Penn State beat Georgia State on Saturday afternoon by a 56-0 score. This was their third win of the year, all over much lesser opponents – Akron – 52-0 and Pittsburgh – 33-14. Games one and three would be best described as “guarantee games”. The opponent is “guaranteed” a nice paycheck for playing Penn State and Penn State is “guaranteed” a win. Pitt is down in quality from many of their past teams, so this game proved to be no challenge either. All the teams have valid reasons for the match-ups: the losers for the money and the winner – well, Penn State head coach James Franklin probably said it best:
“The most important thing you can do, year-in and year-out, is schedule in a way that’s going to give your team the best chance to win your conference.”
That’s all good advice if you are the team that wins, but how about the teams that have no shot at winning? For example, Lafayette’s football team really took it on the chin this past weekend when they traveled to #7 Villanova to play the Wildcats. Villanova completely dominated the game by a 59-0 score and it could have been worse if Villanova hadn’t stopped throwing the ball in the second half. It was 49-0 at the half. And this game was not for the money.
Lafayette had already lost two games by a 31-12 score to Monmouth and 38-24 score to Sacred Heart. Both of these teams were laden with 5-year players who had a red-shirt season (an extra year to develop as a football player). Lafayette and the Patriot League do not allow red shirts except for injury. There is no extra year of physical maturity for the Leopards.
Up next for the Leopards is Princeton, a team they have beaten only three times in 48 tries. Their remaining non-conference opponent will be Harvard. The Crimson leads in this series 16-3 over Lafayette and have won five in a row. In the last 12 non-conference games, Lafayette has only two independent wins in the past three years – Wagner and Central Connecticut State.
John Garrett, the first-year Lafayette head coach, inherited a schedule which offers little chance of winning a non-conference game and a slim chance of winning a Patriot League game this year. They have only one Patriot League win in the past two years (over non-scholarship Georgetown). But, at least, the playing field is level when you play within the conference. Lafayette will just have to get better and will if they are not totally demoralized before the conference games begin.
I am well aware the schedules are developed years in advance (already in stone through 2020) and Coach Garrett knew what he was getting into when he accepted the job. Coming up in the next three years, Lafayette will play Delaware, William & Mary, Army, and Navy. Beating Delaware and/or William & Mary would be considered big upsets. Army beat Lafayette last season 62-7 and the Leopards will be no match for Navy.
John Garrett is one of the most positive individuals I have ever met. But when you are an Akron or Georgia State week in and week out, it is very difficult to instill that same positivity in the players and the fans.
If you don’t believe me, re-read Penn State’s Coach James Franklin’s quote:
“The most important thing you can do, year-in and year-out, is schedule in a way that’s going to give your team the best chance to win your conference.”
Lafayette needs to pin the message on the wall and remember it as they schedule for 2021. Please schedule a “guaranteed” win.
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
- I’m sure many of you saw the play, but in case you missed Whitehall’s Saquon Barkley’s catch and run on Saturday here it is:He set the Penn State record for career receiving yardage for a running back in this game.
- https://www.roarlionsroar.com/penn-state-football/2017/09/2912/key-play-georgia-state-saquon-barkley-brandon-polk-trace-mcsorley
- Tom Brady of the Patriots took last week’s loss rather personally. He threw for 447 yards and three touchdowns in the Patriots’ win over New Orleans. In terms of consistent success, the Denver Broncos keep on winning as they stifled Dallas this past Sunday.
- The Cleveland Browns have not been favored to win a game since Week 14 of the 2015 season. They won that game, by the way, 24-10 over San Francisco in Cleveland. They have not been favored to win a road game since Week 7 of the 2014 season (they lost to the Jaguars 24-6). The Browns are 2.5 point favorites to beat the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis this week. I picked the Colts.
- East Stroudsburg South beating Central Catholic and Palisades drubbing Southern Lehigh were the most surprising high school football outcomes this past weekend.
- We have an inter-city rivalry on Friday night when undefeated Bethlehem Catholic plays Liberty at 7:00pm. Lafayette takes on Ivy League champion Princeton on Saturday night at 6:00pm on RCN-TV. There are also plenty of Celtic Classic festivities this weekend on RCN-TV.
Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (LAST WEEK – 11-5; OVERALL – 21-10 – 68%)
Week Three
LA RAMS
BALTIMORE
INDIANAPOLIS
PITTSBURGH
MIAMI
DENVER
NEW ENGLAND
CAROLINA
TAMPA BAY
ATLANTA
PHILADELPHIA
TENNESSEE
KANSAS CITY
GREEN BAY
OAKLAND
DALLAS
