FB: Liberty League

[tony/troy]

No surprises with the LL preseason coaches poll:

1.      Ithaca
2.      Union
3(tie)  RPI(one first place vote)
        Hobart
5.      Rochester
6.(tie) Buffalo State
        Saint Lawrence

Home field could be a factor this year. Hobart has Ithaca and Union at the Boz, but will travel to RPI. Ithaca has RPI at home, Union has Ithaca and RPI at home, RPI has Hobart at home.

Union DOES NOT have RPI at home.

[Bartman]

No surprises with the LL preseason coaches poll:

1.      Ithaca
2.      Union
3(tie)  RPI(one first place vote)
        Hobart
5.      Rochester
6.(tie) Buffalo State
        Saint Lawrence

Home field could be a factor this year. Hobart has Ithaca and Union at the Boz, but will travel to RPI. Ithaca has RPI at home, Union has Ithaca and RPI at home, RPI has Hobart at home.

Union DOES NOT have RPI at home.

apologies, RPI gets home field for Shoes game..

[Bartman]

Watched Zac Boyes carve up the Hobart secondary tonight as Hobart scrimmaged Cortland. What an incredible talent , and he didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat.I would be surprised if the Red Dragons do not go undefeated and have a deep run in the playoffs. Hobart did stop Cortland on 2 of the first 4 drives , but the Hobart offense had an an enemic passing game but could run at times. They didn't keep score on the scoreboard, but it probably was forty something to 3( a 43 yard field goal) although I might have missed a score as I left the game for 15 minutes.The bottom line is Cortland is very very good and Hobart has a lot of work to do before opening night against Alfred. .

[XREDDRAGON77]

Thanks for the update! Best of luck this season!

[Bartman]

Thanks for the update! Best of luck this season!

It will be a fun season to be a Cortland football fan!

[tony/troy]

Watched Zac Boyes carve up the Hobart secondary tonight as Hobart scrimmaged Cortland. What an incredible talent , and he didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat.I would be surprised if the Red Dragons do not go undefeated and have a deep run in the playoffs. Hobart did stop Cortland on 2 of the first 4 drives , but the Hobart offense had an an enemic passing game but could run at times. They didn't keep score on the scoreboard, but it probably was forty something to 3( a 43 yard field goal) although I might have missed a score as I left the game for 15 minutes.The bottom line is Cortland is very very good and Hobart has a lot of work to do before opening night against Alfred. .

It happened this week so just laugh. If it happens again next week when it counts then you worry. Not likely with the long standing pedigree of the program.

Back in 2003, RPI was tied at the half with the soon to be national champion in the SEMI FINAL GAME!!!

They did not start 2003 with a scrimmage against a defending national champion. They started it with a scrimmage against a local community college. RPI LOST!!!

As best as I recall, the then RPI coach played the starters on both sides of the ball for a couple of series each then spent the rest of the day looking at everybody else. Probably how he got to a national semi final. The local CC played as if it was their national championship game. The CC was also was pretty good that year but went no further than their first postseason game. Maybe that coach should have looked at more players on scrimmage day.

[XREDDRAGON77]

Good take on it! Scrimmages are nothing more than an evaluation tool. Who knows what rationale both staffs brought in when it came to player rotations and play calling.

[UfanBill]

I just got back from watching Union scrimmage Hartwick and I'm concerned. The defense looked good causing turnovers the first two Hawk possessions but they only lead to two field goal attempts. One a make by first year Francesco Pileggi who looks and kicks exactly like you think he does. The concern obviously is that given the short field the first team offense did virtually nothing. Star running back Michael Fiore got little room to run on his limited carries. Fellow 1000 yard returnee Jonathan Anderson did somewhat better but was unable to sustain anything close to a drive. QB Patch Flanigan was hurried and touch sacked two or three times. That led to questions about the O-Line. Last year's starting RT Kyle Webster has moved to LT. Center Nick Olivolo is a holdover starter as is RG Luke Radar who started 5 games at LG last season. The new members are junior RT David Cooperstein who played in 5 games last season and at 6"5" 300 lbs is the biggest player on the team and first year LG Owen Fernandez out of powerhouse Bergen Catholic in NJ. They've got work to do to be ready for Utica.

As I said the defense looked good putting lots of pressure on the Hartwick quarterback and completely stuffing the run. They looked ready. 5th years Cole DeSilva and Ethan VanderBrink stood out as did LB Jordan Black who may be this year's mayhem maker.

In the scrimmage format the Garnet ran out waves of substitutes. Five QBs in total played. First year Max Cho showed a strong arm but couldn't connect with numerous deep balls. Hartwick played with ever increasing spirit as they continued to shut Union down and used a short field to hit a nice pass for the games only TD. The surprise final score Hartwick 7 - Union 3  in a game shortened to only one half. The Hawks impressed me and should win a few more games this year. The Garnet Chargers will have a hard work week.                       

[Bombs away]

Looking at the schedule it wouldn't surprise me if Rochester is the only Liberty League team to win in week 1.
   

[UfanBill]

Looking at the schedule it wouldn't surprise me if Rochester is the only Liberty League team to win in week 1.
 

Welcome to this board Bombs. That's a great observation that kind of shocks me. Very real possibility the LL has an 0'fer ...I'm hoping you're a Rochester guy because we haven't had one on here in well, never? Judging by your name I'm guessing you're Ithaca. In any rate thanks.

[AUPepBand]

Looking at the schedule it wouldn't surprise me if Rochester is the only Liberty League team to win in week 1.
   

You really think Hobart won't beat Alfred, a team they've handled easily in their last five meetings?

[Bartman]

Looking at the schedule it wouldn't surprise me if Rochester is the only Liberty League team to win in week 1.
   

Bombs away, welcome. I agree that the LL has scheduled some challenging matchups in Week One. However,  it is Week One and we have no performance data other than some comments on scrimmage performances, returning rosters, coaching staff performance and of course our irrational loyalties and unique perceptions of each LL team.  I think we'll see more than one LL win in Week One, starting with  RPI leading the way against Wisconsin-Lacrosse

[Bartman]

Looking at the schedule it wouldn't surprise me if Rochester is the only Liberty League team to win in week 1.
   

You really think Hobart won't beat Alfred, a team they've handled easily in their last five meetings?

Pep, you never know, but after the Cortland scrimmage the coaches are scaring the hell out of the team that Alfred is always tough and hungry and losing at the opener at the Boz under the lights would be unacceptable.Looking forward to some real D3 football against an old rival. Good luck to the Saxon Warriors this year!

[Bombs away]

Looking at the schedule it wouldn't surprise me if Rochester is the only Liberty League team to win in week 1.
   

You really think Hobart won't beat Alfred, a team they've handled easily in their last five meetings?

I'm hoping for a L/L sweep but Ithaca and RPI have their hands full and would have to play flawless football. Hobart lost Boswell and Denham and that's enough for me to think the Saxons have the edge and I think Union has a tough and physical Utica squad. 

[Machiavelli]

Howdy Ho fellow LL fans. Figured it isn't too soon to get some week 1 predictions going. Some good games and tough ones to pick for this early. Taking a complete uneducated guess on a lot of these, but here goes nothing:

Week 1 Predictions:

RPI - 24
(6)UW-Lacrosse - 31

I am very intrigued by this matchup and I love the scheduling by RPI. It's a week 1 game so really anything could happen. UWL is travelling as well, so that could come into play. I think it'll be tight and I hope I'm wrong, but giving UWL a late TD victory. If RPI wins, I'd expect the rhetoric from the national pundits be that UWL is overrated and RPI might receive 3 consolation Top 25 votes. New season, same crap.

(20)Ithaca - 13
(8)Johnny Hopkins - 35

I really like this matchup as well. I'm somewhat down on Ithaca this year for some reason(maybe it's just their tough schedule), but they are home so that could be a factor. I still think Johnny Hopkins has the potential to light that sh!t up. I give them the nod to overpower what I think could be an Ithaca rebuild year. If Ithaca can pull this one out, that rebuild might just be reload instead.

(18)Endicott - 42
St. Lawrence - 10

I think Endicott is going to keep rolling this season. This team had the chance to knock off Cortland in Rd 1 last year and I expect them to be very solid again. I know several LL teams will get a crack at them(SLU/Ithaca/RPI), but I don't think SLU can hang with them at all. The Endicrotch Itchy Gulls take this in a blowout.

Buffalo St. - 6
Brockport - 31

This has snoozer written all over it. Brockport might be pretty decent. Buff St has been a stain on the LL since joining with a killer 3-37 record winning just 1 league game in that span.

Union - 21
Utica - 24

Not liking the LL results this weekend. Gonna probably make an unpopular pick here that Union will not be able to stop Utica in the waning moments. Utica's TOP might be around 75%. Patches O'Houlihan might be able to dodge a wrench, but he'll probably struggle dodging D Linemen.

Alfred - 9
Hobart - 24

Not sure what we'll learn in this game, but Alfred hasn't managed double digits against the pumpkinheads in the last 3 meetings. I'm predicting something similar, though Bart might start slow on the offensive side.

Rochester - 17
Olivet - 16

I don't think we'll see any fireworks in this one. 2 below mediocre teams facing off. Could be a fun game, if you can stay awake.

And there you have it...