick Easton is a big dude


Harvard chimes in with its starting lineups here.

The Crimson start the season first, with a night contest against Holy Cross on Friday.

The average weight for the O-line starters is 291, including a 300 pounder at Center.

Only one non-upperclassmen is starting, and that's sophomore Sean Ahern at CB.

11 sophomores are listed as 2's.

The only freshman anywhere on the two-deep is the backup Punter, Zach Schmid.


Yale Two Deep

Yale's starting line-ups are here.

As expected, Morgan Roberts gets the start at QB. RB Tyler Varga is apparently healthy and starting in a single-back offensive set with three WR's.

Average weight of the starting O-linemen is 291 lbs.

Freshman DT Nick Crowle gets the start. So does freshman Matthew Oplinger at one of the LB slots.

10 sophomores are starting, seven of them on defense.


Penn Two Deep

You'll notice that Penn's game notes do not use the term "two-deep," and instead call what looks like the two-deeps Penn offensive and defensive "notables."

That sounds like a classic hedge, but I'll treat it like starting lineups anyway.

The controversial Lyle Marsh gets the start at the RB position. Talented RB Spencer Kulcsar moves to starting WR.

The Quaker O-line looks lighter than usual; the average weight for O-linemen is 272 lbs including a 260 pound sophomore LG named Dan Poulos.

Four sophomores in total are starters, including QB Alek Torgersen.

Freshman Brock Elmore is the starting punter. The kicker is a junior, but has never had a varsity kick attempt.  

Cornell Two Deep Released

QB James Few


The Big Red has released its starting lineup for Saturday's game at Colgate.

The average weight for their starting O-line players is 290 pounds.

No freshmen starters, but six sophomores are and seven frosh are the top backups including five on defense.