FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION
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Around FCS: Shifting Sands for Ivy League
By David Coulson, FCS Executive Director Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Ivy League has made a cottage industry of avoiding change when the subject is football.
But like the forces of time itself, there are elements of transition that even the most tradition-minded of school presidents cannot slow down.
As the Ivy League begins its 53rd year of football this week, the change in the air is as evident as the deepening colors of the leaves on its picturesque campuses.
When Princeton announced several months ago that it was using part of its endowment to fund tuition for many of its students, the way that the league deals with recruiting athletes was permanently altered.
With Harvard and Yale following suit and the other schools in the league changing the way they deal with tuition, the Ivy League's football teams are entering a period of transition that will likely take several years to sort out.
At the same time, change is also afoot in FCS. The NCAA announced last spring that the playoff field will expand from 16 to 20 schools in 2010 and members of the NCAA Division I football playoff committee have made it clear that they would eventually like to see the postseason expand to 24 teams in the future.
There is little doubt that one of the leagues the NCAA and the committee would like to see taking part in the playoffs is the Ivy League. The council of Ivy League presidents, who make the decisions for the eight member institutions, haven't shown that they are willing to lift the archaic ban on postseason play, but the winds of change are stronger now than they have ever been.
There is little doubt that the coaches and players want to be able to compete in the playoffs.
"When we discuss the subject in our coaches' meetings, there is almost unanimous support for postseason play," Brown coach Phil Estes said last month at the Ivy League media day.
"No one has ever shown me a good reason why we don't compete in the playoffs," said Princeton coach Roger Hughes, one of the most adamant supporters of lifting the ban.
Nick Hartigan, a Walter Payton Award finalist in 2005 and a leader on Brown's Ivy League championship team that year, said he was so frustrated by the postseason ban that he couldn't bring himself to watch the playoffs that year.
Hartigan's view is shared by nearly all Ivy League players, who openly wonder why they can't compete for a national championship when their fellow athletes in every other sport on campus can? They can envision a future where venues like the Yale Bowl, Harvard Stadium or Penn's Franklin Field are hosting playoff games before packed stands, with large television audiences tuning in. Maybe someday, the council of presidents will see those benefits, too.
All that is available for now is another Ivy League championship in what should be an extremely competitive race, but we can always hope that future Ivy champions will have the opportunity to play for so much more.
1. Harvard (8-2 overall, 7-0, first) Harvard returns 13 starters from a squad that is 32-8 overall and 23-5 in the Ivy League under Tim Murphy in the past four years, facts that make it the favorite to repeat as champion.
The Crimson is so strong at quarterback that former third-stringer Ryan Hatch is now starting at defending BCS champion LSU. Harvard starter Chris Pizzotti (3,185 career yards passing and 20 TDs) is viewed as a pro prospect with his strong arm and 6-5 size, and Liam O'Hagen (3,232 career yards, 23 TDs) has started 15 games.
Harvard also features a good crop of receivers, even with the graduation of Corey Mazza. Matt Luft (43 receptions, 16.8 average) inherits the role as the go-to pass catcher, while Mike Cook, Alex Breaux and tight end Jason Miller (23 catches, 14.6 average) are other excellent targets.
Running back Chen Ho complemented the passing game by rushing for 722 yards (4.8 average) and seven touchdowns last year, and All-American tackle James Williams is one of four returning linemen who made starts last season.
The Crimson had the top-ranked defense in the Ivy League last year (third against the rush and fifth overall nationally) and should be strong again.
Defensive tackle Matt Curtis (40 tackles) anchors the line and the linebacking group is superb with Matthew Thomas, Glenn Dorris and Eric Schultz all returning. Andrew Berry is one of the nation's top cornerbacks and had eight interceptions last fall.
2. Yale (9-1, 6-1, second) Only the season-ending 37-6 loss to Harvard prevented the Bulldogs from a perfect season and an Ivy League title. And the Elis could be even better this year, with 14 starters back on Jack Siedlecki's squad.
Walter Payton Award candidate Mike McLeod is the centerpiece of the Yale offense at running back. He has rewritten the school's record book with 3,672 rushing yards, 4,383 all-purpose yards and 49 touchdowns.
The biggest question on offense will be how senior Ryan Fodor develops in his first year as the starting quarterback. Fodor should give the Bulldogs a more potent passing attack, with John Sheffield and Jarrett Drake as his best returning receivers.
The Bulldogs are one of only four FCS teams to have both a Payton and Buchanan Award candidate on their roster. Captain Bobby Abare (86 tackles) is an active force in the middle of the defense at linebacker.
His brother, Larry Abare, is an all-league safety for a unit that was third nationally in passing efficiency defense, and Yale also returns linebacker Jay Pilkerton along with linemen Brady Hart, Kyle Hawari and Max Newton.
3. Penn (4-6, 3-4, tied for fourth) Injuries decimated Penn's hopes early last season. Quarterback Robert Irvin reinjured his surgically-repaired right throwing shoulder in the season opener against Villanova, costing him the rest of the year, and running back Joe Sandburg was banged up all season. That left the Quakers with little offense and they ranked 81th nationally, averaging just 23 points per game.
Irvin (2,128 yards in 2006) is healthy and back for his senior year, and he can rely on a pair of good young running backs in Michael DiMaggio and Bradford Blackmon. A favorite target is tight end Josh Koontz (26 career catches), for an offense that should be much more dangerous.
There should be few problems defensively for a unit that was seventh nationally against the rush and 17th overall. Three of four defensive backs, cornerbacks Chris Wynn and Tyson Maugle and safety Jordan Manning, return along with inside linebacker Jay Colabella and nose guard Joe Goniprow.
If the offense jells, look for Penn to challenge Harvard and Yale for the league title.
4. Brown (5-5, 4-3, third) The Bears saw their fortunes rise when they discovered quarterback Michael Dougherty, who the league in completions (264), percentage (58.9), passing yards (3,039) and TD passes (19) in his first year as a starter.
Running back Derrick Knight, who rushed for 208 yards in last year's opening-week win over Georgetown before being injured, is returning to give the offense more balance. Receivers Buddy Farnham (78 catches, 10 TDs) and Bobby Sewell (304 yards rushing, 68 catches) must take up the slack from the graduation loss of Paul Raymond (55 catches, 17.6 average).
Seven offensive linemen with some starting experience are back from a unit that allowed just 10 sacks a year ago. Colin Cloherty (41 receptions, 13.4 average) is one of the nation's top returning tight ends.
The defense found it hard to replace linebacker Zak DeOssie (New York Giants) and slipped to 110th nationally in yards allowed. But the Bears should be better with their top five tacklers (linebackers Jon May, Frank Nuzzo, Steve Ziogas and Miles Craigwell and cornerback Darrell Harrison) returning. Harrison had four interceptions and was ranked 10th nationally with 14 pass breakups.
5. Princeton (4-6, 3-4, tied for fourth) Roger Hughes is all but guaranteeing that the Tigers will be back in the thick of the Ivy League race, with a team that has similar chemistry to the unit that won a share of the title with Yale in 2006.
Princeton missed the talents and leadership of graduated quarterback Jeff Terrell last season, but Hughes thinks senior Brian Anderson will solve that problem in his first year as a starter.
Anderson should definitely give the passing game more teeth after going 19-of-27 with 189 yards through the air in the last game of 2007.
R.C. Lagomarsino is ready to blossom as a senior running back, while Adam Berry (26 catches, 16.2 average) should break out as a receiver. Five offensive linemen with starting experience solidify the front.
The defense was tough at times last season and could be more consistent this year with six starters back, including linemen Pete Buchigiani, Tom Methvin and Matt Koch, linebackers John Callahan and Collin McCarthy and cornerback Cart Kelly. But the Tigers will be replacing both safeties.
6. Cornell (5-5, 2-5, seventh) The Big Red has become more competitive under the coaching of Jim Knowles, and with 16 starters back, they may be ready to make a run at their first title since 1990.
Quarterback Nathan Ford (1,904 yards passing) is a three-year starter as a senior and that experience could help him turn around his numbers of six TD passes and 14 interceptions. Two-time All-Ivy League running back Luke Siwula (2,195 career rushing yards, 22 TDs) is back for a fifth year after injuries wiped out his 2007 season after three games.
Zac Canty (49 catches), Jesse Baker (42 catches) and Bryan Walters (48 catches) lead a deep receiving group. Tight end Alex Spooner could also be more of a factor in the passing game as a senior. Cornell must replace three starters on the offensive line, however.
The Big Red need to show improvement defensively after allowing 30 points per game last year, but they have eight starters returning. This unit held four opponents to 14 or less points, but was burned for 31 or more points in the other six contests.
The entire defensive line of Dario Arezzo, Frank Kunis and Lucas McCarthy returns and is bolstered by a potential young star in Jeff Rossage. Graham Rihn (10 tackles for loss) is the only starting linebacker left.
Frank Morand and Emani Fenton give Cornell a pair of excellent corners and Tim Bax (100 tackles) lends great run support at safety. The Big Red are also known for their special teams play, blocking seven kicks last season.
7. Dartmouth (3-7, 3-4, tied for fourth) There is a lot of optimism at Dartmouth as Buddy Teevens returns for the fourth year of his second coaching stint at the school. He has made progress each year since he has been back, and now has more experienced players around him.
Defense is where the Big Green will try to shine, with seven starters returning. Though they were ranked 100th nationally in scoring defense last year (34.7 points per game), the group has shown improvement in the past two seasons.
Defensive tackles Rehan Muttaib and Max Copello solidify the line, while Joe Battaglia, Andrew Dete and So Carter give Dartmouth veteran linebackers. The secondary lacks experience at the cornerback positions, but Ian Wilson returns from an injury for a fifth year at safety to go with his replacement last season, Peter Pidermann.
The offense is rebuilding around junior quarterback Alex Jenny, the fourth new starter at the position in four years. But the running game should be strong with Milan Williams (657 yards, 5.3 average) returning.
Alex Rapp is the only starter back on the offensive line and the success in developing a new group with him could be the biggest key for the attack. Tim McManus (28 catches, 13.8 average) is the most productive receiver coming back.
8. Columbia (1-9, 0-7, eighth) There were high hopes for the Lions when they went 5-5 in 2006, but that optimism came crashing down in a 1-9 season. Fortunately, 15 starters are back to help turn things around in 2008 for Norrie Wilson.
Defense was the biggest reason for the improvements of 2006, when Columbia allowed a league-low 16.3 points per game. But that almost doubled to 32 points per game in 2007 (99th nationally) as the Lions struggled to stop the run.
With its defensive line intact, those numbers should go down this season. Defensive ends Matt Bashaw and Phillip Mitchell are the key performers.
Alex Gross, Drew Quinn and Matt Moretto are battling for playing time at linebacker, while Andy Shalbrack leads the secondary from his safety position in the 4-2-5 set.
Receiver Austin Knowlin (74 catches, 13.4 average, 10 TDs) is attention-getter for the offense. But he will be breaking in a new quarterback. Leading rusher Jordan Davis (469 yards, 4.9 average) is also back.
Five members of the offensive line, including Michael Brune, Ralph DeBernardo and John Seller, have starting experience.
09/17 13:48:03 ET